Hermes Agent: Nous Research's Self-Improving AI Agent
Hermes Agent by Nous Research (GitHub). Screenshot source: github.com/NousResearch
Hermes Agent is one of the fastest-growing open-source agent frameworks of 2026. Its bet is depth over breadth: an agent that gets better at your specific workflows over time, with memory that persists across sessions.
What is Hermes?
Hermes Agent is an open-source AI agent framework released by Nous Research in February 2026. It is built around a single principle — the agent should improve at your specific workflows over time — and grew to over 100,000 GitHub stars within its first few months.
Key features
- Self-improving skills — the agent refines how it handles your recurring tasks rather than starting fresh each time.
- Persistent cross-session memory — context and learned behaviour carry over between runs.
- Open source — self-hostable and inspectable, from Nous Research.
- Depth-first design — where multi-channel runtimes chase breadth, Hermes optimises for getting a specific job done well.
At a glance
| Maker | Nous Research |
| Type | Open-source AI agent framework |
| Launched | February 2026 |
| Traction | 100,000+ GitHub stars within months |
| Focus | Self-improving skills + persistent memory |
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Sources
Hermes Agent by Nous Research: Self-Improving AI Agent (2026) — FAQ
Who makes Hermes Agent?
Hermes Agent is built by Nous Research; it launched in February 2026 and became one of the fastest-growing agent frameworks of the year.
Is Hermes Agent open source?
Yes. Hermes Agent is an open-source, self-hostable framework, which is part of why it scaled to 100,000+ GitHub stars so quickly.
Hermes vs OpenClaw?
OpenClaw emphasises breadth and multi-channel orchestration; Hermes focuses on depth — self-improving skills and persistent memory for your specific workflows.