Daiku and Hermes Agent, side by side
Hermes Agent is a free, open-source agent from Nous Research that calls itself the agent that grows with you. You host it, pick its model and talk to it in your chat apps. Daiku isn't a new agent. It gives the AI you already use a browser in the cloud, and asks for your face or fingerprint before it sends, pays or deletes, by default. 1, 2
Last checked: 9 October 2026
What Hermes Agent does well
- It's free and open source, under the MIT license. 1, 7
- It works with the model you pick: Nous Portal, OpenRouter, OpenAI, a model you host yourself or your ChatGPT plan. 1, 2
- It learns skills from experience and keeps a lasting memory, with 70 or more tools, helpers and scheduled jobs. 1, 2
- You talk to it in Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email, the terminal, Teams and Home Assistant. 2
- It has a huge community. On 9 October 2026 it had 252,154 stars and 54,422 forks on GitHub, and Nous says it has been cloned over 24 million times. 6, 7
Side by side
| Daiku | Hermes Agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Which AI | DaikuClaude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor and the other AI apps you use. | Hermes AgentIts own agent, with the model you pick. 1, 2 |
| Where it runs | DaikuA browser in the cloud that you and your AI share, and no one else. | Hermes AgentYour own Linux, Mac, Windows or Android device, Docker, or Hermes Cloud through Nous Portal. 1, 2 |
| What you install | DaikuNothing. You add one link to your AI app. | Hermes AgentHermes Agent, plus a bot for each chat app you connect. 1, 2 |
| What it can reach | DaikuWebsites, signed in only where you signed in yourself. | Hermes AgentA browser, local or in the cloud, your own Chrome profile with its logins if you let it, and its computer's files and commands. 3, 4 |
| Before it pays or sends | DaikuIt asks for your face or fingerprint, by default. Your AI can't approve for itself. | Hermes AgentSmart mode by default: a helper AI rates the risk of each command. Or manual, or off. 4 |
| Your sign-ins | DaikuOne browser and one set of sign-ins for every AI you use. | Hermes AgentIt browses as you, with your real browser profile. No masked sign-in form is documented. 3 |
| Price | DaikuFree for 7 days, then from $19 or €19 a month. | Hermes AgentFree. Nous Portal plans run from $0 to $200 a month in credits. 1, 5 |
Worth knowing
- Approvals cover commands on its computer. In smart mode, the default, a helper AI rates the risk, and only uncertain cases ask you. Manual mode always asks. Off and YOLO mode never ask. 4
- Real profile browsing lets it browse as you, with your existing logins and cookies. It copies your browser profile, so the agent sees what you can see. 3
- You manage its keys: one per model provider, or one Nous Portal sign-in, plus a bot for each chat app. 1, 2
- It also has a hard blocklist for the worst commands, pairing codes for direct messages, Docker hardening and a scan of project files for prompt injection. 4
Where Daiku falls short
- Daiku is invite only for now. You join the list and wait for your invite.
- Daiku isn't open source, and you can't run it on your own computer.
- Daiku acts when your AI asks. It doesn't start work on its own.
- Daiku works on websites only. It can't open the files or apps on your computer.
- Some sites block browsers that AI uses. Then you may need to finish a step yourself.
- Your browser sleeps when no one uses it, so the first step after a break takes longer.
Pick Hermes Agent if
- You want open source that you can read and change.
- You want it on your own hardware, with the model you choose.
- You want to chat with it in Telegram, Discord, Slack or WhatsApp.
- You're ready to manage its keys and keep it secure yourself.
Pick Daiku if
- You want an add-on for the AI you already use, not a new AI to learn and trust.
- You want your face or fingerprint on every payment and send, by default.
- You'd rather not install anything that can reach your computer.
- You want a log of every step, and which AI asked for it.
Questions
Is Hermes Agent free?
Yes. Hermes Agent is free and open source under the MIT license. You pay for the model you use, or for a Nous Portal plan: Free at $0, Plus at $20, Super at $100 or Ultra at $200 a month in credits. 1, 5
Does Hermes Agent have a browser?
Yes. By default it starts a browser of its own. It can also drive your own Chrome, or a cloud browser from Browser Use, Browserbase or Firecrawl. With real profile browsing it browses as you, with your logins. 3
Is Daiku a Hermes Agent alternative?
For work on websites, yes. Daiku doesn't replace an agent you host. It gives the AI you already use a browser on your accounts, with nothing to host.
Can you use both?
Maybe. Hermes Agent can run MCP servers, and Daiku is one, so your Hermes could use Daiku's browser and sign-ins. We haven't tested it yet. 4
Sources
Each small number on this page points to one of these.
Last checked: 9 October 2026
- 1Hermes Agent on GitHub.github.com
- 2Nous Research: Hermes Agent.hermes-agent.nousresearch.com
- 3Hermes Agent docs: the browser.hermes-agent.nousresearch.com
- 4Hermes Agent docs: security and approvals.hermes-agent.nousresearch.com
- 5Nous Portal: plans and prices.portal.nousresearch.com
- 6Nous Research: a note on our fundraise. October 2026.nousresearch.com
- 7GitHub API: Hermes Agent stars, forks and license. 9 October 2026.api.github.com
Other product names belong to their owners.