What is Hermes Bot Mode used for?

Hermes Bot Mode is used to organize multiple AI agent profiles inside Hermes Desktop as named bots. Each bot can have its own chat, avatar, personality, routines, and configuration. This makes it useful for users who want separate AI roles for different tasks.

Is Hermes Bot Mode free?

The provided information lists Hermes Bot Mode as free and open-source. Because it is distributed through GitHub, users should review the repository for the latest licensing and installation details. Any costs related to connected models or external services may depend on the user's setup.

Does Hermes Bot Mode work without Hermes Desktop?

Hermes Bot Mode is described as a desktop plugin for Hermes Desktop. It is intended to extend Hermes Desktop rather than operate as a standalone chatbot app. Users should install or configure Hermes Desktop before using the plugin.

Can bots message each other in Hermes Bot Mode?

Yes, Hermes Bot Mode includes bot-to-bot messaging through a persistent Agent Inbox. It also supports @mention hand-offs, allowing a user to bring another bot into a conversation. This helps support multi-agent workflows within the desktop environment.

Can each bot have its own settings?

Yes, each bot can have an independent chat and profile configuration. The provided feature list mentions editing SOUL.md, model pinning, skills, and toolsets. Users can also duplicate bots with one click to create variations of an existing setup.

Does Hermes Bot Mode support scheduled tasks?

Yes, Hermes Bot Mode includes a Routines pane for recurring scheduled tasks per bot. These routines are backed by Hermes cron. Runs are saved into the bot's own chat history, which keeps the automation output tied to the relevant agent.

Last updated: 9/30/2026Last verified: 2026-08-14

Hermes Bot Mode Review

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Hermes Bot Mode is an open-source desktop plugin for Hermes Desktop (Nous Research) that turns agent profiles into a roster of named bots, each with its own chat, avatar, personality, routines, and bot-to-bot messaging. Install it in minutes and orchestrate multi-agent workflows without patching the core app.

Free

What is Hermes Bot Mode?

Hermes Bot Mode is an open-source desktop plugin for Hermes Desktop by Nous Research. It turns agent profiles into a roster of named bots, each with its own avatar, personality, chat, routines, and messaging workflow. The plugin is designed for users who want to coordinate multiple AI agents without modifying the core Hermes Desktop app.

Key Features

Bot roster with named agent profiles, avatars, latest-message previews, and a dedicated chat for each bot
Independent per-bot chat spaces with full profile editing, including SOUL.md, model pinning, skills, and toolsets
One-click bot duplication for quickly creating variations of an existing agent profile
Bot-to-bot messaging through a persistent Agent Inbox
@mention hand-offs that allow users to bring other bots into any chat
Routines pane for recurring scheduled tasks per bot, backed by Hermes cron
Routine runs are saved into the relevant bot's own chat history
Installs as a plugin without patching the Hermes Desktop core application

Best For

Hermes Desktop users who want a multi-agent workspaceDevelopers and AI enthusiasts experimenting with agent personalities and workflowsUsers who need separate chats for different AI roles or tasksTeams or individuals prototyping bot-to-bot hand-offs and agent routinesOpen-source users who prefer local desktop tooling over hosted-only chatbot interfaces

Pricing

Hermes Bot Mode is listed as a free, open-source plugin. Users should review the GitHub repository and Hermes Desktop requirements to understand installation steps, dependencies, and any costs related to the models or services they choose to connect.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Open-source plugin available through GitHub
Adds a structured roster of named bots to Hermes Desktop
Supports separate chat history and profile configuration for each bot
Useful for organizing multi-agent workflows without changing the core app
Includes bot-to-bot messaging and @mention hand-offs
Scheduled routines help automate recurring tasks for individual bots

Cons

Requires Hermes Desktop, so it is not a standalone chatbot platform
Best suited to users comfortable installing and managing desktop plugins
Model behavior and capabilities may depend on the models, skills, and toolsets configured in Hermes Desktop
Less appropriate for users who only need a simple single-chat assistant
Documentation and feature maturity should be checked directly in the GitHub repository before adoption

Alternatives

ChatGPT

A widely used AI chatbot for general productivity, writing, coding help, and custom GPT-style workflows in a hosted interface.

Claude

An AI assistant focused on conversational productivity, document analysis, writing, and coding support.

Microsoft Copilot

A productivity-focused AI assistant integrated with Microsoft apps and useful for users already working in the Microsoft ecosystem.

CrewAI

An open-source framework for building and coordinating multi-agent AI workflows, making it relevant for users interested in agent orchestration.

Microsoft AutoGen

An open-source framework for creating multi-agent conversations and task workflows, suitable for developers building agent-based systems.

FAQ

View all Hermes Bot Mode alternatives →

Details

Platform

macOSWindowsLinux

Features

Bot roster — named agent profiles with avatars, latest-message previews, and a dedicated chat per bot
Independent per-bot chat with full profile editing (SOUL.md, model pin, skills, toolsets) and one-click duplication
Bot-to-bot messaging over a persistent Agent Inbox, plus @mention hand-offs between bots in any chat
Routines pane — recurring scheduled tasks per bot backed by Hermes cron, with runs landing in the bot's own chat history

Languages

Known limitations

Requires Hermes Desktop (or a Hermes app with the plugin SDK) already installed — it is a plugin, not a standalone app
Shipped as a one-day public beta; the feature is planned to merge into the main Hermes Desktop app, which may make the standalone plugin short-lived
Must be installed on the machine running the desktop app — installing on a remote/SSH gateway does nothing
Bot-to-bot delivery is per-invocation (receivers see messages on their next run); live interrupts of a mid-conversation bot are upstream work