OpenClaw vs Hermes Agent (Don’t choose WRONG!)

Summary

The video compares OpenClaw and Hermes Agent, two open-source AI agents that run on a server and can be used through messaging apps such as Telegram, Slack, or Discord. Both can work with files, run scripts, browse the web, send emails, and schedule tasks. The key difference is their design emphasis:

• OpenClaw is built around a large community catalog of ready-made skills.
• Hermes focuses on learning from completed tasks and building a skill library tailored to the user.

Where OpenClaw Stands Out

• Larger skill catalog: The video says ClawHub has more than 50,000 skills and plugins, covering areas such as Google Workspace, web scraping, and image generation.
• More native AI providers: OpenClaw supports more than 50 providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, and local models through Ollama.
• Built-in dashboard: It includes a polished web interface, which may be more approachable for users who prefer browsing and clicking over a CLI-first setup.
• Skill Workshop: OpenClaw can propose skills based on its work, but it asks the user to review and approve them by default.

Where Hermes Stands Out

• Automatic learning loop: Its Curator creates skills from the agent’s work, tracks their usage, and can refine underperforming skills without requiring approval.
• Lower effort on repeated tasks: Saved skills can make recurring work cheaper to run. The video says both agents use the same models and prompt-caching discounts, so costs are broadly similar per turn; the difference is most noticeable on repeated tasks.
• Simpler initial setup: Hermes’ defaults are described as streamlined: choose a provider, enter an API key, and start chatting. Its setup wizard offers a shorter provider list, with additional providers accessible through OpenRouter.
• CLI-first interface: A dashboard is available as an optional addition, but it is not included in the default installation.

Installation and Running Costs

Both agents can be installed using a one-click VPS template or self-hosted on hardware such as a Mac mini, Raspberry Pi, spare laptop, or other Linux/macOS machine. The video describes self-hosting as more technical and notes that running an agent on a personal computer gives it access to local files and networks.

Costs depend on the server and the chosen AI model. The video estimates either agent can run for under $20 per month with a low-cost model suited to the task. Repeated work may become more economical sooner with Hermes because its Curator saves and reuses skills automatically.

Security

The video advises keeping either agent up to date and using a VPS or sandbox to limit the impact of problems. It contrasts their security histories:

• OpenClaw: The speaker reports more than 130 security advisories between February and early April 2026, including a patched high-severity remote-code-execution vulnerability. The video says over 40,000 instances were exposed at the time. A separate ClawHub audit reportedly flagged more than 1,000 skills as malicious. OpenClaw users are advised to install skills only from trusted publishers.
• Hermes: The speaker reports at least a dozen CVEs in 2026, and an April audit that identified four critical and nine high-severity findings in the default configuration. The video says these were patched in subsequent versions.

The overall assessment is that both can be used safely if maintained, but OpenClaw’s larger ecosystem brings a larger attack surface.

Recommendation

• Choose Hermes for a first-time user seeking a straightforward personal assistant that improves through repeated use, or for workflows involving recurring tasks.
• Choose OpenClaw if a large prebuilt skill marketplace, a built-in dashboard, broader native provider support, or fine-grained configuration is most important.

Guides and Reviews Mentioned

The speaker says he has created full setup tutorials for both OpenClaw and Hermes, including installation and configuration walkthroughs. The video itself is a hands-on comparison based on his experience setting them up and spending money on model tokens. VPS setup links and the two tutorials are said to be in the video description.

Main Speaker and Sources

• Main speaker: Matt from Metics Media.
• Other sources discussed: OpenClaw and Hermes project features; security advisories and audits referenced by the speaker, including the ClawHub skill audit.