You work on your own, and an assistant that remembers your projects from one week to the next sounds tempting (who would say no?). So you look up how to try it, you land on a command to paste into a terminal, and you close the tab.
Yet you can install Hermes Agent, the AI agent from Nous Research, without touching the terminal. You download the Hermes Desktop app for Mac or Windows, open it, pick an AI model, and off you go.
Never heard the name? Start with what Hermes Agent is and how it works.
So let's see what you need before you start, how to install it without typing a single command, and how to run it on your own machine.
What do you need before installing Hermes Agent?
Only two things, a fairly recent computer and an AI model (we will get to that).
For the computer, here is what the list of supported systems says:
| Your computer | How to install | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mac with an Apple chip | Hermes Desktop app | macOS 12 or later |
| Mac with an Intel processor | Terminal | The app installer stops on these Macs |
| Windows 11 | Hermes Desktop app | Version 22H2 (released in late 2022) or later |
| Windows 10 | Terminal | The app package requires Windows 11 |
| Linux | Terminal | No app package to download |
Not sure whether your Mac has an Apple chip? Open the Apple menu, then "About This Mac". The window shows either an Apple chip (M1, M2 and later) or an Intel processor.
On Windows, type "winver" in the Start menu to read your version.
And why an AI model? Because Hermes Agent is not an AI on its own! It knows how to act (open a file, search the web), but a model does the thinking for it.
It is a bit like a phone with no plan. The device is yours, but it needs a carrier to make a call, and here the carrier is called a provider.
A provider is the company that runs the model on its servers (this is what a "hosted" model means), such as OpenAI, Anthropic or Nous Research itself. And as with a phone plan, you can switch whenever you like.
Step 1: download Hermes Desktop
Go to the Hermes Desktop download page, then choose your system.
The file does not open the same way everywhere:
- On Mac. You get a .dmg file (the format of installers on Mac). Open it, then drag Hermes into the Applications folder;
- On Windows. Open the file and let the Windows installer do the rest. The app is also in the Microsoft Store.
Is that all? Yes! You have nothing else to install, since the package already contains the agent and everything it needs to run.
On first launch, the app asks which layout you prefer. Pick Basic if you only want to chat. You then land on a conversation window, with no terminal and no technical panels. You can change your mind in the settings.
Step 2: choose an AI model
The app then asks which provider to use. Rest assured, Hermes Agent itself is free (its code is public, under an open licence called MIT). What you pay for is the model.
To get started, Nous Research recommends Nous Portal, its own subscription (no surprise there). Its paid plans give access to more than 200 models with a single account, including those from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. They also include web search and image generation.
The right choice depends on your situation.
| Your situation | What to choose | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| You want to try without paying | Nous Portal, Free plan | $0, with free models only |
| You want one subscription for everything | Nous Portal, Plus plan | $20 a month |
| You already pay for ChatGPT | "ChatGPT or Codex Subscription" | Your current subscription |
| You want nothing to leave your machine | A model installed on your machine, with Ollama | $0, on a powerful machine |
With Nous Portal, connecting works like this:
- click Nous Portal, and your browser opens;
- create an account and choose a plan;
- authorise Hermes, then return to the app.
In October 2026, the Hermes Agent site listed four plans, from $0 to $200 a month. The Plus plan, at $20, came with $22 of monthly credits.
You spend those credits with each request. A powerful model uses more of them, and so does a long task. The details are in the Nous Portal documentation.
What about a Claude subscription? It is less direct. You need a Max plan plus extra credits, or else an API key (a personal code, which you pay for according to what you use).
Nous Research also publishes its own models, called Hermes 4. The name is misleading, because its documentation advises against using them inside Hermes Agent. They are built for chatting, and the agent needs a model trained to chain actions together.
Step 3: send your first message
My first message to an agent was "Hello". It answered "Hello!". I was no further along. 🥲
Ask it instead for something you can check, for example:
- "What are the five largest files in my Downloads folder?";
- "Summarise this document in five points", after dragging a file into the window.
You will know everything works if:
- it replies without an error message;
- it uses a tool when it needs one (here, it reads your folder);
- the conversation carries on when you reply.
An agent acts on your computer. Before a dangerous command (deleting a whole folder, for example), Hermes Agent stops and asks for your approval. YOLO mode removes that question, so do not turn it on.
If you have made it this far, you are done. Hermes Agent is installed, and it answers you.
The rest covers special cases (the terminal, running fully locally, breakdowns). Read only what applies to you.
How do you install Hermes Agent from the terminal?
This method is for Linux, Intel Macs and Windows 10. The terminal is that window (often black) where you type instructions instead of clicking.
On Mac, on Linux or in WSL2 (the Linux built into Windows), paste this line:
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bashOn Windows, open PowerShell (the terminal that comes with Windows) and paste this one:
iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)In both cases, the script downloads Hermes Agent and prepares what it needs. Then reopen your terminal and use these three commands:
hermes setupstarts the configuration, including the choice of model;hermesopens the conversation;hermes desktopinstalls the app and picks up your settings.
Many tutorials require WSL2 on Windows, or go through pip or brew (two install tools developers know well). The PowerShell command is enough, and Nous Research supports neither pip nor brew.
Would you rather isolate the agent from the rest of your machine? An official Docker image exists (Docker locks a program inside a separate space). The Hermes Agent Docker guide explains how to set it up.
Can you run Hermes Agent locally, without sending anything out?
This part is for the curious, and for those who handle sensitive data. If that is not you, skip to the next one with no regrets.
Installed on your computer, Hermes Agent already keeps almost everything there:
- your conversations;
- its memory;
- its skills, the know-how it reuses.
Nous Research writes in its FAQ that it collects no data about your usage. Only one thing leaves the machine, your request, which goes to the model provider.
For nothing at all to leave, the model has to run on your machine. Ollama handles that (it is free software that runs models on your computer). Our DeepSeek R1 tutorial shows how to install it.
Two settings remain in Hermes Agent:
- choose the "Custom endpoint" provider (an address you enter yourself);
- type the address
http://localhost:11434/v1, with no key.
The catch is the model's working memory, known as its context window. It is counted in tokens (pieces of words), and Hermes Agent requires at least 64,000 to start.
But according to the providers page, Ollama only grants 4,096 by default on most computers. You might as well assemble a wardrobe on a train tray table: the instructions, the parts and the tools won't fit together.
So raise that limit when you start Ollama:
OLLAMA_CONTEXT_LENGTH=64000 ollama serveA local model also needs a powerful machine, above all its graphics card (the part that does the calculations). If you are just starting out, begin with a hosted model and keep local for later.
What if the installation gets stuck?
Here are the blockers the documentation describes, and how to get past them.
| What you see | Where it comes from | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "not supported on this Mac" | Your Mac has an Intel processor | Use the terminal, then run hermes desktop |
hermes: command not found | The terminal has not picked up the install | Close it, then reopen it |
| Empty or garbled replies | The provider or the model is set up wrong | Reconnect your provider with hermes model |
| The local model is rejected at startup | Its working memory is below 64,000 tokens | Restart Ollama with the raised limit |
None of these? Type hermes doctor in a terminal. The command goes through your installation and tells you what is missing.
The documentation also gives a piece of advice I find very sound. Until a simple conversation works, add neither a messaging app nor a scheduled task.
How do you update or uninstall Hermes Agent?
The app updates itself, and the Microsoft Store version goes through the Store. In a terminal, type hermes update.
To remove it:
- On Mac. Quit Hermes, then drag the app to the Trash;
- On Windows. Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps;
- In a terminal. Type
hermes uninstall.
Uninstalling the app does not necessarily erase your data, which is kept in a separate folder. That is handy if you reinstall later. To delete everything from a terminal, make a backup and then add --full to the command. The updating and uninstalling page covers each case.
What should you do once Hermes Agent is installed?
You can then talk to it outside the app. Hermes Agent connects to Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal or your email inbox.
Keep one limit in mind: installed on your computer, the agent stops when you switch it off. For it to work while you sleep, it needs a machine that is always on, such as a server. That is the subject of our Hermes Agent course.
Still undecided? Download the app, take the free plan and ask it a real question. You will soon see whether it is useful to you. 😉
Frequently asked questions about installing Hermes Agent
Is Hermes Agent free?
Yes. Hermes Agent is free, and its code is public, under the MIT licence. You only pay for the AI model it uses, with the provider of your choice.
Two options cost nothing: the Nous Portal Free plan, limited to free models, and a model installed on your machine with Ollama.
Can you install Hermes Agent on Windows without WSL?
Yes. Windows 10 and Windows 11 are supported without WSL2. On Windows 11 (version 22H2 or later), the Hermes Desktop app installs like any other program.
On Windows 10, the installation goes through a command you paste into PowerShell, the Windows terminal.
Does Hermes Agent work on an Intel Mac?
Yes, through the terminal. The Hermes Desktop installer is reserved for Macs with an Apple chip (M1, M2 and later), and it stops on an Intel Mac.
On those machines, install Hermes Agent with the terminal command, then run hermes desktop to get the app.
Can you use Hermes Agent locally with Ollama?
Yes. Choose the "Custom endpoint" provider and enter the Ollama address. The model must have at least 64,000 tokens of working memory, otherwise Hermes Agent refuses to start.
Ollama only grants 4,096 by default on most computers. You therefore have to raise that limit before starting the model.
How do you uninstall Hermes Agent?
On Mac, quit Hermes and drag the app to the Trash. On Windows, go through Settings, Apps, then Installed apps. In a terminal, the command is hermes uninstall.
Your conversations and the agent's memory are not necessarily erased, because they are kept in a separate folder.