Hermes Desktop
The same agent you run in the terminal, as a native application.
Hermes Desktop is not a separate product or a lightweight clone. It runs the same Hermes Agent core, reads the same config and API keys, and shares the same sessions, skills and memory. Start a conversation in the app, continue it in the CLI, and pick it up again from Telegram.
Download
Pick the package for your platform. Every build is the open-source MIT-licensed agent — free to download and use.
macOS
macOS 12+ · Apple Silicon only
Download .dmgOpen the DMG and copy Hermes.app to Applications. macOS on Intel is not a supported platform.
Windows
Windows 10 / 11
Download installerThe .appinstaller download installs the signed MSIX bundle through Windows App Installer and records its update source. Microsoft Store installs are owned and updated by the Store.
Linux
Any distribution
Install via terminalLinux has no installer package. Run the install script, then launch the app with hermes desktop.
Downloads and install scripts are served by Nous Research. Hermes Agent is MIT licensed and its source is on GitHub — this site is an independent information resource and hosts no binaries.
Or install from the terminal
A command-line install gives you the agent without the desktop app. Add the app at any time by running hermes desktop.
Linux / macOS / WSL2
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bashWindows (native, PowerShell)
iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)Already have Hermes? Launch the app with your existing config, keys, sessions and skills
hermes desktopGetting started
What happens after the first launch, and the handful of things worth knowing on day one.
Install and open the app
A fresh install opens a guided setup chat instead of a settings screen. It runs on a free trial model, so you are talking to Hermes before you own an API key.
Connect a model provider
The setup chat walks you through it. From a terminal, hermes setup --portal signs you in to Nous Portal and enables the hosted tool gateway in one command, or use hermes model to pick any provider and model yourself.
Work in the chat window
Responses stream with live tool activity. Drag files anywhere in the chat area to attach them, and use the right-hand preview rail to render web pages, files and tool output beside the conversation.
Keep the terminal when you want it
A real terminal lives in the right sidebar and its shell survives hiding the panel. Select output and send it to the composer as context for your next message.
What is in the app
A chat-first window with a sidebar, built for running several agents and projects at once.
Chat
Streaming replies with structured tool-call summaries, a conversation timeline rail for jumping back through long sessions, find-in-page with Cmd/Ctrl+F, and composer history with an editable send queue that lives on the gateway.
File browser and previews
Explore and preview the working directory while the agent reads and edits files. Set the starting directory with hermes desktop --cwd <path>.
Terminal pane
A real terminal in the right sidebar. Multiple terminals stack in a tab rail, and shells keep their scrollback and running processes while hidden.
Quick Entry
A small always-available composer summoned by a global hotkey from anywhere on your system. Default Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Space, configurable in Settings → Advanced.
Voice
Talk to Hermes and hear it back — the same voice mode available on the other surfaces. macOS asks once for microphone access.
Remote backends
Point the app at a Hermes gateway on another machine from Settings → Gateways. The laptop runs a thin GUI; the agent runs where your keys and compute live.
Updating and removing
Packaged installs
The app checks for updates in the background and offers a one-click update. Microsoft Store installs update through the Store.
Script installs
Run hermes update, or re-run the installer one-liner. New installs land on the latest stable release and follow that channel.
Uninstalling
Settings → About → Danger zone offers three levels: remove the app only, remove the app and agent but keep your data, or remove everything. Externally owned installs (Nix, package managers) are removed through their own tooling.
Questions
Is Hermes Desktop free?
Yes. It is the open-source Hermes Agent under an MIT license, free to download and use. Model providers and optional hosted services have their own pricing.
Does it replace the command line?
No — it is the same agent with a graphical interface. Sessions started in the app resume in the CLI and TUI, and the other way round.
Do I need an account?
No account is needed to run the base app. Signing in to Nous Portal adds hosted models, bundled tool credits and cloud agents.
Which platforms are supported?
macOS 12 or later on Apple Silicon, Windows 10/11, and any Linux distribution. On Linux the agent installs through the terminal instead of an installer package.
Can I extend it?
Yes. Plugins add tools, hooks, themes and integrations without touching the core, and the plugin catalog ships hundreds of reviewed entries.