A new intelligent agent named Hermes Agent has been dominating discussions on X and GitHub in recent weeks. Since its launch in late February, it has amassed over 66,000 GitHub stars in just 45 days (as of April 13), a growth rate reminiscent of OpenClaw's peak performance.
This rapid adoption has led developers in Silicon Valley to joke, "Raising lobsters is outdated; now everyone is raising Hermès."
In the past, OpenClaw functioned more like a highly efficient tool—it could reliably execute clearly defined processes. However, it lacked the ability to "learn from experience." After completing a complex task once, it would start from scratch the next time.
Hermes takes a different approach. After finishing a complex task, it automatically reviews the process and extracts key lessons into a reusable Skill file. When faced with a similar problem later, it no longer starts from zero but instead applies this "experience package."
This means Hermes becomes more attuned to user preferences and more capable with increased usage.
If "self-evolution" is the inner soul of Hermes, its native support for WeChat is its key advantage in winning over Chinese developers.
Through Tencent's official iLink Bot API, Hermes enables "scan-to-use" functionality. Without the need for complex public IP configurations or concerns about third-party protocol risks, users can directly issue commands via WeChat—letting Hermes handle emails, manage schedules, or even control smart home devices.
After this feature was introduced, an official post by Nous Research garnered over 500,000 views, with comments unanimously stating, "In China, if you master WeChat integration, you’re set for takeoff."
Although Hermes is currently gaining significant traction (ranking second globally on the OpenRouter Token consumption chart), OpenClaw's position in the industry remains solid. This is because the two represent fundamentally different approaches:
OpenClaw acts more like a precise "executor," suitable for batch tasks with clear steps and low error tolerance. Hermes, on the other hand, functions as a thoughtful "planner," ideal for handling complex tasks with ambiguous processes that require exploration and learning.
Currently, the prevailing trend in the developer community is not to choose one over the other, but to adopt a "dual-mode collaboration" approach: Hermes handles the "thinking"—planning and strategy generation—while OpenClaw takes charge of "execution," carrying out predefined processes. This forms a powerful "golden combination."
It is important to note that Nous Research, the organization behind Hermes Agent, has a notable Web3 background. Although the company has not issued any official tokens, unofficial tokens named "NOUS" have already appeared on the market. Some third-party platforms are even encouraging users to engage in community activities in hopes of receiving potential "airdrop" rewards.
General users are advised to exercise high caution and avoid trusting high-return promotions related to "NOUS tokens" to prevent falling into investment traps.
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