Hermes Agent vs OpenClaw: Why I Finally Chose Hermes

Over the past few weeks, I have been experimenting quite a lot with self-hosted AI agents. Not just regular chatbots, but agents that can actually help me work: accessing the terminal, reading files, creating schedules, running through Telegram, remembering context, and even helping me create content.

Two tools I tried were OpenClaw and Hermes Agent.

At first, I was interested in OpenClaw because the idea looked promising. It belongs to the same category of modern AI agents that can use tools, automate tasks, and assist with technical work.

But after running it on my VPS and comparing it with my daily workflow, I eventually became more comfortable with Hermes Agent.

This article is not a scientific benchmark. It is more of a personal note about what felt useful, what did not fit my setup, and why Hermes became my daily driver.

My Setup

I run my AI agent on a CPU-only Ubuntu VPS without an NVIDIA GPU. The server resources are not huge:

• around 8 vCPU
• around 11 GB RAM
• several other services running, such as Hermes, Ollama, MySQL/MariaDB, Apache, Docker, and other server tools
• Telegram as the main interface
• occasional use for content scheduling, cronjobs, memory, and small automations

So for me, the ideal AI agent is not just the one with the most features. It also needs to be:

1. stable on a small VPS
2. not too heavy on resources
3. comfortable to use from Telegram
4. capable of remembering context across sessions
5. configurable with tools and skills
6. useful for real work, not just chatting

This is where the difference between Hermes and OpenClaw started to become clear.

My Experience with OpenClaw

OpenClaw is interesting as a concept. It has an ambitious agentic approach, and for people who enjoy exploring new AI tools, OpenClaw is definitely worth trying.

But in my own setup, OpenClaw eventually felt less suitable for long-term daily use.

One of the most noticeable things was resource usage. When I checked my VPS, OpenClaw was using around 396 MB of RAM. That number may not be a big deal if your server has plenty of resources, but on a VPS that also runs many other services, it matters.

After removing OpenClaw, my RAM usage improved:

To be clear, this does not mean OpenClaw is bad. It simply means it was not the best fit for my own setup.

I needed an agent that could stay on my server continuously without making me worry too much about resources.

I also needed something that felt deeply connected to my daily workflow: Telegram, cronjobs, memory, skills, content creation, backups, and server automation.

In that area, Hermes felt more mature for my personal needs.

My Experience with Hermes Agent

Hermes Agent feels more suitable as my daily AI agent because it is not just “an agent that can run in the terminal.” It feels more like a personal assistant system that can live across multiple interfaces.

The biggest thing I noticed is the integration.

I can talk to Hermes through Telegram, and it can still:

• read files on my server
• run terminal commands
• manage cronjobs
• create and use skills
• remember my preferences
• help me write content
• help me schedule posts
• check server status
• troubleshoot services
• run fairly long workflows

For me, this matters a lot because I do not always want to SSH into my VPS just to ask an agent to do something.

Sometimes, I just want to send a Telegram message like:

“Is the server alive?” “Check the RAM.” “Create a thread and schedule it.” “Back up Hermes.” “Help me debug this config.”

And Hermes can actually work with the available tools.

That makes Hermes feel like a real assistant living inside my VPS.

The Hermes Features That Matter Most to Me

1. Persistent Memory

Hermes can remember important preferences and context. For example, it can remember my writing style, server setup, Obsidian vault location, content workflow, and technical habits.

This makes the experience much smoother. I do not have to explain everything from zero again and again.

For example, in my content workflow, Hermes already knows that I often create Indonesian content in a casual tone, usually for X or Threads, and that I prefer practical formats.

For me, this is one of the most important features of a modern AI agent: not just answering questions, but carrying useful context from previous sessions.

2. Skills

Hermes has a concept called skills, which are reusable procedures or workflows.

This feels like giving the agent its own working notes.

If there is a workflow I use often, Hermes can save it as a skill. Later, when a similar task appears, Hermes can load that skill again.

This feels different from an agent that always starts from an empty prompt. With skills, Hermes can gradually become more aligned with the way I work.

I see this as one of Hermes’ strongest advantages: the agent can improve over time based on the user’s workflow.

3. Cronjobs

Hermes can also create scheduled tasks. This is useful for things like:

• automatic backups
• reminders
• monitoring
• recurring reports
• checking feeds or data periodically
• sending scheduled updates back to Telegram

In my setup, I even use Hermes for daily backups to a GitHub repository. So it is not just a chat assistant. It is part of my operational workflow.

4. Telegram Gateway

This is probably one of the biggest reasons why I enjoy using Hermes.

Hermes can run through Telegram as a gateway. Since I often use my phone, this makes the agent much more accessible.

I do not have to sit in front of my laptop, open a terminal, and type long commands. I can simply send a message from Telegram, and Hermes still has access to tools on the server.

This makes Hermes feel like a personal assistant that lives on my VPS.

Hermes vs OpenClaw in Daily Use

If I simplify my experience, it looks like this:

OpenClaw may still be a good choice for people who want to explore agentic coding workflows or try a different approach.

But for me, Hermes wins because it feels more practical and more connected to my daily workflow.

What I Like About Hermes

What I like most about Hermes is that it feels like a system that can grow.

On day one, you might only use it for chat and terminal access. But over time, it can evolve:

• it has memory
• it has skills
• it has cronjobs
• it has gateways
• it can connect to other tools
• it can help with writing
• it can help manage the server
• it can help create content
• it can help automate repetitive tasks

So Hermes is not just one application. It feels more like an agent layer on top of my server.

And because I personally like self-hosted tools, Linux, open-source software, and workflows that can be customized, Hermes feels like a very good fit.

The Downsides of Hermes

Of course, Hermes is not perfect.

There are still some things to keep in mind:

1. The initial setup can feel technical If you are not familiar with YAML config, API providers, gateways, or Linux terminals, setting up Hermes may feel a bit intimidating.

2. Some troubleshooting is still needed When integrations like MCP, OAuth, Buffer, or certain providers fail, you may still need to debug things manually.

3. The experience depends heavily on the model Hermes is an agent framework. The quality of its answers still depends on the model or provider you use.

4. The configuration can become complex Memory, tools, MCP, gateway, cron, providers, profiles — all of these are powerful, but they also need to be organized properly.

For me, these downsides are still acceptable because Hermes is a flexible tool. And the more flexible a tool is, the more configuration it usually has.

So, Which One Is Better?

The short answer is: it depends on your needs.

If your goal is to explore a new AI agent tool, OpenClaw is interesting and worth trying.

But if I have to choose one tool for daily use on my VPS, I choose:

Hermes Agent.

The reason is simple: Hermes fits my workflow better.

I need an agent that can:

• run reliably on a VPS
• be accessed from Telegram
• remember context
• save reusable skills
• create cronjobs
• help with content
• help manage the server
• continue across sessions without starting from zero every time

So far, Hermes does that better for my needs.

Final Thoughts

For me, the biggest difference between Hermes and OpenClaw is not only about technical features. It is about how they feel in daily use.

OpenClaw feels like an interesting agentic tool to explore.

Hermes feels like an assistant that I can maintain, train, and use every day.

If you have a small VPS, enjoy self-hosting, often work from Telegram, and want an AI agent that can remember your workflow, Hermes Agent is very much worth trying.

Not because it is perfect, but because it is practical.

And in daily use, being practical often matters more than simply looking advanced.