OpenClaw vs Hermes Agent (and when a team needs something else)
OpenClaw and Hermes Agent are the two best-known open-source AI agents. Both are free, both run on your own machine or server, and both work with models from many labs. The common view is that OpenClaw wins on breadth of chat apps and skills, and Hermes Agent wins on an agent that learns and improves itself.
| Feature | Interweave OSCE Solutions | OpenClawOpenClaw Foundation | Hermes AgentNous Research |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI models | Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok and more: any model your organisation connects | Many labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, local) | Any OpenAI-compatible API: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, local and more |
| Change model mid-conversation | Yes, the new model gets the whole conversation | Yes, with a /model command | Yes, with a /model command |
| Several people working with the same agents | Yes: group chats and team chats where everyone works with the same agents | Yes, one gateway shared by a team | Yes, through its gateway |
| Each person keeps their own access | Yes: every message is checked against the sender's rights, by the platform | No: one trust domain, roles are guardrails not isolation | An allowlist of who may use it; no per-person levels described |
| Where it runs | Your organisation's own server | Self-hosted | Self-hosted, or Hermes Cloud |
| Setting it up | Sign in with a browser; an admin setup guide for the organisation | Install on Node, onboarding wizard, API keys: command line | One-line install, then setup on the command line |
| Where you talk to it | Web, phone browser, phone calls in and out, Telegram, Slack, Discord and Microsoft Teams | WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Teams, Signal, iMessage and more | Command line, Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email |
| Runs on a schedule | Yes: schedules and agents that check in, run as you | Yes: cron jobs and a regular proactive check | Yes: plain-language scheduled jobs |
| Asks before acting outside | Yes: emails, invitations and public apps wait for the person who asked | Up to your own setup | Up to your own setup |
| Price | Private beta, no public pricing yet | Free software; you pay for the server and model use | Free software; you pay for the server and model use |
Checked 14 November 2026 against each maker's own pages. Products change often; follow the sources below for the latest.
Interweave OS
A shared AI agent platform for organisations: an agent in every chat, many people in a chat, any model, on your organisation's own server.
Where it shines
- Every message is checked against the person who sent it, so a shared agent never reveals one person's private chats to another
- Any model your organisation connects, from several labs, switchable mid-chat
- Subagents in any model family, Council reviews by other AI labs, schedules and agents that check in
- No command line for anyone using it, and nothing goes outside the organisation until the person who asked approves it
Good to know
- In private beta: places are limited and there is no public pricing yet. Join the waitlist
Best for: Teams and organisations that want AI agents many people can use safely, with any model.
OpenClaw
A free, open-source gateway that connects your chat apps to an AI agent you run on your own machine or server.
Where it shines
- Works with models from many labs and switches mid-session
- The widest list of chat apps, from WhatsApp to Slack
- The largest community and skill library
Good to know
- Its own docs call a shared install "one trust domain": guests can read every shared session. Source
- A one-click remote code execution bug (CVE-2026-25253) was fixed in early 2026. Source
- Researchers found hundreds of malicious skills on its skill hub in 2026. Source
Best for: Technical individuals who want the widest choice of chat apps and skills, and are comfortable running a server.
Hermes Agent
A free, open-source agent that remembers, writes and improves its own skills, and runs on a small server or in Hermes Cloud.
Where it shines
- Works with any OpenAI-compatible model, switchable mid-chat
- Writes and improves its own skills
- Strong memory and search over past sessions
Good to know
- Shared use is an allowlist of who may talk to it, with no per-person permission levels described. Source
- Several security advisories in 2026, including a sandbox escape fixed in 0.11.0. Source
Best for: Technical individuals who want an agent that learns and improves itself.
The verdict
For a technical person running their own agent, either is a strong choice, and some people run both. For a team, both have the same gap: one shared agent, but no way for each person to keep their own access. That is the problem Interweave OS was built to solve.
Join the Interweave OS private beta Compare everything
Questions
Can several people share one OpenClaw agent?
Yes, one gateway shared by a team. Each person keeping their own access: no: one trust domain, roles are guardrails not isolation.
Which AI models does OpenClaw use?
Many labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, local).
Can several people share one Hermes Agent agent?
Yes, through its gateway. Each person keeping their own access: an allowlist of who may use it; no per-person levels described.
Which AI models does Hermes Agent use?
Any OpenAI-compatible API: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, local and more.
Sources
Be one of the first teams in
Interweave OS is in private beta. Join the waitlist and we will be in touch as places open, with practical AI tips in the meantime.