OpenClaw vs Paperclip AI vs Hermes Agent: which layer do you need?
OpenClaw and Hermes Agent are AI agents you run yourself. Paperclip sits one level above them: it can run either one, or both, as workers in an org chart, alongside coding agents such as Claude Code and Codex. So the real question is not which one wins, but which layer you need.
| Feature | Interweave OSCE Solutions | OpenClawOpenClaw Foundation | PaperclipPaperclip Labs | Hermes AgentNous Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI models | Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok and more: any model your organisation connects | Many labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, local) | Whatever each agent runs: Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, Kimi and more, chosen per agent | 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 | Per task: pick another model or effort; the agent's account and harness stay fixed | 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: people and agents share one org chart, tasks and history | 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 | Partly: four roles, and personal tool accounts used only for your own runs; new connections default to everyone | An allowlist of who may use it; no per-person levels described |
| Where it runs | Your organisation's own server | Self-hosted | Self-hosted; Paperclip Cloud on a waitlist | 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 command on Node 24.11 or later, then build an org chart: command line and web app | 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 | Web app, installable on phones; Slack, Teams, Telegram, Discord and iMessage are experimental | 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: heartbeats and routines on cron, webhook or API | 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 | Yes: board approval for hires and plans; each tool action Allowed, Ask first or Off (not shell commands) | 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 each agent's 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.
Paperclip
A free, open-source app that runs other AI agents, such as OpenClaw, Hermes, Claude Code and Codex, as a company: an org chart, tickets, budgets and approvals.
Where it shines
- Runs agents from many vendors as workers, each with its own model
- Budgets in money per company, agent or project, with a hard stop
- Review and approval stages, and Allowed, Ask first or Off for each tool action
- Free, MIT licensed, and one of the most starred agent projects on GitHub
Good to know
- Talking to an agent is one person per conversation; teammates can read but not write. Source
- New tool connections start shared with everyone and every agent unless you narrow them. Source
- A critical remote code execution bug (CVE-2026-41679) was fixed in April 2026. Source
Best for: Technical teams that want to run many coding and AI agents from different vendors side by side, with budgets and sign-off.
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
Choose OpenClaw for the widest range of chat apps and skills, Hermes Agent for an agent that improves itself, and Paperclip when you are managing many agents and want tickets, budgets and approvals around them. All three expect someone comfortable with a command line. For a whole team working with agents in shared chats, each with their own access, Interweave OS is the different shape.
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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 Paperclip agent?
Yes: people and agents share one org chart, tasks and history. Each person keeping their own access: partly: four roles, and personal tool accounts used only for your own runs; new connections default to everyone.
Which AI models does Paperclip use?
Whatever each agent runs: Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, Kimi and more, chosen per agent.
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.