How to Install and Set Up Hermes AI Agent on a VPS

As self-hosted AI continues to grow in popularity, platforms like OpenClaw and Hermes are creating new opportunities for hosting providers to offer AI-ready VPS solutions. 

Their simple deployment process makes VPS hosting an attractive option for customers seeking greater privacy, flexibility, and control than cloud-based AI platforms can provide. 

In a previous guide, we covered how to install and configure OpenClaw on a Linux VPS. 

Today, we’ll explore another powerful AI agent: Hermes Agent. 

Hermes can create reusable skills from completed tasks, store knowledge between sessions, and gradually improve how it handles recurring workflows.

It is also designed to work especially well with open-source models such as Qwen, Llama, and Mistral, while OpenClaw is primarily optimized for models from Anthropic and OpenAI.

Recommended VPS Configurations

Unlike OpenClaw, which can run with as little as 1 GB of RAM, Hermes Agent works best with at least 4 GB of RAM.

While it’s possible to run Hermes on a smaller VPS using swap space, performance may suffer, so this approach is only recommended if you have no other option.

As with OpenClaw, a hosting control panel is not required. Everything can be configured from the command line, and once installed, Hermes can be managed through Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, and other supported platforms.

Skipping a Control Panel also leaves more server resources available for the agent itself.

Recommended Setup

Suitable for personal projects, testing environments, and small business workflows.

• 2 vCPU
• 4 GB RAM
• 40 GB SSD storage

Larger Business Deployment

Recommended for multiple users, advanced automation, and heavier workloads.

• 4 vCPU
• 8 GB RAM
• 80+ GB SSD storage

Preparing the VPS

Hermes Agent supports several modern Linux distributions. In this guide, we’ll use Ubuntu, although any operating system available with our Virtual Private Servers should work.

First, connect to your VPS via SSH:

ssh root@your-server-ip

Update your system packages:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Install common utilities if they are not already present:

apt install curl wget git unzip build-essential

Installing Hermes Agent

Like OpenClaw, Hermes can be installed with a single command:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

The installation script downloads and configures all required dependencies automatically.

During setup, you’ll be asked to configure:

• LLM Provider (OpenRouter, MiniMax, Nous Portal, etc.)
• API Key
• Model Selection (such as Claude 3.5 Sonnet or GPT-4o)
• Tools (browser, terminal, coding tools, and more)
• Messaging Platforms (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, etc.)

After installation is complete, reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc

Verify that Hermes is installed correctly:

hermes --version
hermes doctor

On a freshly installed server, the doctor command should complete without requiring any manual fixes.

Setting Up Telegram

Connecting Hermes to Telegram allows you to interact with your agent from your phone or desktop.

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather. Make sure you select the verified account.

Create a new bot by sending:

/newbot

Choose a bot name and a username ending in bot.

Many usernames are already taken, so you may need to try several options before finding one that’s available.

Once the bot is created, BotFather will provide an API token that looks similar to:

8023765041:AYGJX7NziHtbFPL8T-XD5oqwP54L-fioZLQ

Return to your VPS and run:

hermes gateway setup

Select Telegram as the provider and paste your bot token when prompted.

Start the gateway:

hermes gateway start

To ensure the gateway automatically restarts after reboots or crashes, install it as a system service:

sudo hermes gateway install --system

Common Hermes Agent Use Cases

Long-Term Research and Knowledge Building

Hermes is designed to function as a persistent research assistant.

Instead of forgetting previous work after each session, Hermes can store information, search its own knowledge base, and build expertise over time.

This makes it useful for tracking industry trends, monitoring competitors, following research topics, or maintaining ongoing projects.

As you continue working with Hermes, it learns your preferences and can deliver increasingly relevant results without requiring constant re-explanation.

Content Creation Workflows

Hermes can manage complex content projects by breaking them into smaller tasks.

For example, it can:

• Research a topic
• Create an outline
• Draft content
• Review and edit the final version

Using task delegation, Hermes can assign different parts of a workflow to multiple subagents running in parallel, significantly speeding up large projects.

Because it runs continuously in the background, work can continue even after you disconnect from the server.

Self-Improving Automation

One of Hermes’ most unique features is its ability to create reusable skills.

If you repeatedly ask Hermes to perform the same multi-step process, it can recognize the pattern and save it as a reusable workflow.

For example, if you regularly request:

• Data collection
• Report generation
• Summary creation

Hermes can eventually package these steps into a reusable skill, reducing processing time and improving consistency.

Automated Server Administration

Running Hermes on a VPS allows it to act as a virtual system administrator.

You can schedule tasks such as:

• Monitoring server health
• Checking deployment pipelines
• Reviewing logs
• Detecting anomalies
• Running maintenance jobs

Combined with messaging integrations, Hermes can send reports and notifications directly to Telegram, Discord, or other platforms.

Hermes Agent vs. OpenClaw

Although both platforms provide persistent AI agents, they take very different approaches.

Hermes Agent

Developed by Nous Research, Hermes focuses on:

• Long-term memory
• Knowledge accumulation
• Skill creation
• Self-improving workflows
• Autonomous task execution

Its architecture is designed to help the agent evolve and become more effective over time.

OpenClaw

OpenClaw focuses on:

• Fast execution
• Desktop automation
• System control
• Local workflows
• Structured skill libraries

Rather than creating new skills automatically, OpenClaw relies on predefined capabilities that users can manage and customize.

In simple terms:

• Hermes acts as a self-improving background intelligence.
• OpenClaw acts as a fast, hands-on digital assistant.

The better choice depends on whether you value autonomous learning or direct control.

A Growing Opportunity for Hosting Providers

As AI adoption continues to accelerate, more users are looking for affordable and private ways to run AI software.

This creates an opportunity for hosting providers and resellers to offer VPS solutions specifically optimized for self-hosted AI platforms such as Hermes Agent and OpenClaw.

By providing AI-ready VPS plans, you can:

• Attract developers and AI enthusiasts
• Differentiate yourself from standard VPS providers
• Increase demand for higher-resource plans
• Improve customer retention
• Position your brand within the growing AI market

Many users prefer self-hosted AI solutions because they offer greater privacy, flexibility, and control than cloud-based alternatives.

As platforms like Hermes continue to gain popularity, AI-focused VPS hosting can become a valuable addition to both your service portfolio and marketing strategy.

Originally published Friday, June 12th, 2026 at 2:31 pm, updated June 12, 2026 and is filed under Virtual Private Servers.

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