Hermes vs Copilot is really a question of scope. Hermes Agent is Nous Research’s open-source agent that runs on your own computer or server and handles any job you give it, from reports to chat support. GitHub Copilot CLI and Copilot in the cloud are GitHub’s coding agents, built around your repositories, issues and pull requests. Here’s how they compare, using only the official docs.
Key takeaways
- Hermes is open source (MIT licence) and runs on your own computer, a server or Docker.
- Copilot CLI is an AI agent in your terminal; Copilot in the cloud works on GitHub.com and GitHub Mobile.
- Copilot is built for code: plans, changes, pull requests and code review.
- Hermes v0.23.0 moved GitHub Copilot into a
github-copilotlabs plugin, so the two can work together.
The quick answer
Choose Copilot if your work lives in GitHub and you want an agent that writes code, opens pull requests and reviews them. Choose Hermes if you want one agent you control for the whole business: scheduled reports, messaging apps, memory and skills, on your own setup. You don’t have to pick only one, because Hermes can use Copilot as a provider through its github-copilot labs plugin.
Side by side
| Hermes Agent | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Open-source agent (MIT licence) | GitHub’s hosted coding agent |
| Where it runs | Your computer, a server or Docker | Your terminal (Copilot CLI), a cloud sandbox or a GitHub Actions runner |
| Main job | Any task: reports, chat support, research, code | Coding: questions, plans, changes, pull requests, reviews |
| Where you talk to it | CLI, TUI, Desktop, browser Webapp, Telegram, Slack and more | Terminal, IDE, GitHub.com, GitHub Mobile and the Copilot app |
| Scheduling | Cron jobs and webhooks | Automations on a schedule or repository events |
| Editors | Runs as an ACP server for ACP-compatible editors | Built into GitHub’s clients and IDE |
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Where the work runs
Hermes runs where you install it. Since v0.23.0, one gateway on each machine owns every conversation, and the CLI, Desktop, editors, bots and cron all attach to it. The new Webapp serves the full Desktop workspace in a browser tab from your own gateway, and it is off by default.
Copilot CLI runs in your terminal on Linux, macOS and Windows. The Copilot CLI docs say copilot --cloud starts the session in a cloud sandbox GitHub hosts instead, so you can steer it from GitHub Mobile and pick it back up later. On GitHub.com, sessions run in a cloud sandbox or a GitHub Actions runner.
Coding and pull requests
This is Copilot’s home ground. Copilot in the cloud answers questions about a repository, plans and makes changes, opens pull requests, reviews them and gets them ready to merge. Copilot CLI has a plan mode (Shift+Tab) that asks clarifying questions and builds a plan before it writes code.
Hermes can code too, and inside editors it runs as an ACP server with file, terminal, browser, memory and skill tools, showing diffs and approval prompts in the editor. It is a general agent first, so it’s less tied to GitHub’s issue and pull request flow.
Scheduling and automations
Hermes cron jobs run on a schedule or from webhooks and can deliver results to messaging apps. In v0.23.0, cron jobs can also post into Group Chats and wake only the bots they mention.
Copilot automations let you define a task once and have it run on a schedule or on repository events, such as triaging issues or preparing weekly release notes. You set them up from the Agents tab of a repository on GitHub.com.
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Control and safety
Hermes keeps keys in its credential vault on your own setup, and v0.23.0 adds price tags and spend limits for paid MCP tools, so it asks before a chat goes over its limit.
Copilot CLI asks before it uses tools unless you allow them. GitHub warns that --allow-all-tools gives Copilot the same access you have without asking first. You can also run /sandbox enable to limit its access to your files, network and system.
My verdict
For code in GitHub, Copilot is the easy pick: it plans, opens pull requests and reviews them where your team already works. For a small business that wants one always-on agent for reports, support and admin, on hardware it controls, Hermes wins. And since Hermes can use Copilot through a plugin, plenty of people will run both. That’s my take on Hermes vs Copilot.
About Julian Goldie
I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency and the AI Profit Boardroom. I test new AI agents almost every day for 432K+ YouTube subscribers and run Hermes, OpenClaw, OpenCode, Claude and Codex side by side in my own Agent OS. Claim your free strategy session or join the AI Profit Boardroom.
Want another angle? Read the AI Profit Boardroom guide to Hermes vs Copilot.
FAQ: hermes vs copilot
What is the difference between Hermes and Copilot?
Hermes is an open-source agent from Nous Research that you run yourself for any kind of task. GitHub Copilot is GitHub’s coding agent for the terminal, the IDE and GitHub.com, built around repositories and pull requests.
Can Hermes use GitHub Copilot?
Yes. Hermes v0.23.0 moved Copilot support into the github-copilot labs plugin, which Nous Research built but does not support. Profiles that use Copilot install it automatically.
Is Hermes free and open source?
Hermes Agent is open source under the MIT licence. You still need a model provider of your choice.
Can Copilot run in the cloud?
Yes. Copilot in the cloud works on GitHub.com and GitHub Mobile, and copilot –cloud starts a Copilot CLI session in a cloud sandbox that GitHub hosts.
Which one can schedule work?
Both. Hermes uses cron jobs and webhooks. Copilot automations run a task on a schedule or on repository events, set up from the Agents tab.
Which is better for a small business?
Copilot suits teams whose work is code in GitHub. Hermes suits owners who want one agent for reports, support and admin that they control.
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Related reading
Last updated November 2026. This page is a living guide to hermes vs copilot — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.
