Solar Mini 4 Hermes setup takes a few clicks, and right now Upstage’s new model is free inside Hermes Agent for a limited window. In the video below I set it up in Hermes Cloud, Hermes Desktop and Agent OS — and show the one setting you must get right, or you’ll end up on the paid version by accident.
Key takeaways
- Solar Mini 4 is free in Hermes Agent for a limited time, from 5 October 2026.
- It’s listed under the Free models in Nous Portal.
- I give each model its own Hermes profile so I can switch fast.
- Select the free version — the plain Solar Mini 4 entry is the paid one.
Why use Solar Mini 4 with Hermes
Solar Mini 4 is Upstage’s fast agent model — 3B active parameters out of 35B, 512K context — and Nous Research is offering it free in Hermes Agent for a limited time. My Solar Mini 4 overview covers the specs and benchmarks; this page is purely about getting it running in Hermes.
It’s not a frontier model, but for research, summaries and everyday agent tasks it’s fast and costs nothing.
Solar Mini 4 Hermes setup in Hermes Cloud
- Go to Nous Portal’s cloud page and create an agent.
- Scroll to the model section and click Free.
- Choose Upstage Solar Mini 4.
- Deploy — your Hermes instance now runs in the cloud on a free model.
You’ll see other free models in the same list, so you have backups ready.
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Solar Mini 4 Hermes setup in Hermes Desktop
- Open Hermes Desktop and create a new profile — I name it after the model, “solar mini 4”.
- Open the model settings and refresh the model list.
- Edit the models and select Solar Mini 4 from the free models.
- Send a test message — mine replied instantly.
Why a new profile? I keep one profile per model so I can switch and compare in seconds without breaking my main setup. You can use an existing profile if you prefer.
Using Solar Mini 4 in the Hermes dashboard or Agent OS
If you run the dashboard, type hermes dashboard in your terminal, open Models, choose Set main model, search “solar”, go to the Nous Portal section and pick the free Solar Mini 4. Inside Agent OS, add the Solar Mini 4 profile under Hermes and chat with it directly.
The setting that matters: in the model list there’s a free Solar Mini 4 and a paid one. Pick the version marked free. If you choose the other entry, you’re on the paid model.
Other free models and rate limits
Free models can get rate limited. If that happens, refresh the model list and switch to another free model. The free list in Nous Portal when I recorded included:
- Upstage Solar Mini 4
- Poolside Laguna XS 2.1
- inclusionAI Ling 3.1 Flash and Ling 3.0 Flash
- StepFun Step 3.7 Flash
- Meituan LongCat 2.0
That’s why the one-profile-per-model setup is so useful — switching takes seconds.
Solar Mini 4 Hermes troubleshooting
- Solar Mini 4 isn’t in the list — refresh the model list; new free models don’t always show until you do.
- Unexpected charges — you’ve picked the paid entry. Switch to the free one under Nous Portal.
- Rate limit errors — wait a few minutes or switch profile to another free model.
- Memory is off — a new profile starts with memory switched off; turn it on in the profile settings if you want it.
- Slow replies in Agent OS — check you’ve selected the Solar Mini 4 profile, not your default one.
What to use Solar Mini 4 for in Hermes
It handles basic agentic tasks well. The jobs I’d give it:
- Daily AI news research and summaries
- Researching competitors or topics before a piece of content
- Turning notes and transcripts into structured outlines
- Simple scheduled tasks that run every day
For hard coding or complex reasoning, switch profile to a frontier model like Claude Opus 5.5. That’s the whole point of one profile per model: the right brain for each job, one click apart. If you want more free options, my Ling 3.0 Flash guide covers another free model in the same list.
Why I keep one Hermes profile per model
It sounds like extra admin, but it saves me time every day. Each profile remembers its own model, settings and history, so switching from Solar Mini 4 to Claude Opus 5.5 or another free model is a single click — no digging through settings, no breaking the setup I rely on.
It also makes testing honest. When a new model drops, I create a profile, run the same task I ran on the others — my standard is “research the last seven days of AI automation news” — and compare the answers side by side. That’s how I decided Solar Mini 4 is good enough for everyday research but not for hard reasoning. When the free window closes, I simply switch that profile to the next free model.
Is Solar Mini 4 Hermes worth setting up?
Yes — it takes a couple of minutes, it’s fast, and it’s free while the window lasts. My research test came back quickly with a clear, well-sourced breakdown. Set up a Solar Mini 4 Hermes profile today and make sure you select the free version.
One more tip: note the date you set it up. Free windows end, and when this one does your Solar Mini 4 profile will stop answering or start charging. When that happens, open the profile and switch it to whichever free model is current.
FAQ: solar mini 4 hermes
How do I use Solar Mini 4 in Hermes?
Create a new Hermes profile, refresh the model list and select the free Solar Mini 4 from Nous Portal’s free models.
Is Solar Mini 4 free in Hermes?
Yes, for a limited time from 5 October 2026 — as long as you select the free version.
Why am I being charged for Solar Mini 4?
You probably selected the paid entry. Switch to the version marked free in the model list.
What if Solar Mini 4 is rate limited?
Refresh the model list and switch to another free model like Ling 3.1 Flash or Step 3.7 Flash.
Can I use Solar Mini 4 in Agent OS?
Yes — add your Solar Mini 4 Hermes profile in Agent OS, or set it as the main model in the Hermes dashboard.
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About Julian Goldie
I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency, best-selling author, and an AI educator with 428K+ YouTube subscribers. I’ve spent 10+ years in SEO and online business and I test every AI agent on my own work before I recommend it. Join the AI Profit Boardroom for the daily builds, or book a free strategy session to talk through yours.
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Last updated October 2026. This page is a living guide to solar mini 4 hermes — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.
