At a glance
| Topic | Timon | Hermes |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Multi-agent, multi-model workstation | A single self-learning agent + desktop app |
| Runs Hermes | as one of its agents | |
| Runs Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Copilot side by side | ||
| Kanban + automatic code → review → merge | ||
| One git worktree per task | ||
| Cross-model review | ||
| Team accounts on your own machine | self-hosted, with roles | Business runs on Nous infrastructure |
| Pays with the subscriptions you already have | central Nous balance for teams | |
| Learned rules reviewed before they spread | skills auto-published to the team | |
| Signed plugins with an SDK | ||
| Custom panel layouts | widgets and themes | |
| Per-member cost dashboard |
Comparison based on public information as of November 2026.
Keep Hermes. Give it a foreman.
Timon drives Hermes like any other agent. Assign it a role on a project, let Claude Code write the code and have Hermes review it, or the other way round. Each task runs in its own git worktree, and a merger lands it only after a passing review.
Your team, on your own server
Hermes Business gives each member an agent in an isolated tenant on Nous' infrastructure. Timon keeps the whole team on a machine you own: user accounts, roles, sealed project domains, and subscription accounts assigned per person. Your code and your conversations never leave your premises.
Learning you can trust
Self-created skills are powerful, and a bad procedure spreads as fast as a good one. In Timon, what the agents learn becomes a rule you can read, scope (agent, project, role, global) and revoke, and it lives next to your local notes vault.
Moving from Hermes in one click
Timon reads your Hermes profiles directly from ~/.hermes: identity, skills, MCP servers. Secrets are read by name only, routines come in switched off, and re-importing updates the same agent.
When Hermes alone is enough
If you want one personal assistant on a VPS that manages itself, Hermes is excellent. When you need several models, a backlog and reviewed code at the end, add Timon.
Questions
Does Timon replace Hermes?
No, it can run it. Hermes becomes one of your agents, next to Claude Code, Codex, Grok and the others.
Is Timon a self-hosted alternative to Hermes Business?
Yes: multi-user with roles on your own machine, using the subscriptions your team already has.
Can I import my Hermes agents?
Yes, directly from your Hermes folder, or through the `timon-export` skill.
Comparison based on public information as of November 2026. Product names and trademarks belong to their owners.
