eidan vs Hermes Agent
The two closest tools on this list — both open, both self-hosted. One optimises for a memory you can query; the other for a self-writing skills loop.
eidan and Hermes Agent are the two closest things on this list: both are open-source, self-hosted personal agents you run on your own box. The difference is what they optimise for.
Hermes is built around a self-writing skills loop and broad messaging reach, under a permissive MIT licence. eidan is built around a relational memory you can query and export, curated specialist bundles, and open interop — on a copyleft (AGPL) foundation. Both are strong; they lean different ways.
Head to head
| Dimension | eidan | Hermes Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | ~AGPL — copyleft; keeps derivatives open | ~MIT — permissive; embed or fork freely |
| Self-host on your own box | ~Yes — Postgres is the source of truth | ~Yes — Docker/SSH/VPS up to a GPU cluster |
| Memory you can query & export | ✓Relational Postgres — structured & exportable | —Files + SQLite full-text + LLM summaries |
| Writes its own reusable skills | —No self-writing skill loop | ✓Yes — solves once, writes a shareable skill |
| Acts across tools autonomously | ~Yes — tools, bundles, background jobs | ~Yes — 60+ tools, subagents, cron |
| Out-of-box messaging reach | —Web UI + chat + MCP/A2A interop | ✓Telegram / Discord / Slack / WhatsApp / Signal / email |
| Curated specialist bundles | ✓Free coding/business/lifestyle bundles | —Community & auto-generated skills |
The honest verdict
Pick eidan when
Pick eidan when you want a structured memory you own and can query, curated specialist bundles, and a copyleft foundation that keeps every derivative open.
Pick Hermes Agent when
Pick Hermes when a permissive MIT licence, broad out-of-the-box messaging reach, and an agent that writes and shares its own reusable skills are what you're optimising for.