The best Hermes Agent VPS setup for most people is a managed option: Hermes Cloud from Nous Research or FlyHermes. When people search for the best Hermes Agent VPS, what they really want is Hermes running 24/7 without their laptop staying open. A managed host does that with the least work.
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But managed isn't the only way. This page ranks six hosting options, from "someone else runs it" to "you run everything", so you can see exactly what you're taking on with each one. Every technical detail comes from the Hermes docs.
If you'd rather skip hosting entirely and run Hermes inside a full agent setup on your own machine, my Agent OS is inside the AI Profit Boardroom for $69/mo, with live calls to help you set it up.
Why Hermes needs somewhere to live
Hermes can chat with you on your laptop. That's fine. But the useful stuff, like scheduled jobs and replying on Telegram, depends on the gateway. Per the Hermes docs, cron jobs are run by the gateway, which ticks the scheduler every 60 seconds. If the gateway stops, your morning briefing doesn't arrive.
So the real question isn't "which VPS?" It's "where does my gateway run, and who keeps it running?"
The best Hermes Agent VPS options ranked
| # | Option | You manage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hermes Cloud | Your agents, not the server | Most people who want official hosting |
| 2 | FlyHermes | Your agents, not the server | Fastest setup on chat apps |
| 3 | Self-managed Linux VPS | Server, updates, security | Technical users who want full control |
| 4 | Docker on a VPS | Server, containers, images | People who want a sandbox |
| 5 | Always-on home machine | Hardware, power, network | Keeping everything at home |
| 6 | Hermes Desktop + remote backend | The remote backend | A desktop app with a 24/7 brain |
1. Hermes Cloud
Hermes Cloud is Nous Research's own hosted option. Per the Hermes docs, it runs hosted Hermes Agent instances for you, and you manage them from the agents page in the Nous Portal. You deploy, create an agent, and open its dashboard.
The nice part is how it ties into everything else. Hermes Desktop can sign in to Hermes Cloud and pick from the agents on your account, with no URL to paste. The docs also note that when you update your gateways from Desktop, Hermes Cloud entries are skipped because the platform updates them for you. That's one less job.
You manage: your agents. Nous manages: the machine.
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2. FlyHermes
FlyHermes is managed Hermes hosting from an independent company, HF Data Studio LLC. It's not affiliated with Nous Research. Per its site, you can be live in about 60 seconds and talk to your agent on Telegram, Slack, WhatsApp, Discord or web chat.
Pricing is $49/mo, or $39/mo billed annually, with a 14-day first-account guarantee. If you want to see what it's like day to day, I've written a full FlyHermes review.
Pick it over Hermes Cloud if: you mainly live in chat apps and want the quickest possible start.
3. A self-managed Linux VPS
This is the classic route. Rent a Linux server from any reputable VPS provider and install Hermes with the official installer:
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
Per the Hermes platform support page, Linux on x86_64 and aarch64 is Tier 1. They test on the latest Ubuntu, and if your distro has glibc and systemd and follows the standard filesystem layout, it's likely to work well. The docs don't set a minimum RAM figure for Hermes itself, so size the server for what you'll run on it.
Then make the gateway a service so it survives reboots. Per the docs, hermes gateway install installs it as a user service, and on Linux sudo hermes gateway install --system sets up a boot-time system service for servers. If you use the user service, the docs warn you to enable linger with sudo loginctl enable-linger your-username. Without it, systemd stops the gateway when you log out.
You manage: everything. Updates, security, backups, the lot.
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4. Docker on a VPS
Docker is a Tier 1 install method in the Hermes docs, for x86_64 and aarch64. One catch: Docker installs don't support hermes update. You update by running a new image.
There's a second way Docker shows up, too. Hermes can use Docker as its terminal backend. By default it starts one long-lived container and runs every terminal and file command inside it, so files and installed packages carry over. Set container_persistent to false and you get a fresh sandbox per session, which the docs suggest when the sandbox needs to be a security boundary between conversations.
Pick it if: you want the agent's commands kept away from the host system.
5. An always-on home machine
A spare Mac or Linux box at home works fine as long as it never sleeps. On macOS, hermes gateway install sets up a launchd agent. The docs note the plist uses RunAtLoad, so it starts at login and keeps running. One gotcha from the docs: launchd plists are static, so if you install new tools after setting up the gateway, run hermes gateway install again.
Per the platform support page, the macOS installer is Apple Silicon only. Windows 10 and 11 are also Tier 1, with WSL2 as another route.
You manage: the hardware, the power and the internet connection.
6. Hermes Desktop connected to a remote backend
This one is the best of both worlds. The brain runs on a VPS or home server. You use the friendly desktop app on your laptop. Per the Hermes docs, you connect from Settings → Gateways and choose a connection mode: Remote gateway, Hermes Cloud, or SSH.
For a remote gateway, the remote machine runs hermes serve, and you keep it running under systemd or similar. The docs are clear on safety. Username and password login is for trusted networks only. For anything reachable from the internet, use the OAuth sign-in through Nous Portal, or keep it behind a VPN like Tailscale.
Not sure which of these six fits your setup? Book a free AI strategy session and we'll map it out.
Back up before you move Hermes to a VPS
Already running Hermes on your laptop? Don't rebuild from scratch. Per the Hermes docs:
- Install Hermes on the new machine with the installer above.
- On your current machine, run hermes backup. It saves a zip covering configuration, credentials, memories, skills, sessions and profiles.
- Copy the zip over and run hermes import on the new machine.
Note that a single profile export leaves credentials out by design, so it's not a full backup. My Hermes Agent backup guide covers the difference in detail.
Lock down your Hermes VPS
A server that runs agent commands and holds your API keys needs a few basics.
- Control who can talk to it. Per the docs, the gateway checks allow-all flags, DM pairing, platform allowlists like TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS, then a global allowlist. The default is deny. Keep it that way and only add your own user IDs.
- Isolate the commands. For maximum security, the docs recommend running the gateway on a separate machine or VM with terminal.backend set to ssh, so commands run on another box.
- Protect the secrets file. Credentials live in ~/.hermes/.env. Never commit it anywhere.
- Don't expose a password-only backend. Use OAuth or a VPN, as above.
Which option should you pick?
If you don't want to think about servers, go managed: Hermes Cloud or FlyHermes. If you're technical and want control, a Linux VPS with the gateway as a system service is solid. If you want a nice app plus a 24/7 brain, connect Hermes Desktop to a remote backend.
For a bigger picture of how I run Hermes alongside other agents with shared memory and a dashboard, read my Agent OS guide. And to see which models are worth paying for on your server, check the Goldie Bench. There's also my earlier best Hermes VPS breakdown if you want the managed-vs-DIY argument in more depth.
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FAQ
What is the best Hermes Agent VPS?
The best Hermes Agent VPS setup for most people is a managed option: Hermes Cloud from Nous Research or FlyHermes. If you want full control, use a self-managed Linux VPS with the official installer.
What OS does Hermes need on a VPS?
Linux on x86_64 or aarch64 is Tier 1 in the Hermes docs. They test on the latest Ubuntu, and distros with glibc and systemd are likely to work well.
How do I keep Hermes running after I log out?
Install the gateway as a service with hermes gateway install. On Linux with a user service, enable linger, or use the --system flag for a boot-time service.
Can I use the Hermes desktop app with a VPS?
Yes. Run hermes serve on the VPS, then connect from Settings → Gateways in Hermes Desktop. Use OAuth or a VPN if the server is reachable from the internet. For help choosing, book a free AI strategy session.
