OpenAI Codex CLI is a coding agent; Hermes Agent is a personal agent: different tools for different jobs. Here is what each is for, how they differ, and when to run each (or both). Vote for your favorite.
Either way, you pay for the model calls. A median coding-agent day on our gateway is 95 requests and 8.6 million tokens. The table prices every step at one model’s rate.
Both run on Standard Compute, where each step goes to the cheapest model that can do it: routine steps go to efficient open models, hard ones to frontier models such as Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra.
| Model | Typical day | Busy day |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $7.34 | $59.10 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $3.67 | $29.55 |
| GPT-6 Luna | $0.23 | $2.43 |
Fixed monthly plans from $19. Eligible new accounts can try $0.25 of compute first, no card. Trial terms
Pick a winner in each category. You can change your vote anytime. 11 votes cast so far.
CodexHermesChoose OpenAI Codex CLI if you are chatGPT subscribers who want a capable terminal agent at no extra cost. Choose Hermes Agent if you are power users who want a long-running personal agent that learns and compounds.
In our editorial scoring, Hermes Agent leads in 3 of six categories (autonomy, reliability and value), while OpenAI Codex CLI leads in 2 (output quality and ease of use). On price, OpenAI Codex CLI runs included with every chatgpt plan / api and is open source; Hermes Agent runs free (mit) / models via standard compute and is open source.
Across 11 community votes on this matchup, OpenAI Codex CLI currently leads in 3 of six categories. Cast your own vote above to move the needle.
What it costs to run Codex or Hermes
Best API for Codex →
3 options compared, with prices and limits
Best API for Hermes →
6 options compared, with prices and limits
Standard Compute sends each step to the cheapest model that can do it, on providers we vet for price, uptime and speed. Plans start at $19 a month, and eligible new accounts can try $0.25 of compute with no card. Choose your agent below to connect.
See the trial and activation steps →
More on Codex: Is Codex CLI free, and what does it cost? · How do I use Kimi K3 in Codex CLI?
More on Hermes: How Much Does Hermes Agent Cost to Run? · How do I use Gemini in Hermes Agent?
Codex CLI is OpenAI's open-source coding agent for the terminal. It edits files, runs commands in a sandbox with configurable approval modes, and can hand longer tasks off to Codex cloud to run in the background; the same agent also ships as an IDE extension and a desktop app. Usage is included with every ChatGPT plan, from Free and Go up to Plus and the $100 to $500 Pro tiers, with tighter limits on the cheaper plans, which makes it the default choice for developers already in the OpenAI ecosystem.
Hermes Agent is Nous Research's open-source autonomous agent, released in February 2026 under the MIT license. Its defining feature is a built-in learning loop: after completing complex tasks it writes its own reusable skills, improves them with use, and builds persistent cross-session memory of you and your projects. It runs self-hosted (from a $5 VPS to a GPU cluster), works with 200+ models, and is reachable from the CLI or 20+ messaging platforms including Telegram, Discord, Slack, and WhatsApp.
Codex and Hermes both run on Standard Compute
