Free trial
No trial is described. The software itself is free under MIT, and Nous Portal has a $0 free tier limited to free models with standard rate limits and no monthly credits.
Learn moreNous Chat
An open-source AI agent with memory, skills and a messaging gateway
Advanced
What is Nous Chat?
Nous Chat is an AI chat bot tool. Open-source, self-hosted AI agent from Nous Research with persistent memory, self-created skills, natural-language scheduling and subagents. Chats over Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email or CLI, with optional Nous Portal credits.
Nous Chat, published by Nous Research and branded on its site as Hermes Agent, is an open-source AI agent that carries one memory across every surface it touches. It runs as a desktop application on macOS 12 or later and Windows 10/11, installs from a terminal command on Linux or macOS, and can also be deployed to the cloud through Nous Portal for an always-on hosted agent. The pitch is continuity: conversations, memories and self-created skills persist between sessions, so the agent builds context on your projects instead of resetting each time you open a window. The product reaches you through a gateway rather than a single chat box. Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal and email are all listed as conversational surfaces, with the terminal (CLI) as the developer-facing option. That makes it a plausible fit for freelancers, small teams and technically comfortable individuals who already live in messaging apps and want an assistant that answers where they work. Beyond chat, the agent handles natural-language scheduling for reports, backups and briefings, web search and browser automation, vision, image generation and text-to-speech, plus multi-model reasoning. Under the hood the interesting mechanics are memory, delegation and isolation. It auto-generates skills as it solves problems and keeps them for reuse. Subagents run in isolated conversations with their own terminals and Python RPC scripts, which the site frames as zero-context-cost pipelines. For experiments, five sandbox backends are supported (local, Docker, SSH, Singularity and Modal) with container hardening and namespace isolation. Against hosted chat assistants, the tradeoff is clear: you get self-hosting, data you keep, and MIT-licensed source, but you also supply a model provider or connect to Nous Portal for credits. Pricing sits in two layers. The software itself is free and open source. Nous Portal adds a $0 free tier with free models and standard rate limits, then paid tiers at $20, $100 and $200 per month that unlock 200+ models, hosted tool use, higher rate limits and monthly credits with a 10% bonus and rollover caps. Model providers you connect yourself bill separately, and cloud hosting is optional.
How do you use Nous Chat?
1Pick an install route
Download the desktop app for macOS 12+ or Windows 10/11, or run the terminal install script on macOS, Linux or any distro. Choose cloud deployment if you want an always-on agent instead.
2Connect a model provider
The setup steps walk you through connecting a model provider. You can bring your own provider or link Nous Portal for model and tool credits.
3Start a first conversation
Open Hermes Desktop or the terminal and start chatting. The agent begins storing the conversation and memories that later sessions will draw on.4Add a messaging platform
Follow the documentation to configure Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal or email so the same agent and memory reach you where you already work.5Set up scheduling and subagents
Use natural-language scheduling for recurring reports or backups, and split heavy work into isolated subagents with their own terminals and Python scripts.6Back up your data directory
Conversations, memories and skills live in a local Hermes data directory. Keep a backup before moving to another computer so the agent's context travels with you.
Pros and cons
Pros
- One persistent memory and skill library across desktop, terminal and messaging appsAI
- Free and open source under MIT, so data and conversations stay self-hostedAI
- Broad surface coverage: Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email and CLIAI
- Unattended scheduling for reports, backups and briefings in natural languageAI
- Five sandbox backends with container hardening for isolated experimentsAI
Cons
- Setup assumes comfort with a terminal, model provider configuration and integrationsAI
- No pricing, feature or integration detail beyond the marketing page; the docs carry the real depthAI
- Costs shift to model providers or Nous Portal credits, so the free license is not the whole billAI
- Messaging gateway means the agent's reach depends on each platform's API limits and policiesAI
- Hosted agents are managed separately in Nous Portal, so local and cloud behavior differAI
How much does Nous Chat cost?
Pricing
The software is free and open source under the MIT license. Nous Portal offers a $0 free tier with free models only and standard rate limits, then Plus at $20, Super at $100 and Ultra at $200 per month, each with 200+ models, hosted tool use, high rate limits, monthly credits with a 10% bonus and rollover caps.
Learn moreSupport
Support runs through the documentation site, which covers setup, provider connection, platform configuration, memory storage and backing up the Hermes data directory.
Learn moreIntegrations
Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email and CLI are named as conversational surfaces. Nous Portal supplies model and tool credits, and the docs cover configuring each integration.
Learn moreFeatures
Persistent memory and auto-generated skills, a messaging gateway across Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email and CLI, natural-language scheduling, isolated subagents with terminals and Python RPC scripts, web search and browser automation, vision, image generation, text-to-speech, multi-model reasoning, and five sandbox backends with container hardening.
Frequently asked questions about Nous Chat
How much does Nous Chat cost?
The software is free and open source under the MIT license. Nous Portal offers a $0 free tier with free models only and standard rate limits, then Plus at $20, Super at $100 and Ultra at $200 per month, each with 200+ models, hosted tool use, high rate limits, monthly credits with a 10% bonus and rollover caps.Does Nous Chat offer a free trial?
No trial is described. The software itself is free under MIT, and Nous Portal has a $0 free tier limited to free models with standard rate limits and no monthly credits.How do you use Nous Chat?
The walkthrough on this page covers 6 steps: 1. Pick an install route 2. Connect a model provider 3. Start a first conversation 4. Add a messaging platform 5. Set up scheduling and subagents 6. Back up your data directory.What platforms does Nous Chat support?
Nous Chat is available on Web App, MacOS, Windows and Linux.What does Nous Chat integrate with?
Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email and CLI are named as conversational surfaces. Nous Portal supplies model and tool credits, and the docs cover configuring each integration.What are the limitations of Nous Chat?
Setup assumes comfort with a terminal, model provider configuration and integrations. No pricing, feature or integration detail beyond the marketing page; the docs carry the real depth. Costs shift to model providers or Nous Portal credits, so the free license is not the whole bill.
Status
StatusActive
Views0
Outbound clicks0
Added10/21/2026
Platforms
Web AppMacOSWindowsLinux
Pricing
FreeFreemiumSubscription
