Hermes Agent is the recommended starting point on this site because it is practical for people who want their own AI assistant instead of another closed chatbot account.
It can run locally, work with different model providers, use tools, remember stable context, save procedures as skills, run scheduled jobs, and connect to messaging platforms.
Why that matters for users
- You can start in the terminal and grow into a fuller assistant over time.
- You can choose providers based on cost, privacy, and capability.
- You can connect the assistant to real workflows: research, files, code, reminders, and monitoring.
- You are not locked into one hosted product experience.
The next job is to make the setup path simpler, clearer, and easier to follow for people who are technical enough to use a terminal but do not want to piece the whole system together from scattered notes.