The best AI agent for Omarchy is Hermes Agent, and my verdict is that it beats Claude Code, OpenCode, Codex CLI and Pi for most people because it is free and does far more than write code.
Claude Code takes second place because Omarchy supports it more deeply than any other agent, and OpenCode takes third as the best free coding agent on the list.
Before the scores, you should know how I reached them.
I run Omarchy in a virtual machine and I built an Omarchy desktop tab into my Agent OS, but I have not run a head-to-head agent test on Omarchy.
The scores below are my own opinion from using these agents daily, checked against the Omarchy manual and each tool's official Linux docs today.
Top 3 Picks At A Glance
- 🥇 Hermes Agent is the best AI agent for Omarchy overall, with my score of 9.3 out of 10.
- 🥈 Claude Code is the best-integrated agent on Omarchy, with my score of 8.3 out of 10.
- 🥉 OpenCode is the best free coding agent for Omarchy, with my score of 8.0 out of 10.
The Verdict Table
These scores are my own first-person opinion, and they are not lab measurements.
| Rank | Agent | Terminal fit | Omarchy support | Cost | Range of work | My overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hermes Agent | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9.3 |
| 2 | Claude Code | 10 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 8.3 |
| 3 | OpenCode | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8.0 |
| 4 | Codex CLI | 9 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7.5 |
| 5 | Pi | 8 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 7.3 |
Each overall score is the simple average of the four columns.
What Omarchy Is
Omarchy is a Linux distribution by DHH that is based on Arch Linux, the Hyprland tiling window manager and the Quickshell desktop kit.
It is free and MIT licensed, and the Omarchy site lists version 4.0.4 as the current download.
The project's own tagline is "Beautiful, fun & agentic Linux".
It is a keyboard-driven, terminal-heavy desktop, and the manual says so openly.
That matters for this verdict, because an agent that lives in the terminal fits Omarchy far better than one that needs a mouse.
What Omarchy Ships With For AI Today
I checked the AI page of the Omarchy manual today, and this is what it documents.
Every major coding-agent CLI comes pre-wired as a lazy-loaded launcher, so nothing downloads until you first run it.
Omarchy does not pick a favourite agent for you.
You pick a default with omarchy default agent <name> or in the Omarchy Menu under Setup, Defaults and Agent.
The shortcut Super + Shift + Ctrl + A launches your default agent in its own terminal window.
A top-bar agents panel shows your plans and usage limits.
An Omarchy Skill teaches agents how to tailor the system itself.
A crash watcher can hand a crashed process to your default agent for diagnosis.
The Install menu also carries desktop AI apps and two local model tools, LM Studio and Ollama.
That is a lot of agent plumbing for an operating system, and it is why the choice of agent is the only real decision left.
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How I Scored The Best AI Agent For Omarchy
I scored each agent from 1 to 10 on four things.
Terminal fit is how natural the agent feels in a keyboard-driven terminal workflow.
Omarchy support is how many Omarchy features the manual documents for that agent.
Cost is how cheaply you can run it, based on the official page.
Range of work is how much the agent can do beyond editing code.
I'll repeat that these are opinions, because I have not benchmarked any agent on Omarchy.
Feature By Feature: What Omarchy Documents For Each Agent
This table only reports what the Omarchy manual names today.
A "not named" cell means the manual does not mention that agent for that feature, and it does not mean the feature is broken.
| Omarchy feature | Hermes Agent | Claude Code | OpenCode | Codex CLI | Pi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-wired launcher | No, it installs through Hermes Desktop | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can be the default agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Usage shown in the agents panel | Not named | Yes | Not named | Yes | Not named |
| Several subscriptions | Not named | Yes | Not named | Yes | Not named |
| Follows the Omarchy theme | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not named | Yes |
| Omarchy Skill linked in | Yes | Yes | Not named | Yes | Yes |
| Its own terminal shortcut | Not named | cx |
c |
cy |
Not named |
| Desktop app in the Install menu | Yes, Hermes Desktop | Yes, the Claude desktop app | Not named | Not named | Not named |
The manual adds that the Omarchy Skill also sits in a generic skills folder, so most harnesses pick it up automatically.
1. Hermes Agent: 9.3 Out Of 10
Hermes Agent is the self-improving AI agent built by Nous Research.
What it does: It has a full terminal interface, creates its own skills from experience, keeps memory across sessions, runs scheduled automations and answers on messaging apps such as Telegram, Discord and Slack.
Who makes it and what it costs: Nous Research makes it, it is MIT licensed and it is free, and you can use any model you want with it.
How to get it on Omarchy: You run this command, or you choose Hermes Desktop under Install and AI.
omarchy default agent hermes
What the official Hermes docs give for Linux: The Hermes README lists this one-liner for Linux, macOS and WSL2.
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
On Omarchy I'd use the Omarchy command, because the manual says Hermes is only ever installed through the app there.
What I like: It is the only pick that works on your whole business and not only your code, and it is my daily agent.
What I don't like: There is no instant launcher for it, the first install takes a few minutes and the agents panel does not name it.
Verdict: Hermes Agent is the best all-round agent for Omarchy and the best free one.
2. Claude Code: 8.3 Out Of 10
Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent for the terminal.
What it does: It reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands and works through tasks with you.
Who makes it and what it costs: Anthropic makes it, and the official docs say it requires a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console account.
The same page says the free Claude plan does not include Claude Code.
How to get it on Omarchy: The launcher is pre-wired.
claude
What the official Claude Code docs give for Linux: The setup page lists this command.
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
What I like: Omarchy gives it everything, including the usage panel, several subscriptions, theme sync, the Omarchy Skill and a browser extension setup for Chromium-based browsers.
What I don't like: It is paid only, and the official system requirements list Ubuntu, Debian and Alpine without naming Arch.
Verdict: Claude Code is the best-supported agent on Omarchy and my first choice for full-time coding.
3. OpenCode: 8.0 Out Of 10
OpenCode is an open source AI coding agent with a terminal interface.
What it does: It lets you ask questions about a project, add features and make or undo changes, using any LLM provider you configure.
Who makes it and what it costs: The OpenCode project publishes it under the MIT licence, and you bring API keys for the providers you use.
How to get it on Omarchy: The launcher is pre-wired.
opencode
What the official OpenCode docs give for Linux: The docs list an install script and an Arch package.
curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash
sudo pacman -S opencode
What I like: It is free, it follows the Omarchy theme and Omarchy gives it a one-letter shortcut, which is c.
What I don't like: A beginner has to choose a model provider before it does anything.
Verdict: OpenCode is the best free coding agent for Omarchy.
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4. Codex CLI: 7.5 Out Of 10
Codex CLI is OpenAI's coding agent that runs locally on your computer.
What it does: It works on code in your project folder from the terminal.
Who makes it and what it costs: OpenAI makes it, the repository is licensed under Apache-2.0, and OpenAI recommends signing in with a ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu or Enterprise plan.
How to get it on Omarchy: The launcher is pre-wired.
codex
What the official Codex README gives for Linux: It lists this command for Mac or Linux.
curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh
What I like: Omarchy covers it in the agents panel and lets you switch between several Codex subscriptions.
What I don't like: The manual does not name it for theme sync, and it makes most sense with a paid ChatGPT plan.
Verdict: Codex CLI is the right default if ChatGPT is the subscription you already have.
5. Pi: 7.3 Out Of 10
Pi is a minimal, extensible agent harness that you can make your own.
What it does: It gives you a small coding agent that you customise with extensions, skills, prompt templates and themes.
Who makes it and what it costs: The Omarchy manual credits it to Mario Zechner, it is MIT licensed, and you connect a subscription or an API key with /login.
How to get it on Omarchy: The launcher is pre-wired.
pi
What the official Pi README gives for Linux: It lists this installer.
curl -fsSL https://pi.dev/install.sh | sh
What I like: It is lean, and it follows the Omarchy theme and picks up the Omarchy Skill.
What I don't like: Its own README says it skips features like sub-agents and plan mode.
Verdict: Pi is the pick for people who enjoy shaping a small tool.
Cost Compared
I have not listed prices, because plans change and each official page is the place to check them.
| Agent | Licence of the tool | What you need to run it |
|---|---|---|
| Hermes Agent | MIT | You need any model provider, a local model or your own endpoint. |
| Claude Code | The setup docs do not describe it as open source | You need a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console account. |
| OpenCode | MIT | You need API keys for the LLM providers you choose. |
| Codex CLI | Apache-2.0 | OpenAI recommends a ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu or Enterprise plan. |
| Pi | MIT | You need a subscription or an API key connected with /login. |
The Limits And Gotchas I'd Flag
The first gotcha is the biggest one.
The manual says agents launched through the default-agent shortcut run unattended in their don't-stop-to-ask modes.
The shortcuts c, cx and cy use auto-approving modes as well.
So an agent on Omarchy will act without asking unless you start it with its plain command.
The second gotcha is the Omarchy Skill, which the manual calls experimental.
The manual suggests plan mode first and names omarchy reinstall configs as the way back if an agent makes a mess.
The third gotcha is installers.
The manual tells you to skip the curl | bash installer for Grok, because it overwrites Omarchy's wrapper.
I would use Omarchy's own launchers for every agent for the same reason.
The fourth gotcha is my own testing.
I have Hermes installed inside my Omarchy virtual machine, and it has answered real prompts and created a real file there.
I have not run the other four through the same tasks on Omarchy, so I can't give you measured results.
The Agents I Left Out Of The Ranking
Omarchy pre-wires more agents than I've scored.
The manual also lists Google Antigravity CLI, GitHub Copilot CLI, Crush, Grok Build from xAI, Oh My Pi, Ori from OpenRouter, Muse Code from Meta and Cursor CLI.
I left them unranked to keep this list to the five I'd actually set as a default.
Leaving one out is not a verdict against it.
Who Should Pick Which Agent
Pick Hermes Agent if you want one free agent for automations, research, content and code.
Pick Claude Code if you code all day and want the deepest Omarchy integration.
Pick OpenCode if you want free software and your choice of model.
Pick Codex CLI if you pay for ChatGPT.
Pick Pi if you want something minimal.
If Hermes doesn't suit you, my ranking of the best Hermes Agent alternative covers the other routes.
If you are choosing a model for any of these, my Claude Opus 5 vs GPT-5.6 comparison is a useful next read.
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Related Reading
- The best UI for Hermes Agent ranks the interfaces you can put on top of my number one pick.
- Hermes Agent dashboards compares the dashboards by what each one shows you.
- The best Hermes Agent alternative lists what I'd try if Hermes is not for you.
- Claude Opus 5 vs GPT-5.6 compares two of the models behind these agents.
Also On Our Network
- 🌐 The exact command for each agent on Omarchy
- 🌐 Which Omarchy agent fits your kind of business
- 🌐 Running Omarchy agents inside an Agent OS
- 🌐 How the models behind these agents score on real builds
FAQ: Best AI Agent For Omarchy
What is the best AI agent for Omarchy in 2026?
My verdict is Hermes Agent.
It is free, MIT licensed and built by Nous Research, and Omarchy installs it when you set it as the default agent.
These are my own opinion scores, and they are not a measured test on Omarchy.
Is Claude Code or Hermes Agent better on Omarchy?
Claude Code has the deeper Omarchy integration.
Hermes Agent is free, works with any model and handles automations and memory as well as code.
I rank Hermes first for most people and Claude Code first for full-time coders.
Which AI agents does Omarchy pre-install?
The manual lists launchers for Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, OpenCode, Pi and several more.
Hermes is the exception, because choosing it installs Hermes Desktop.
What is the best free AI agent for Omarchy?
Hermes Agent is my pick for the best free agent overall.
OpenCode is my pick for the best free coding agent.
Does Omarchy choose an AI agent for you?
No, it does not.
You choose one with the omarchy default agent command or in the Omarchy Menu.
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About Julian
I'm Julian Goldie, an SEO entrepreneur, author and founder of the AI Profit Boardroom, which has 3,400+ members.
I help business owners scale with AI agents, automation and SEO.
- I've built Goldie Agency into a seven-figure SEO and link building agency.
- I've grown my YouTube channel to 400,000+ subscribers.
- I run my own Agent OS with Hermes, Claude and other agents under one shared memory.
- I wrote "Link Building Mastery".
→ Get my best AI training inside the AI Profit Boardroom
My verdict stands at Hermes first, Claude Code second and OpenCode third, and that order gives you the best AI agent for Omarchy.
