The Hermes Agent MCP server is the Model Context Protocol support built into Hermes, covering both Hermes using outside MCP servers and Hermes running as an MCP server for other agents, and this review scores every part of it.
Hermes Agent is free and open source from Nous Research, and the hermes mcp command manages both directions.
The short verdict is yes, it's worth setting up, because the client side is mature and the server side finally has a proper home as the official mcp-serve plugin.
The two things that cost it points are that the server side changed its command recently and that it only speaks stdio.
To be clear about my method, these scores are my judgement from the official docs, the plugin page, the release notes and the CLI help, plus what I showed in my Codex and Hermes MCP video.
Hermes Agent MCP Server Verdict At A Glance
These are my scores out of 10 for how much each part helps a real Hermes user, based on the official docs and my own Hermes setup.
| Feature | What it does | My score |
|---|---|---|
| MCP client in the standard install | It lets Hermes use tools from any MCP server with no extra install. | 9 |
| Nous-approved catalog | It offers reviewed servers through hermes mcp and hermes mcp install. |
8 |
hermes mcp add and presets |
It writes server config for you, including a Codex preset. | 8 |
| Stdio and HTTP servers | It runs local servers and connects to remote ones in the same config. | 9 |
| OAuth with device-code login | It signs in to hosted servers, even on a headless box. | 9 |
| Per-server tool filtering | It keeps only the tools you include, or drops the ones you exclude. | 9 |
| Connectors page in Desktop | It lists hosted apps and MCP servers together. | 8 |
| Spend limits and trust levels | It asks before costed or write-capable calls on untrusted servers. | 8 |
| Live MCP progress | It streams server progress notifications as live tool progress. | 7 |
mcp-serve conversation bridge |
It lets other agents read, wait for and send Hermes messages. | 8 |
mcp-serve --tools |
It shares Hermes web, browser, vision, image, skills and speech tools. | 7 |
| Transport and naming changes | It is stdio only, and the server command changed recently. | 5 |
My overall rating is 4.5 out of 5.
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What The Hermes Agent MCP Server Is
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | It is Hermes Agent's MCP support, managed with hermes mcp. |
| Maker | Nous Research builds Hermes Agent and the mcp-serve plugin. |
| Cost and licence | Hermes and the plugin are free and MIT licensed. |
| Client side | Hermes connects to stdio and HTTP MCP servers listed under mcp_servers. |
| Server side | The mcp-serve plugin, listed on 21 October 2026, runs Hermes as a stdio MCP server. |
| Older server command | Earlier builds such as v0.22.1 ship it built in as hermes mcp serve. |
| Plugin requirement | The plugin page says it needs Hermes 0.22.0 or later on Linux, macOS or Windows. |
The CLI help describes the command group as the way to "Manage MCP server connections and run Hermes as an MCP server."
How To Set It Up In Both Directions
To add tools to Hermes, these are the catalog commands from the docs.
hermes mcp # interactive picker (default)
hermes mcp catalog # plain-text list, scriptable
hermes mcp install deepwiki # install a catalog entry by name
To add the Codex CLI as a server, the docs give a one-line preset.
hermes mcp add codex --preset codex
To run Hermes as a server on a current build, you install the plugin.
hermes plugins install mcp-serve
Then your MCP client config points at it.
{
"mcpServers": {
"hermes": {
"command": "hermes",
"args": ["mcp-serve"]
}
}
}
The MCP Client Side, Reviewed
The catalog: 8 out of 10
The docs say Nous staff review and merge every catalog entry, and entries are disabled by default.
The picker shows each one as available, enabled or installed but disabled, which makes it easy to see what's live.
I'd give it a 10 if the docs didn't also warn, rightly, that you still need to read each manifest before installing.
hermes mcp add and presets: 8 out of 10
hermes mcp add takes --url for remote servers, --command and --args for local ones, and --auth for OAuth or header auth.
The Codex preset writes a stdio server that runs codex mcp-server, and it needs the codex CLI on your PATH.
It loses points only because there's one preset so far.
Stdio and HTTP: 9 out of 10
Stdio servers run as local subprocesses, and HTTP servers are remote endpoints with url and headers.
The docs say HTTP and SSE servers honour standard proxy settings, and v0.22.0 added a fallback for SSE-only servers.
OAuth and device-code login: 9 out of 10
Hosted servers such as Linear, Sentry, Atlassian, Asana, Figma and Stripe need OAuth, and auth: oauth handles the flow.
v0.22.0 added hermes mcp login <server> --flow device for terminals with no browser.
hermes mcp reauth --all re-authenticates every OAuth server in one go.
Tool filtering: 9 out of 10
You can include only the tools you want, exclude dangerous ones, use glob patterns, or set enabled: false to skip a server.
The docs' Stripe example drops delete_customer, which is the kind of guard rail I want on any money tool.
hermes mcp configure <name> toggles the same thing interactively.
Connectors page: 8 out of 10
v0.22.0 replaced the desktop MCP tab with a Connectors page that lists hosted apps and MCP servers together.
You can also ask Hermes in a chat to "add the Linear MCP", and a setup card appears in the desktop app, the TUI or the CLI.
Spend limits and trust: 8 out of 10
The current docs let a server declare tool_costs and a per-chat spend_limit.
A server marked trust: untrusted asks before every write-capable call, and the approval prompt names the cost.
Live progress: 7 out of 10
The v0.22.3 release notes list MCP progress notifications streamed as live tool progress.
The notes say this window is documented in full with v0.23.0, so I've scored it on the one line that exists today.
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The MCP Server Side, Reviewed
The conversation bridge: 8 out of 10
The server gives a connecting client ten tools.
| Tool | What it does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
conversations_list |
It lists active conversations. | Another agent can see where work is happening. |
conversation_get |
It returns one conversation's details. | It gives context before a reply. |
messages_read |
It reads recent messages. | It lets a coding agent read a client's request. |
attachments_fetch |
It pulls images and media from a message. | It lets the agent see a screenshot someone sent. |
events_poll |
It returns new messages since a cursor. | It supports simple polling loops. |
events_wait |
It long-polls for the next event. | It gives near-real-time reactions. |
messages_send |
It sends a message through Hermes. | It lets another agent reply on Telegram or Slack. |
channels_list |
It lists the targets you can send to. | It shows where sending is allowed. |
permissions_list_open |
It lists open approval requests. | It surfaces what Hermes is waiting on. |
permissions_respond |
It allows or denies an approval request. | It lets you answer from another tool. |
Reading works without the gateway, but the docs say sending needs the gateway running.
In my Codex and Hermes video, Codex initialised the Hermes MCP server, listed its tools and returned my previous Hermes conversations, which is this bridge working.
The --tools mode: 7 out of 10
hermes mcp-serve --tools adds Hermes's web search, web extract, browser, vision, image generation, skills and text-to-speech tools.
The plugin page says terminal, file, code execution, process, kanban and delegation tools are never exposed, whatever the profile enables.
It also says your profile's tool choices and your hooks still apply, and tool output is secret-redacted.
I score it a 7 because it's useful, but it spends provider credits and only covers part of Hermes's toolset by design.
Transport and the naming change: 5 out of 10
The server is stdio only, and the older docs suggest a separate adapter if you need HTTP.
The command also moved from the built-in hermes mcp serve to the mcp-serve plugin, and clients change their args from ["mcp", "serve"] to ["mcp-serve"].
The plugin page says the ten tool names and parameters are unchanged, which softens the blow.
The Security Checks I'd Run First
- Read each catalog manifest's
source:,install.bootstrap:andtransport.command:fields, because installing runs them. - Filter every server to the tools you need, because the docs call filtering a security control.
- Keep
envscoped, because stdio servers only get the variables you configure plus a safe baseline. - Rely on Hermes stripping invisible Unicode tag characters from tool results, but don't connect servers you don't trust.
- Remember that an
mcp-serveclient can read your conversation history and send messages as your connected accounts.
If your agent also runs commands, pair MCP with a sandbox, which I review in my Hermes Agent sandbox review.
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The Limits That Cost Points
- The server side is stdio only.
- The server command changed, so older guides and configs may show
hermes mcp serve. - Sends are text-only, according to the older docs' current-limits list.
- The event queue lives in memory and starts when the server starts.
- Live MCP progress is only a one-line mention until the v0.23.0 notes land.
Who Should Use The Hermes Agent MCP Server
| You are | What I'd use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A Hermes user who wants more tools | The catalog and hermes mcp add |
It is the fastest way to give Hermes GitHub, project and API tools. |
| A Claude Code or Codex user | The mcp-serve plugin |
Your coding agent can read and reply to Hermes chats. |
| A team with paid generation tools | tool_costs and spend_limit |
It stops surprise bills. |
| Someone wiring two agents together | The Codex preset plus mcp-serve |
Each agent can call the other. |
For the tools I'd connect first, see my best Hermes Agent tools roundup.
For the release context, see my Hermes Agent v0.22 review.
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Also On Our Network
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- 🌐 Seven ways a business uses the Hermes Agent MCP server
- 🌐 How the Hermes MCP server fits an Agent OS workflow
- 🌐 GoldieBench's take on the models behind your MCP agents
FAQ: Hermes Agent MCP Server Review
Is the Hermes Agent MCP server worth it?
Yes, because the client side is mature and the server side lets other agents use your Hermes chats.
What is the difference between hermes mcp serve and hermes mcp-serve?
hermes mcp serve is the older built-in command, and hermes mcp-serve comes from the new official plugin with the same ten tools.
Which MCP clients can use Hermes as a server?
The plugin page names Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and Codex.
Can the Hermes MCP server run commands on my machine?
No, because terminal, file and code execution tools are never exposed to the client.
Is the Hermes MCP catalog safe?
Nous reviews every entry, but you should still read each manifest before installing.
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Connect a few reviewed servers, install mcp-serve for the other direction, and you'll see why I rate the Hermes Agent MCP server so highly.
