# Hermes Agent vs ragflow
_Autonomous Agents · independent comparison_

> Hermes Agent and ragflow are both open-source autonomous agents you can self-host for free. Hermes Agent has wider GitHub adoption — 248k stars vs 91k. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.

## Side by side

**Hermes Agent**
- Open source · Agent · 248k★ · Python · MIT · active today
- Best for: People who want a persistent personal agent on their own server that improves the more it is used.
- Avoid if: You want a sandboxed assistant; it runs shell commands on the machine it is installed on.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/hermes-agent) · [official](https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com)

**ragflow**
- Open source · Platform · 91k★ · Go · Apache-2.0 · active today
- Best for: Production RAG over complex documents with agent capabilities, self-hosted.
- Avoid if: You need a lightweight embedded library rather than a full platform.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/ragflow) · [official](https://ragflow.io)

## Key differences

- Hermes Agent has wider GitHub adoption — 248k stars vs 91k.
- Hermes Agent is written primarily in Python; ragflow in Go.
- Licensing differs: Hermes Agent is MIT, ragflow is Apache-2.0.

## Which to choose

**Choose Hermes Agent if:** People who want a persistent personal agent on their own server that improves the more it is used.

**Choose ragflow if:** Production RAG over complex documents with agent capabilities, self-hosted.

## FAQ

**What's the main difference between Hermes Agent and ragflow?**
Hermes Agent has wider GitHub adoption — 248k stars vs 91k.

**Is Hermes Agent or ragflow better?**
Neither is universally better. Hermes Agent is the stronger fit for People who want a persistent personal agent on their own server that improves the more it is used; ragflow for Production RAG over complex documents with agent capabilities, self-hosted. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

**Is Hermes Agent or ragflow free?**
Hermes Agent is free to run and self-host; ragflow is free to run and self-host. Both are free to self-host — you only pay for the infrastructure and any model or API usage.

**Which is more popular, Hermes Agent or ragflow?**
By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — Hermes Agent is ahead (248k vs 91k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

---
Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — https://agentsearchengine.app/compare/hermes-agent-vs-ragflow