Hermes is light. The model runs at your API provider; the VPS only keeps the agent loop, messaging gateway and cron scheduler alive. Size for browser automation, not for the model.
What Hermes needs
- RAM: 1 GB minimum, 2–4 GB recommended; at least 2 GB with browser automation (official Docker docs).
- CPU: 1 core minimum, 2 recommended.
- Architecture: Linux x86_64 and aarch64 are both top-tier supported, so Arm VPS plans work.
- GPU: none, unless you serve the model yourself.
Plans that fit (4 GB and up)
| Provider / plan | Specs | Intro / mo | Renews / mo | Paid upfront | 36-month total | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger KVM 1VPS | 1 vCPU · 4 GB · 50 GB | $6.49 (24-mo term) | $11.99 +85% | $155.76 | $299.64 | Intro price needs 24 months paid upfront (~$155.76); renews 85% higher.source, checked 2026-11-04 |
| Hostinger KVM 2VPS | 2 vCPU · 8 GB · 100 GB | $8.79 (24-mo term) | $14.99 +71% | $210.96 | $390.84 | ~$210.96 upfront for 24 months; renews 71% higher. Promo moved between $8.79 and $8.99 in 2026.source, checked 2026-11-04 |
| MC-Node Premium VPS 4 GBVPS | 2 vCPU · 4 GB · 60 GB | €8.30 | €8.30 | monthly | €298.80 | EU-only footprint; check latency if your users are elsewhere.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
| Synteq Custom VPS 2 vCPU / 4 GBVPS | 2 vCPU · 4 GB · 40 GB | $7.40 | $7.40 | monthly | $266.40 | Priced per component — adding RAM later changes the bill.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
| OpenClaw Launch Pro (managed)managed | 2 vCPU · 4 GB · 40 GB | $20.00 | $20.00 | monthly | $720.00 | Costs more than a self-managed 4 GB VPS — you pay for not doing ops.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
| MC-Node Premium VPS 8 GBVPS | 4 vCPU · 8 GB · 80 GB | €15.30 | €15.30 | monthly | €550.80 | Monthly price is higher than a 24-month promo — but it never jumps.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
| Oracle Cloud Always Free (Ampere A1)free tier | 2 vCPU · 12 GB | $0.00 | $0.00 | monthly | $0.00 | Instances under 20% CPU/network/memory for 7 days can be reclaimed — an idle agent looks exactly like that. 'Out of host capacity' errors are common.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
| Hetzner Cloud (cost-optimised)VPS | not published | check current price | check current price | monthly | check current price | Raised cloud prices twice in 2026 (some plans >170%). KYC at signup. Pays no cash commission — listed because it's often the right pick.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
EUR prices are shown in EUR and not converted. "Total" includes the renewal price once the promo term ends.
Want one-click? Hostinger’s VPS Docker catalog includes a Hermes Agent template — see Hostinger VPS plans. You still need to do the security steps below; templates don’t do them for you.
Setup: native install with a systemd service
Do this as a normal user, not root.
# 1. as root: create a user for the agent, copy your SSH key, lock down
adduser agent && usermod -aG sudo agent
rsync --archive --chown=agent:agent ~/.ssh /home/agent
ufw allow OpenSSH && ufw enable
# 2. as agent: install Hermes
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
hermes setup # pick a provider and model, add your API key
hermes gateway setup # connect Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp...
# 3. make it survive logout and reboot
sudo hermes gateway install --system --run-as-user agent
hermes gateway status--system installs a system-level service that starts at boot, which is what you want on a headless server. A user-level service needs extra lingering configuration to survive logout.
Setup: Docker
In Docker, run the gateway in the foreground and let Docker restart it — gateway run is the mode Hermes recommends for containers. Mount a volume so config, sessions and memory survive container updates, and pin a version tag instead of latest.
docker run -d --name hermes-agent --restart unless-stopped \
-v /home/agent/hermes-data:/opt/data \
nousresearch/hermes-agent:X.Y.Z gateway runAdd --shm-size=1g if you use the browser toolset.
Security checklist
- SSH keys only; password login off.
- Firewall allows SSH only. Telegram and Discord connect outbound — no inbound port needed.
- Keep the dashboard (port 9119) on loopback and reach it through an SSH tunnel or Tailscale.
- If you expose webhooks or the API server, put Caddy or nginx with HTTPS in front.
- API keys in
~/.hermes/.envwithchmod 600, never in git. - Give the agent its own accounts — not your personal email, bank or password manager.
- Snapshot the VPS before big changes and copy
~/.hermessomewhere else regularly.