# hermes-agent vs Novu

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | hermes-agent | Novu |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 89/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 120 in AI Assistant | #2 of 19 in Notifications |
| GitHub stars | 258 015 ✓ | 40 219 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +9 592 ✓ | +170 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 36 ✓ | 12 |
| Latest release | v0.22.5 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ | @novu/framework@v2.14.0 · 28 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

hermes-agent scores 89/100 against 76/100 for Novu, so it is the safer default.

hermes-agent ships more often: 36 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for Novu.

If you want the quickest setup, hermes-agent is easier to run; Novu needs more configuration.

hermes-agent is growing faster right now (+9 592 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [hermes-agent](https://selfhost.directory/project/hermes-agent) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/hermes-agent.md)
- [Novu](https://selfhost.directory/project/novu) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/novu.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/hermes-agent-vs-novu