What is hermesclaw?

HermesClaw is a small Python proxy that enables running multiple AI agents on a single WeChat account. Usually Hermes Agent and OpenClaw each take exclusive control of the iLink connection, which creates conflicts. HermesClaw takes over as the only iLink poller, then runs two local HTTP proxy servers (port 19998 for Hermes, 19999 for OpenClaw) plus an ACP subprocess bridge for OpenCode. Each gateway thinks it's talking straight to the iLink API. You switch between agents using slash commands. The installer detects installed gateways, pulls the iLink token, rewrites gateway configs, installs Python dependencies, adds an OpenClaw media symlink fix, and registers a systemd service on Linux or a launchd agent on macOS. It passes raw iLink protocol messages — text, voice transcriptions, images, videos, files — so every gateway manages its own media decryption and AI interaction natively.

Should you self-host hermesclaw?

hermesclaw scores 51/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #46 of 110 in Chat. It has 754 GitHub stars.

It shipped 8 stable releases in the past year. The latest, v0.4.0, came out on 15 June 2026.

Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. It is MIT-licensed and written mostly in Python.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Zulip (82/100, 26 128 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See hermesclaw vs Zulip side by side.