Agent Hermes 与 OpenClaw(龙虾):架构、应用与对比
Agent Hermes 与 OpenClaw(龙虾):架构、应用与对比
Agent Hermes & OpenClaw (Lobster): Architecture, Applications, and Comparison
最后更新 | Last updated: 2026-06-05
一、背景与定位 | Background & Positioning
中文
2026 年初,个人 AI Agent 领域出现两个现象级开源项目:
- OpenClaw(龙虾):吉祥物是太空龙虾 Molty 🦞,GitHub Star 超 35 万,社区称其为「养虾」——在本地或服务器上长期运行一只个人助理。
- Hermes Agent(爱马仕):由 Nous Research 发布,定位是 “The agent that grows with you”(与你共同成长的智能体),核心差异是内置 闭环学习系统(Learning Loop)。
二者均为 MIT 协议、可自托管、支持多渠道消息,但设计哲学不同:
| 维度 | OpenClaw(龙虾) | Hermes Agent |
|---|---|---|
| 核心问题 | 连接 — 让 AI 接入工具与聊天渠道 | 进化 — 让 AI 从经验中学习并自我改进 |
| 架构重心 | Gateway 控制平面 | Agent Engine + 学习闭环 |
| 技能来源 | 用户/社区手动编写 SKILL.md | 任务完成后 自动生成 + 自我迭代 |
| 记忆模式 | Markdown 工作区文件 | 分层记忆 + SQLite FTS5 检索 |
English
In early 2026, two standout open-source personal AI agent projects emerged:
- OpenClaw (Lobster): Mascot Molty the space lobster 🦞, 350K+ GitHub stars; Chinese communities call it “raising a lobster” — running a persistent personal assistant locally or on a server.
- Hermes Agent: Built by Nous Research, positioned as “The agent that grows with you”, with a built-in closed learning loop.
Both are MIT-licensed, self-hostable, and multi-channel — but their design philosophies diverge:
| Dimension | OpenClaw (Lobster) | Hermes Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Core problem | Connectivity — tools + chat channels | Evolution — learn and improve from experience |
| Architecture focus | Gateway control plane | Agent engine + learning loop |
| Skills | User/community-authored SKILL.md | Auto-generated + self-improving after tasks |
| Memory | Markdown workspace files | Layered memory + SQLite FTS5 search |
二、OpenClaw(龙虾)架构设计 | OpenClaw Architecture
中文
OpenClaw 的核心理念是:Gateway 即产品。单一 TypeScript 进程监听默认端口 18789,统一管理所有渠道连接、会话路由与工具执行。
flowchart TB
subgraph Channels["消息渠道"]
WA[WhatsApp]
TG[Telegram]
DC[Discord]
SL[Slack]
IM[iMessage]
SG[Signal]
MORE[50+ 渠道...]
end
subgraph Gateway["OpenClaw Gateway :18789"]
ROUTE[会话路由]
TOOLS[工具执行]
MEM[记忆读写]
end
subgraph Runtime["Agent Runtime"]
WP[工作区文件注入]
SK[Skills 加载]
LLM[LLM 推理]
end
Channels --> Gateway
Gateway --> Runtime
Runtime --> Gateway
Gateway --> Channels
2.1 工作区文件体系(Workspace Bootstrap)
Agent 的「人格」与「知识」以纯 Markdown 文件存在,默认位于 ~/.openclaw/workspace/:
| 文件 | 作用 |
|---|---|
SOUL.md |
人格、语气、价值观、行为边界 |
AGENTS.md |
操作手册:工作流、记忆规则、多 Agent 协作 |
USER.md |
用户偏好与身份信息 |
TOOLS.md |
工具使用指南 |
MEMORY.md |
长期记忆(Agent 可周期性更新) |
HEARTBEAT.md |
主动巡检任务(如晨间简报) |
IDENTITY.md |
Agent 名称、头像等元数据 |
skills/*/SKILL.md |
可扩展技能包 |
每次会话启动时,这些文件按固定顺序注入系统提示词:SOUL.md 优先(人格),MEMORY.md 靠后(变化最频繁)。
2.2 三层扩展体系
- Workspace 文件 — 人格与上下文
- Skills(SKILL.md) — 按需加载的能力包
- Channel Plugins — Matrix、Nostr、Twitch 等渠道插件
2.3 多 Agent 路由
Gateway 支持按发送者、工作区或 Agent 实例隔离会话,适合「一个 Gateway、多个专职 Agent」的场景。
English
OpenClaw’s core idea: the Gateway is the product. A single TypeScript process on port 18789 manages all channel connections, session routing, and tool execution.
2.1 Workspace Bootstrap Files
Agent identity and knowledge live as plain Markdown under ~/.openclaw/workspace/:
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
SOUL.md |
Persona, tone, values, behavioral boundaries |
AGENTS.md |
Operating manual: workflows, memory rules, multi-agent coordination |
USER.md |
User preferences and identity |
TOOLS.md |
Tool usage guidance |
MEMORY.md |
Long-term memory (periodically updated by the agent) |
HEARTBEAT.md |
Proactive checks (e.g., morning briefings) |
IDENTITY.md |
Agent name, avatar, metadata |
skills/*/SKILL.md |
Extensible skill packages |
At session start, files inject into the system prompt in a fixed order: SOUL.md first (persona), MEMORY.md last (most volatile).
2.2 Three-Layer Extension System
- Workspace files — persona and context
- Skills (SKILL.md) — on-demand capability packs
- Channel plugins — Matrix, Nostr, Twitch, etc.
2.3 Multi-Agent Routing
The Gateway isolates sessions per sender, workspace, or agent instance — one Gateway, many specialized agents.
三、Hermes Agent 架构设计 | Hermes Agent Architecture
中文
Hermes 的架构重心是 AIAgent 同步编排引擎(run_agent.py),而非微服务。CLI、Gateway、ACP(IDE 集成)、Cron、Batch Runner 共用同一 Agent 核心。
flowchart TB
subgraph Entry["入口层"]
CLI[CLI / TUI]
GW[Gateway 20+ 平台]
ACP[ACP - VS Code/Zed]
CRON[Cron 调度器]
end
subgraph Core["AIAgent 核心引擎"]
PB[Prompt Builder]
PR[Provider 解析 18+ 模型]
TD[Tool Dispatch 70+ 工具]
CC[上下文压缩]
end
subgraph Memory["记忆与学习"]
WM[工作记忆]
SM[会话记忆 SQLite+FTS5]
PM[持久记忆 MEMORY.md/USER.md]
SKM[技能记忆 Skills]
HON[Honcho 用户建模]
end
subgraph Exec["执行环境"]
T1[Local]
T2[Docker]
T3[SSH]
T4[Daytona/Modal Serverless]
end
Entry --> Core
Core --> Memory
Core --> Exec
Memory -->|闭环学习| SKM
3.1 Agent 循环(Agent Loop)
标准流程:
1 | 用户消息 → 构建 Prompt(系统提示 + 记忆 + 上下文) |
设计原则包括:提示词稳定性(会话中不突变,保护前缀缓存)、可观测执行(每次工具调用对用户可见)、可中断(用户可随时取消)。
3.2 四层记忆体系
| 层级 | 机制 | 特点 |
|---|---|---|
| 工作记忆 | 当前对话上下文 | 即时可用 |
| 会话记忆 | SQLite + FTS5 全文检索 | 跨会话搜索历史对话,session_search 工具按需召回 |
| 持久记忆 | MEMORY.md(USER.md( |
会话启动时冻结注入系统提示词 |
| 技能记忆 | ~/.hermes/skills/ 下的 SKILL.md |
渐进式披露:索引仅含名称/描述,全文按需加载 |
此外支持 8 种外部记忆 Provider(Honcho、Mem0、Hindsight 等),用于知识图谱、语义检索、跨会话用户建模。
3.3 闭环学习(Learning Loop)
Hermes 最核心的差异化能力:
- 策划记忆 — 任务完成后,Agent 自主判断什么值得记住
- 创建 Skill — 复杂任务(通常 5+ 次工具调用)成功后,自动生成 Markdown 格式 Skill
- Skill 自改进 — 执行失败或发现更优路径时,通过
skill_manage工具 patch 更新 - 周期性微调(Periodic Nudge) — 会话间隙触发自我反思与优化
- FTS5 召回 — 按需检索历史,经 LLM 摘要后注入相关片段
技能库可从几十个增长到上百个,而上下文 Token 成本几乎不变(仅加载索引 + 按需全文)。
3.4 工具与执行环境
- 70+ 工具,28 个 toolsets,模块级自注册(
registry.register()) - 6 种终端后端:Local、Docker、SSH、Daytona、Modal、Singularity
- 5 种浏览器后端 + MCP 双向支持(既可作 MCP 客户端,也可被 Cursor/VS Code 接入)
- 子 Agent 委派:
delegate_tool生成隔离子代理并行处理
3.5 Gateway 与多渠道
单一 Gateway 进程支持 20 个平台适配器:Telegram、Discord、Slack、WhatsApp、Signal、Matrix、钉钉、飞书、企业微信、QQ 等。与 CLI 共享斜杠命令(/model、/skills、/compress 等)。
English
Hermes centers on the AIAgent synchronous orchestration engine (run_agent.py) — not microservices. CLI, Gateway, ACP (IDE), Cron, and Batch Runner share one agent core.
3.1 Agent Loop
1 | User message → Build prompt (system + memory + context) |
Design principles: prompt stability (no mid-session mutations, preserves prefix cache), observable execution, interruptibility.
3.2 Four-Layer Memory
| Layer | Mechanism | Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Working memory | Current conversation context | Immediate |
| Session memory | SQLite + FTS5 full-text search | Cross-session recall via session_search |
| Persistent memory | MEMORY.md (USER.md ( |
Frozen into system prompt at session start |
| Skill memory | SKILL.md under ~/.hermes/skills/ |
Progressive disclosure: index only, full content on demand |
Plus 8 external memory providers (Honcho, Mem0, Hindsight, etc.) for knowledge graphs and semantic search.
3.3 Closed Learning Loop
Hermes’s key differentiator:
- Curate memory — after tasks, decide what’s worth remembering
- Create skills — auto-generate Markdown skills after complex tasks (typically 5+ tool calls)
- Self-improve skills — patch via
skill_manageon failure or better paths - Periodic Nudge — self-reflection between sessions
- FTS5 recall — search history, LLM-summarize, inject relevant snippets
Skill libraries can grow from dozens to hundreds with near-flat context token cost.
3.4 Tools & Execution Environments
- 70+ tools, 28 toolsets, self-registering at import time
- 6 terminal backends: Local, Docker, SSH, Daytona, Modal, Singularity
- 5 browser backends + bidirectional MCP (client and server for Cursor/VS Code)
- Sub-agent delegation via
delegate_tool
3.5 Gateway & Multi-Channel
One Gateway process, 20 platform adapters: Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, Matrix, DingTalk, Feishu, WeCom, QQ, etc. Shares slash commands with CLI (/model, /skills, /compress).
四、典型应用场景 | Typical Use Cases
中文
OpenClaw(龙虾)擅长
| 场景 | 说明 |
|---|---|
| 口袋里的个人助理 | 手机 Telegram/WhatsApp 发消息,Gateway 在本地/服务器响应 |
| 多渠道统一入口 | 一个 Gateway 同时服务 Discord + Slack + iMessage |
| 开发者编码助手 | 与 Claude Code / Cursor 等 Agent Runtime 集成 |
| 主动巡检 | HEARTBEAT.md 定义定时检查(邮件、日历、服务器状态) |
| 多 Agent 分工 | 不同工作区/发送者路由到不同专职 Agent |
| 社区生态 | 海量 Skills 市场、插件、教程 |
Hermes Agent 擅长
| 场景 | 说明 |
|---|---|
| 长期个人进化 | 用得越久,技能库越丰富,越贴合个人习惯 |
| 自动化 Cron 任务 | 自然语言描述日报、备份、周审计,无人值守投递到任意平台 |
| 研究 / RL 轨迹 | 批量生成 ShareGPT 格式轨迹,用于训练工具调用模型 |
| 低成本 Serverless | Daytona/Modal 后端:空闲休眠、按需唤醒,接近零闲置成本 |
| 从龙虾迁移 | hermes claw migrate 一键导入 SOUL.md、记忆、技能、API Key |
| 企业级安全审批 | 危险命令强制审批、容器隔离、DM 配对白名单 |
English
OpenClaw Excels At
| Scenario | Description |
|---|---|
| Pocket personal assistant | Message from Telegram/WhatsApp; Gateway responds locally/on server |
| Unified multi-channel hub | One Gateway for Discord + Slack + iMessage simultaneously |
| Developer coding assistant | Integrates with Claude Code / Cursor agent runtimes |
| Proactive monitoring | HEARTBEAT.md defines scheduled checks (email, calendar, servers) |
| Multi-agent specialization | Route by workspace/sender to dedicated agents |
| Community ecosystem | Large skills marketplace, plugins, tutorials |
Hermes Excels At
| Scenario | Description |
|---|---|
| Long-term personal evolution | Richer skill library and better habit fit over time |
| Cron automation | Natural-language daily reports, backups, audits — unattended delivery |
| Research / RL trajectories | Batch ShareGPT-format trajectories for tool-calling model training |
| Low-cost serverless | Daytona/Modal backends: sleep when idle, wake on demand |
| Migration from OpenClaw | hermes claw migrate imports SOUL.md, memory, skills, API keys |
| Enterprise-grade safety | Dangerous-command approval, container isolation, DM pairing allowlists |
五、优缺点对比 | Pros & Cons Comparison
中文
OpenClaw(龙虾)
优点
- 社区体量极大,文档、教程、第三方 Skills 丰富
- Gateway 架构简洁直观,「一个进程、一个端口」易于理解
- 渠道覆盖广(50+),含 iOS/Android Nodes、Web Control UI
- 工作区文件(SOUL.md 等)人类可读、可 Git 版本管理
- 本地优先,数据主权在用户手中
- 上手快:
openclaw onboard引导式安装
缺点
- 记忆与技能主要靠人工维护,缺少内置自学习闭环
- 技能不会随使用自动优化,重复任务仍需重新推理
- 广泛文件/系统访问带来安全风险,需仔细配置 allowlist
- 云模型 API 费用可能较高($10–150+/月,视用量而定)
- 静态配置为主,「越用越懂你」需额外 Skills 或手动维护 MEMORY.md
Hermes Agent
优点
- 唯一内置完整闭环学习的 Agent 框架
- 技能自动生成与自我迭代,重复任务效率显著提升
- 四层记忆 + FTS5 按需检索,Token 成本可控
- 模型无关,支持 18+ Provider(OpenRouter、NIM、Kimi、GLM 等)
- 6 种执行后端 + Serverless,$5 VPS 到 GPU 集群均可
- 官方提供 OpenClaw 迁移工具,降低切换成本
- 研究友好:轨迹导出、批量 Runner、RL 环境支持
缺点
- 生态较新,社区规模小于 OpenClaw
- 学习闭环增加系统复杂度,调试需理解记忆/技能机制
- 持久记忆有字符上限(MEMORY.md ~2200 字符),需主动整合
- 企业集成与大型社区插件市场仍在建设中
- Windows 需 WSL2,不支持原生 Windows
English
OpenClaw (Lobster)
Pros
- Massive community, docs, tutorials, third-party skills
- Simple Gateway: one process, one port
- Broad channel coverage (50+), iOS/Android nodes, Web Control UI
- Human-readable workspace files, Git-versionable
- Local-first, user data sovereignty
- Fast onboarding via
openclaw onboard
Cons
- Memory and skills mostly manual; no built-in self-learning loop
- Skills don’t auto-improve; repeated tasks re-reason each time
- Broad file/system access raises security risk; careful allowlist config needed
- Cloud model API costs can be high ($10–150+/month depending on usage)
- Static config; “knows you better over time” needs extra skills or manual MEMORY.md
Hermes Agent
Pros
- Only major framework with a built-in closed learning loop
- Auto-generated, self-improving skills; big gains on repeated tasks
- Four-layer memory + FTS5 on-demand recall; controlled token cost
- Model-agnostic, 18+ providers (OpenRouter, NIM, Kimi, GLM, etc.)
- 6 execution backends + serverless; $5 VPS to GPU cluster
- Official OpenClaw migration tool
- Research-ready: trajectory export, batch runner, RL environments
Cons
- Newer ecosystem, smaller community than OpenClaw
- Learning loop adds complexity; debugging requires understanding memory/skills
- Persistent memory has char limits (~2200 for MEMORY.md); active consolidation needed
- Enterprise integrations and large plugin marketplace still maturing
- Windows requires WSL2; no native Windows
六、架构哲学对比 | Architectural Philosophy Comparison
flowchart LR
subgraph OpenClaw["OpenClaw 龙虾 — 广度优先"]
OC_GW[Gateway 控制平面]
OC_WS[Workspace Markdown]
OC_SK[手动 Skills]
OC_CH[50+ 渠道]
OC_GW --> OC_WS
OC_GW --> OC_SK
OC_GW --> OC_CH
end
subgraph Hermes["Hermes — 深度优先"]
HM_EN[Agent Engine]
HM_LL[Learning Loop]
HM_MEM[四层记忆]
HM_SK[自生成 Skills]
HM_GW[Gateway 20+ 平台]
HM_EN --> HM_LL
HM_LL --> HM_MEM
HM_LL --> HM_SK
HM_EN --> HM_GW
end
中文总结
- 龙虾 回答的是:「如何让 AI 连上我的世界?」— Gateway + 文件即配置。
- Hermes 回答的是:「如何让 AI 在使用中变得更聪明?」— Engine + 学习闭环。
二者并非简单替代关系。Hermes 官方提供 hermes claw migrate,说明其定位是承接龙虾用户、并叠加自进化能力。社区也有 HermesClaw 等项目,尝试在同一微信账号上同时运行两者。
选型建议:
| 你的需求 | 推荐 |
|---|---|
| 多渠道聊天、快速上手、庞大社区 | OpenClaw |
| 长期运行、自动沉淀技能、研究轨迹 | Hermes Agent |
| 已有龙虾部署、想尝试自学习 | hermes claw migrate |
| 编码为主、IDE 深度集成 | 两者均可;OpenClaw 与 Cursor/Claude Code 生态更成熟 |
English Summary
- OpenClaw asks: “How do I connect AI to my world?” — Gateway + files-as-config.
- Hermes asks: “How does AI get smarter through use?” — Engine + learning loop.
They’re not simple replacements. Hermes ships hermes claw migrate to onboard OpenClaw users with self-evolution on top. Community projects like HermesClaw run both on the same WeChat account.
Selection guide:
| Your need | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Multi-channel chat, fast start, large community | OpenClaw |
| Long-running use, auto skill accumulation, research trajectories | Hermes Agent |
| Existing OpenClaw setup, want self-learning | hermes claw migrate |
| Coding-first, deep IDE integration | Both work; OpenClaw + Cursor/Claude Code ecosystem is more mature |
七、快速上手命令对照 | Quick Start Command Reference
| 操作 | OpenClaw(龙虾) | Hermes Agent |
|---|---|---|
| 安装 | npm install -g openclaw@latest |
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash |
| 初始化 | openclaw onboard --install-daemon |
hermes setup |
| 启动服务 | openclaw dashboard |
hermes gateway start |
| 对话 | Web Control UI 或聊天 App | hermes 或 Telegram 等 |
| 人格配置 | 编辑 ~/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md |
/personality 或 SOUL 迁移 |
| 技能管理 | skills/ 目录 + SKILL.md |
/skills + 自动生成 + Skills Hub |
| 从对方迁移 | — | hermes claw migrate |
| 诊断 | Gateway 日志 | hermes doctor |
八、延伸阅读(完整 12 篇系列)| Further Reading (Full 12-Article Series)
| # | 主题 | 文档 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 总览 | hermes-openclaw-overview.md |
| 2 | 部署迁移 | deploy-migrate-operations.md |
| 3 | 工作区与 Prompt | workspace-context-prompt.md |
| 4 | Gateway | gateway.md |
| 5 | 记忆系统 | memory-system.md |
| 6 | 技能与学习闭环 | skills-learning-loop.md |
| 7 | 工具与执行环境 | tools-execution-environments.md |
| 8 | 插件与 MCP | plugins-mcp-ecosystem.md |
| 9 | 多 Agent | multi-agent-delegation.md |
| 10 | 自动化调度 | automation-cron-heartbeat.md |
| 11 | 模型与成本 | model-provider-cost.md |
| 12 | 安全模型 | security-model.md |
知识点覆盖矩阵:knowledge-map.md
九、结语 | Conclusion
中文
Agent Hermes 与 OpenClaw(龙虾)代表了个人 AI Agent 的两条演进路线:连接广度 与 学习深度。龙虾用 Gateway 把 AI 带进你的消息应用和工作区;Hermes 用闭环学习让 AI 从每一次任务中沉淀经验。在实际部署中,二者可以共存、迁移、甚至互补——关键取决于你是更需要「随时随地的多渠道助理」,还是「越用越懂你的自进化伙伴」。
English
Agent Hermes and OpenClaw (Lobster) represent two evolution paths for personal AI agents: connectivity breadth vs. learning depth. OpenClaw’s Gateway brings AI into your messaging apps and workspace; Hermes’s closed loop turns every task into lasting experience. In practice they can coexist, migrate, and complement each other — the choice depends on whether you need an always-available multi-channel assistant or a self-evolving partner that knows you better over time.