Hermes 4: A deep Dive into the Open-Source AI Challenging ChatGPT & Claude
The AI landscape is shifting. While giants like OpenAI (chatgpt) and Anthropic (Claude) dominate headlines, a new contender is emerging: Hermes 4, developed by Nous research. This isn’t just another AI model launch; its a statement about the future of AI – one built on openness,customization,and user control. This article will break down everything you need to know about Hermes 4, including where to access it, how its costs compare to established players, and what its emergence signifies for the broader AI growth world.What is Hermes 4?
Hermes 4 is a large language model (LLM) designed to rival the capabilities of leading proprietary models. Developed by Nous Research, it distinguishes itself through its open-source nature. This means the model weights are publicly available, fostering innovation and allowing for greater adaptability. here’s what sets it apart: Open-Source: unlike ChatGPT and Claude, you aren’t locked into a specific platform. Customizable: The open-source nature allows developers to fine-tune the model for specific tasks and datasets. Privacy-Focused: You have more control over yoru data, crucial for sensitive applications. Powerful Performance: Early benchmarks suggest Hermes 4 delivers competitive performance across various AI tasks.Where Can You Try Hermes 4?
Nous Research offers multiple access points, catering to different user needs: Nous Chat: The easiest way to experience Hermes 4 is through the revamped Nous Chat UI. It features parallel interactions and a memory system for more natural conversations. Hugging Face: For developers, the model weights are freely downloadable on Hugging Face. This allows for local deployment and complete control. Inference Providers: Nous Research has partnered with providers like Chutes, Nebius, and Luminal, offering API access for seamless integration into your applications.Hermes 4 Cost Comparison: how Does it Stack Up?
Cost is a significant factor when choosing an AI model. Here’s a breakdown comparing Hermes 4 to ChatGPT and Claude: | Feature | Hermes 4 | ChatGPT (GPT-4) | Claude 3 Opus | |——————-|—————————————–|—————————————|—————————————| | Access | Free (download), API (via providers) | Subscription/API | Subscription/API | | Cost (approx.)| $0 – $Variable (API provider rates) | $20+/month or ~$0.03/1k tokens | $15+/month or ~$15/1M tokens | | Customization | High | Limited | Limited | | Data Control | Full | Limited | Limited | Key Takeaways: Hermes 4 can be free. Downloading the model weights eliminates direct costs, though you’ll need computing resources. API costs vary. If using an inference provider, pricing depends on usage and the provider’s rates. ChatGPT and Claude offer convenience. Their subscription models provide easy access, but at a recurring cost. For large-scale, customized deployments, Hermes 4 offers significant cost savings.The Bigger Picture: Why Hermes 4 Matters
Hermes 4’s release isn’t just about a new AI model. It’s a challenge to the current AI paradigm. Here’s why it’s significant: Democratizing AI: Open-source models empower smaller organizations and individuals to participate in AI development. Promoting Openness: Access to model weights allows for scrutiny and understanding of how the AI works. Prioritizing User Agency: Users have more control over the AI’s behavior and data handling. * Fostering Innovation: open-source encourages collaboration and rapid advancements. Major tech companies often emphasize safety and control through proprietary systems. Nous Research, however, believes transparency and user freedom are paramount. This difference in beliefs isNous Research,a secretive artificial intelligence startup that has emerged as a leading voice in the open-source AI movement,quietly released Hermes 4 on Monday, a family of large language models that the company claims can match the performance of leading proprietary systems while offering unprecedented user control and minimal content restrictions.
The release represents a significant escalation in the battle between open-source AI advocates and major technology companies over who should control access to advanced artificial intelligence capabilities. unlike models from OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic, hermes 4 is designed to respond to nearly any request without the safety guardrails that have become standard in commercial AI systems.
Nous Research presents Hermes 4, our latest line of hybrid reasoning models.https://t.co/E5EW9hBurb
Hermes 4 builds on our legacy of user-aligned models with expanded test-time compute capabilities.
Special attention was given to making the models creative and captivating to… pic.twitter.com/52VjnvrDWM
— Nous Research (@NousResearch) August 26, 2025
“Hermes 4 builds on our legacy of user-aligned models with expanded test-time compute capabilities,” Nous Research announced on X (formerly Twitter). “Special attention was given to making the models creative and interesting to interact with, unencumbered by censorship, and neutrally aligned while maintaining state of the art level math, coding, and reasoning performance for open weight models.”
How Hermes 4’s ‘hybrid reasoning’ mode outperforms ChatGPT and Claude on math benchmarks
Hermes 4 introduces what Nous Research calls “hybrid reasoning,” allowing users to toggle between fast responses and deeper, step-by-step thinking processes.When activated, the models generate their internal reasoning within special
Nous Research unleashes Hermes 4: A Powerful, Uncensored AI Rival to OpenAI & Google
(Linda Park – August 29, 2025) - The landscape of artificial intelligence just shifted dramatically. Nous Research, the quietly influential open-source AI startup, has released Hermes 4, a new family of large language models (LLMs) poised to challenge the dominance of proprietary systems like those from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. What sets Hermes 4 apart? Unprecedented user control, minimal content restrictions, and surprisingly, performance that rivals – and in some cases exceeds - its closed-source competitors. Sign up for our weekly newsletter for exclusive enterprise AI,data,and security insights.Hermes 4 isn’t just another open-source offering; it’s a statement. in a world increasingly concerned about the control and limitations imposed by major tech companies on AI access, nous Research is offering a powerful alternative. Unlike the heavily-guarded models from industry giants, Hermes 4 is designed to respond to a wider range of prompts, offering a level of freedom that many developers and researchers have been craving.”Hermes 4 builds on our legacy of user-aligned models with expanded test-time compute capabilities,” Nous Research announced on X (formerly Twitter). “Special attention was given to making the models creative and interesting to interact with, unencumbered by censorship, and neutrally aligned while maintaining state of the art level math, coding, and reasoning performance for open weight models.” [See the announcement on X](https://twitter.com/NousResearch/status/196041695445
Hermes 4: A Powerful, Open-Source AI Rival to ChatGPT and Claude – Cost, Access, and What It Means for the Future
The AI landscape is shifting. While giants like OpenAI (ChatGPT) and Anthropic (Claude) dominate headlines,a new contender has emerged: Hermes 4,developed by Nous Research. This isn’t just another AI model launch; it’s a challenge to the centralized control of AI development, offering a powerful, customizable, and possibly more accessible alternative. This article breaks down everything you need to know about Hermes 4 – where to try it, how it stacks up against the competition in terms of cost, and what its emergence signifies for the future of artificial intelligence.What is Hermes 4?
Hermes 4 is a large language model (LLM) built on the foundations of open-source technology. Unlike ChatGPT and Claude,which are proprietary systems,Hermes 4 prioritizes transparency and user agency. Nous Research believes in empowering users with control over their AI experiences, rather than imposing strict limitations. This approach has several key implications: Customization: You have greater flexibility to tailor the model to your specific needs. Data Privacy: Handling sensitive content is potentially more secure, as you aren’t reliant on a third-party’s data policies. Cost-Effectiveness: Access options can be considerably cheaper, especially for large-scale applications.Where Can You Try Hermes 4?
Nous Research offers multiple avenues for accessing Hermes 4, reflecting its commitment to open access: Nous Chat: The easiest way to experience Hermes 4 is through the revamped Nous Chat UI. This interface boasts features like parallel interactions (running multiple prompts simultaneously) and a memory system for more contextual conversations. Hugging Face: The model weights are freely downloadable on Hugging Face. This allows developers and researchers to self-host and experiment with the model directly. Inference Providers: Nous Research has partnered with several inference providers, including: Chutes Nebius Luminal These providers offer API access, simplifying integration into your applications.Hermes 4 vs. ChatGPT & Claude: A Cost Comparison
one of the most compelling aspects of Hermes 4 is its potential cost advantage. Here’s a breakdown: | Feature | hermes 4 | chatgpt (GPT-4) | Claude 3 Opus | |——————-|—————————————–|—————————————|—————————————| | Access | Free download, API via providers | API access only | API access only | | Cost (approx.)| Varies by provider; potentially lower | ~$30/month for Plus, pay-per-use API | ~$15/month for Pro, pay-per-use API | | Customization | High | Limited | Limited | | Data Privacy | Greater control | Dependent on OpenAI’s policies | Dependent on Anthropic’s policies | Vital note: Pricing for Hermes 4 via inference providers varies. You’ll need to check each provider’s website for specific details. However, the ability to self-host eliminates API costs entirely, making it a very attractive option for certain use cases.The Bigger Picture: A Shift in AI Development
hermes 4’s release isn’t just about a new AI model. It represents a basic challenge to the current AI landscape.Here’s what’s at stake: Decentralization: Nous Research demonstrates that powerful AI innovation can thrive outside of tech giants. Transparency vs. Control: The company prioritizes transparency and user agency over corporate-imposed restrictions. This raises critically importent questions about safety, content moderation, and the balance between freedom and responsibility. The Future of AI: Hermes 4 proves that the future of AI won’t be solely dictated by companies with vast resources. The debate between safety and capability is central to this discussion. Major companies argue for careful guardrails, while Nous Research believes in empowering users to make theirHermes 4: A Deep Dive into the Open-Source AI challenger to chatgpt & Claude
The AI landscape is shifting. While giants like OpenAI (ChatGPT) and Anthropic (Claude) dominate headlines, a new contender is emerging: Hermes 4, developed by Nous Research. This isn’t just another AI model launch; it’s a statement about the future of AI – one built on openness, customization, and user control.This article will break down everything you need to know about Hermes 4, including where to access it, how its costs compare to established players, and what its emergence signifies for the broader AI development world.What is Hermes 4?
Hermes 4 is a large language model (LLM) designed to rival the capabilities of leading proprietary models. Developed by Nous Research, it distinguishes itself through its open-source nature. This means the model weights are publicly available, fostering innovation and allowing for greater flexibility. Here’s what sets it apart: Open-Source: Unlike ChatGPT and Claude, you aren’t locked into a specific platform. Customizable: The open-source nature allows developers to fine-tune the model for specific tasks and datasets. Privacy-Focused: You have more control over your data, crucial for sensitive applications. Cost-Effective: Potentially lower costs, especially for large-scale or specialized deployments.Where Can You try Hermes 4?
Nous Research offers multiple access points, catering to different user needs: Nous Chat: The easiest way to experience Hermes 4 is through the revamped Nous Chat UI. It features parallel interactions and a memory system for more natural conversations. Hugging Face: For developers, the model weights are freely downloadable on Hugging Face. This allows for local deployment and complete control. API Access via Inference Providers: Nous Research partners with several inference providers, including: Chutes Nebius Luminal These providers offer API access, simplifying integration into your applications.Hermes 4 Cost Comparison: How Does it Stack Up?
Cost is a significant factor when choosing an LLM. Here’s a breakdown comparing Hermes 4 to ChatGPT and Claude: | Feature | ChatGPT (GPT-4) | Claude 3 Opus | Hermes 4 (via API) | |——————-|—————–|—————|——————–| | Access | API, Subscription | API, Subscription | API, Self-Hosted | | Pricing (approx.) | $10/1M tokens | $15/1M tokens | Varies by provider (potentially lower) | | Customization | Limited | Limited | High | | Data Control | Limited | Limited | Full | Critically important Considerations: ChatGPT & Claude: Pricing is based on token usage (input + output). Costs can quickly add up for extensive applications. hermes 4 (API): Costs vary depending on the inference provider you choose. Expect to pay per token, but potentially at a lower rate than ChatGPT or claude. Hermes 4 (Self-Hosted): While the model is free to download, you’ll incur infrastructure costs (servers, GPUs) for running it yourself.This requires technical expertise.The bigger Picture: What Hermes 4 Means for AI’s Future
Hermes 4’s release isn’t just about a new model; it’s about challenging the centralized control of AI development. Nous Research is demonstrating that powerful AI can be built and deployed outside the confines of tech giants.here’s why this matters: Democratization of AI: Open-source models empower smaller companies and researchers. Transparency & User Agency: You have greater insight into how the model works and more control over its behavior. Innovation: Open access fosters collaboration and accelerates development. * Ethical Considerations: The debate between safety guardrails and user freedom is central. Nous Research prioritizes transparency and user agency,hermes 4: A Deep Dive into the Open-Source AI Challenger to ChatGPT & Claude
The AI landscape is shifting. While giants like OpenAI (ChatGPT) and Anthropic (Claude) dominate headlines, a new contender is emerging: Hermes 4, developed by Nous research. This isn’t just another AI model launch; it’s a statement about the future of AI – one built on openness, customization, and user control. This article will break down everything you need to know about Hermes 4, including where to access it, how its costs compare to established players, and what its emergence means for the broader AI development world.What is Hermes 4?
Hermes 4 is a large language model (LLM) designed to rival the capabilities of leading proprietary models.Developed by Nous Research, it distinguishes itself through its open-source nature. This means the model weights are publicly available, fostering innovation and allowing for greater flexibility. Here’s what sets it apart: Open-Source: unlike ChatGPT and Claude, you aren’t locked into a specific platform. Customizable: The open weights allow developers to fine-tune the model for specific tasks and datasets. Privacy-Focused: You have more control over your data, crucial for sensitive applications. Powerful Performance: Early benchmarks suggest Hermes 4 delivers competitive performance across a range of tasks.Where Can You Try Hermes 4?
Nous Research offers multiple access points, catering to different user needs: Nous Chat: the easiest way to experience Hermes 4 is through the revamped Nous Chat UI. It features parallel interactions and a memory system for more natural conversations. Hugging Face: For developers, the model weights are freely downloadable on Hugging Face.This allows for local deployment and complete control. Inference Providers: Nous Research has partnered with providers like Chutes, Nebius, and Luminal to offer API access. This is ideal for integrating Hermes 4 into your applications without managing the infrastructure.Hermes 4 Cost Comparison: How Does it Stack Up?
Cost is a significant factor when choosing an AI model. Here’s a breakdown comparing hermes 4 to ChatGPT and Claude: | Feature | ChatGPT (GPT-4) | Claude 3 opus | Hermes 4 (via API) | hermes 4 (Self-Hosted) | |——————-|—————–|—————|——————–|————————-| | Access | API, Web UI | API, Web UI | API via Providers | Hugging Face Download | | Pricing Model | Per-token | Per-token | Per-token | Infrastructure Costs | | Estimated Cost (per 1k tokens) | ~$0.03 – $0.06 | ~$15 – $75 | ~$0.002 - $0.008 | variable (GPU, etc.) | | customization | Limited | Limited | high | Highest | | Data Privacy | Moderate | Moderate | High | Highest | Key Takeaways: ChatGPT & Claude: Offer convenience but come with per-token costs that can quickly add up, especially for high-volume usage. Hermes 4 (API): Through inference providers, Hermes 4 offers significantly lower per-token costs. Hermes 4 (Self-Hosted): The most cost-effective option long-term if you have the technical expertise and infrastructure to manage it. However, initial setup and ongoing maintainance costs (GPU servers, electricity) must be considered.The Bigger Picture: What Does Hermes 4 Mean for AI?
Hermes 4’s release is a pivotal moment for the AI community. It challenges the dominance of closed-source models and champions a more democratic approach to AI development. Here’s why this matters: innovation: Open-source models encourage collaboration and accelerate innovation. Transparency: Access to the model weights allows for greater scrutiny and understanding of its behavior. * User Agency: YouThe technical achievement is ample.In testing, Hermes 4’s largest 405-billion parameter model scored 96.3% on the MATH-500 benchmark in reasoning mode and 81.9% on the challenging AIME’24 mathematics competition — performance that rivals or exceeds many proprietary systems costing millions more to develop.
“The challenge is making thinking traces useful and verifiable without runaway reasoning,” noted AI researcher Rohan Paul on X, highlighting one of the technical breakthroughs in the release.
Perhaps most notably, Hermes 4 achieved the highest score among all tested models on “RefusalBench,” a new benchmark Nous Research created to measure how often AI systems refuse to answer questions. The model scored 57.1% in reasoning mode, significantly outperforming GPT-4o (17.67%) and claude Sonnet 4 (17%).
Inside DataForge and Atropos: The breakthrough training systems behind Hermes 4’s capabilities
Behind Hermes 4’s capabilities lies a sophisticated training infrastructure that nous Research has developed over several years. The models were trained using two novel systems: DataForge,a graph-based synthetic data generator,and Atropos, an open-source reinforcement learning framework.
DataForge creates training data through what the company describes as “random walks” through directed graphs, transforming simple pre-training data into complex instruction-following examples. The system can, as an example, take a Wikipedia article and transform it into a rap song, then generate questions and answers based on that transformation.
Atropos, meanwhile, operates like hundreds of specialized training environments where AI models practice specific skills—mathematics, coding, tool use, and creative writing—receiving feedback only when they produce correct solutions.This “rejection sampling” approach ensures that only verified, high-quality responses make it into the training data.
Atropos is Nous’ reinforcement Learning framework
Atropos is an open source reinforcement learning habitat by Nous that has hundreds of “gyms” (like math,coding,games,tool‑use,vision) to train and evaluate LLM trajectories via scalable,async RL loops.
In other words… pic.twitter.com/fjxaQKClEZ
— Tommy (@Shaughnessy119) August 26, 2025
“Nous used these environments to generate the dataset for Hermes 4!” explained Tommy Shaughnessy, a venture capitalist at Delphi Ventures who has invested in Nous Research. “All in the dataset contains 3.5 million reasoning samples and 1.6 million non-reasoning samples! Hermes was trained on RL data, not just static datasets of question and answer!”
The training process required 192 Nvidia B200 GPUs and 71,616 GPU hours for the largest model — a significant but not unprecedented computational investment that demonstrates how specialized techniques can compete with the massive scale of tech giants.
Why Nous Research believes AI safety guardrails are ‘annoying as hell’ and hurt innovation
Nous research has built its reputation on a philosophy that puts user control above corporate content policies. The company’s models are designed to be “steerable,” meaning they can be fine-tuned or prompted to behave in specific ways without the rigid safety constraints that characterize commercial AI systems.
“Hermes 4 is not shackled by disclaimers, rules and being overly cautious which is annoying as hell and hurts innovation and usability,” wrote Shaughnessy in a detailed thread analyzing the release.“If its open source but refuses all requests its pointless. Not an issue with Hermes 4.”
Hermes 4 is not shackled by disclaimers, rules and being overly cautious which is annoying as hell and hurts innovation and usability.
Hermes 4 70B is at the complete opposite of the spectrum vs OpenAI’s open source model.It’s also ~4x more open vs chatgpt 4o!
If its open… pic.twitter.com/q5RpX1oOzo
— Tommy (@Shaughnessy119) August 26, 2025
This approach has made Nous Research popular among AI researchers and developers who want maximum flexibility, but it also places the company at the center of ongoing debates about AI safety and content moderation.While the models can theoretically be used for harmful purposes, Nous Research argues that transparency and user control are preferable to corporate gatekeeping.
The company’s technical report,released alongside the models,provides unprecedented detail about the training process,evaluation results,and even the actual text outputs from benchmark tests. “We believe this report sets a new standard for transparency in benchmarking,” the company stated.
How a small startup with 192 GPUs is competing against Big Tech’s billion-dollar AI budgets
Hermes 4‘s release comes at a pivotal moment in the AI industry. While major technology companies have poured billions into developing increasingly powerful AI systems, a growing open-source movement argues that these capabilities should not be controlled by a handful of corporations.
Recent months have seen significant advances in open-source AI, with models like Meta’s Llama 3.1, DeepSeek’s R1, and Alibaba’s Qwen series achieving performance that rivals proprietary systems. hermes 4 represents another step in this progression, particularly in the area of reasoning—long considered a strength of closed systems like OpenAI’s o1.
“First up, Nous is a startup with dozens of extremely talented people,” noted Shaughnessy. “They do not have the $100b+ annual capex spend of a hyperscaler nor 1,000’s of employees and despite that they continue to put out innovative models and research at an insane pace.”
The startup, which raised $65 million in funding earlier this year led by Paradigm, has also been developing Psyche Network, a distributed training system that aims to coordinate AI training across internet-connected computers using blockchain technology.
The technical fix that stopped Hermes 4 from thinking in endless loops
One of Hermes 4‘s most significant technical contributions addresses a problem plaguing reasoning models: overly long thinking processes. The researchers found that their smaller 14-billion parameter model would reach maximum context length 60% of the time when reasoning, essentially getting stuck in endless loops of thinking.
Their solution involved a second training stage that teaches models to stop reasoning at exactly 30,000 tokens, reducing overlong generation by 65-79% while maintaining most of the reasoning performance. This “length control” technique could prove valuable for the broader AI research community.
“Smaller models (Muyu He on X, highlighting insights from the technical report.
However, Hermes 4 still faces limitations common to open-source models. Despite impressive benchmark performance, the models require significant computational resources to run and may not match the ease of use or reliability of commercial AI services for many applications.
where to try Hermes 4 and what it costs compared to ChatGPT and Claude
Nous Research has made hermes 4 available through multiple channels,reflecting the open-source philosophy.The model weights are freely downloadable on Hugging Face, while the company also offers API access through its revamped chat interface and partnerships with inference providers like Chutes, Nebius, and Luminal.
“You can try Hermes 4 in the new, revamped Nous Chat UI,” the company announced, highlighting features like parallel interactions and a memory system.
For enterprise users and researchers, the models represent a potentially attractive alternative to paying for API access to proprietary systems, especially for applications requiring high levels of customization or handling of sensitive content.
The bigger picture: What Hermes 4 means for the future of AI development
The release of Hermes 4 represents more than just another AI model launch — it’s a statement about who should control the future of artificial intelligence. In an industry increasingly dominated by a handful of tech giants with virtually unlimited resources, Nous Research has demonstrated that innovation can still come from unexpected places.
The company’s approach raises fundamental questions about the trade-offs between safety and capability, between corporate control and user freedom. While major technology companies argue that careful content moderation and safety guardrails are essential for responsible AI deployment, Nous Research contends that transparency and user agency are more important than corporate-imposed restrictions.
Whether this philosophy will ultimately prove beneficial or problematic remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Hermes 4 has shown that the future of AI won’t be resolute solely by the companies with the deepest pockets.
In a field where yesterday’s impossibilities become tomorrow’s commodities,Nous Research just proved that the only thing more perilous than an AI that says no might be one that’s willing to say yes.
