Hermes Agent is the best AI agent for Omarchy for most people, because Omarchy installs it as a full desktop app with your memory and skills, and themes it to match your system. That is the short answer to the question of the best AI agent for Omarchy. Claude Code is a close second if you live in the terminal and write code all day.
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Omarchy is the Linux desktop by DHH (David Heinemeier Hansson), built on Arch with Hyprland, and it calls itself "The malleable OS for the age of agents." It does not pick a favourite agent for you. It pre-wires a whole list of them. This page ranks ten and tells you which one to set as your default.
If you want the training to actually use these agents for real work, the full Hermes Agent and Claude Code courses live inside the AI Profit Boardroom ($69/mo).
What Omarchy Does for AI Agents
Everything in this section is per the official Omarchy manual. It matters, because it is the reason some agents fit Omarchy better than others.
- Lazy launchers. Agents are pre-wired as mise-managed stubs. Nothing heavy is downloaded until you run the agent for the first time. The commands include claude, codex, opencode, agy, copilot, crush, grok, pi, omp, ori, hermes, muse and cursor-agent.
- A default agent. Set it with omarchy default agent followed by the name, or go to Setup, then Defaults, then Agent from the Super + Space menu.
- Shortcuts. Super + Shift + Ctrl + A opens your default agent. omarchy agent prompt followed by a task runs an agent unattended in auto-approve mode.
- A usage panel. The Agents panel in the top bar shows your plan usage, both the 5-hour and the weekly limits, and refreshes every 15 minutes.
- Multiple accounts. You can add more than one account per provider, with autoswitch when you hit a threshold.
- Crash diagnosis. When something crashes, Omarchy hands the core dump to your default agent.
- Theme sync. Theme changes sync to Claude Code, Pi, OpenCode and Hermes.
- The Omarchy skill. An Omarchy agent skill is symlinked into ~/.claude/skills, ~/.codex/skills, ~/.hermes/skills (and each Hermes profile) and others. The manual says it is experimental and to run it in plan mode first.
How We Ranked the Best AI Agent for Omarchy
Three questions, in this order:
- How deep does Omarchy wire it in? Full desktop app, theme sync and the Omarchy skill score higher than a plain launcher.
- How useful is it for most people? Not just developers. Business owners, creators and marketers run Omarchy too.
- How good is it as a default agent? The default gets your crash dumps and your Super + Shift + Ctrl + A shortcut, so it needs to handle general jobs, not one narrow task.
I am not testing raw model speed here. If you want model-versus-model results on real tasks, that is what the Goldie Bench is for.
1. Hermes Agent
Hermes Agent from Nous Research is the best pick for Omarchy, and it is the only agent Omarchy treats differently. Per the manual, nothing is stubbed. Choosing Hermes installs Hermes Desktop with a runtime in ~/.hermes and an Omarchy-themed skin. Remove it later and your chats, memories and skills stay unless you confirm you want them deleted.
On top of that, theme changes sync to Hermes, and the Omarchy skill lands in ~/.hermes/skills and in each Hermes profile. Hermes Desktop also shows up under Install, then AI. So you get a real desktop app, persistent memory, skills and a matching look out of the box.
There is a bonus. Herald OS, the agent-native OS with Hermes as the interface, also installs as an app inside Omarchy, per the Herald OS README.
Best for: most people, as the default agent.
2. Claude Code
Claude Code is Anthropic's coding agent for the terminal. In Omarchy it is the claude launcher, theme changes sync to it, and the Omarchy skill is symlinked into ~/.claude/skills. That is about as deep as a terminal agent gets on Omarchy. The Claude desktop app is also listed under Install, then AI, as a Linux beta.
Best for: developers who want a strong coding agent in the terminal.
📺 Watch: Hermes3D Is INSANE: AI Agents Now Have a 3D Office
3. OpenCode
OpenCode is an open-source terminal coding agent that works with many model providers. In Omarchy it is the opencode launcher, and theme changes sync to it. If you like open source and want to swap models freely, it is a great fit.
Best for: open-source fans who want model choice.
4. OpenAI Codex
Codex is OpenAI's coding agent. In Omarchy it is the codex launcher, and the Omarchy skill is symlinked into ~/.codex/skills. If you already pay for ChatGPT, this one slots straight in. ChatGPT itself is also available under Install, then AI.
Best for: people already in the OpenAI ecosystem.
5. Grok Build
Grok Build is xAI's coding agent. In Omarchy it is the grok launcher, and Grok Bot is also listed as a desktop AI app under Install, then AI.
Best for: Grok users who want a terminal agent.
6. Muse Code
Muse Code is Meta's coding agent. In Omarchy it is the muse launcher. It is pre-wired like the others, so trying it costs you one command.
Best for: trying Meta's take on a coding agent.
📺 Watch: Hermes AI Agents Just Went Portable
7. OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI agent. In Omarchy it is not one of the terminal launchers. It is listed as a desktop AI app under Install, then AI.
Best for: people who want an assistant-style app rather than a terminal tool.
8. Cursor CLI
Cursor CLI brings the Cursor coding agent to the terminal. In Omarchy it is the cursor-agent launcher.
Best for: existing Cursor users.
9. GitHub Copilot CLI
GitHub Copilot CLI is GitHub's coding agent for the terminal. In Omarchy it is the copilot launcher.
Best for: teams already paying for GitHub Copilot.
10. Ori
Ori is OpenRouter's harness. In Omarchy it is the ori launcher. OpenRouter gives you access to lots of models through one account, so Ori is handy if you like testing different models.
Best for: model hoppers on OpenRouter.
Omarchy also pre-wires Google Antigravity CLI (agy), Crush, Pi and Oh My Pi. They did not make this top ten, but they are one command away.
Quick Comparison Table
| # | Agent | Command | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hermes Agent | hermes (installs Hermes Desktop) | Most people, as the default |
| 2 | Claude Code | claude | Terminal coding |
| 3 | OpenCode | opencode | Open source, model choice |
| 4 | OpenAI Codex | codex | OpenAI users |
| 5 | Grok Build | grok | Grok users |
| 6 | Muse Code | muse | Trying Meta's agent |
| 7 | OpenClaw | Install, then AI | Assistant-style app |
| 8 | Cursor CLI | cursor-agent | Cursor users |
| 9 | GitHub Copilot CLI | copilot | Copilot teams |
| 10 | Ori | ori | OpenRouter model hoppers |
Not sure which agent fits your business? Book a free AI strategy session and we will help you pick and plan.
A Safety Warning Before You Go Wild
omarchy agent prompt runs an agent unattended in auto-approve mode. The manual warns that agents may take real actions. That means editing files, running commands and changing things without asking you first.
A few simple rules:
- Use auto-approve only for jobs you would be fine with the agent doing on its own.
- Launches from $HOME start in ~/Work, per the manual. Keep your agent projects in there, not scattered across your home folder.
- Run the experimental Omarchy skill in plan mode first, so you see what it wants to do before it does it.
- Back up anything important before you let an agent touch it.
Running Local Models on Omarchy
You do not have to send everything to a cloud model. Per the manual, Omarchy supports local models through LM Studio, which it recommends for beginners, or Ollama. Start with LM Studio if you have never run a local model. Move to Ollama when you want something lighter and more scriptable.
Local models are great for privacy and for cheap background jobs. For heavy agent work, a strong cloud model will usually still do better. Test both on your own tasks.
What I Would Do
Set Hermes Agent as your default. Keep Claude Code installed for heavy coding. Try one more from the list if you are curious. That covers almost everyone.
For running lots of agents in one place, I use the custom agent operating system we built inside the AI Profit Boardroom. It runs Hermes Agent alongside Claude Code, Codex and others in one dashboard, and the Agent OS guide explains how it works. If you like the idea of a desktop-style agent workspace, my OpenWork AI write-up is worth a read too.
Want the full Hermes and Claude Code training, the Agent OS zip and four live calls a week? Join the AI Profit Boardroom. Want a plan built around your business? Grab a free AI strategy session.
FAQ
What is the best AI agent for Omarchy?
Hermes Agent is the best AI agent for Omarchy for most people. Omarchy installs it as Hermes Desktop with a runtime in ~/.hermes, an Omarchy-themed skin, theme sync and the Omarchy skill. Claude Code is the best pick for terminal-first developers.
How do I change the default agent in Omarchy?
Run omarchy default agent followed by the agent's name, or go to Setup, then Defaults, then Agent from the Super + Space menu. Then Super + Shift + Ctrl + A opens it.
Do Omarchy agents download everything up front?
No. Per the manual they are lazy-loaded launchers managed by mise, so each one downloads on first run. Hermes is the exception, because choosing it installs Hermes Desktop.
Can I run AI agents on Omarchy with local models?
Yes. The manual points to LM Studio, recommended for beginners, or Ollama for running models on your own machine.
