Buzz Slack Alternative: The Free AI Team Chat (2026)

I found a Buzz Slack alternative setup that let me put actual working AI agents inside my team chat, and I want to show you exactly how I did it.

Not a chatbot bolted onto a channel.

A real agent — with my credentials, my memory, my skills — sitting in channels and DMs like a team member.

Here's the thing that annoyed me about Slack for years: it's a place where work gets discussed, not where work gets done.

Buzz flips that, because the agents in your channels can actually execute.

In this post I'll walk you through the whole thing: what Buzz is, the exact gateway setup I ran, how I control it from my phone, and whether it's actually worth switching.

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The Day I Stopped Treating Chat As Just Chat

Quick story about why this matters.

I've spent months building out my Hermes agent — the config, the credentials, the memory, the skills.

That agent knows my business.

But it lived in a terminal, and every time I wanted something done, I had to go to it.

Then Buzz added Hermes support, and suddenly that same agent could join a workspace that looks exactly like Slack.

Same brain, familiar interface, and now humans and agents share the same channels, DMs, threads, and reactions.

That's the moment chat stopped being a place to talk about work.

What Makes Buzz A Genuine Slack Alternative?

Buzz is an AI-powered workspace you can download from buzz.xyz.

It gives you the full Slack-style toolkit: channels, DMs, threads, reactions, and scheduled task delivery.

You can invite humans directly, just like Slack.

And you can plug in agents — Claude, Codex, and Hermes are all supported runtimes.

The scheduled task delivery is bigger than it sounds.

You can have tasks land with an agent on a schedule, which means recurring work happens inside your workspace without you touching it.

Slack has reminders; Buzz has agents that receive the task and do it.

My Exact Buzz Slack Alternative Setup (Gateway Method)

There are three ways to connect Hermes to Buzz — desktop auto-discovery, a relay bridge, and the Hermes Gateway.

I went with the gateway, because it makes Buzz a full external platform for the agent.

Here's the exact sequence I ran.

First, I updated Hermes — this matters, because Buzz only shows up as a gateway option on a current install.

Second, I made sure Hermes ACP was set up.

Honest admission: I didn't do this bit myself — I got Claude to help me set it up, and if you're not technical you should do exactly the same.

Third, I ran hermes gateway setup and selected Buzz.

Fourth, I gave it the relay URL, which is just your community URL from the hosted community section inside Buzz's settings.

Fifth, I left the channel UUIDs empty so the agent joins every channel, and allowed all community members to talk to it.

Then hit done, restart the gateway, and the new config kicks in.

When I went back to my agent runtimes, Hermes Agent was sitting right there.

Final touch: Settings → Agents → Agent Defaults → select Hermes Agent → save defaults.

Now Hermes is the default provider behind the whole workspace.

If you haven't built your local agent yet, start with my Hermes agent workspace guide — the Buzz connection inherits everything you set up there.

The Bit Nobody Tells You: Auto-Discovery Can Fail

When I first opened Buzz Desktop, it was supposed to auto-discover my Hermes install.

It didn't.

I checked the agents panel and Hermes simply wasn't there.

The fix took thirty seconds: Settings → Add Runtimes, then install Hermes Agent directly from the list.

Two requirements: Hermes must be updated first, and ACP must be configured.

I'm telling you this because if your first attempt fails, it's not broken — it's almost always one of those two things.

Running Buzz On A Free Model

This is my favourite part of the whole Buzz Slack alternative story.

Once Hermes is the default provider, you can switch the model behind it to anything you like.

That includes genuinely free options — I could run Ling 3.0 through a free API as the model powering my whole workspace.

So the stack looks like this:

Layer	What I use	Cost
Workspace	Buzz (from buzz.xyz)	Free to start
Agent brain	Hermes Agent	Free, open source
Model	Ling 3.0 via free API	Free
Optional upgrade	Claude / paid models	Paid

A Slack-style workspace with a working agent in every channel, for nothing.

I've compared free model options in more depth in my Hermes models breakdown if you want to pick the right one.

Controlling Buzz From My Phone

Here's where it gets slightly ridiculous, in a good way.

The connection runs both directions — Hermes can also control Buzz as a local app.

I tested it by asking my Hermes agent to use Buzz locally and write a test message.

It drafted "ignore me" inside Buzz without sending it, which is exactly the safe behaviour you want from a test.

Now combine that with messaging integrations.

Because my Hermes agent is connected to Telegram, I can message it from my phone and have it operate Buzz back on my machine.

All my keys, all my credentials, all my memory, all my skills — available through a chat message from anywhere.

That's the same pattern I use for my Hermes second brain, and it stacks beautifully with a voice agent setup too.

So Should You Actually Replace Slack?

Let me be straight about who this is for.

If your team is fully non-technical and nobody touches AI, stay on Slack for now.

But if you're already running agents — or you want to — Buzz is the more intuitive front end I've found for them.

People ask me why you'd use Buzz if you've already got Hermes.

Simple: it's a lot more intuitive and a lot easier to use.

Your agent gets a face, your team gets an interface they already understand, and the work happens where the conversation happens.

That's a trade I'll take every time.

🔥 Want the exact setup, step by step, with support when you get stuck? The AI Profit Boardroom includes the Buzz masterclass, loads of Hermes trainings, weekly coaching calls where you can share your screen, and a community of 3,600+ members using these tools daily. → Join the Boardroom

FAQ: Buzz Slack Alternative

What is Buzz?

Buzz is an AI-powered, Slack-like workspace where AI agents and humans work together in channels, DMs, threads, and reactions, with scheduled task delivery built in. You can download it from buzz.xyz.

Which AI agents work with Buzz?

You can plug in Claude, Codex, and Hermes Agent. Hermes connects via desktop auto-discovery, a relay bridge, or the Hermes Gateway.

What is the relay URL in the Buzz gateway setup?

It's your community URL, found in the hosted community section inside Buzz's settings. You paste it in during hermes gateway setup.

Why is Hermes not showing up in Buzz?

Usually because Hermes isn't updated or ACP isn't set up. Update Hermes, configure ACP, then use Settings → Add Runtimes to install it manually.

Can Buzz run on free AI models?

Yes — set Hermes as the default provider, then choose a free model like Ling 3.0 via a free API.

Can I use Buzz from my phone?

Through Hermes, yes. Connect Hermes to Telegram or another messaging platform and it can operate Buzz on your machine remotely.

About Julian

I'm Julian Goldie — AI entrepreneur, SEO expert, and founder of the AI Profit Boardroom (3,600+ members). I help business owners scale with AI agents, automation, and SEO.