Herald and Companion side by side
| Feature | Herald | Companion for Hermes Agent |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 once | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, CarPlay and Android | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch |
| System versions | watchOS 10 for the Watch; iOS 26.4 for CarPlay | iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS 26 |
| What it connects to | Hermes through hermes serve, with dashboard sign-in | Your Hermes dashboard, signed in with OpenID Connect or a password |
| Mac app and Handoff | No | Yes |
| Apple Watch | Roster with status and Hermes Pet | Read replies and dictate an answer |
| CarPlay | Voice conversations | Not in its listing |
| Android | Yes, as a separate purchase | No |
| Siri and Shortcuts | “Talk to Herald” from Siri and Control Center (iOS 18+) | Ask Hermes through Siri and Shortcuts |
| Widgets | Hermes Pet on the Lock Screen, Dynamic Island and StandBy | Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets |
| Voice | Wake word, hands-free conversation, voice notes, read-aloud | Dictation, including on Apple Watch |
| Group chats | Yes, including bots on different computers | Group rooms on compatible dashboards |
| Kanban and schedules | Yes | Yes, when your server supports them |
| Diagnostics | No analytics, ads or crash reporting | Release builds send diagnostics and crash reports to the developer |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese | English |
Choose Companion for Hermes Agent if…
- You want a free app and your devices already run iOS 26 (and watchOS 26 for the Watch app).
- You want Hermes on your Mac too, and to carry a chat between iPhone, iPad and Mac with Handoff.
- You start things with Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight and Home Screen widgets.
- You want to read replies and dictate answers on your Apple Watch.
- Your dashboard signs in with OpenID Connect, and you want your password manager in a system sign-in sheet.
Choose Herald if…
- You want your bots in CarPlay, or you also use an Android phone.
- You run Hermes on more than one computer and want one roster, with group chats that mix bots from different machines.
- You want to talk hands-free with an on-device “Hey Herald” wake word and replies read aloud.
- You want an app that sends no analytics or crash reports anywhere.
- Your Apple Watch can’t run watchOS 26. Herald’s Watch app needs watchOS 10 or later.
- You’d enjoy Hermes Pet and iPad Mission Control.
Setup and sign-in
Companion is a client for your Hermes Agent dashboard. You point it at your server and sign in with OpenID Connect or a username and password, in a system sign-in sheet so your password manager works. Session tokens stay in the keychain and refresh on their own. Some screens, such as Kanban and schedules, appear when your server has those features turned on.
Herald pairs with npx herald-setup on the computer running Hermes. It writes a dashboard username and password, starts hermes serve if needed, uses Tailscale when it is installed and prints a QR code. After you scan it, Herald connects straight to each computer you add and signs in again on its own if a session lapses.
Price and privacy
Companion is free, with no account and no advertising. Its listing says release builds send diagnostics to a server the developer runs: app and device details, installation IDs, request timings, error details and crash reports. Chat messages, tokens and your server address are not collected as diagnostic fields.
Herald costs $12.99 once, with no subscription, in-app purchases or account. It has no analytics, ads or crash reporting, and no Herald server sits between your phone and your computer. Optional push banners, a bot’s name and a short status, pass through Expo’s push service.
Questions
Does Companion for Hermes Agent work on Android?
No. As of 20 October 2026 it covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, all on version 26 of Apple’s systems.
Can I use Herald on a Mac?
Herald has no Mac app. At your desk you can use the Hermes desktop app or the web dashboard, and Herald on your iPhone, iPad, Watch and in the car.
Which Apple Watch app does more?
Companion’s: it reads replies and takes dictated answers. Herald’s is a glanceable roster with status, the latest message and Hermes Pet, and you reply from the phone or the car.
Do both show Hermes profiles as bots?
Yes. Companion shows your profiles and Bot Mode specialists, with group rooms on compatible dashboards. Herald shows every profile on every connected computer as a bot in one roster.
