Two different jobs
Hermes Agent’s messaging gateway is an official feature from Nous Research. It is one background process that connects Hermes to Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage and more, and it also runs cron jobs and delivers voice messages. Telegram is one of its best-supported platforms: voice memos are transcribed and replies can stream.
Herald is an independent app that connects straight to the Hermes on your computer. It doesn’t replace the gateway. Your Telegram bot keeps working, and Herald’s Sessions list can open a conversation that started in Telegram and carry it on in the app.
Telegram and Herald side by side
| Feature | Herald | Telegram (gateway) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 once | Free |
| What you set up | npx herald-setup on the computer, then scan a QR code | A Telegram bot (Create with QR in the dashboard, or @BotFather) and the gateway |
| Several bots | Every profile on every computer in one roster | A Telegram bot token per profile, each with its own gateway |
| Several conversations | Sessions list; resume any session | /topic multi-session mode, /sessions and /resume |
| Group chats | Bots @mention each other, across computers | Hermes bots in a Telegram group, routed by @mention |
| Approvals | Approval card in the chat, optional push | Reply “yes” or “no”, or /approve and /deny |
| Voice | Wake word, voice notes, hands-free, read-aloud | Voice memos transcribed by Hermes; spoken replies |
| Lock Screen, Watch and car | Hermes Pet Live Activity, Watch roster, CarPlay voice | Telegram’s notifications and its Apple Watch app (watchOS 26) |
| Kanban, schedules and MCP | A screen for each | Slash commands; cron results posted to a chat |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, CarPlay and Android | Anything that runs Telegram, including desktop and web |
| Where messages travel | Phone straight to your computer | Through Telegram’s servers |
Stay with Telegram if…
- You talk to one or two bots and a chat thread is all you need.
- You want to reach Hermes from any device, including a work laptop or the web, with nothing new to install.
- You share a bot with other people in a Telegram group.
- You want scheduled task results delivered to a chat you already check.
- Cost matters: the gateway and Telegram are both free.
Add Herald when…
- You run several profiles or computers. Each Telegram bot needs its own token; Herald shows every bot in one roster on its own.
- You want approval cards, live tool activity, code blocks with Copy and HTML previews instead of plain chat messages.
- You want to talk hands-free with “Hey Herald”, or by voice in CarPlay.
- You want to glance at your Apple Watch or Lock Screen and see which bot is working, done or waiting for you, through Hermes Pet.
- You’d rather your messages went straight from your phone to your computer.
- You want screens for kanban, schedules, plugins and MCP.
Set up the Telegram gateway
- Create the bot
In the Hermes dashboard or desktop app, open Messaging → Telegram and use Create with QR. Or message @BotFather, send
/newbotand copy the token it gives you. - Run the setup wizard
Pick Telegram and paste the token if you made the bot yourself.
hermes gateway setup - Let only yourself in
Put your Telegram user ID in
TELEGRAM_ALLOWED_USERS, or message the bot and approve the pairing code it sends you.hermes pairing approve telegram <code> - Keep it running
Install the gateway as a service, then check on it.
hermes gateway install hermes gateway status
Add Herald next to it
On the same computer, run npx herald-setup (Node 20 or later). It sets a dashboard username and password, starts hermes serve if nothing answers, uses Tailscale when it is installed and prints a QR code for the app. The gateway and Herald run side by side.
In Herald, open a bot and its Sessions list to carry on a conversation that started in Telegram. If a bot you use on Telegram is missing from Herald’s roster, see empty bot list.
Price
Telegram and the Hermes gateway cost nothing. Herald is $12.99 once, with no subscription; one App Store purchase covers iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and CarPlay, and Google Play is separate. Model usage is billed by your providers either way.
Questions
Will Herald stop my Telegram bot from working?
No. Herald connects to Hermes directly and doesn’t touch the gateway’s Telegram settings. Both can run at the same time.
Can I continue a Telegram conversation in Herald?
Yes. Open the bot, then its Sessions list, and resume the conversation. Herald’s own chat with each bot stays separate.
Is the Telegram gateway official?
Yes. The messaging gateway is part of Hermes Agent and documented by Nous Research. Herald is an independent app and isn’t affiliated with Nous Research.
Do I need Telegram to use Herald?
No. Herald works without any messaging gateway. See Hermes Agent on your phone without Telegram.
