Hermes Agent MCP vs Codex MCP Tool
A side-by-side look at the Hermes Agent MCP and Codex MCP Tool MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Hermes Agent MCP for coding agents work as a local process; choose Codex MCP Tool for coding agents as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Hermes Agent MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Coding Agents domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
HERMES_HOME, HERMES_MCP_BIN, HERMES_MCP_ALLOW_WRITE, HERMES_MCP_ALLOW_SHELL, HERMES_MCP_TIMEOUT, HERMES_MCP_ASK_TIMEOUT, HERMES_MCP_MAX_OUTPUT, HERMES_MCP_CALLER. - You want tools like
hermes_status, hermes_ask, doctor.
Choose Codex MCP Tool when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Coding Agents domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: other.
- You have the keys it needs:
CODEX_CLI_PATH, CODEX_SESSION_TTL_MS, CODEX_MAX_SESSIONS. - You want tools like
ask-codex, batch-codex, review-changes.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Coding Agents | Coding Agents |
| Quality signal | 52/100 · Good | 68/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | other |
| Pricing | Not declared | BYOK (pay the provider) |
| Required env vars | HERMES_HOMEHERMES_MCP_BINHERMES_MCP_ALLOW_WRITEHERMES_MCP_ALLOW_SHELLHERMES_MCP_TIMEOUTHERMES_MCP_ASK_TIMEOUTHERMES_MCP_MAX_OUTPUTHERMES_MCP_CALLER | CODEX_CLI_PATHCODEX_SESSION_TTL_MSCODEX_MAX_SESSIONS |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 0 | 24 |
| Directory activity | 0 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 4 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 12 | 13 |
| Full listing | View Hermes Agent MCP | View Codex MCP Tool |
Tools & capabilities
Hermes Agent MCP tools 12
hermes_statusServer config, whether the CLI answers, which tools are enabledhermes_askHand the agent a task and get its reply (one non-interactive turn)doctorhermes doctor` health reportgateway_statusMessaging gateway state and restartcron_listScheduled jobs, including per-job model and reasoning effortconfig_getTyped reads and writes against `config.yamlskills_listInstalled skillssessions_listRecent sessionsmodel_infoDefault model, provider and Nous Portal statusshellRun a shell command on the host — **off by defaultbridge_setupPoint the bridge at a chat (Telegram by default)bridge_askAsk through the **gateway** and mirror prompt + reply into that chat
Codex MCP Tool tools 13
ask-codexExecute Codex CLI with file analysis (@syntax), skills ($syntax), model selection, and safety controls. Supports changeMode.batch-codexDelegate multiple atomic tasks to Codex for batch processing. Ideal for repetitive operations, mass refactoring, and automated code transformationsreview-changesRun a code review against the current repository using Codex CLI native review subcommandpingEchohelpreceive help informationversionDisplay version and system informationbrainstormGenerate creative ideas using structured frameworks with domain context and feasibility analysis.fetch-chunkRetrieves cached chunks from a changeMode response. Use this to get subsequent chunks after receiving a partial changeMode response.timeout-testTest timeout prevention by running for a specified durationlist-sessionsList all active conversation sessions with metadata, or manage sessionshealthCheck Codex CLI and session health statuslist-skillsDiscover available Codex skills from .agents/skills/ directory- +1 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Hermes Agent MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"hermes-agent-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"hermes-agent-mcp"
],
"env": {
"HERMES_HOME": "YOUR_HERMES_HOME_HERE",
"HERMES_MCP_BIN": "YOUR_HERMES_MCP_BIN_HERE",
"HERMES_MCP_ALLOW_WRITE": "YOUR_HERMES_MCP_ALLOW_WRITE_HERE",
"HERMES_MCP_ALLOW_SHELL": "YOUR_HERMES_MCP_ALLOW_SHELL_HERE",
"HERMES_MCP_TIMEOUT": "YOUR_HERMES_MCP_TIMEOUT_HERE",
"HERMES_MCP_ASK_TIMEOUT": "YOUR_HERMES_MCP_ASK_TIMEOUT_HERE",
"HERMES_MCP_MAX_OUTPUT": "YOUR_HERMES_MCP_MAX_OUTPUT_HERE",
"HERMES_MCP_CALLER": "YOUR_HERMES_MCP_CALLER_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Codex MCP Tool
{
"mcpServers": {
"x51xxx-codex-mcp-tool": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@trishchuk/codex-mcp-tool"
],
"env": {
"CODEX_CLI_PATH": "YOUR_CODEX_CLI_PATH_HERE",
"CODEX_SESSION_TTL_MS": "YOUR_CODEX_SESSION_TTL_MS_HERE",
"CODEX_MAX_SESSIONS": "YOUR_CODEX_MAX_SESSIONS_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Hermes Agent MCP is categorized under Coding Agents and uses a local stdio subprocess. Codex MCP Tool belongs to Coding Agents and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Hermes Agent MCP for coding agents work and Codex MCP Tool for coding agents.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Hermes Agent MCP has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Codex MCP Tool is bring-your-own-key: usage is billed by the API provider you supply a key for. Auth: other. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add hermes-agent-mcp and x51xxx-codex-mcp-tool as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Hermes Agent MCP has a quality signal of 52/100 (Good) with 0 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars. Codex MCP Tool has 68/100 (Great) with 4 views, 0 installs and 24 GitHub stars.