Best Nous Models for Agents

Quick answer · Updated June 2026

Hermes 4 405B is the best Nous model for agents, scoring 12.6 on the Artificial Analysis Agentic Index for tool use and multi-step task completion. Hermes 3 405B Instruct (free) (11.8) and Hermes 3 405B Instruct (11.8) round out the top three.

12.6Agentic

18.6Intelligence

24 t/sSpeed

$1.00Input /M

131KContext

AI models ranked by the Artificial Analysis Agentic Index — measuring multi-step tool use, planning and task completion (including Tau²-Bench). The best models for building autonomous agents and agentic workflows.

Frequently asked

What is the best Nous model for agents?

What's a good alternative to Hermes 4 405B?

Hermes 3 405B Instruct (free) (11.8) is the closest alternative on this metric, followed by Hermes 3 405B Instruct (11.8). See the full ranking above for the tradeoffs.

How many Nous models are there?

modelgrep tracks 5 Nous models with live benchmarks, speed, latency and per-provider pricing, led on intelligence by Hermes 4 405B. 5 of them qualify for this ranking.

More Nous rankings

Nous: Smartest LLMs Nous: Best LLMs for Coding Nous: Best LLMs for Design & Frontend Nous: Fastest LLMs Nous: Lowest-Latency LLMs Nous: Cheapest LLMs Nous: Best Free LLMs Nous: Best Reasoning LLMs Nous: Best Vision LLMs Nous: Best Open-Source LLMs Nous: Longest-Context LLMs

All rankings

Small & Fast LLMs Smartest LLMs Best LLMs for Coding Best LLMs for Design & Frontend Fastest LLMs Lowest-Latency LLMs Cheapest LLMs Best Free LLMs Best Reasoning LLMs Best Vision LLMs Best Open-Source LLMs Longest-Context LLMs