Nous Chat
Nous Research · Other · Chatbot
Nous Chat is a free web chat platform from Nous Research that runs the open Hermes model family, an open source chatbot you can talk with in a browser. Threads keep conversations sorted, and a system prompt plus completions mode turn it into free AI chat you can steer.
About Nous Chat
What Is Nous Chat
Nous Chat is the chat platform built by Nous Research, an open source AI research group. It gives everyday users a place to talk with the Hermes language models directly, without setting up a server or writing code. The first version shipped in late 2024 inside Hermes 3 70B, and a rework for Hermes 4 later turned it into a broader interface with model choice and memory.
The idea behind it is simple. Nous Research trains open models and gives the weights away, and Nous Chat is the front door for anyone who wants to try them. You open a browser, start a thread, and talk. There is nothing to install and no subscription blocking the way. For a research group, a chat UI like this is also a way to gather real feedback that benchmarks alone can't show.
The limits are worth knowing too. Hermes models are tuned for expression and long-form talk, not for tight guardrails, so answers can wander and you should check anything factual. Nous Chat itself is a thin layer over the models, so it trails polished commercial apps on extras like image tools and workspace features. Some of the newer pieces, such as the memory system, have rolled out gradually rather than all at once.
Getting Started
- Open the Nous Chat site in a browser and start a new thread.
- Pick a Hermes model, then write a system prompt if you want to steer the tone and task.
- Send your message, and keep related work in the same thread so the context stays together.
- Switch to completions mode or another model when you want a different style of answer.
Product Information
A quick look at Nous Chat's pricing, supported platforms, and performance.
Best for
The users, tasks, and scenarios where this tool fits best.
Users
- Curious newcomers to open models
- Researchers and writers exploring long-form text
- Developers evaluating a model
- Privacy-minded users
Tasks
- Analysis and scenario work
- Drafting and rewriting
- Coding help and explanations
- Research prompting
- Comparing models
Scenarios
- Trying an open model before installing it
- A writing session that spans a week
- Testing an idea for a project
Key features
Threaded Conversations
Nous Chat sorts your work into threads rather than one endless scroll. Each thread keeps its own context, so a coding question and a piece of writing don't blur together. The threaded layout dates back to the first version and stays one of the most practical parts of the platform, because it matches how people actually juggle several projects at once.
System Prompt and Configuration
Every thread gives you a system prompt and settings that shape how the model behaves. You can tell it to be terse, to play a role, or to follow a format, and the model holds that line for the rest of the conversation. This is the control layer that turns a general model into something closer to a purpose-built assistant, and it costs nothing to adjust.
Completions Mode
Completions mode opens up a wider range of chat templates than a standard chat box. Instead of a plain question and answer, you work with formats that the Hermes 4 models respond to well, which helps when you want specific structures or a raw text continuation. It is aimed at people who like to shape the prompt by hand and see how the model adapts.
Model Selection
The reworked Nous Chat offers a suite of models rather than a single one. You can reach the open Hermes family and closed options from the same window, and swap between them as a task changes. That range matters when you want to compare sizes, or when one model handles reasoning and another handles free writing better.
Memory System
A memory system has been added to Nous Chat and is being rolled out gradually. It aims to carry useful context between conversations, so you don't repeat yourself each time you return. It is still maturing, so treat it as a helper rather than a guarantee that the model recalls everything you told it.
Free and Open
Nous Chat is free to use, and the models behind it are open. The weights are published for download, so you can study them, fine-tune them, or run them on your own hardware. The chat serves as both a demo and an on-ramp for that open work, which is unusual for a chat platform tied to a commercial lab.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free to use, with no subscription gate on the chat platform.
- Runs the open Hermes model family, whose weights you can download and run yourself.
- Threads, a system prompt, and completions mode give real control over each conversation.
- Model selection lets you compare open and closed options in one place.
- Comes directly from Nous Research, so you are testing the models as the team built them.
Cons
- Hermes is tuned for expression over strict guardrails, so answers can drift and need checking.
- Nous Chat is a lightweight layer over the models, so it lacks the extras of polished commercial apps.
- The memory system is still rolling out, so continuity between sessions isn't reliable yet.
- It's a web platform first, so there's no dedicated mobile app or offline mode.
- Documentation and support are thinner than what a large commercial vendor provides.
Frequently asked questions
Nous Chat is a free web chat platform from Nous Research for talking with the Hermes language models. It offers threaded conversations, a system prompt, completions mode, and a choice of models.
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