How do I use GPT-5.5 with Hermes Agent?

On OpenClaw Launch, select GPT-5.5 from the model picker — it routes through OpenRouter automatically. For self-hosted Hermes, set OPENROUTER_API_KEY and run hermes inference set openrouter && hermes model set openai/gpt-5.5.

Is GPT-5.5 better than Claude Sonnet 4.6 for Hermes?

Both are excellent for agentic tasks. GPT-5.5 has a slight edge on some coding tasks; Claude Sonnet 4.6 tends to be better for long-document reasoning and writing quality. Claude Sonnet is also moderately cheaper. Try both with /model switching.

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Hermes Agent + GPT-5.5: OpenAI's Latest Model with Hermes

GPT-5.5 is OpenAI's current flagship model — stronger reasoning and tool use than GPT-4o, at a higher price point. Available in Hermes Agent via OpenRouter or one-click on OpenClaw Launch.

What Is GPT-5.5?

GPT-5.5 is OpenAI's flagship model as of 2026, succeeding the GPT-4o line. It brings improvements across reasoning, instruction-following, and tool-calling reliability — all qualities that directly benefit agentic workflows where the model must execute multi-step tasks with tools rather than simply answering questions.

GPT-5.5 is available in Hermes Agent via OpenRouter using the model ID openai/gpt-5.5. On managed OpenClaw Launch, it appears directly in the model picker with no additional setup.

GPT-5.5 vs GPT-5.4-mini

Model	Best For	Relative Cost	Relative Speed
`openai/gpt-5.5`	Complex reasoning, coding, demanding agent tasks	Higher	Moderate
`openai/gpt-5.4-mini`	Fast responses, high-volume chat, cost-sensitive use	Low	Fast

GPT-5.5 is the right choice when you need maximum quality from the GPT family. For tasks where speed and cost matter more than the highest quality output, GPT-5.4-mini offers a strong GPT experience at a fraction of the cost.

Option 1: Hermes Agent on OpenClaw Launch (Easiest)

GPT-5.5 is available in the OpenClaw Launch model picker. No OpenAI account or API key required.

Go to openclawlaunch.com/hermes-hosting and start a Hermes deploy.
Select GPT-5.5 from the model dropdown.
Connect your channel and click Deploy. Your GPT-5.5-powered Hermes Agent is live in roughly 10 seconds.

Tip: GPT-5.5 costs more per token than DeepSeek V4 Pro or Claude Haiku. If budget is a concern, try GLM-5.1 or DeepSeek V4 Pro first — both offer competitive quality at lower cost for many coding and agent tasks.

Option 2: GPT-5.5 via OpenRouter (Self-Hosted)

For self-hosted Hermes, the recommended path to GPT-5.5 is through OpenRouter. OpenRouter exposes GPT-5.5 under the openai/gpt-5.5 model ID:

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-...

hermes inference set openrouter
hermes model set openai/gpt-5.5

# config.yaml equivalent:
# inference:
#   provider: openrouter
# model:
#   default: openai/gpt-5.5

Get your OpenRouter key from openrouter.ai/keys. OpenRouter charges OpenAI's list price plus a small routing markup.

GPT-5.5 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6 for Hermes Agent Tasks

Task	GPT-5.5	Claude Sonnet 4.6
Tool calling reliability	Excellent	Excellent
Code generation	Excellent	Excellent
Long-document reasoning	Strong (128K context)	Strong (200K context)
Writing and prose quality	Strong	Excellent
Cost per million tokens	Higher	Moderate (~$3/M)

Both GPT-5.5 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 are excellent for Hermes agent workflows. The practical difference for most users is smaller than the marketing suggests. Try both via Hermes's /model command to see which handles your specific tasks better.

Switching to GPT-5.5 at Runtime

/model openai/gpt-5.5
/model openai/gpt-5.4-mini

What's Next?

Hermes Agent + OpenAI — Overview of all OpenAI models and auth options with Hermes
Hermes Agent + Claude — Compare GPT-5.5 with Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6
Hermes Agent + OpenRouter — One key for GPT, Claude, Gemini, and 200+ models
Hermes Agent + Grok — xAI Grok 4.20 as an alternative flagship model for Hermes