Comparison

Octopus vs Hermex

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Octopus

Features
Read full description

Octopus brings Codex to iPhone and iPad. Connect to your Mac, development server, or remote workspace and keep real coding threads moving from anywhere. It is not another closed cloud IDE. Octopus is a mobile control surface for the environment you already use: connect through Codex app-server or SSH, browse workspaces, projects, and recent sessions, return to active threads, and follow Thinking, Waiting, and Ready states in real time. When an agent needs a decision, resolve approvals with Allow, Allow for Session, or Deny. Use text, voice, images, and files to add context without returning to your desk. Review automation runs, start a task again, inspect history, and jump back from notifications or Live Activities when work changes state. Built for developers who want to: • Monitor AI coding agents from iPhone • Resume Codex threads away from the desk • Approve commands, permissions, and structured questions remotely • Keep Mac, server, workspace, and thread context organized • Dictate quick prompts, bug notes, and test results by voice Key features: • Codex app-server and SSH connections • Server, project, thread, and recent session management • Runtime status, notifications, and Live Activity deep links • Approval cards for command and permission decisions • Markdown messages, tool results, image input, and file context • Automation list, run-now actions, and run history • SSH host fingerprint confirmation and credentials stored in device Keychain • Octopus turns your phone into a second development screen, so you can stay close to the code even when you step away from the keyboard. Subscription Legal Links: • Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ • Privacy Policy: https://velocai.net/octopus/privacy/

About

Hermex

This app provides a native mobile interface for interacting with your self-hosted Hermes Agent server. It allows you to manage conversations, control agent settings, and access workspace files directly from your iPhone.

Highlights
  • Connect to your own Hermes server
  • Manage existing and start new conversations
  • Control models, profiles, and reasoning
  • Attach files and photos
  • Browse workspace files
  • Offline read-only viewing of recent sessions
Features
Read full description

Hermex is a native iPhone and iPad client for your self-hosted Hermes agent. Connect to a reachable Hermes Web UI server, or enable the optional Bot Mode beta to connect directly to a Hermes agent host. Open existing sessions, start conversations, and follow streamed responses, tools, and reasoning as they arrive. Queue, steer, or stop an active run. Review file edits as diffs, browse workspace files, send photos and files, and dictate messages. Manage Kanban boards and cards, browse Tasks, Skills, Memory, and Usage, and choose models, profiles, and reasoning settings. Bot Mode adds a Bots inbox, Desktop sections, reactions, quick replies, approvals, questions, and group rooms. Live Activities keep working runs visible on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Optional notifications let you know when work finishes or needs your attention. The share extension stages content from other apps for you to review and send. Agent execution happens on your configured server, not on the iPhone. Your server owns your conversations, tools, and workspace. Recent sessions and messages may be cached locally for read-only offline viewing; clear that cache from Settings. There is no Hermex-hosted agent backend, tracking, or analytics service. Optional push notifications use an open-source, self-hostable relay. Message previews are encrypted on your Hermes host and decrypted on your iPhone; the relay handles device tokens, notification metadata, and ciphertext, never message text, server URLs, or Hermes server credentials. Push is off until enabled. Hermex has no in-app account creation or in-app purchases. You need your own reachable Hermes server. Not affiliated with Nous Research.

Screenshots

Octopus4 screens
Hermex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Hermex at #37 against Octopus's unranked. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Octopus ships an update every 5 days, Hermex weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
Octopus versus Hermex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOctopusHermex
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (135 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—85.1% of reviews
Number of ratings—135 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
Best chart rank—#37 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVelocAI LTDUzair Ansar

In-app purchases

None

Octopus

No in-app purchases

None

Hermex

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Octopus free?
Octopus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hermex free?
Hermex is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Octopus or Hermex have ads?
Neither Octopus nor Hermex shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Octopus or Hermex?
Octopus ships an update every 5 days, and Hermex weekly. Most recently, Octopus was updated on October 9, 2026 and Hermex on October 23, 2026.

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