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Run Nemotron 3 Ultra free in Hermes Agent

website/docs/guides/run-nemotron-3-ultra-free.md

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Run Nemotron 3 Ultra free in Hermes Agent

Nous Research has been inducted into the Nemotron Coalition of leading AI labs working with NVIDIA to advance open frontier foundation models. In honor of this, we've partnered with Nebius to provide Nemotron 3 Ultra free on Nous Portal for two weeks (June 4th – June 18th). Follow the instructions below to try the model in your Hermes Agent today.

:::info Limited-time offer The nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra:free tier is available from June 4th to June 18th. The :free tag is what keeps it on the no-cost plan — pick that exact variant. :::

Pick whichever install fits you. The desktop app is the easiest — no terminal required. If you live in a terminal, the command-line install is right below it.

Option A — Desktop app (recommended)

The simplest path: a one-click installer with a guided, point-and-click setup. No terminal needed.

1. Download and install

Download the Hermes Desktop installer for macOS or Windows, then open it. On first launch it finishes setting itself up (usually under a minute).

2. Connect Nous Portal

When the app opens, you'll see a "Let's get you set up" screen. Click Nous Portal (marked Recommended). Your browser opens — create a Nous Portal account (or sign in), choose the Free plan, and authorize Hermes. The app connects automatically.

3. Pick the free Nemotron 3 Ultra model

After connecting, the app shows a Default model card. Click Change, search for nemotron 3 ultra, and select the variant tagged Free tier:

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra:free

The :free tag is what keeps it on the no-cost tier — pick that variant.

4. Start chatting

Click Start chatting. That's it — you're talking to Nemotron 3 Ultra, free.

Option B — Command line

Prefer the terminal?

1. Install Hermes Agent

On macOS/Linux/WSL2/Android, run

bash
curl -fsSL https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.sh | bash

On Windows, run

powershell
iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)

Prefer to review first? Download install.sh, inspect it, then run it.

After it finishes, reload your shell:

bash
source ~/.bashrc   # or source ~/.zshrc

2. Run Quick Setup

bash
hermes setup

Select Quick Setup. Hermes opens a browser tab and waits for you to finish the next steps.

3. Create a Nous Portal account

In the browser, create a Nous Portal account (or sign in) and choose the Free plan.

4. Connect your account

When prompted to connect your account to Hermes Agent, click Connect. You'll see a confirmation once it's linked.

5. Select the free Nemotron 3 Ultra model

Return to your terminal. From the model list, select:

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra:free

The :free tag is what keeps it on the no-cost tier, so make sure you pick that variant.

6. Start chatting

Complete the remaining Quick Setup prompts, then run:

bash
hermes

That's it — you're talking to Nemotron 3 Ultra, free.

Switching to it later

Already set up with another model?

  • Desktop app: open the model picker, search for nemotron 3 ultra, and select the Free tier variant.
  • CLI / TUI: switch any time from inside a session with /model nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra:free, or run /model to open the picker and choose it from the list.

Troubleshooting

  • Don't see the model in the list? Make sure you finished the Nous Portal connection and that you're on the Free plan. In the CLI, hermes portal info confirms you're logged in and routing through Nous.
  • Picked the wrong variant? Re-select nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra:free — the :free suffix is required to stay on the no-cost tier.
  • Browser didn't open / you're on a remote host (CLI)? See OAuth over SSH / Remote Hosts for port-forwarding and manual-paste workarounds.

See also