The AI coding agent tier list - and the winner isn't even a coding agent

A coding agent tier list, but first a metaphor: if an LLM is the brain, then an agent is a full-fledged human being. Deduct the brain and you get the body - that body is the harness.

Closed source

Claude Code and Codex are closed-source, very rigid, subscription-only, and only accept Anthropic or OpenAI brains. They work, but you are locked in.

Open source

My personal favorites are Hermes, OpenCode and Pi. The standout with open source is how open the harness is to change.

Any brain in Hermes

The reason Hermes tops the list: you can plug in any brain. Route through OpenRouter, hit NVIDIA, spin up an open model - the harness does not care.

The tier list

• S tier - Hermes: any brain you want.
• A tier - Claude + Codex: amazing code, just overrated for the flexibility.
• C tier - OpenCode + Pi: solid, not special.

A tease

The DeepSeek harness deserves its own reel entirely. Drop "DEEPSEEK" if you want part two.

The alt text for the video sums it up: the LLM is the brain, the harness is the body, the agent is both - and Hermes tops the list.