OpenClaw and Hermes Agent Both Run on Your Grok Subscription, No API Key Needed

If you pay for SuperGrok, you can use it as the model behind OpenClaw or Hermes Agent without an xAI API key. Both projects document a sign-in with your xAI account, and usage then comes out of your Grok plan instead of a per-use bill.

The option is not new. Hermes added it in version 0.14.0 on the 16th of May 2026, a day after xAI announced it, and OpenClaw shipped it in its stable 2026.5.18 release two days later. It drew fresh attention on the 4th of November, when a post on X by @de1lymoon listing open source projects with Grok support said both agents "let you sign in with your Grok subscription".

The Hermes docs name SuperGrok or X Premium+. The OpenClaw docs name an eligible SuperGrok or X Premium plan. Both warn that xAI decides which accounts qualify, and the Hermes docs say some SuperGrok subscribers have been refused access after a successful sign-in. In that case, an xAI API key still works.

The sign-in suits servers too: the agent shows a short code, and you approve it in a browser on your phone or laptop. One sign-in also covers Grok voice, images and X search in both agents.

Read the step by step guide