Docs · Runtimes
The runtime is the harness that runs inside your environment; it decides how the agent is configured and what it can do. Qoren runs OpenClaw and Hermes as first-class runtimes; most of the time, the template you pick decides which one you get.
Every template declares which runtimes it supports. When it supports one, the deploy form locks it; when it supports several, you pick. Choose a template for what the agent should do and let the runtime follow; the managed environment underneath is the same either way.
Hermes is the Qoren-native runtime: agents are defined from configuration, persona, tasks, tools, workspace files, with cron, messaging gateways, and workspace support built in.
OpenClaw is the right runtime when the template or workflow is built for the OpenClaw operating model: existing OpenClaw agents, skills, and configuration move to a managed environment while keeping their behavior. Qoren keeps the agent online, isolated, and metered; the OpenClaw runtime works the way OpenClaw users expect.
Some templates target Codex, the OpenAI Codex CLI runtime for code-first agents. It appears as a runtime choice only on templates that declare it.
The runtime changes the harness, not the operating model. Every runtime gets the same platform underneath.
| Situation | Runtime |
|---|---|
| You have an existing OpenClaw setup or need OpenClaw compatibility. | OpenClaw |
| You are starting fresh from Qoren templates and want config-driven agents with gateways and approvals. | Hermes |
| The template is code-first and declares Codex. | Codex |
| The template supports only one runtime. | That one, the form locks it. |
Treat it as a new deploy: deploy the agent again on the other runtime (where the template supports it) and retire the old one. Runtime changes are not an in-place toggle.
The fastest way to understand the flow is to deploy a template and watch its first run.
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