Gemini CLI
Google's open-source coding agent for the terminal, now reached through paid Gemini API keys and Google Cloud licences.
- Starting price
- Free, open source
- Output
- Terminal agent that edits code and runs commands
- API
- Headless mode with JSON and streaming JSON output
Overview
Gemini CLI is Google's open-source coding agent for the terminal, released under the Apache 2.0 licence and installed through npm, Homebrew or MacPorts. It reads and edits a codebase, runs shell commands and can be scripted without an interactive session. Since 18 June 2026 it no longer serves free accounts or Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, whom Google points to Antigravity CLI. It stays available with paid Gemini API keys, Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform keys and Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise licences.
Our take
Gemini CLI now suits a narrow but real case: a team that already pays for Gemini through a Cloud project or the API and wants an open, auditable agent it can fork or wire into a pipeline. An individual developer without that contract should pick Antigravity CLI or another terminal agent instead, because the sign-in route that made Gemini CLI popular is gone. If you want to switch models per task rather than stay with one vendor, a model-agnostic agent is the better fit.
Key Facts
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Starting price | Free, open source The CLI itself costs nothing under Apache 2.0. Model usage needs a paid Gemini API or Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform key, billed per use, or a Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise licence; Google stopped selling new Code Assist subscriptions on 9 October 2026. |
| Output | Terminal agent that edits code and runs commands |
| API | Headless mode with JSON and streaming JSON output |
Screenshots
Placeholders. They are replaced as soon as the vendor sends material, and both open the same short form.
Features
- Where it runs
- Terminal on macOS 15 or later, Windows 11 24H2 or later and Ubuntu 20.04 or later, with Node.js 20 or newer; preinstalled in Cloud Shell and Cloud Workstations
- Inline completions
- No, it is a terminal agent that works by instruction; the VS Code companion adds editor context and a native diff view, not completions as you type
- Agent mode
- Yes, it reads and edits files, runs shell commands, fetches and searches the web, keeps persistent context in GEMINI.md files and can save and resume conversations, with tool execution optionally isolated in macOS Seatbelt, Docker or Podman
- Model choice
- Gemini models only, with an Auto setting that picks Pro or Flash per task, or a fixed model set with /model or the --model flag
- Data control
- The terms follow the access route: Gemini API terms for API keys, Google Cloud terms for the Agent Platform and for Code Assist Standard and Enterprise. Usage statistics sent to Google can be switched off
- Ecosystem fit
- VS Code companion extension, also for Antigravity and other VS Code compatible editors; JetBrains IDEs and Zed through the Agent Client Protocol; MCP servers, extensions and a GitHub Action (run-gemini-cli)
- API
- Runs headless for scripts with JSON or streaming JSON output; models are billed through the Gemini API or the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform
Integrations
- Visual Studio Code
- Google Antigravity
- JetBrains IDEs
- Zed
- GitHub Actions
- Model Context Protocol servers
- Docker
- Podman
- Cloud Shell
- Cloud Workstations
Deployment and Support
- Support
-
- Community forum
- Onboarding
-
- Documentation and knowledge base
- Company size
-
- Enterprise
Suitability
| Industry | Freelancers | Small and mid-sized | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agencies | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Architecture & Engineering | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Consulting | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Media & Creative | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Technology | Not stated | Not stated | Stated as a fit |
The table combines the industries the vendor addresses with the company sizes the tool is aimed at. An empty cell means the combination is not stated, not that it is ruled out.
Pros and Cons
Strengths
- Open source under Apache 2.0, so the agent itself can be audited and forked
- Headless mode with structured output for scripts and CI
- Optional sandboxing through macOS Seatbelt, Docker or Podman
Limitations
- No longer usable with free accounts or Google AI Pro and Ultra since June 2026
- Runs on Gemini models only
- New Gemini Code Assist subscriptions are no longer sold, leaving paid API keys as the main way in
Pricing
-
Gemini CLI
$0
Open source under Apache 2.0.
-
Paid Gemini API key
Pay per use
Model usage billed through the Gemini API or the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.
Best For
Alternatives and Comparisons
What users say
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