Coding agent (CLI) · Google
Gemini CLI
Google's open-source terminal agent for Gemini models. Supports MCP, extensions, headless JSON output and sandboxing, but its free consumer access ended in June 2026 in favour of Antigravity CLI.
Gemini CLI review
Gemini CLI is Google's open-source terminal coding agent for Gemini models, on macOS, Windows and Linux. The code is free under Apache-2.0, but free personal access has ended. We read the vendor's pages and repository in October 2026. We did not run an independent test.
Who it is for
Teams with a Gemini Code Assist licence, or a paid Gemini or Vertex AI API key, who want an open-source CLI coding agent. Individuals looking for a free tier are not the target.
What stands out
Gemini CLI runs in the terminal. The docs list subagents, MCP server configuration, extensions, headless mode and sandboxing.
Headless mode uses -p with json and stream-json output, which suits scripts. Three sandbox options are documented: macOS Seatbelt, Docker or Podman containers, and gVisor on Linux. We read the docs index for subagents but not the subagent page itself.
You sign in with Google, a Gemini API key or Vertex AI. Releases are weekly for stable and preview, and daily for nightly. v0.66.0 came out on 27 October 2026. Install is npm, npx, Homebrew or MacPorts.
Price and licence
The licence is Apache 2.0, and we read the LICENSE file in the repository. That is open source.
The free consumer route ended. Google's blog says Gemini CLI stopped serving Google AI Pro and Ultra users and free Code Assist for individuals on 18 June 2026. It remains for Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise licence holders, and for paid Gemini or Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform API keys.
The quota page still lists 1,000 requests a day for a Google account and 250 for an unpaid API key. That page carries the same replacement notice, so treat those figures as out of date. We could not confirm the current free quota. Seen 28 October 2026.
Where it falls short
- Free and Google AI Pro/Ultra consumer access ended on 18 June 2026. Google moved those users to Antigravity CLI, which we did not research.
- The version is 0.x. The README says it is not optimized for the newest Gemini model, Gemini 4 Argon, and points to Antigravity.
- The documented models are Gemini only. We found no local-model setup.
- It needs Node.js 20 or newer.
- The blog names paid Gemini and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform keys. We could not tell whether Vertex AI pay-as-you-go is covered.
Alternatives
See terminal coding agents for the wider list. Codex CLI is Apache-2.0 and offers a free ChatGPT tier. OpenCode works with many providers.
Facts: platforms, price and licence
- platforms
- macOSWindowsLinuxInstallation docs list macOS 15+, Windows 11 24H2+ and Ubuntu 20.04+, with Node.js 20.0.0+. For unpaid-tier and Google One users the project says Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI on 2026-06-18; the README also says Gemini CLI is not optimized for the newest Gemini models (Gemini 4 Argon) and points to Antigravity.
- price
- FreeThe CLI is free (Apache-2.0), but the free consumer route has ended (seen 2026-10-28). Google's blog says Gemini CLI stops serving Google AI Pro/Ultra and free Code Assist for individuals on 2026-06-18; it stays available to Gemini Code Assist Standard/Enterprise license holders and via paid Gemini / Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform API keys. The quota page still lists 1,000 requests/day for a Google account and 250/day for an unpaid API key, but that page carries the same replacement notice, so treat those figures as stale. Model cost comes from a Code Assist licence, a Gemini API key (usage-based) or Vertex AI billing.
- source
- Open sourceLicence: Apache-2.0
- github
- google-gemini/gemini-cli 108.6k stars, seen 2026-10-28
Gemini CLI features
- ✓ yes MCP
- ✓ yes Multi-agent
- ✓ yes Headless / CI
- ✓ yes Sandbox
- ? not verified Local models
- ✓ yes Your own API key
- ? not verified Git worktrees
- ? not verified SSH
✓ documented · – absent or not in its feature list · ? not verified
Gemini CLI strengths
- Apache-2.0 with weekly stable/preview and daily nightly releases (v0.66.0 on 2026-10-27)
- Documented headless mode (-p with json and stream-json output) and MCP server configuration
- Three sandbox options: macOS Seatbelt, Docker/Podman containers, and gVisor on Linux
- Multiple auth routes: Google login, Gemini API key, Vertex AI
Gemini CLI weak points
- Free and Google AI Pro/Ultra consumer access ended 2026-06-18; the product direction moved to Antigravity CLI
- Version 0.x and not optimized for the newest Gemini models according to the README
- Documented models are Gemini only; no local-model setup found in the docs
- Node.js 20+ runtime required
Who Gemini CLI is for
- best for
- Teams with a Gemini Code Assist licence or a paid Gemini/Vertex API key who want an open-source CLI agent.
- look elsewhere if
- Individuals looking for a free tier or the newest Gemini models; Google steers them to Antigravity CLI.
Compare Gemini CLI
Lists that include Gemini CLI
Sources and what we could not verify
Checked 2026-10-28. Prices and features change; the vendor's page is the authority.
- github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli — README: install, auth options, headless -p, replacement notice, Apache-2.0
- github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/LICENSE — source: Apache License 2.0 text
- api.github.com/repos/google-gemini/gemini-cli — stars, license, pushed_at, not archived
- developers.googleblog.com/an-important-update-transitioning-gemini-cli-to-antigravity-cli — who loses access on 2026-06-18 and who keeps it
- www.geminicli.com/docs/resources/quota-and-pricing — quota figures (stale, carries the replacement notice)
- www.geminicli.com/docs/get-started/authentication — auth methods
- www.geminicli.com/docs/get-started/installation — OS and Node requirements
- www.geminicli.com/docs/cli/sandbox — Seatbelt, container and gVisor sandboxing
- www.geminicli.com/docs — docs index lists subagents, MCP, headless mode, sandboxing
Not verified
- Exact current free quota: the 1,000/day and 250/day figures predate or contradict the 2026-06-18 notice; no per-minute numbers were published
- Whether Vertex AI pay-as-you-go use is covered by the 'remains accessible' statement: the blog names paid Gemini and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform API keys only
- multi_agent=true rests on the docs index listing subagents; the subagent page itself was not read
- local_models, git_worktrees, ssh: not found in fetched docs
- Antigravity CLI is a separate product and was not researched here