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Gemini CLI vs Claude Code: What Changed in 2026
Short answer: Pick Claude Code if you want agentic coding directly from terminal or IDE; pick Gemini CLI if you want terminal-first AI agent. Claude Code starts at $100/month; Gemini CLI has a free plan.
Claude CodeAnthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal and IDE
Gemini CLIGoogle's open-source AI agent for the terminalWhich to pick
Pick Claude Code if you want…
- Agentic coding directly from terminal or IDE
- Anthropic-based terminal AI
- Integrations with VS Code, JetBrains or Slack (on Claude Code's list, not Gemini CLI's)
Pick Gemini CLI if you want…
- Terminal-first AI agent
- A free plan to start with
- Open-source code (google-gemini/gemini-cli on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license)
- Integrations with Homebrew, MacPorts or Anaconda (on Gemini CLI's list, not Claude Code's)
Claude Code is Anthropic’s terminal/IDE agent, while Gemini CLI uses Google’s Gemini models.
Written by the DevHunt team · updated Nov 7, 2026
The short answer
Gemini CLI and Claude Code used to be the classic "free vs paid" terminal agent matchup. That changed on June 18, 2026: Google moved free users and Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers from Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLI, and Gemini CLI is now maintained for companies with Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise licenses (plus paid API and Vertex keys). Its README also says it is not tuned for the Gemini 4 series. So: if you are an individual developer, compare Claude Code with Antigravity CLI rather than Gemini CLI. If your company already has Gemini Code Assist, Gemini CLI is still a supported, open-source option. Facts are as of November 2026.
Gemini CLI vs Claude Code at a glance
| Gemini CLI | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | |
| Who it is for now | Gemini Code Assist Standard / Enterprise and Code Assist for GitHub customers on Google Cloud, plus paid Gemini API or Vertex keys | Anyone with Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise, or an API key |
| Free tier | None since June 18, 2026 (moved to Antigravity CLI) | None (not in the Free Claude plan) |
| Pricing | Your Code Assist license, or usage-based Gemini API / Vertex billing | Pro $20/mo ($17 yearly), Max $100/mo, Team from $20/seat yearly |
| Models | Gemini models; not optimized for Gemini 4+ | Claude only: Opus, Sonnet, Haiku; Fable on Max or via credits |
| Where it runs | Terminal | Terminal, VS Code and Cursor, JetBrains, desktop app, web, mobile, Slack |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0 (about 108.8k GitHub stars) | No |
| Project instructions | GEMINI.md | CLAUDE.md (can read AGENTS.md) |
| Extensibility | MCP servers, headless mode with JSON output | MCP, hooks, skills, subagents, Agent SDK, scheduled cloud tasks |
| Release cadence | Weekly preview and stable, daily nightly | Stable and latest channels, auto-update on native install |
Sources: Gemini CLI on GitHub, Google's transition post, Antigravity CLI, Claude pricing, Claude Code docs.
The differences that matter
Who can use it. This is now the whole story. Before June, Gemini CLI's pitch was a generous free tier on a personal Google account. That tier is gone from Gemini CLI. Comparisons written before June 2026 quote free request limits that no longer apply to it. Claude Code never had a free tier, so its pricing story has not changed: $20 a month for Pro, with five-hour and weekly limits shared with Claude chat.
Model support. Gemini CLI's own README says it is not tuned for Gemini 4 (for example Gemini 4 Argon) or later, and asks people not to use it to benchmark Gemini models. Google's current models live in Antigravity CLI. Claude Code tracks Anthropic's newest models as they ship.
Open source. Gemini CLI remains Apache-2.0, so you can read, fork and self-maintain it, and it works with a paid Gemini API key. That matters for teams that need to audit the agent. Claude Code is closed source but has more ways to customize it without forking: hooks, skills, subagents and the Agent SDK.
Surfaces. Gemini CLI is a terminal tool. Claude Code runs the same engine in the terminal, IDE extensions, a desktop app, the browser and the Claude mobile app, and can route Slack bug reports into pull requests.
Which to pick
- You are an individual developer who wants Google models in a terminal agent: try Antigravity CLI, Google's replacement. Use its migration guide if you have GEMINI.md files and MCP settings.
- Your company has Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise: Gemini CLI is included and supported for you.
- You want a supported agent across terminal, IDE, desktop and web: Claude Code.
- You need an open-source terminal agent with any model: see the open-source options in the AI coding agents comparison, or the Apache-2.0 Codex CLI.
Per-token prices for Gemini and Claude models are in AI model pricing.
Side by side
- What it is
- Claude Code:Claude Code is an agentic coding assistant that understands your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and helps ship features.
- Gemini CLI:Gemini CLI is an open-source AI agent that lets you run Google Gemini models directly from the terminal.
- Best for
- Claude Code:Agentic coding directly from terminal or IDE
- Gemini CLI:Terminal-first AI agent
- Who it’s for
- Claude Code:Developers who want AI-assisted bug fixes, refactors, and feature implementation.
- Gemini CLI:Developers who work primarily in the command line and need AI assistance.
- Pricing
- Claude Code:Paid
- Gemini CLI:Freemium
- Starting price
- Claude Code:$100/month (Max 5x)
- Gemini CLI:—
- Plans
- Claude Code:Pro $17 per month with annual discount · Max 5x $100 per month · Max 20x $200 per month
- Gemini CLI:—
- Open source
- Claude Code:—
- Gemini CLI:Yes, 107,216 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Claude Code:VS Code, JetBrains, Slack, GitHub, GitLab, CLI tools, Claude desktop app
- Gemini CLI:Homebrew, MacPorts, Anaconda
Claude Code features
- Codebase understanding. Analyzes project structure and dependencies to provide high-level overviews and context.
- File editing & PR creation. Writes code, runs tests, and opens pull requests in GitHub or GitLab.
- Multi-hour refactors. Handles long-running migrations and refactors across many files.
- IDE integrations. Native extensions for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.
- Terminal & Slack access. Works from your shell or Slack without leaving your workflow.
- Projects grouping. Groups related coding sessions for parallel agent supervision.
- Self-hosted beta. Runs Claude Code sessions on private infrastructure.
- Artifacts preview. Generates live, shareable artifacts of in-progress work.
Gemini CLI features
- Free tier. 60 requests per minute and 1,000 requests per day with a personal Google account.
- Gemini 3 models. Access to Gemini 3 with improved reasoning and up to 1 M token context.
- Built-in tools. Google Search grounding, file operations, shell commands, and web fetching.
- MCP support. Model Context Protocol enables custom integrations and extensions.
- Multiple install methods. Install via npx, npm, Homebrew, MacPorts, or Anaconda.
- Open source. Released under the Apache 2.0 license.
Claude Code vs Gemini CLI FAQ
Is Gemini CLI still free?+
No. On June 18, 2026 Google moved free individual access, and Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, from Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLI. Gemini CLI now serves organizations with Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise licenses or Code Assist for GitHub on Google Cloud, plus paid Gemini API and Vertex keys.
Is Gemini CLI better than Claude Code?+
For most individual developers in November 2026 the question has changed: Gemini CLI is now aimed at enterprise Code Assist customers, and its README says it is not tuned for the Gemini 4 models. If you want Google models in a terminal agent, Google points you to Antigravity CLI. Claude Code remains a fully supported product on Claude Pro ($20 a month) and up.
Is Gemini CLI open source?+
Yes. Gemini CLI is Apache-2.0 on GitHub (google-gemini/gemini-cli), with about 108,800 stars when we checked. Claude Code is proprietary.
What replaced Gemini CLI for individuals?+
Antigravity CLI, Google's terminal interface for Antigravity agents. Google says it keeps Gemini CLI's agent skills, hooks, subagents and extensions (now called Antigravity plugins) but will not have full feature parity at first. Google publishes a migration guide.
Can I use Gemini models in Claude Code?+
Not as the agent's model; Claude Code runs Claude models. You can give Claude Code access to Gemini through an MCP server or Google's separate Gemini API CLI, which Google describes as a tool for agents such as Claude Code and Codex to call Gemini models.
What is the difference between Claude Code and Gemini CLI?+
Gemini CLI is a Google open-source terminal AI agent; Claude Code offers similar terminal use but includes IDE plugins and Slack integration. Claude Code is Anthropic’s terminal/IDE agent, while Gemini CLI uses Google’s Gemini models.
Should I use Claude Code or Gemini CLI?+
Pick Claude Code if you want agentic coding directly from terminal or IDE, anthropic-based terminal AI or integrations with VS Code, JetBrains or Slack (on Claude Code's list, not Gemini CLI's). Pick Gemini CLI if you want terminal-first AI agent, a free plan to start with or open-source code (google-gemini/gemini-cli on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license).
Is Claude Code or Gemini CLI free?+
Claude Code is paid, from $100/month (Max 5x). Gemini CLI has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Claude Code or Gemini CLI open source?+
Gemini CLI is open source (google-gemini/gemini-cli on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Claude Code.
Do Claude Code and Gemini CLI integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Claude Code lists VS Code, JetBrains, Slack, GitHub and 3 more; Gemini CLI lists Homebrew, MacPorts and Anaconda.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.