Google has announced Gemini CLI, its open-source AI agent to rival Claude Code and Codex CLI. Developers rely on the command-line interface (CLI) terminal for almost everything. According to the tech giant, Gemini CLI’s ubiquity and portability make it a go-to utility for getting work done. The latest offering from Google addresses developers’ demand for integrated AI assistance.
Gemini CLI harnesses Gemini directly into the terminal. It essentially offers a lightweight access to Gemini, offering developers the most direct path from their prompt to the model. “While it excels at coding, we built Gemini CLI to do so much more. It’s a versatile, local utility you can use for a wide range of tasks, from content generation and problem solving to deep research and task management,” the company said in its official release.
Further, Google has also integrated Gemini CLI with Google’s AI coding assistant, Gemini Code Assist. This will allow all Code Assist Developers on free, standard, and enterprise plans to get prompt-driven and AI-first coding in VS Code and Gemini CLI.
With Gemini CLI, Google is offering unmatched usage limits for individual developers. In order to use Gemini CLI for free, users simply need to log in with their personal Google account to get a free Gemini Code Assist licence. This free licence brings free access to Gemini 2.5 Pro and its massive one million token context. In case a user ever hits a limit during this preview, Google is offering the industry’s largest allowance with 60 model requests per minute and 1,000 requests per day at no charge.
For professional developers required to run multiple agents at the same time, they can opt for Google AI Studio or Vertex AI key for usage-based billing or get a Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise licence.
Gemini CLI, now in preview, offers powerful AI capabilities, from code understanding and file manipulation to command execution and dynamic troubleshooting. The AI agent offers an upgrade to one’s command line experience, allowing them to write code, debug issues, and streamline their workflow with natural language.
According to Google, Gemini CLI’s powerful capabilities are owing to built-in tools. Users can fetch web pages and offer real-time, external context to the model with ground prompts with Google Search. They can extend Gemini CLI’s capabilities with built-in support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) or bundled extensions. With customised prompts and instructions, developers can tailor Gemini for specific needs and workflows. Further, one can automate tasks and integrate the same with existing workflows by summoning Gemini CLI non-interactively with their scripts.
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Since Gemini CLI is fully open source (Apache 2.0), developers can inspect the code to understand how it works and verify its security implications.
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