For most individual developers, Gemini CLI is no longer the option it was: since June 18, 2026, Google moved its free tier and Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers to Antigravity CLI. Gemini CLI stays open source and keeps working for companies with Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise licenses and for paid API keys, so pick it if your organization already pays Google that way. Otherwise compare Claude Code with Antigravity; choose Claude Code if you want Anthropic's models on a flat Claude plan.
What changed in 2026
On May 19, 2026, Google announced it was transitioning Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLI, a new terminal agent written in Go that shares its harness with the Antigravity 2.0 desktop app. From June 18, 2026, Gemini CLI and the Gemini Code Assist IDE extensions stopped serving:
- free Gemini Code Assist for individuals (the personal Google login tier), and
- Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
Organizations with Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise keep access, with the latest models, and Gemini CLI remains usable with paid Gemini API keys and Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform keys. Google's quota page also says Gemini CLI has not been optimized for Gemini 4 Argon, its newest model, and sends you to Antigravity for it.
Gemini CLI and Claude Code at a glance
As of October 2026, from Google's developer blog, geminicli.com, the Gemini CLI repository, and Anthropic's docs and pricing.
| Gemini CLI | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Code Assist Standard or Enterprise seats, paid Gemini API keys, Vertex AI | Claude Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or an Anthropic API key |
| Price and limits | Code Assist Standard: 1,500 requests a user per day; Enterprise: 2,000; API and Vertex: pay per token | Pro $20 a month, Max $100 or $200, Team $25 per seat; five-hour windows plus weekly limits |
| Models | Gemini models (Gemini 3 family; not tuned for Gemini 4 Argon) | Claude: Opus 5.5 default, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5, Fable 5.1 |
| License | Open source, Apache 2.0 | Not open source |
| Where it runs | Terminal, IDE integration, GitHub Action | Terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, desktop app, web, mobile app, Slack |
| Project instructions | GEMINI.md | CLAUDE.md (or AGENTS.md) |
| Skills | Agent Skills in ~/.gemini/skills or ~/.agents/skills | Agent Skills in ~/.claude/skills |
| MCP | Yes | Yes |
| Hooks | 11 events in settings.json (BeforeTool, AfterAgent, Notification and more) | 33 events in settings.json |
| Subagents | Yes (since April 2026) | Yes, plus agent teams |
| Headless | gemini -p "..." --output-format json | claude -p "..." |
| Scheduling | None built in; cron or CI | Routines in the cloud, desktop scheduled tasks, /loop |
Who should still use Gemini CLI
Gemini CLI still makes sense when:
- Your company buys Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise. You get 1,500 or 2,000 requests per user per day under the license you already have, and Google says it will keep supporting the CLI with its latest models.
- You build on Google Cloud. Vertex AI and paid API keys work, billed per token, and the built-in Google Search grounding is useful for research-heavy tasks.
- You need an open source agent you can audit. Gemini CLI is Apache 2.0, installable with
npm install -g @google/gemini-clior Homebrew. - You run it in CI. The headless mode prints JSON or streamed JSON, and there is a Gemini CLI GitHub Action.
If none of these apply and you used Gemini CLI on a personal account, your migration path is Antigravity CLI. Google says Agent Skills, hooks, subagents and extensions (now called Antigravity plugins) carry over, without full parity at first.
Feature differences that matter
Both agents now share the same shape: a project instructions file, Agent Skills, MCP servers, subagents and hooks. A skill folder that sticks to the standard SKILL.md fields can live in ~/.agents/skills, which Gemini CLI reads, and be copied to ~/.claude/skills for Claude Code.
Where they differ:
- Hooks: Gemini CLI has 11 events, including some around the model call itself (
BeforeModel,AfterModel,BeforeToolSelection) that Claude Code doesn't have. Claude Code has 33, includingPermissionRequest, and handlers can be shell commands, HTTP calls, MCP tool calls, prompts or subagents. See our Claude Code hooks guide. - Cloud work: Claude Code runs sessions on claude.ai/code and in the mobile app, and routines start on a schedule, an HTTP call or a GitHub event. Gemini CLI runs where you run it.
- Checkpointing and sandboxing: Gemini CLI has built-in checkpointing to save and resume sessions, plus sandboxing and trusted folders.
- Scripting: both run one prompt and exit, which is what you want in CI or a cron job:
gemini -p "list the TODOs added this week" --output-format json claude -p "list the TODOs added this week" --output-format json
Both agents report to Briefkin through hooks, so if your team runs Gemini CLI on Code Assist seats and Claude Code elsewhere, their sessions show up on one board.
Which to choose
- Your org has Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise: keep Gemini CLI.
- You used Gemini CLI on a personal account or Google AI Pro: move to Antigravity CLI, or switch to Claude Code.
- You want Claude models and a flat plan: Claude Code.
- You want scheduled or GitHub-triggered agents without writing CI: Claude Code routines.
- You want to see every option: read Codex vs Claude Code and our list of Claude Code alternatives.
Questions
Is Gemini CLI shut down?
Not for everyone. Since June 18, 2026, it no longer serves the free individual tier or Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, who are moved to Antigravity CLI. It still works with Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise licenses and with paid Gemini API keys.
Is Gemini CLI still free?
The tool is open source under Apache 2.0, but the free Google-account tier it was known for moved to Antigravity CLI. To use Gemini CLI today you need a Code Assist Standard or Enterprise license or a paid API key.
Can Gemini CLI use Gemini 4 Argon?
Google's quota page says Gemini CLI has not been optimized for Gemini 4 Argon and points you to Antigravity for that model.
Do my Gemini CLI skills and hooks carry over to Antigravity CLI?
Google says Agent Skills, hooks, subagents and extensions (renamed Antigravity plugins) are kept, but warned there would not be one-to-one feature parity at first.
Which is better for a personal setup, Gemini CLI or Claude Code?
For most individuals the real comparison is now Antigravity CLI vs Claude Code, since Gemini CLI no longer serves personal Google accounts. Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan (Pro $20 a month) or an API key.