What is Gemini CLI?
Gemini CLI is Google's official command-line AI coding agent, powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro with 1 million token context. It is Google's answer to Claude Code and Codex CLI — a terminal-based AI that can read, write, and reason about code. Free for Google account holders with 60 requests/minute. Built-in MCP support and deep Google ecosystem integration.
Answer-Ready: Gemini CLI is Google's terminal AI coding agent. Powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro with 1M context window. Free 60 req/min for Google users. MCP server support, Google Workspace integration, multi-modal (images + code). Open-source under Apache 2.0. 50k+ GitHub stars.
Best for: Developers wanting a free, powerful CLI coding agent with Google integration. Works with: Any codebase, MCP servers, Google Workspace. Setup time: Under 2 minutes.
Core Features
1. Free Tier (Generous)
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Requests/min | 60 |
| Context window | 1M tokens |
| Cost | Free (Google account) |
| Models | Gemini 2.5 Pro |
2. MCP Server Support
// ~/.gemini/settings.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"filesystem": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "."]
}
}
}3. Multi-Modal
# Analyze screenshots
gemini "what's wrong with this UI?" --image screenshot.png
# Read diagrams
gemini "explain this architecture" --image diagram.png4. Google Integration
- Google Search grounding for up-to-date answers
- Google Workspace access via GWS MCP
- Vertex AI for enterprise deployment
5. Extensions System
# Install extensions
gemini extensions install togethercomputer/skills
gemini extensions install google-workspace-mcpGemini CLI vs Claude Code vs Codex CLI
| Feature | Gemini CLI | Claude Code | Codex CLI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Gemini 2.5 Pro | Claude Opus/Sonnet | Codex/GPT-4o |
| Context | 1M tokens | 200K tokens | 200K tokens |
| Free tier | 60 req/min | None | 50 req/day |
| MCP | Yes | Yes | No |
| Multi-modal | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Open source | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FAQ
Q: Is it really free? A: Yes, 60 requests/minute with a Google account. No credit card needed. Paid tier available for higher limits via Vertex AI.
Q: How does the 1M context compare? A: Largest context window of any CLI coding agent. Can process entire large codebases in a single context.
Q: Can I use it with non-Google models? A: Gemini CLI is Gemini-only by default. Use Bifrost CLI to route to other providers.