Skip to main content

GoogleAI Coding Agent

Gemini CLI

Google's open-source terminal agent edits code and runs shell commands and MCP tools. It reaches Gemini models through an existing Gemini Code Assist subscription, the Gemini API, or Vertex AI.

The 30-Second Take

Keep Gemini CLI only if you already hold a Code Assist subscription or bill Gemini through Google Cloud.

Google stopped selling new Code Assist subscriptions in October 2026 and now steers buyers to Antigravity CLI. It is Google's open-source terminal agent for editing repositories and running shell commands and MCP tools.

Best fit
Teams with an existing Code Assist subscription or Vertex AI billing that need a scriptable terminal agent.
Main constraint
Code Assist is off sale to new buyers, and Google moves terminal work to Antigravity CLI.
First move
Enforce the sandbox and MCP allowlist in a system settings file, and run Antigravity CLI on the same tasks.

Why

Watch the model lag: enterprise users report waiting weeks for models that Antigravity CLI gets on release day. Give each team a move date before its last renewal.

Practitioner sentiment, all practitioners−3 Mixed

62 practitioners, 108 sources reviewed, Updated Nov 1, 2026How this is measured

Read the GILD Review
Save a product your organization uses.Keep up with Gemini CLI without adding it to your stack.Visit Website
Operating stack
Agentic Software Development

Comparisons

How does Gemini CLI compare with the alternatives?

See all 6 comparisons

  1. Gemini CLI vs Claude Code

    • AI Coding Agents

    Claude Code suits most teams, since it runs in IDEs, desktop, and web apps as well as the terminal, and Google Cloud customers can bill it through Agent Platform. Gemini CLI fits teams that hold a Code Assist subscription or bill Gemini through Vertex AI. Both edit code and run commands and MCP tools.

  2. Gemini CLI vs Codex

    • AI Coding Agents

    Codex suits most teams, since ChatGPT plans include it and it adds an IDE extension, apps, and cloud tasks to the terminal. Gemini CLI fits teams that hold a Code Assist subscription, which Google stopped selling new on October 9, 2026, or bill Gemini through Vertex AI or a paid Gemini API key. Both are open-source terminal agents with MCP support.

  3. Gemini CLI vs GitHub Copilot

    • Developer Tools

    GitHub Copilot CLI also runs a terminal agent with MCP servers and a choice of models. Gemini CLI answers to Google Cloud billing and a system settings file. For leaders, the deciding question is whether developer accounts and policy live in Google Cloud or in GitHub.

Operator Insights

What are engineering leaders learning from deploying Gemini CLI?

Buying and deployment

What engineering leaders should verify before a broader rollout.

Sourced from Google documentation

How you buy it

October 9, 2026

Google stopped new Code Assist sales. Subscribers can add licenses until January 31, 2027.

Source 1, Google, Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise subscriptions: Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise subscriptionsSource 3, Google, Quota and pricing: Quota and pricing

Details

Google stopped selling new Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise subscriptions on October 9, 2026. Existing subscribers keep Gemini CLI until contract end, and can add licenses and renew annual plans until January 31, 2027 or monthly plans until December 31, 2027. Paid Gemini API keys and Vertex AI billing also run it.

Cost drivers

US$19

Per user per month on Standard with a one-year commitment. Enterprise is US$45.

Source 2, Google, Gemini Code Assist pricing: Gemini Code Assist pricingSource 3, Google, Quota and pricing: Quota and pricing

Details

For existing subscribers, Standard costs US$22.80 per user per month on a monthly commitment or US$19 on a one-year commitment, and Enterprise costs US$54 or US$45, billed monthly; Google lists these as hourly license fees. Gemini CLI allows 1,500 model requests per user per day on Standard and 2,000 on Enterprise. Past the cap, work moves to per-token billing through a Gemini API key or Vertex AI.

Where it runs

Node.js 20 terminal

On macOS, Windows, and Linux, in Cloud Shell, and in a GitHub Action.

Source 5, geminicli.com, Gemini CLI installation: Gemini CLI installationSource 6, Google, Gemini CLI headless mode: Gemini CLI headless modeSource 7, Google, run-gemini-cli GitHub Action: run-gemini-cli GitHub Action

Details

A Node.js 20 or later terminal app for macOS, Windows, and Ubuntu Linux, preinstalled in Cloud Shell and Cloud Workstations, plus headless runs in scripts and the run-gemini-cli GitHub Action.

What to verify

Sandbox off

Sandboxing is off unless configured, and Google does not vet gallery extensions.

Source 10, Google, Gemini CLI terms and privacy: Gemini CLI terms and privacySource 11, Google, Gemini API Additional Terms of Service: Gemini API Additional Terms of ServiceSource 8, Google, Gemini CLI sandboxing: Gemini CLI sandboxingSource 4, Google, Enterprise configuration: Enterprise configurationSource 9, geminicli.com, Gemini CLI extensions gallery: Gemini CLI extensions gallery

Details

Unpaid-tier and Google One sign-ins moved to Antigravity CLI on June 18, 2026; confirm engineers cannot fall back to an unpaid Gemini API key, whose content Google uses to improve its products. Sandboxing runs only when enabled by flag, environment variable, or settings, and the system settings file can enforce both the sign-in method and the sandbox. Google does not vet gallery extensions, so each one needs its own approval.

Signals

What is the current evidence saying about Gemini CLI?

A current read of what engineering teams and individual builders report publicly about Gemini CLI. Every finding is linked to its sources and every source marked for whether it still applies after June 18, 2026.

Whose sources count

Practitioner sentiment, all practitioners

−3 Mixed net

of 64 sources that take a side, each author counted once.

How this figure is made

12 more state no overall view and cast no vote.

Leaders and teams have 12 accounts; GILD prints their sentiment from 20.

Current sentiment

Positive, mixed and negative sources

The score counts them as 20 positive, 20 mixed and 22 negative votes, one per author.

76 independent accounts give an opinion, and the read among them is mixed. The open, extensible design and the large context window draw praise. Reliability draws the most concern, and Google's product direction comes second.

Use a task pilot to measure accepted work and review time.

Evidence field. All 108 sources, one mark each.

Arrange by

Each mark is one source: positive, mixed, negative, no opinion stated, or documentation (not counted).

By sentiment, All practitioners. Every source GILD read, grouped as the field draws it.
GroupSourcesPositiveMixedNegativeNo opinion stated and not counted in the scoreDocumentation, checked and not counted
Positive20200000
Mixed22022000
Negative22002200
Not counted25000250
Documentation19000019
Every source GILD read, by the quarter it was published, as the field's time axis counts it. Documentation is dated by the day it was checked.
QuarterSources
Q2 20255
Q3 202515
Q4 202515
Q1 202612
Q2 202619
Q3 202622
Q4 20261
Documentation, checked19

By sentiment

19 documentation pages check facts and are not counted.

Hover a mark for a quick look, click it or press Enter to open its source.Tap a mark to open its source, then step to its neighbors with Previous and Next.

What practitioners praise

Top praise of 6. Each mark is a source on it; filled marks praise it.

  1. Open Source & ExtensibilityAll 11 sources on it praise it

Most common concerns

Top concern of 6. Each mark is a source on it; filled marks raise it.

  1. Reliability25 of 27 sources on it raise it as a concern
All 108 sources behind these findings
  1. Fix Gemini issue triage workflowsMatt Liberty, V.P. Engineering at Precision Innovations (Precision Innovations maintains the OpenROAD chip design toolchain; Gemini CLI triages OpenROAD's GitHub issues through the run-gemini-cli action), GitHub pull request on The-OpenROAD-Project/OpenROAD, published Oct 27, 2026
  2. Quota and pricingGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  3. AuthenticationGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  4. Terms and privacyGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  5. Gemini CLI for the enterpriseGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  6. Configuration referenceGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  7. SandboxingGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  8. Policy engineGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  9. MCP serversGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  10. ExtensionsGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  11. Project context (GEMINI.md)Google (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  12. Headless modeGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  13. CheckpointingGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  14. Observability with OpenTelemetryGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  15. Release notesGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  16. Transitioning Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLIGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  17. run-gemini-cli GitHub ActionGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  18. Gemini for Google Cloud pricingGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  19. Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise subscriptionsGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  20. Gemini Code Assist deprecationsGoogle (Official), Product documentation, checked Oct 12, 2026
  21. Comment on: Gemini 4 Argonr1ch, Hacker News commenter at a company on Google Workspace Enterprise Standard (self-described: Company on Workspace Enterprise Standard that also pays for Claude), Hacker News comment, published Sep 30, 2026
  22. Comment on: Plan mode is deadbiimugan, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Uses Gemini CLI as their main agent at work), Hacker News comment, published Sep 26, 2026
  23. Comment on: Ask HN: What default model do you use and why?pid0x17, Hacker News commenter whose team moved from Gemini to Claude (self-described: Team that recently moved from Gemini to Claude), Hacker News comment, published Sep 15, 2026
  24. Comment on: Latest Gemini models including Flash 3.5, Flash 3.6 and Flash 3.7 are fully available and workingTrevor Sullivan (pcgeek86), developer at Deepgram (self-described: Gemini CLI on macOS; moved to OpenCode with the Vertex provider), GitHub issue comment, published Sep 11, 2026
  25. Beyond Prompt Engineering: Building AI-Assisted Workflows for Angular ModernizationEdward Ramos, developer leading an Angular modernization (self-described: Migrating 12 Angular applications from Angular 11 to Angular 20), Personal blog post, Medium, published Sep 11, 2026
  26. Google is a GREAT company but Gemini-cli is NOTwdong-pccwg, GitHub user writing for a company on Code Assist Enterprise (self-described: Company with GCP as its primary cloud, subscribed to Gemini Code Assist Enterprise), GitHub issue, published Sep 7, 2026
  27. Comment on: Latest Gemini models including Flash 3.5, Flash 3.6 and Flash 3.7 are fully available and workingGerry Burde, GitHub commenter (self-described: Team running Gemini CLI non-interactively across a fleet of repositories), GitHub issue comment, published Sep 5, 2026
  28. Comment on: Gemini 3.8 Flash and 3.8 Flash Cyberf311a, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Paying customer using Gemini CLI), Hacker News comment, published Sep 2, 2026
  29. Comment on: Gemini 3.8 Flash and 3.8 Flash Cyberrancar2, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Full stack work), Hacker News comment, published Sep 2, 2026
  30. Comment on: Google Antigravity introduces Boost deep reasoning (/boost)alxhslm, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Personal projects, now on Antigravity CLI), Hacker News comment, published Sep 1, 2026
  31. Comment on: Gemini Omni 1.1 Flashjimmoores, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Paying subscriber who declined to move to Antigravity), Hacker News comment, published Aug 27, 2026
  32. Authentication failure blocking Enterprise Workspace accountsniels-collide, GitHub user (self-described: Google Workspace account with a Google Cloud project; Gemini Code Assist tier), GitHub issue, published Aug 26, 2026
  33. Persistent MODEL_CAPACITY_EXHAUSTED (429) on gemini-3.5-flash with Gemini Code Assist StandardJD-AL-US, Gemini CLI user (self-described: Paid Gemini Code Assist Standard license on Windows), GitHub issue, published Aug 11, 2026
  34. Comment on: Antigravity 2.0SwellJoe, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Security analysis work), Hacker News comment, published Aug 5, 2026
  35. Comment on: Discovery Loopqlte, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Personal use on a Google AI Pro plan), Hacker News comment, published Aug 5, 2026
  36. Comment on: Antigravity 2.0pixel_popping, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Builds their own agents on Gemini models), Hacker News comment, published Aug 5, 2026
  37. Enterprise Gemini CLI users were promised access to the latest models, so where are Gemini 3.5 Flash and 3.6 Flash?Kaiomas, Gemini Code Assist Enterprise customer (self-described: Buys and maintains Gemini Code Assist Enterprise credentials), GitHub issue, published Aug 2, 2026
  38. Building with Gemini vs ClaudeAntonio Baker, Managing Director of R/GA Japan (self-described: Personal project, an anime and manga news dashboard built on personal accounts and the free Gemini API tier), Newsletter post, Between Worlds (Substack), published Jul 30, 2026
  39. Comment on: An important update: Transitioning Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLIperlicacute, Gemini CLI user (self-described: Uses both a consumer AI Ultra plan and Google Cloud Gemini Code Assist), GitHub discussion comment, published Jul 29, 2026
  40. Trusted automation with Google Antigravity: Scaling secure finance integrations from 40 Days to 5Rohan Soni, Google, writing Inspired Entertainment's case study with its CTO (self-described: Inspired Entertainment, Java Spring Boot adapters for betting-operator wallet APIs, previously built by a scrum team of five), Vendor case study, Google Developer forums, published Jul 20, 2026
  41. Comment on: NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebookfrollogaston, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Kept using Gemini CLI out of habit while preferring Claude), Hacker News comment, published Jul 16, 2026
  42. Agentic Coding at ClickHouseAlexey Milovidov, Co-Founder and CTO at ClickHouse (ClickHouse engineering, large C++ codebase, company-wide agent use), Company blog post, ClickHouse Blog, published Jul 14, 2026
  43. Gemini CLI vs. Antigravity: What works, not the spec sheetJessica Wachtel, The New Stack contributor and developer marketing writer at InfluxData (self-described: Solo test on shutdown day, Gemini CLI 0.47.0 against Antigravity CLI 1.0.9 on a Gemini API key), Independent hands-on review, The New Stack, published Jun 20, 2026
  44. Comment on: Local Qwen isn't a worse Opus, it's a different tooltym0, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Uses Gemini CLI at work), Hacker News comment, published Jun 18, 2026
  45. Gemini 3.5 flash is crazy expensive: 6 word prompt => 120000 input tokens billedTropAh0uais, Reddit user (self-described: A year of Gemini CLI on a paid API key with consumption billing in Google Cloud), Reddit post, r/Bard, published May 28, 2026
  46. Anyone else shocked Google is already sunsetting Gemini CLI for "Antigravity"?netcommah, Reddit user (self-described: Gemini CLI user with MCP servers and YOLO mode), Reddit post, r/Bard, published May 25, 2026
  47. Comment on: Microsoft starts canceling Claude Code licensesseabrookmx, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Team at a large Google Cloud customer that had used Code Assist and Gemini CLI), Hacker News comment, published May 23, 2026
  48. Comment on: An important update: Transitioning Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLIryan-minato, Gemini CLI user (self-described: Personal OAuth sign-in, facing the June 18, 2026 cutoff), GitHub discussion comment, published May 22, 2026
  49. Comment on: An important update: Transitioning Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLIAlexanderBartash, Gemini CLI user (self-described: Used Gemini CLI through a Google Workspace subscription with GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT), GitHub discussion comment, published May 22, 2026
  50. Comment on: Google's Antigravity bait and switchpqs, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Runs Gemini CLI beside VS Code), Hacker News comment, published May 21, 2026
  51. Comment on: Google's Antigravity bait and switchTenoke, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Google AI Pro plan, migrating a working setup from Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLI), Hacker News comment, published May 21, 2026
  52. Comment on: Gemini CLI will stop working from June 18, 2026TobinCavanaugh, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Uses Gemini CLI alongside their own IDE), Hacker News comment, published May 21, 2026
  53. Antigravity CLI First Impressions: Fast, Rough, and Not ReadyJason Agostoni, Developer who built the Ship Bench coding-workflow benchmark (self-described: Solo, a Ship Bench run on Windows right after the Antigravity CLI launch), Personal blog post, DEV Community, published May 21, 2026
  54. Comment on: An important update: Transitioning Gemini CLI to Antigravity CLIN1kky-wed, Gemini CLI community contributor (self-described: Contributor to the open-source project), GitHub discussion comment, published May 20, 2026
  55. Comment on: Gemini CLI will stop working from June 18, 2026INTPenis, Hacker News commenter whose employer's Workspace subscription included Gemini CLI (self-described: Employer's Google Workspace subscription, later replaced by another AI vendor), Hacker News comment, published May 20, 2026
  56. Comment on: Gemini 3.5 Flashjonnyasmar, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Runs Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI side by side), Hacker News comment, published May 19, 2026
  57. Jack Cole on XJack Cole, AI researcher and app developer (self-described: Solo, AI research and app development), X post, published May 13, 2026
  58. Comment on: AlphaEvolve: Gemini-powered coding agent scaling impact across fieldsantonvs, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Daily Gemini CLI use paid by their employer, with a personal Claude account), Hacker News comment, published May 8, 2026
  59. Alternate means of specifying GCP project for enterprise users (not GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT)mattrohland, GitHub user describing their company's Code Assist setup (self-described: Company where Gemini Code Assist access is enabled on one controlled GCP project), GitHub issue, published May 1, 2026
  60. Comment on: The Gemini app is now on Macmapontosevenths, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Former Google AI Ultra subscriber), Hacker News comment, published Apr 16, 2026
  61. I ported codex-plugin-cc to Gemini CLI, here's how ACP replaces App Server ProtocolSakib Sadman Shajib, Developer with paid plans for Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI (self-described: Solo, Claude Code as orchestrator delegating to Codex and Gemini CLI), Personal blog post, DEV Community, published Apr 14, 2026
  62. Gemini Code Assist much better then Gemini CLIDazzling-Delay8124, Reddit user (self-described: Uses the same Gemini 3 Flash model in the Code Assist IDE extension and in Gemini CLI), Reddit post, r/Bard, published Mar 27, 2026
  63. Gemini CLI becomes extremely slow (1+ HOURS) / stuck during small code-edit tasks (agent loop + model response delays)nitin-stockypro, GitHub user (self-described: Medium React repo of a few hundred files; tasks touching 1 to 3 files), GitHub issue, published Mar 12, 2026
  64. Building a Web3 Camera That Proves Photos Are Real, Powered by Gemini CLIMohit Bhat, developer (self-described: Solo, a Raspberry Pi camera project spanning Python, Node.js and Solidity), Personal blog post (DEV writing challenge entry), DEV Community, published Mar 5, 2026
  65. With Gemini CLI, I'm able to keep my pet projects alive and kickingPaulo Henrique, Developer who already uses Gemini CLI professionally (self-described: Solo, refactoring two aging personal Next.js projects), Personal blog post (DEV writing challenge entry), DEV Community, published Mar 3, 2026
  66. Comment on: Addressing Antigravity Bans and Reinstating Accesstempest_, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Evaluating Gemini CLI on a Code Assist Standard license), Hacker News comment, published Feb 28, 2026
  67. Should I switch from Gemini CLI to Antigravity for studying and light coding?SwiftAndDecisive, Reddit user (self-described: Studying and light coding from Markdown and PDF references), Reddit post, r/Bard, published Feb 25, 2026
  68. Comment on: Claude Code is suddenly everywhere inside Microsoftcodazoda, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Subscription provided at work), Hacker News comment, published Feb 2, 2026
  69. I Rewrote Google's Gemini CLI in Go - 68x Faster StartupOwada Tomohiro, independent developer (self-described: Solo, calls Gemini repeatedly from shell scripts), Personal blog post, DEV Community, published Jan 24, 2026
  70. Endless Loops in the Gemini Coding Agent CLIAndrew Patton, developer (self-described: Solo, a TypeScript monorepo with Bun and Vitest), Personal blog post, acusti.ca, published Jan 22, 2026
  71. Comment on: Show HN: AgentCommander, workflow engine for evolutionary code optimizationmx-Liu123, author of AgentCommander (self-described: Runs Gemini CLI headless as the backend of their open-source workflow engine), Hacker News comment, published Jan 20, 2026
  72. Comment on: How Google got its groove back and edged ahead of OpenAImythz, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Full-time development from Australia on a Google AI Pro plan), Hacker News comment, published Jan 8, 2026
  73. Comment on: How Google got its groove back and edged ahead of OpenAInmfisher, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Compared Gemini CLI with Claude Code on their own work), Hacker News comment, published Jan 8, 2026
  74. Comment on: Show HN: Mysti, Claude, Codex, and Gemini debate your code, then synthesizerane, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Has Claude Code consult Gemini through Gemini CLI or the API when it gets stuck; maintains consult-llm-mcp), Hacker News comment, published Dec 27, 2025
  75. Claude Code vs Codex CLI vs Gemini CLI (2026 Comparison)Facundo F, CTO at DeployHQ (DeployHQ, a deployment and CI/CD service; the comparison runs the same deployment tasks on a Node.js project), Company blog post, DeployHQ, published Dec 22, 2025
  76. Comment on: GPT-5.2mmaunder, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Solo, a Rust/CUDA project), Hacker News comment, published Dec 11, 2025
  77. I spent 400 hours working with AI agents and found the best one - here it is.Nek.12, product engineer at Respawn (self-described: Solo, comparing coding agent subscriptions), Personal blog post, DEV Community, published Dec 1, 2025
  78. Comment on: Gemini CLI tips and tricks for agentic codingterrywang, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Uses it as a TUI/CLI to orchestrate tasks and workflows), Hacker News comment, published Nov 27, 2025
  79. Comment on: Gemini CLI tips and tricks for agentic codingINTPenis, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Work-provided subscription; setting up a trial Kubernetes cluster), Hacker News comment, published Nov 27, 2025
  80. Comment on: Claude Opus 4.5macNchz, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Switches between Claude Code and Gemini CLI by task), Hacker News comment, published Nov 25, 2025
  81. Comment on: Building more with GPT-5.1-Codex-Maxboole1854, Senior-level developer (self-described) (self-described: Head-to-head tests on the author's own codebase), Hacker News comment, published Nov 19, 2025
  82. Comment on: Gemini 3 Pro Model Cardvharish, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Uses Gemini CLI for most work on its free quota; has tried qwen-code and Claude), Hacker News comment, published Nov 18, 2025
  83. Gemini CLI: The Future of Programming and Reflections on the Impacts of AIWindson Mateus, Developer with more than 25 years in the profession; Angular is their main work stack (self-described: Solo, an Angular study app with a Spring Boot and SQLite backend), Personal blog post, DEV Community, published Nov 7, 2025
  84. Bug: Gemini CLI Enterprise (Workspace) OAuth bypasses Admin API controls & fails project linking, causing /privacy error [#2407]jclicky, Reporter writing on behalf of a Google Workspace Enterprise Plus organization (self-described: Google Workspace Enterprise Plus organization with default-deny third-party app controls), GitHub issue, published Oct 28, 2025
  85. 2.5 minute delay on startup downloading ripgrep due to proxyVirtualArcher (Ivan), engineer at DZ BANK (self-described: DZ BANK; many colleagues behind a corporate proxy), GitHub issue, published Oct 23, 2025
  86. Comment on: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLIlazarie, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Paid Google Business subscription with a Cloud project set up only to test the CLI), Hacker News comment, published Oct 23, 2025
  87. Comment on: Run interactive commands in Gemini CLIredhale, Developer using Gemini CLI on a client project (self-described: Required by a particular client project; heavy Claude Code user otherwise), Hacker News comment, published Oct 23, 2025
  88. Comment on: Jules, remote coding agent from Google Labs, announces APImattnewton, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Claude Code user who has tried Gemini CLI since launch), Hacker News comment, published Oct 4, 2025
  89. Securing Google Gemini in GitHub Actions with Harden-RunnerAshish Kurmi, StepSecurity (self-described: CI security company running a run-gemini-cli pull request review in GitHub Actions), Company engineering blog post, StepSecurity, published Sep 9, 2025
  90. Streamlining Development with Gemini CLI: A Hands-On ReviewAlexandre Touret, developer (self-described: Solo, upgrading a Quarkus workshop project and generating API tests), Personal blog post, Alexandre Touret's Blog, published Sep 1, 2025
  91. Peter Steinberger on XPeter Steinberger, independent developer (self-described: Solo, running one to four coding agents in Ghostty with Claude Code as the main agent), X post, published Aug 25, 2025
  92. Testing AI coding agents (2025): Cursor vs. Claude, OpenAI, and GeminiMitch Alderson, Render (self-described: Render engineering; a new Next.js app and tasks in a production Go API monorepo and an Astro site), Independent benchmark, Render engineering blog, published Aug 12, 2025
  93. Comment on: How I code with AI on a budget/freechewz, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Calls Codex through MCP from inside Gemini CLI), Hacker News comment, published Aug 10, 2025
  94. Comment on: Ask HN: Advice for someone who wants to try AI-assisted coding?snaga, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Spec-driven development with Gemini CLI and VS Code for a few weeks), Hacker News comment, published Aug 10, 2025
  95. Comment on: GPT-5 for Developerst1amat, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Provisions coding-agent subscriptions for their team; chose Claude Code 5x seats in July 2025), Hacker News comment, published Aug 8, 2025
  96. Comment on: Gemini CLI GitHub Actionsryoshu, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Free sign-in whose Pro requests ran out in minutes and fell back to Flash; added no API key), Hacker News comment, published Aug 7, 2025
  97. I tried out Google's new Gemini CLI, and my code gave it an existential crisisAdam Conway, XDA's Lead Technical Editor, BSc in Computer Science (self-described: Solo, their own C++ LED matrix code for a Raspberry Pi Model B+, run in a VM), Independent hands-on review, XDA Developers, published Aug 1, 2025
  98. Peter Steinberger on XPeter Steinberger, independent developer (self-described: Solo, debugging an async API codebase with Gemini CLI beside Claude Code), X post, published Jul 28, 2025
  99. Comment on: Coding with LLMs in the summer of 2025, an updateandrew_k, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Uses Gemini CLI beside Claude Code for reviews and planning), Hacker News comment, published Jul 21, 2025
  100. Auth_Personal type even with Enterprise Standard SubscriptionPatelPratikkumar, Gemini CLI user (self-described: Code Assist Standard subscription signed in with a Workspace account), GitHub issue, published Jul 19, 2025
  101. Free vs Premium: Testing Google's Gemini CLI against Claude CodeSanket Gawas, Independent developer (self-described: Solo, two weeks testing both tools on an identical Postgres database layer), Personal blog post, DEV Community, published Jul 18, 2025
  102. Quota limit reached even though I'm on Gemini Code Assist standard planeelang-sc, GitHub user trialling Gemini CLI for their team (self-described: Team trial of Gemini CLI on a Code Assist Standard license), GitHub issue, published Jul 10, 2025
  103. Expectations for Agentic Coding Tools: Testing Gemini CLIDavid Eastman, The New Stack contributor (self-described: Solo test on a MacBook, a deliberately vague JSON file merge task), Independent hands-on review, The New Stack, published Jul 7, 2025
  104. Comment on: Gemini CLIKenoFischer, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Trying it on a headless system), Hacker News comment, published Jun 26, 2025
  105. Comment on: Gemini CLICGamesPlay, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Used it for a day alongside Claude Code), Hacker News comment, published Jun 26, 2025
  106. Comment on: Gemini CLIwohoef, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Solo, vibe coding a small Streamlit stock tracker app), Hacker News comment, published Jun 25, 2025
  107. Comment on: Gemini CLIbsenftner, Hacker News commenter (self-described: Solo, porting an algorithm from Ruby to JavaScript), Hacker News comment, published Jun 25, 2025
  108. Gemini CLISimon Willison, Independent developer (self-described: Solo, a few days of early access), Personal blog post, simonwillison.net, published Jun 25, 2025

Jun 2025 to Oct 2026.

89 sources from practitioners, by month and sentiment.

The full readExplore all Gemini CLI Signals6 praise themes, 7 concerns, 3 points of agreement and 2 disagreements across all three groups, with all 108 sources open to inspect.

Where It Fits

Where does Gemini CLI belong in the stack?

Open Where It Fits: the Stack Field and the full map

Gemini CLI is Core across Build, supports Plan, Validate, and Ship, and touches Operate.

Business area
Product & Engineering
Function
Software Development
Operating stack
Agentic Software Development
Primary role
Open-Source Terminal Coding Agent
Gemini CLI beside the rest of its stackThe Stack Field, every product on every layer
FootprintGemini CLI across the Agentic Software Development stack. Bar height is its role on each layer.

  1. Plan

    1. Work planning: Supports

      Work planning, supports. Plan mode is read-only and the CLI can track a task with todos; planning stays in the team's tracker.

  2. Build

    1. Codebase context: Supports

      Codebase context, supports. Gemini CLI reads and searches the repository with its built-in tools and loads GEMINI.md context files from the project hierarchy.

    2. Coding: Core

      Coding, core. This is Gemini CLI's primary stack role: writing and changing code across a repository from the terminal.

    3. Agent runtime: Core

      Agent runtime, core. Developers steer Gemini CLI, approve tool calls, and switch models in the terminal. Gemini Code Assist agent mode in VS Code runs on the same CLI.

    4. Tool execution: Core

      Tool execution, core. Gemini CLI runs shell commands and connects MCP servers over stdio, SSE, or Streamable HTTP, with a policy engine and server allowlists to control what runs.

  3. Validate

    1. Debugging: Supports

      Debugging, supports. Gemini CLI can trace failures from error output, logs, and source code in the terminal session.

    2. Testing: Supports

      Testing, supports. Gemini CLI can write and run tests from the terminal, but it does not replace the team's test infrastructure.

    3. Code review: Supports

      Code review, supports. The run-gemini-cli GitHub Action reviews pull requests when they open or on an @gemini-cli /review comment; merge approval stays with the team.

    4. Application security: Touches

      Application security, touches. Gemini CLI can review code for security issues on request, but it is not an application-security platform.

  4. Ship

    1. Source control: Touches

      Source control, touches. Gemini CLI runs git commands and works inside GitHub through its Action; Git stays the system of record.

    2. CI/CD: Supports

      CI/CD, supports. Headless mode returns JSON for scripts, and the run-gemini-cli Action runs the agent in GitHub workflows; delivery stays in the team's CI/CD.

  5. Operate

    1. Observability: Touches

      Observability, touches. Gemini CLI can help investigate an incident when given logs and code, and it exports its own telemetry, but it does not provide observability.

Market mapThe layers Gemini CLI covers, and who else owns each one.

  1. Coding & implementation

    CoreBuild

  2. Agent interface & developer runtime

    CoreBuild

  3. Tool execution & integrations

    CoreBuild

  4. Work planning & task decomposition

    SupportsPlan

  5. Codebase context & intelligence

    SupportsBuild

7 more layers on the full map. Core, Supports and Touches describe coverage. They say nothing about quality.

More on Gemini CLI

  1. GILD ReviewGILD's evaluation, with the buying facts
  2. Research3 pieces
  3. Guides4 guides
  4. Operator Insights1 operator account
  5. Where It FitsOn the Agentic Software Development stack
  6. Related Products9 products