Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI is Google's open-source terminal AI agent — powered by Gemini models and featuring a generous free tier that makes it one of the most accessible agentic coding tools available.

Why It's in Trial

Launched mid-2025, Gemini CLI competes directly with Claude Code and OpenAI Codex CLI as a terminal-based agentic tool. Its standout feature is the free tier: log in with any Google account and get:

• 60 model requests per minute
• 1,000 requests per day
• Access to Gemini 2.5 Pro (1M token context)
• All at no cost

This makes it by far the most accessible entry point into agentic coding for engineers new to AI tools.

How It Works

Gemini CLI runs a reason-and-act (ReAct) loop with built-in tools:

• File read/write operations
• Shell command execution
• Google Search grounding
• Web fetching
• MCP (Model Context Protocol) server support for custom integrations

# Install
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

# Or run without installing
npx @google/gemini-cli

Plan Mode

A notable feature: Plan Mode puts the agent in read-only mode first, so it analyses your request, asks clarifying questions, and proposes a strategy before making any changes. This reduces the "AI ran off and broke everything" problem common with autonomous agents.

Advanced Access

• Google AI Studio or Vertex AI key: Usage-based billing, model choice flexibility
• Google AI Ultra subscription: Access to Gemini 3 Pro in the CLI
• Gemini Code Assist licence: VS Code integration + CLI unified under one plan

Key Characteristics