# Gemini CLI review

> Gemini CLI is an open-source AI agent from Google that brings Gemini models into your terminal for coding and automation tasks.

Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026. Canonical page: https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/gemini-cli/

## TL;DR

Gemini CLI is an open-source terminal agent that gives direct access to Gemini models. It is for developers who want to query and edit codebases, automate workflows, and extend the agent with MCP servers. For unpaid tier and Google One users, Antigravity CLI replaced Gemini CLI on June 18th, 2026.

## Gemini CLI at a glance

- **Category:** [Coding agents](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/categories/coding-agents/)
- **Maintained by:** google-gemini (organization, [@google-gemini](https://github.com/google-gemini) on GitHub)
- **License:** Apache 2.0
- **Language:** TypeScript, JavaScript, Python
- **Repository:** [github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli)
- **Website:** [geminicli.com](https://geminicli.com)
- **npm package:** [@google/gemini-cli](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@google/gemini-cli) 0.65.0
- **Latest release:** [v0.65.0](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/releases/tag/v0.65.0) on GitHub, Oct 20, 2026
- **First published:** Apr 17, 2025

## What Gemini CLI does

- Gemini CLI queries and edits large codebases and helps debug issues using natural language.
- Gemini CLI generates new apps from PDFs, images, or sketches using multimodal capabilities.
- Gemini CLI automates operational tasks such as querying pull requests or handling complex rebases.
- Gemini CLI connects to MCP servers configured in ~/.gemini/settings.json to add custom tools.
- Gemini CLI runs non-interactively in scripts, with plain text, JSON, or streaming JSON output.
- Gemini CLI includes built-in tools for file system operations, shell commands, and web fetch and search.
- Gemini CLI supports GEMINI.md context files, checkpointing to save and resume conversations, and custom commands.

### How it works

Gemini CLI is a Node.js command-line program installed as the gemini binary. You run it in a project directory and work through an interactive prompt, or pass -p for headless scripting. It authenticates with a Google account, a Gemini API key, or Vertex AI. It connects to MCP servers, offers a VS Code companion, and supports sandboxing and trusted folders.

## How to install Gemini CLI

**Run instantly with npx**

```
npx @google/gemini-cli
```

**With npm**

```
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
```

**With Homebrew (macOS/Linux)**

```
brew install gemini-cli
```

### Requirements

- Node.js version 20 or later.
- A Google account sign-in, a Gemini API key, or Vertex AI credentials.
- A Google Cloud Project set via GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT when using a paid Code Assist License from your organization.

### First steps

1. Gemini CLI starts in the current directory when you run the gemini command.
2. Gemini CLI can use a Gemini API key: set GEMINI_API_KEY with a key from Google AI Studio, then run gemini.
3. Gemini CLI can include more directories in context with gemini --include-directories ../lib,../docs.
4. Gemini CLI answers a one-off prompt with gemini -p "Explain the architecture of this codebase".

## Who Gemini CLI is for

- Developers who want a Gemini-powered coding agent in the terminal.
- Teams automating workflows with scripted, non-interactive runs and JSON output.
- Enterprise teams already on Google Cloud using Vertex AI.
- Developers extending an agent with MCP servers and custom extensions.

### Limitations

- Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI for unpaid tier and Google One users on June 18th, 2026.
- Gemini CLI is not optimized for the latest Gemini models, including Gemini 4 Argon, and Google points to Antigravity instead.
- Gemini CLI preview and nightly releases are not fully vetted and may contain regressions.

## Usage data (the week of Oct 25–31, 2026)

- Board rank: #208 overall, #73 in Coding agents, momentum score 43
- Downloads that week: 445k (−4% vs 4-week average)
- New GitHub stars per week (last 12 weeks): Aug 9: 209; Aug 16: 186; Aug 23: 219; Aug 30: 176; Sep 6: 187; Sep 13: 223; Sep 20: 166; Sep 27: 174; Oct 4: 165; Oct 11: 251; Oct 18: 924; Oct 25: 500

## Gemini CLI alternatives

| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | [Cindy](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/makecindy-cindy/) | 8.8k | – |
| #2 | [OpenMausBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/milind-soni-openmausbot/) | 9.6k | – |
| #3 | [Orca](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/stablyai-orca/) | 111.7k | – |
| #4 | [OpenBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/copilotkit-openbot/) | 9.1k | – |
| #5 | [Agent Reach](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/panniantong-agent-reach/) | 107.2k | – |
| #6 | [Skill Recorder](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/microsoft-skill-recorder/) | 5.6k | – |

## Gemini CLI FAQ

### Is Gemini CLI free and open source?

Yes. Gemini CLI's source code is on GitHub (google-gemini/gemini-cli) under the Apache 2.0 license, so you can use it for free. Its website also links to a pricing page (https://geminicli.com/docs/resources/quota-and-pricing) for any paid plans.

### How do I install Gemini CLI?

Run `npx @google/gemini-cli`. It needs Node.js >=20. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

### Is Gemini CLI still maintained?

Yes. The google-gemini/gemini-cli repository was last updated on Oct 21, 2026, and the latest release, v0.65.0 on GitHub, came out on Oct 20, 2026.

### How popular is Gemini CLI?

Gemini CLI has 108.7k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 500 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 282 a week. Its main package had about 445k downloads that week, −4% against its own 4-week average. That made it #73 among AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board.

### Gemini CLI vs Claude Code: how do they compare?

Gemini CLI and Claude Code are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. Gemini CLI has 108.7k GitHub stars and Claude Code has 154.1k. In the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, Gemini CLI's main package had 445k downloads and Claude Code's had 11.6M. Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool that reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and handles git workflows through natural language. [Claude Code review](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/claude-code/)

### Gemini CLI vs OpenCode: how do they compare?

Gemini CLI and OpenCode are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. Gemini CLI has 108.7k GitHub stars and OpenCode has 223.6k. OpenCode is an open source AI coding agent that helps you write and run code in a terminal, desktop app, or IDE extension. [OpenCode review](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/opencode/)

### What are the best alternatives to Gemini CLI?

Other AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: Cindy (#1), OpenMausBot (#2), Orca (#3), OpenBot (#4), Agent Reach (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

### Is Gemini CLI replaced by Antigravity CLI?

Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI for unpaid tier and Google One users on June 18th, 2026. The project is still released, and other authentication paths such as API keys and Vertex AI remain documented.

### Is Gemini CLI still available?

Gemini CLI is still available on npm and GitHub, and the repository is not archived. Unpaid tier and Google One users were moved to Antigravity CLI on June 18th, 2026.

### Is Gemini CLI good for coding with the latest Gemini models?

Gemini CLI is not optimized for the latest Gemini models, according to its README. Google recommends Antigravity CLI for the best coding experience with Gemini models, including Gemini 4 Argon.

### How do I use Gemini CLI with VS Code?

Gemini CLI offers a VS Code companion through its IDE integration. The project documents setup in its IDE Integration guide on geminicli.com.

### How do I use Gemini CLI in the terminal?

Gemini CLI runs by typing gemini in a project directory, which opens an interactive prompt. For scripts, use gemini -p with a prompt, and add --output-format json for structured output.

## Sources

1. [google-gemini/gemini-cli on GitHub](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli)
2. [Gemini CLI README](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/README.md)
3. [@google/gemini-cli on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@google/gemini-cli)
4. [Gemini CLI website](https://geminicli.com)
5. [Release v0.67.0-nightly.20261021.gd00859d6b (Oct 21, 2026)](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/releases/tag/v0.67.0-nightly.20261021.gd00859d6b)
6. [Release v0.65.0 (Oct 20, 2026)](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/releases/tag/v0.65.0)
7. [Release v0.66.0-preview.0 (Oct 20, 2026)](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/releases/tag/v0.66.0-preview.0)
8. [Hacker News: It looks like the status/need-triage label was removed](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46721179)
9. [Hacker News: Addressing Antigravity Bans and Reinstating Access](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47195371)
10. [Hacker News: Gemini CLI: mitigating abuse and prioritizing traffic](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47445173)
11. [Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/)