Gemini CLI

What it is for

Gemini CLI is Google’s open-source terminal agent: the official docs still (see the cover: gemini prompt, /mcp tool list, and a running task) is the product you install with npm or the installer. Use it when the job is Gemini in a repo from the command line.

License is Apache-2.0. A Google-account path prints 1,000 requests / day. Paid Google AI and Code Assist seats raise that quota.

What makes it unique: the cover is Gemini CLI’s own terminal chrome from official docs — prompt, slash commands, MCP tools — a product TUI rather than a marketing hero.

Key features

• Repo agent in the TTY — gemini in a folder, then a natural-language task (cover).
• Built-in tools — file, shell, and Google Search steps in the same loop (tools).
• MCP servers — attach remote tool servers so the agent can call systems outside the repo (MCP).
• GEMINI.md context — hierarchical project instructions from home, repo, and subdirectory files (GEMINI.md).
• Checkpointing — a shadow snapshot before a mutating tool so you can restore the tree and the thread (checkpointing).
• Plan mode — a read-only pass that maps a change before any write (Plan Mode).

Who it's for

Best fit: developers who want Gemini as a CLI agent and will sign in with Google or an API key.

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) from geminicli.com/docs/resources/quota-and-pricing, geminicli.com/plans, one.google.com/about/google-ai-plans, and cloud.google.com/products/gemini/pricing.

• Google account (Code Assist Individual) — 1,000 requests / user / day.
• Gemini API key, unpaid — 250 requests / day.
• Google AI Plus — $4.99/month on Google One; Gemini CLI quota 1,500/day on the CLI table for Pro, 2,000 for Ultra. Plus itself is the $4.99 Google AI card.
• Google AI Pro — $19.99/month on Google One; CLI table 1,500 requests / day.
• Google AI Ultra — $99.99/month (20 TB) or $199.99/month (30 TB) on Google One; CLI table 2,000 requests / day.
• Gemini Code Assist Standard — $0.031232877 / hour monthly commitment; $0.026027397 / hour on a 12-month commitment.
• Code Assist Enterprise — $0.073972603 / hour monthly commitment on the same Cloud page.
• Pay-as-you-go — API / Vertex token rates after the daily cap.

The CLI Plans page notes that unpaid-tier and Google One users moved to Antigravity CLI on 18 Jun 2026; Code Assist and paid Google AI auth stay on Gemini CLI.

Limitations / costs

• Daily request caps are per user and sit on the quota table above.
• Google AI dollars live on Google One; the CLI Plans page points at those subscriptions.
• Code Assist hours are license fees, billed monthly on the Cloud pricing page.
• Unpaid Google One path is documented as Antigravity CLI after 18 Jun 2026.

Alternatives

• Cline — Apache-2.0 IDE agent with BYOK.
• Aider — git-native terminal pair programmer.
• GitHub Copilot — IDE Chat and completions on GitHub seats.

Official tutorial

Official Google for Developers channel video: Power up your LLMs: Gemini CLI and Model Context Protocol (MCP) (oEmbed author: Google for Developers).

Written path: Quotas and pricing plus Plans.

Website

https://geminicli.com

Repository

https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is the official Gemini CLI terminal still from geminicli.com docs. Dollars checked on the quota page, Google One ($4.99 / $19.99 / $99.99+), and Cloud Code Assist hours. Tutorial: Gemini CLI + MCP on @GoogleDevelopers (oEmbed).

Last verified

2026-10-22 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.