Gemini CLI
Google's open-source (Apache 2.0) AI agent for the terminal. It uses a reason-and-act loop with built-in tools - file edits, shell commands, Google Search grounding, web fetch - and supports MCP servers for custom integrations. Free with a personal Google account: 60 requests a minute and 1,000 a day on Gemini 2.5 Pro with a 1M-token context window.
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Our take
Gemini CLI is the most generous free coding agent going - Apache-2.0 open source, 1,000 Gemini 2.5 Pro requests a day on a personal Google account, and a 1M-token context. It does real work in the terminal, grounds answers in Google Search and speaks MCP. It is less polished than IDE-native agents, but for the price it is hard to argue with.
Best for
Developers who want a capable, scriptable coding agent in the terminal without paying - and who value open source they can inspect and extend with MCP.
Pros
- Fully open source (Apache 2.0) and inspectable
- Genuinely free tier: 1,000 requests/day, 1M-token context
- Built-in Google Search grounding, shell and file tools
- Extensible with MCP servers; runs via npx with no install
Cons
- Terminal-first; no native IDE polish
- Tied to Gemini models unless you bring your own key
- Free quotas can throttle long, heavy sessions
How it compares
Against Claude Code and the Junie CLI, Gemini CLI competes on openness and free quota rather than raw benchmark wins. If cost and an auditable, extensible agent matter more than the last few points of accuracy, it is the obvious starting point.
Full review
Gemini CLI is Google's open-source AI agent that lives in your terminal. It runs a reason-and-act loop over a set of built-in tools - reading and writing files, running shell commands, fetching web pages and grounding answers in Google Search - and it can be extended with local or remote MCP servers, so you can wire it into your own systems. You can install it or just run it with npx.
The headline is the price: with a personal Google account you get Gemini 2.5 Pro and its 1M-token context for free, at 60 requests a minute and 1,000 a day, and the whole thing is Apache-2.0 licensed so you can read the source and verify it. For more throughput you can plug in an AI Studio or Vertex AI key. It is rougher than an IDE-native agent, but few tools offer this much for nothing.
Cloudkart Trust Graph
4.2/5- Actual Utility4/5
Source: Initial LLM-authored rubric (backfill)
- Ease of Use4/5
Source: Initial LLM-authored rubric (backfill)
- Pricing Fairness5/5
Source: Initial LLM-authored rubric (backfill)
- Reliability4/5
Source: Initial LLM-authored rubric (backfill)
- Differentiation4/5
Source: Initial LLM-authored rubric (backfill)
Scored as of . Each score is versioned and auditable; vendors cannot buy it.
How this score is set
- Editorial rubric
- Primary signal — five dimensions, 4.2/5 average.
- Community reviews
- None yet.
- Pricing verified
- Not yet verified
- Independence
- Score set by our editorial team before any affiliate relationship is considered. No vendor can buy it.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Gemini CLI free, and how much does it cost?
- Gemini CLI is open source and free to self-host.
- Who is Gemini CLI best for?
- Developers who want a capable, scriptable coding agent in the terminal without paying - and who value open source they can inspect and extend with MCP.
- How is Gemini CLI rated on Cloudkart.ai?
- Gemini CLI scores 4.2 out of 5 on the Cloudkart.ai rubric, which weighs actual utility, ease of use, pricing fairness, reliability and differentiation. Scores are set editorially and can never be bought.
Community reviews
No community reviews yet. Be the first to share how Gemini CLI works for you.
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Compare Gemini CLI head-to-head: vs Composio · vs LiteLLM · vs Claude Code · vs Kiro