Claude Code and Gemini CLI were the two big terminal coding agents of 2025. In 2026 the picture changed: Google moved its free and Google One users from Gemini CLI to a new tool, Antigravity CLI, on June 18, 2026.
So the real comparison in November 2026 is Claude Code against two Google tools. This guide covers pricing, free limits, models, features, MCP, benchmarks and which one to pick.
- Claude Code: needs Pro ($20), Max ($100) or Ultra ($200), or an API key. No free plan. Best feature set and top benchmark scores.
- Gemini CLI: free, open source (Apache 2.0). Now mainly for API keys, Vertex AI and Workspace Code Assist. A free API key gets 250 requests a day, Flash only.
- Antigravity CLI (
agy): Google’s consumer CLI since June 18, 2026. Free weekly quota, more on AI Pro ($20) and Ultra (from $100). - Models: Claude Code runs Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5 and Fable. Antigravity runs Gemini 3.8 Flash for all, Gemini 4 Argon on paid plans, and even Claude 5.5 models on Pro and Ultra.
- All three support MCP.
- Pick: Claude Code for the strongest agent, Antigravity CLI for the best free option, Gemini CLI for open source and scripting with an API key.
Quick Comparison Table
| Claude Code | Gemini CLI | Antigravity CLI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maker | Anthropic | ||
| Command | claude |
gemini |
agy |
| Free use | No (Free plan excludes Claude Code) | Free API key: 250 requests/day, Flash only | Free weekly quota |
| Paid entry | Pro $20/month | Pay per token, or Code Assist | Google AI Pro $20/month |
| Top models | Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, Fable | Gemini models (not optimized for Gemini 4 Argon) | Gemini 4 Argon, Gemini 3.8 Flash, Claude 5.5 |
| Open source | No | Yes, Apache 2.0 | Not stated |
| MCP | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Where it runs | Terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, desktop, web, Slack | Terminal | Terminal, plus the Antigravity desktop app |
What Changed With Gemini CLI in 2026
Google’s Gemini CLI quota page says it plainly: for unpaid-tier and Google One users, Gemini CLI “was replaced by Antigravity CLI on June 18th, 2026.” That page was last updated the same day.
Gemini CLI still exists and is still open source. It now mostly serves people who sign in with:
- A Gemini API key: free key at 250 requests a day (Flash model only), or pay as you go.
- Vertex AI: express mode is free for up to 90 days, then billed.
- Workspace Code Assist: Standard at 1,500 and Enterprise at 2,000 requests per user per day.
Note: Google also says Gemini CLI is not optimized for Gemini 4 Argon, which requires Antigravity. On GitHub, v0.55.1 (August 11, 2026) is the latest stable release listed at the time of writing.
For the full story of the switch, see my guide on Gemini CLI free limits and Antigravity CLI.
Pricing and Free Limits
Claude Code pricing
Claude Code comes with paid Claude plans and shares their usage limits with the Claude apps. The Free plan does not include it.
| Plan | Price | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20/month ($17/month billed yearly) | Baseline, with a 5-hour session limit and a weekly limit |
| Max | $100/month | 5x Pro, plus a separate weekly Fable limit |
| Ultra | $200/month | 10x Pro weekly, no 5-hour limit for verified accounts |
| Team | $20 or $100 per seat/month (yearly) | Standard or Premium seats |
| API key | Pay per token | Your API tier limits |
Warning: If ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is set in your shell, Claude Code uses it instead of your subscription, and you pay API rates. Unset it if you meant to use your plan.
More detail is in my Claude Code pricing guide.
Gemini CLI pricing
The tool is free. You pay only for the model access behind it. The free API key gives 250 requests per user per day on the Flash model. A paid key is billed per token at Gemini API rates, and per-minute limits also apply.
Antigravity CLI pricing
- Free (and Google AI Plus): a weekly quota plus a weekly rate limit.
- Google AI Pro ($20/month): a higher quota that refreshes every five hours, up to a weekly limit.
- Google AI Ultra (from $100/month): the highest quota, also refreshed every five hours.
- AI credits: Pro and Ultra users can buy credits for use above the baseline.
Google does not publish a fixed number of prompts. Quota depends on available capacity and how much work each task takes. Check yours with /usage inside agy.
Models You Get
Claude Code models
Claude Code runs Anthropic’s current models: Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5 and Fable 5.1. Max and Ultra plans have a separate weekly limit for Fable.
The terminal CLI, VS Code and JetBrains versions can also use third-party providers such as Amazon Bedrock and Google Vertex AI, billed to your cloud account.
Antigravity CLI models by plan
| Model | Free and Plus | AI Pro | AI Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 4 Argon | No | Yes (paid plan or eligible device trial) | Yes |
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5 (Thinking) | No | Yes (not on trials) | Yes |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6 | Yes, until Nov 18, 2026 | Yes, until Nov 18, 2026 | No |
| GPT-OSS-120b | Yes, until Nov 18, 2026 | Yes, until Nov 18, 2026 | Yes, until Nov 18, 2026 |
Tip: Free Antigravity users lose Claude Sonnet 4.6, Opus 4.6 and GPT-OSS-120b on November 18, 2026. After that, free users get Gemini 3.8 Flash only.
Features and MCP
| Feature | Claude Code | Gemini CLI | Antigravity CLI |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCP servers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Project instructions | CLAUDE.md, or reads AGENTS.md |
GEMINI.md |
Skills and rules |
| Subagents | Yes, plus background agents | Not listed in README | Yes, background subagents |
| Hooks | Yes | Not listed in README | Yes |
| Skills and plugins | Skills and plugins | Extensions | Skills and plugins |
| Plan mode | Yes | Not listed in README | /plan |
| Autonomous run | Auto mode | Not listed in README | /goal |
| Headless / scripting | claude -p |
gemini -p with JSON output |
Not covered here |
| Scheduled tasks | Cloud and desktop scheduled tasks | Not listed in README | /schedule |
| CI integration | GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD | Headless mode in your own CI | Not covered here |
Where Claude Code pulls ahead
- More surfaces: the same engine runs in the terminal, IDEs, a desktop app, the web and Slack, sharing your
CLAUDE.md, settings and MCP servers. - Remote work: continue a local session from your phone with Remote Control, or move cloud tasks into your terminal.
- Fast updates: versions 2.1.299 to 2.1.311 shipped between October 14 and 26, 2026 alone.
Where the Google tools win
- Free access: both have a free path. Claude Code does not.
- Open source: Gemini CLI is Apache 2.0, so you can read and fork the code.
- Model choice: Antigravity gives AI Pro users Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5 alongside Gemini.
Setting up MCP? See my Claude Code MCP setup guide and the best MCP servers list.
Benchmarks
Independent tester Artificial Analysis runs coding agents on the same tasks. Its Coding Agent Index (v2.0) combines FrontierCode, Terminal-Bench 4.0 and SWE-Atlas-QnA. Higher is better.
| Agent and model | Index | Terminal-Bench 4.0 | Cost per task | Time per task |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code, Opus 5.5 (Max effort) | 62 | 63 | $11.42 | 1.0 h |
| Claude Code, Sonnet 5.5 (Max) | 59 | 66 | $13.30 | 1.3 h |
| Claude Code, Fable 5.1 (Max) | 58 | 58 | $11.53 | 35.3 min |
| Antigravity CLI, Gemini 4 Argon (High) | 53 | 56 | $11.73 | 34.7 min |
Artificial Analysis also lists a newer Gemini 4 variant in Antigravity CLI that scores 59, close to Claude Code with Opus 5.5, at a lower cost per task.
On its older index, Gemini CLI with Gemini 3.1 Pro scored 33 against 68 for Claude Code with Opus 5. Gemini CLI was much cheaper per task ($1.04 against $8.17), but it trailed on every benchmark.
Note: Cost per task here is pay-per-token API cost. On a flat Claude or Google AI plan you pay the subscription instead, until you hit the plan limits.
How to Install Each One
- Claude Code (macOS, Linux, WSL): run
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash. On Windows PowerShell, runirm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. Then open a new terminal,cdinto your project and typeclaude. - Antigravity CLI (macOS, Linux): run
curl -fsSL https://antigravity.google/cli/install.sh | bash. The binary lands in~/.local/bin/agy. Check it withagy --version, then runagyand sign in with Google. - Gemini CLI: run
npm install -g @google/gemini-cliorbrew install gemini-cli. SetGEMINI_API_KEY, then rungemini. - Add project instructions: a
CLAUDE.md(orAGENTS.md) for Claude Code, aGEMINI.mdfor Gemini CLI. - Connect MCP servers you need, such as GitHub or a database, in each tool’s MCP settings.
Step-by-step help for Claude Code is in how to install Claude Code on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Which One Should You Pick?
- Professional daily coding: Claude Code. It leads the independent benchmarks, runs everywhere, and has the deepest automation (hooks, subagents, CI, scheduled tasks).
- Zero budget: Antigravity CLI on a free Google account. Note the free model list shrinks to Gemini 3.8 Flash after November 18.
- Already pay for Google AI Pro: Antigravity CLI gives you Gemini 4 Argon plus Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5 at no extra cost.
- Open source or custom pipelines: Gemini CLI with a Gemini API key, in headless mode.
- Company on Google Workspace: Gemini CLI with Code Assist Standard or Enterprise.
Comparing more tools? See Cursor vs Windsurf vs Claude Code vs Cline and Codex vs Claude Code.
Troubleshooting: Common Problems and Fixes
- Gemini CLI stopped working with my Google account: unpaid and Google One users moved to Antigravity CLI on June 18, 2026. Install
agy, or switch Gemini CLI to an API key. claudeoragy“command not found”: the install folder is not on your PATH. Open a new terminal, or add~/.local/binto PATH foragy.- Claude Code charging API rates: an
ANTHROPIC_API_KEYvariable is set. Unset it and log in with your plan. - Hit the Claude Code 5-hour limit: wait for the reset, turn on usage credits, or move up to Max or Ultra.
- Antigravity quota ran out: run
/usage. Pro and Ultra refresh every five hours. Free accounts refresh weekly. - agy sign-in over SSH: it prints an authorization URL. Open it locally and paste the code back.
- Gemini CLI 429 on a free key: you used the 250 daily requests. Wait for the reset or use a paid key.
- Gemini 4 Argon missing in Gemini CLI: Google says Argon requires Antigravity. Use
agyon a paid plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gemini CLI still free?
The software is free and open source. A free Gemini API key gives 250 requests a day on Flash, but free Google-account sign-in moved to Antigravity CLI on June 18, 2026.
Is Claude Code free?
No. Claude Code needs a Pro, Max, Ultra or Team plan, or pay-per-token API credits. The Claude Free plan does not include it.
Is Claude Code better than Gemini CLI?
On Artificial Analysis benchmarks, yes. Claude Code scored 68 against 33 for Gemini CLI on its older index, though Gemini CLI was far cheaper per task.
What is Antigravity CLI?
It is Google’s newer terminal agent, run with the agy command. It replaced Gemini CLI for free and Google One users and supports Gemini 4 Argon.
Can I use Claude models in Antigravity CLI?
Yes. Google AI Pro (non-trial) and Ultra users get Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5. Free users have Claude 4.6 models only until November 18, 2026.
Do Claude Code and Gemini CLI support MCP?
Yes. Claude Code, Gemini CLI and Antigravity CLI all connect to MCP servers for tools like GitHub, databases and docs.
Which is cheapest for heavy use?
A flat plan is usually cheaper than API tokens for heavy use. Google AI Pro and Claude Pro both cost $20 a month, but their limits work differently.
Sources
- Gemini CLI docs: Quotas and pricing
- GitHub: google-gemini/gemini-cli
- Google Antigravity docs: Plans
- Google Antigravity docs: Models
- Google Antigravity docs: Getting started (CLI)
- Claude Code docs: Overview
- Claude Code docs: Changelog
- Claude: Plans and pricing
- Claude Help Center: Use Claude Code with your Pro, Max or Ultra plan
- Artificial Analysis: Claude Code vs Antigravity CLI
- Artificial Analysis: Claude Code vs Gemini CLI
- Engadget: Google AI Ultra now starts at $100 a month
