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12 Best Gemini CLI Alternatives (2026)

Gemini CLI is google's open-source (apache-2.0) terminal coding agent for gemini models, now for gemini code assist standard/enterprise licenses and gemini api / vertex ai keys only.. Teams that switch usually cite published usage limits instead of an unpublished allowance, an open-source agent you can run with your own API key, a no-training policy, SSO and a self-hosted option for company code. The alternatives below are ranked by published head-to-head verdicts, not sponsorship.

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Reviewed by vsref Editorialfacts verified Oct 3, 2026Methodology →

Where to switch, by reason

Switching because of published usage limits instead of an unpublished allowance →see Command Code
Switching because of an open-source agent you can run with your own API key →see DeepSeek Harness (dsh)
Switching because of a no-training policy, SSO and a self-hosted option for company code →see GitLab Duo Agent Platform
Switching because of free plans →see Amp
Switching because of terminal workflows →see Cline
Switching because of vs code →see Factory
#1Google Antigravity logoGoogle Antigravity
Agent-first IDE + CLI + desktop agent manager; Google's consumer coding product since Gemini CLI's 2026-06-18 consumer cutovervs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.Best if you need: beginners, free plans, local models, vs code
See pricingvs Gemini CLI →Try Google Antigravity →
#2AiderOSS
Original git-native terminal pair programmer; BYO key only, no paid tier; publishes its own polyglot LLM leaderboard (also oss_self_hosted)vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingWebsite →
#3Amazon Q Developer logoAmazon Q Developer
Legacy AWS coding assistant in end-of-sale; superseded by Kirovs Gemini CLI: no pick the model per task.
See pricingTry Amazon Q Developer →
#4Amp logoAmp
Frontier multi-model agent + cloud dev environments (orbs); also terminal_agent (Amp CLI, connects to VS Code/Cursor/Windsurf/Zed/Neovim). OWNERSHIP: no longer branded as Sourcegraph - operated by "Amp Frontier Corporation" (privacy policy, modified Sep 10, 2026); about page: "We are an independent agent research lab"; CLI npm package moved from @sourcegraph/amp to @ampcode/cli (May 14, 2026 changelog). Free Hobby tier with BYOK/ChatGPT-sub since Sep 13, 2026.vs Gemini CLI: adds zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Amp →
#5Augment Code logoAugment Code
Context-engine coding platform for large codebases; now led by Cosmos cloud agents + Auggie CLI (also ide_extension: VS Code, JetBrains, Vim/Neovim chat). Brief seeded it as an IDE extension; the 2026 pricing page leads with "Try Cosmos". Flat team pricing (up to 50 seats, no per-seat charge) with a pooled $ usage balance.vs Gemini CLI: adds self-hosted / vpc deployment.
See pricingVisit Augment Code →
#6Claude Code logoClaude Code
Terminal-first coding agent included in Claude Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise plans or billed via API; also IDE extension, desktop app and cloud sessions (cloud_agent).vs Gemini CLI: adds zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Claude Code →
#7Cline logoClineOSS
BYO-key OSS agent; free for individuals, pay only for inference; Plan/Act modes; also CLI, desktop app, SDK (also oss_self_hosted)vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Cline →
#8Command Code logoCommand Code
Coding agent for open models (DeepSeek, Kimi, GLM, Qwen, MiniMax) with taste learning; CLI + desktop + ACP for Zed; cheap $1-$20 plans with published $ rolling windows.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Command Code →
#9Continue logoContinueOSS
Discontinued: acquired by Cursor (June 2026); final v2.x release; code remains availablevs Gemini CLI: no pick the model per task.
See pricingVisit Continue →
#10Cosine logoCosine
"The Sovereign AI Lab": coding agent + own post-trained Lumen models, pitched at regulated/air-gapped orgs and niche languages (COBOL, Fortran, Verilog). Formerly branded Genie (Genie CLI introduced Q2 2025). Secondary segment: terminal_agent (cos CLI).vs Gemini CLI: adds self-hosted / vpc deployment.
See pricingVisit Cosine →
#11Crush logoCrushOSS
Source-available (FSL, converts to MIT after 2 years) BYO-model terminal agent; optional Charm-hosted 'Hyper' inference subscription.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Crush →
#12Cursor logoCursor
AI IDE with CLI and cloud agents; ships its own Grok/Composer models. Acquired by SpaceX (completed 2026-08-14, per cursor.com/blog/joining-spacex); also segments terminal_agent, cloud_agent.vs Gemini CLI: adds zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Cursor →
All 43 ai coding agents alternatives
#13DeepSeek Harness (dsh) logoDeepSeek Harness (dsh)OSS
'Everything is a Plugin' (Cordis) agent harness from DeepSeek; developer preview with breaking changes; general-purpose, not coding-onlyvs Gemini CLI: adds background / cloud agents.
See pricingVisit DeepSeek Harness (dsh) →
#14Devin logoDevin
Autonomous cloud coding agent + terminal agent (Devin CLI); plans shared with Devin Desktopvs Gemini CLI: adds zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Devin →
#15Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) logoDevin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)
Agentic AI IDE (ex-Windsurf) inside the Devin family; shares plans with Devin Cloud and Devin CLIvs Gemini CLI: adds zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) →
#16Factory logoFactory
Agent-native dev platform; Droids work locally or as background/cloud agents. Secondary segment: terminal_agent (Droid CLI). Domain moved from factory.ai to factory.com (factory.ai 307-redirects).vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Factory →
#17Freebuff logoFreebuffOSS
Ad-funded free coding agent on curated low-cost models. History: launched as Codebuff (YC); repo and operator (Freebuff, Inc., legal docs effective 2026-09-02) now present Freebuff, built on the Codebuff open multi-agent framework; codebuff.com still sells the premium-model Codebuff CLI ($100-$500/mo). Also desktop, web builder, cloud IDE.vs Gemini CLI: adds background / cloud agents.
See pricingVisit Freebuff →
#18GitHub Copilot logoGitHub Copilot
Multi-model IDE extension plus Copilot cloud agent (formerly 'coding agent'; cloud_agent) and Copilot CLI (terminal_agent). Billing moved from premium requests to GitHub AI Credits on 2026-06-01.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit GitHub Copilot →
#19GitLab Duo Agent Platform logoGitLab Duo Agent Platform
DevSecOps-native agents and flows for GitLab Premium/Ultimate; also IDE extensions (VS Code, JetBrains) and a Duo CLI; self-managed and air-gapped self-hosted-model options.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit GitLab Duo Agent Platform →
#20Goose logoGooseOSS
Local, BYO-model general-purpose agent; also a native desktop app (Rust). Donated by Block to the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation in 2026.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Goose →
#21gptme logogptmeOSS
MIT local-first terminal agent; also web UI, desktop app, REST server, MCP/ACP; persistent autonomous-agent template.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit gptme →
#22Grok Build logoGrok BuildOSS
Subscription-bundled vendor terminal agent (SuperGrok / X Premium+), open-sourced Apache-2.0; also embeds in editors via ACPvs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Grok Build →
#23Jules (Google) logoJules (Google)
Async GitHub cloud agent bundled with Google AI Pro/Ultra; changelog quiet since March 2026vs Gemini CLI: adds background / cloud agents.
See pricingVisit Jules (Google) →
#24JetBrains Junie logoJetBrains Junie
JetBrains IDE agent, now also a terminal agent (Junie CLI) and runs in JetBrains Air; metered in JetBrains AI Credits ($1 each) with BYOK at provider rates, zero markup.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit JetBrains Junie →
#25Kilo Code logoKilo CodeOSS
OSS multi-surface agent; zero-markup inference gateway + Kilo Pass credit bundles; started as a Roo Code fork, now built on the OpenCode core (also terminal_agent, cloud_agent)vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Kilo Code →
#26Kimi Code logoKimi CodeOSS
Open-weight model vendor's agent, included with Kimi membership; MIT CLI also takes other providersvs Gemini CLI: no opens prs from issues.
See pricingVisit Kimi Code →
#27Kiro logoKiro
Spec-driven AI IDE + CLI (ex-Q Developer CLI) + web/cloud agent; AWS successor to Amazon Q Developervs Gemini CLI: adds background / cloud agents.
See pricingVisit Kiro →
#28Letta Code logoLetta CodeOSS
Persistent-memory coding agent (Apache-2.0); CLI + desktop + browser + Slack/Telegram/Discord channels; optional Letta Cloud ($20/mo Pro).vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Letta Code →
#29Mistral Vibe logoMistral VibeOSS
European vendor agent with open-weight local models and self-hosting; also IDE extension and cloud_agent (remote agents, teleport)vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Mistral Vibe →
#30OpenAI Codex logoOpenAI Codex
Coding agent across CLI (Apache-2.0), IDE extension, Codex Cloud (cloud_agent) and ChatGPT desktop app; usage shared with ChatGPT Work. The standalone Codex app merged into the ChatGPT desktop app on 2026-07-09.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit OpenAI Codex →
#31OpenCode logoOpenCodeOSS
Most-starred OSS coding agent; provider-agnostic TUI with build/plan agents; optional pay-as-you-go Zen gateway and $10/$40 Go subscriptions (also oss_self_hosted)vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit OpenCode →
#32OpenHands logoOpenHandsOSS
MIT-licensed, model-agnostic agent platform; self-host or use OpenHands Cloud (free individual SaaS, enterprise VPC). Also a cloud/async agent.vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit OpenHands →
#33Pi logoPiOSS
Minimal-by-design harness: no built-in subagents, plan mode or permission popups; extend via packages, skills and SDKvs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Pi →
#34PlandexOSS
Discontinued: Plandex Cloud wound down from 2025-10-03; no commits or releases since.vs Gemini CLI: no pick the model per task.
See pricingVisit Plandex →
#35Qwen Code logoQwen CodeOSS
Open-source multi-provider agent from an open-weight model lab; also desktop app, web UI and VS Code/JetBrains/Zed pluginsvs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Qwen Code →
#36Roo Code logoRoo CodeOSS
Discontinued 2026-05-15; team pivoted to Roomote (cloud agent). Community fork ZooCode; Kilo Code started as a Roo forkvs Gemini CLI: no pick the model per task.
See pricingVisit Roo Code →
#37Tabby logoTabbyOSS
Self-hosted completion server + IDE plugins; low activity in 2026 (chat/knowledge features sunset Jan 2026, vendor focus shifted to its Pochi agent).vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Tabby →
#38Tabnine logoTabnine
Private, governed enterprise coding agent with self-hosted and air-gapped deployment. Now a Tricentis product (acquired 2026-07-30). Secondary segment: terminal_agent (Tabnine Plugin for OpenCode).vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Tabnine →
#39Trae logoTrae
Low-priced AI IDE (Free/Lite/Pro/Pro+/Ultra); product family now split into TraeCode (IDE) and TraeWork (web/desktop/mobile workspace built on SOLO). Owner per brief: ByteDance - the legal entity could not be read from a primary source (privacy policy/ToS are client-rendered); enterprise page cites Douyin as a customer. Chats may be used for training unless Privacy Mode is on.vs Gemini CLI: adds zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Trae →
#40Verdent logoVerdent
Plan-Code-Verify multi-model agent; desktop app (primary, most changelog activity), VS Code/JetBrains plugins, Slack/Telegram control; increasingly pitched as an 'AI technical cofounder' with app deployment.vs Gemini CLI: adds zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Verdent →
#41Void logoVoidOSS
Discontinued OSS Cursor alternative; repo archived 2026-06-02.vs Gemini CLI: no pick the model per task.
See pricingVisit Void →
#42Warp logoWarp
Agentic terminal / ADE with credit-metered agents and cloud agent orchestration ("Warp Factories"). Secondary segment: cloud_agent. Client source available under AGPL-3.0.vs Gemini CLI: adds zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Warp →
#43Zed logoZedOSS
Fast OSS editor with agentic features; free with your own keys or external agents, Pro $10/mo adds $5 of hosted-model tokens at list +10%. Also oss_self_hosted-adjacent (GPL editor, local models).vs Gemini CLI: adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Zed →

How the top Gemini CLI alternatives compare

A closer look at the top 6: each Gemini CLI alternative's standing among AI coding agents peers, its verdict record against Gemini CLI, and the trade-offs of leaving.

1. Google Antigravity

Our use-case verdicts have Google Antigravity ahead of Gemini CLI for beginners, free plans, local models and vs code.

Seen from the other side, Gemini CLI vs Google Antigravity: adds opens prs from issues.

Why teams switch: This one is decided by what the free plan actually allows. Google Antigravity's free plan includes agent model access to Gemini 3.8 Flash, while Gemini CLI's Google-login free tier ended on 2026-06-18. Gemini CLI fully supports bringing your own API key, whereas Google Antigravity only partially does, through its CLI on your own Gemini API key. When you upgrade, Gemini CLI's cheapest paid plan is $22.8/mo, while Google Antigravity's is $19.99/mo, and Google Antigravity also runs local models. Free Plans verdict →

Overall verdict: Google Antigravity edges Gemini CLI four use cases to three by being easier to adopt. It wins VS Code because it works with Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Zed and Xcode, while Gemini CLI publishes no editor support. It wins Local Models as the only one with local model support, and it wins Beginners and Free Plans because its free plan includes agent access to Gemini 3.8 Flash, after Gemini CLI's Google-login free tier ended on 2026-06-18. Gemini CLI's cheapest paid plan is $22.8/mo, while Google Antigravity's is $19.99/mo. Gemini CLI wins Open Source as Apache-2.0, plus Terminal Workflows and Enterprise.

Full Google Antigravity vs Gemini CLI comparison → · Google Antigravity review →

2. Aider

Before switching, weigh what stays behind - Gemini CLI vs Aider: adds opens prs from issues.

Aider review →

3. Amazon Q Developer

The reverse angle matters too - Gemini CLI vs Amazon Q Developer: adds pick the model per task.

Amazon Q Developer review →

4. Amp

Before switching, weigh what stays behind - Gemini CLI vs Amp: no zero data retention option.

Amp review →

5. Augment Code

The reverse angle matters too - Gemini CLI vs Augment Code: no self-hosted / vpc deployment.

Augment Code review →

6. Claude Code

The reverse angle matters too - Gemini CLI vs Claude Code: no zero data retention option.

Claude Code review →