Claude Code vs Gemini CLI
Claude Code and Gemini CLI are both terminal AI coding tools. Here's how they line up on the things that actually decide it — price, platform, and what they plug into.
| Claude Code | Gemini CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free |
| Platform | windows, mac, linux | windows, mac, linux |
| Works with | claude | gemini |
| In one line | Anthropic's agentic AI coding CLI — runs in your terminal, reads your files, edits code, runs commands, and works through multi-step tasks autonomously. | Google's free, open-source terminal coding agent — runs agentic file editing, shell commands, and live web search via @search grounding, powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro. |
Which should you pick?
On budget alone, Gemini CLI is the lower-cost entry (free), so it's the safer place to start if you're not ready to pay. They target different setups, so let what you already use break the tie. For the full picture, read the reviews below — the verdict is where the real difference shows up.