Gemini CLI vs Gemini Code Assist: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Gemini CLI vs Gemini Code Assist comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.
Gemini CLI is a CLI-based coding agent from Google — open-source ai agent for your terminal. Gemini Code Assist is an editor extension from Google — google's ai coding assistant.
Gemini CLI
Open-source AI agent that runs in your terminal. Uses a ReAct loop with built-in tools for file operations, shell commands, web search, and MCP server support. Free with generous daily limits.
- ✓ ReAct agentic loop
- ✓ File operations and shell commands
- ✓ Web search grounding
- ✓ MCP server support
- ✓ 1M token context window
Free / $19.99/mo · 4 plans
Gemini Code Assist
Google's AI-powered coding assistant built on Gemini. Provides code completions, chat, code transformations, and full codebase awareness in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ AI chat
- ✓ Code transformations
- ✓ Codebase awareness
- ✓ Pull request summaries
Free / $19/mo · 6 plans
| Feature | Gemini CLI | Gemini Code Assist |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CLI | Extension |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Model Family | Gemini | Gemini |
| Agentic Mode | ✓ | — |
| Multi-File Editing | ✓ | — |
| Terminal Commands | ✓ | — |
| Documentation | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | Yes (Apache 2.0) | No |
Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. Gemini CLI pricing | Gemini Code Assist pricing
Key Differences
- Category: Gemini CLI is a CLI-based coding agent; Gemini Code Assist is an editor extension.
- Starting price: Gemini CLI starts at $19.99/mo; Gemini Code Assist starts at $19/mo.
- Agentic mode: Gemini CLI supports agentic mode; Gemini Code Assist does not.
- Open source: Gemini CLI: Yes (Apache 2.0). Gemini Code Assist: No.
- Bring your own key: Gemini CLI supports BYOK; Gemini Code Assist does not.
- Platforms: Gemini CLI runs on Linux, Windows, macOS; Gemini Code Assist runs on Desktop, Web.
- Capabilities: Gemini CLI has multi-file editing; Gemini CLI has terminal commands.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Gemini CLI if you want AI pair programming directly in your terminal. Choose Gemini Code Assist if you want deep integration with Google Cloud services and infrastructure. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.