Gemini Code Assist Review 2026: Google's AI Coding Assistant

What Is Gemini Code Assist?

Gemini Code Assist is Google’s AI coding assistant, built on top of Gemini models. It is available as an extension for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, and is also integrated into Google’s Cloud Shell Editor. It competes directly with GitHub Copilot and Cursor as an in-editor AI assistant.

Originally launched as Duet AI for Developers, the product was rebranded to Gemini Code Assist in early 2024. It is positioned as a general-purpose AI coding tool, but its strongest use case is for teams already working within the Google Cloud ecosystem.

What It Does

Code Completions

Gemini Code Assist provides inline code completions as you type. It supports a broad range of languages including Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Java, C++, and others. Completions are context-aware and draw from your current file and open tabs. Quality is solid for common languages and patterns, though it trails Copilot and Cursor in responsiveness and suggestion accuracy for less common languages.

AI Chat

The chat panel allows you to ask questions about your code, request refactors, generate tests, and get explanations. You can reference files and workspace context in your prompts. Chat is powered by Gemini and handles multi-turn conversations well, though the response style tends to be more verbose than what Claude-powered tools produce.

Code Transformations

Gemini Code Assist can apply multi-line edits and transformations based on natural language instructions. You can describe what you want changed — “add error handling to this function” or “convert this to async” — and it generates the diff. This works within a single file; cross-file agentic editing is more limited.

Google Cloud Integration

This is where Gemini Code Assist differentiates itself. For teams on Google Cloud, it can assist with Cloud-specific tasks: writing Terraform for GCP resources, querying BigQuery, configuring Cloud Run services, and troubleshooting deployment issues. It has access to Google Cloud documentation and can reference your project’s configuration.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Key Features
Free	$0	Code completions, chat, limited usage
Standard	$19/mo	Higher usage limits, full feature access
Enterprise	Custom pricing	Admin controls, compliance, custom deployment

The free tier is generous enough for individual developers to use daily. The Standard plan at $19/mo is priced in line with GitHub Copilot Business, though Copilot Pro offers a cheaper $10/mo option. Enterprise pricing is negotiated per organization.

Pricing verified February 2026. Check Gemini Code Assist pricing for current pricing.

Strengths

Google Cloud integration is a genuine advantage for GCP teams. If your infrastructure runs on Google Cloud, Gemini Code Assist understands your stack in a way that other AI coding tools do not. Assistance with Cloud Run, BigQuery, Terraform for GCP, and other Google-specific services is built in rather than bolted on.

The free tier is usable. Unlike some tools that limit free plans to a trial experience, Gemini Code Assist’s free tier includes enough completions and chat messages for regular individual use.

Enterprise backing from Google. For organizations that already have a Google Cloud relationship, adding Gemini Code Assist to an existing contract is straightforward. Google provides enterprise support, SLAs, and compliance documentation.

Weaknesses

Full value requires Google Cloud. The features that differentiate Gemini Code Assist from competitors — Cloud integration, GCP-aware suggestions, infrastructure assistance — only apply if you use Google Cloud. For teams on AWS or Azure, these features are irrelevant, and the core coding assistance is not strong enough on its own to justify switching from Copilot or Cursor.

Smaller community and ecosystem. Copilot has years of community knowledge, blog posts, tips, and third-party integrations. Cursor has a passionate early-adopter community. Gemini Code Assist has less community content, fewer tutorials, and fewer developers sharing workflows publicly.

Less mature than the leaders. Copilot has been iterating since 2021. Cursor has been refining its agentic workflow since 2023. Gemini Code Assist is newer in its current form, and it shows in occasional rough edges — slower suggestion latency, less polished UI in some editors, and fewer configuration options.

Editor support is narrower. VS Code, JetBrains, and Cloud Shell Editor cover most developers, but Copilot also supports Neovim, Vim, Xcode, Visual Studio, and Eclipse. If you use a less common editor, Gemini Code Assist may not be available.

Who It’s For

Gemini Code Assist fits well for:

• Teams already using Google Cloud for infrastructure and services
• Enterprise organizations with existing Google Cloud contracts
• Developers who want a free AI coding assistant with decent daily limits
• Teams evaluating alternatives to GitHub Copilot

Gemini Code Assist is a harder sell for:

• Developers who need agentic multi-file editing (Cursor is stronger here)
• Teams on AWS or Azure who would not benefit from GCP integration
• Developers who use editors beyond VS Code and JetBrains (Copilot supports more)
• Terminal-first developers who want autonomous agents (Claude Code or Aider are better fits)

Sources

• Gemini Code Assist
• Gemini Code Assist Documentation
• Gemini Code Assist Pricing