Claude Code vs Gemini CLI: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026

Claude Code vs Gemini CLI comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.

Feature Claude Code Gemini CLI
Category AssistantAssistant
Starting Price Free Free
Model Family ClaudeGemini
Code Completion ✓ —
Chat ✓ ✓
Agentic Mode ✓ ✓
Multi-File Editing ✓ ✓
Terminal Commands ✓ ✓
Browser Use — —
App Generation — —
Git Integration ✓ ✓
Supported IDEs VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, TerminalTerminal (editor-agnostic)
Open Source NoYes (Apache 2.0)

Pricing verified 2026-02-06. Claude Code pricing | Gemini CLI pricing

Share

Overview

Claude Code is a CLI tool from Anthropic. Gemini CLI is a CLI tool from Google. Both tools are actively maintained as of 2026.

Claude Code: What You Get

Anthropic's CLI tool that brings Claude directly into your terminal for agentic coding — it can read, edit, and create files autonomously.

  • Agentic file editing
  • Terminal integration
  • Git operations
  • Multi-file refactoring
  • Code review
  • Test writing

Pricing: Free / $20/mo. 7 plans available.

Gemini CLI: What You Get

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
  • Hooks system for customization
  • Conductor extension for knowledge persistence

Pricing: Free / $19.99/mo. 4 plans available.

Key Differences

  • Category: Claude Code is a CLI tool, Gemini CLI is a CLI tool.
  • Model family: Claude Code uses Claude; Gemini CLI uses Gemini.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Claude Code if you want Autonomous multi-file changes with full codebase understanding. Choose Gemini CLI if you want AI pair programming directly in your terminal. Both tools are strong options — the right choice depends on your workflow and priorities.

Share