Google brings Gemini to developers with open-source CLI tool

Investing.com -- Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has launched Gemini CLI, a free and open-source AI agent that integrates directly into developers’ terminals, announced on Wednesday.

The new command line interface tool provides access to Gemini 2.5 Pro with its 1 million token context window. Developers can use it for coding, content generation, problem solving, research, and task management.

Google is offering what it calls "the industry’s largest allowance" during this preview period: 60 model requests per minute and 1,000 requests per day at no charge. Users simply need to log in with a personal Google account to obtain a free Gemini Code Assist license.

Professional developers requiring multiple simultaneous agents or specific models can use Google AI Studio or Vertex (NASDAQ:VRTX) AI keys for usage-based billing, or purchase Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise licenses.

The CLI tool includes built-in capabilities such as grounding prompts with Google Search, extending functionality through the Model Context Protocol, customizing prompts for specific workflows, and automating tasks through non-interactive script integration.

Released under the Apache 2.0 license, Gemini CLI allows developers to inspect the code, verify security, and contribute to the project through GitHub. The tool is designed to be extensible, supporting emerging standards like MCP and system prompts.

Google has also integrated Gemini CLI with its AI coding assistant, Gemini Code Assist. This integration enables AI-driven coding in both VS Code and the terminal for users on free, Standard, and Enterprise plans. The agent mode in VS Code is available at no additional cost through the Insiders channel.

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