Gemini CLI and Claude Code can inspect a repository, edit files, and run shell commands. Gemini CLI offers an open-source terminal agent maintained for enterprise Code Assist workflows. Claude Code supports terminal, IDE, desktop, and browser use. Choose by account access, review interface, and repository needs.
Key takeaways:
Gemini CLI's consumer access moved to Antigravity CLI. Enterprise Code Assist and legacy paid API or Vertex keys remain access paths.
Claude Code supports account, Console, and cloud-provider access.
Gemini CLI uses
GEMINI.mdby default; Claude Code usesCLAUDE.mdand can loadAGENTS.mdunder documented conditions.Gemini CLI checkpointing requires configuration. Claude Code creates checkpoints automatically, with limits on which file changes it can restore.
Both agents can connect to Vercel MCP and use the Vercel CLI to deploy.
Copy link to headingWhat are the key differences between Gemini CLI and Claude Code?
Start with the access method you can use, then compare how each agent fits your repository and review process.
Copy link to headingAccess path
Google ended Gemini CLI consumer access on June 18, 2026, covering free individual use and Google AI Pro or Ultra subscriptions. Gemini CLI now centers on Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise workflows. Its repository also lists legacy paid API and Vertex keys, so verify that an existing setup remains eligible before planning around it.
Claude Code supports several authentication paths. Individuals can sign in with an eligible Claude subscription, while teams can use their organization account, Claude Console, or a supported cloud provider. Choose the route your organization permits before sharing setup instructions.
Copy link to headingContext window
Gemini CLI defaults to 1,048,576 context tokens. Claude Code offers 1M tokens with Sonnet 5+ or Opus 4.7+, and eligible [1m] variants of Opus 4.6 or Sonnet 4.6.
The effective session length also depends on when the agent summarizes its history. Claude Code's context settings can make sessions compact earlier. In Gemini CLI, check the selected model and compression threshold before using window size to estimate session length.
Copy link to headingInterface and execution
Claude Code's terminal, IDE, desktop, and browser options let you choose where to review work. Gemini CLI is a terminal agent with IDE integration. Treat the interface and the execution environment as separate choices: check where the session runs and which checkout it can change before handing it a task.
Copy link to headingWorkflow defaults
Gemini CLI checkpointing is disabled by default. Enable it in settings.json before relying on /restore. To share repository instructions across agents, set context.fileName to include AGENTS.md.
Claude Code captures a checkpoint before a prompt starts a new turn. Files changed only through shell commands and many subagent edits fall outside that coverage, so keep Git commits for changes you need to recover.
In Claude Code v2.1.277 and later, AGENTS.md can load when no applicable CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md takes precedence. The built-in instruction-file plugin and its settings also affect this behavior. If both files must load, use the documented instruction-file setting or import.
Copy link to headingCompare one task in your repository
Use a bounded task such as fixing a bug with an existing regression test. Start each agent from the same commit and give it the same acceptance criteria. Record the model, instruction files, and approval settings to make the trial reproducible.
Review the diff and test output yourself, including any commands that changed files outside the agent's editing tools. This exercise shows whether the workflow fits your review process without turning one result into a general ranking.
Copy link to headingHow does Gemini CLI fit individual development work?
Gemini CLI ships as @google/gemini-cli. Its model selector offers Auto routing or a specific model. With Auto routing enabled, Plan Mode can use a Pro model for planning and switch to Flash after plan approval; access and settings can change that behavior. Subagents keep their own model settings.
Project instructions live in GEMINI.md. After editing the file during a session, /memory reload reloads the configured context files.
You can add outside tools through Model Context Protocol servers and run scripts at lifecycle events with hooks.
Store custom commands in .gemini/commands under the project or user directory. Naming a file deploy.toml there creates /deploy.
Copy link to headingConfigure planning and delegated work
Plan Mode is available by default and can be selected as the starting approval mode. Its default tool policy restricts changes during research, subject to any custom policies you configure.
Subagents handle delegated work in separate context loops. Built-in agents have different defaults, so inspect the agents you intend to use instead of assuming every subagent is enabled. For a repository investigation, define the files and question the worker should examine before it reports back.
Copy link to headingInspect or modify the agent source
Gemini CLI's Apache 2.0 repository supports source inspection and modification under that license. Claude Code's agent is proprietary. Alibaba's Qwen Code fork adapts Gemini CLI for Qwen models.
Maintain a fork when your inspection or customization requirements justify owning its updates. Assign someone to merge upstream changes and retest your modifications when you adopt a new release.
Copy link to headingHow does Claude Code fit individual development work?
Install Claude Code with the native installer, Homebrew, or WinGet. Use CLAUDE.md for project rules or configure a shared instruction file.
Copy link to headingConfigure the session around your task
Claude Code's permission rules and modes govern when tools can run or require approval. Manual mode asks before file edits and most shell commands, while other modes change those decisions. Review the active mode and repository rules before starting work that can change files.
For research that would fill the main conversation with logs or search results, delegate a bounded question to a subagent. It works in its own context and returns a summary. Configure its tool access for the task; a separate context window does not, by itself, isolate filesystem access.
Copy link to headingStart repository work from GitHub
The Claude Code GitHub Action runs inside repository workflows. Once configured, an @claude mention in an issue or pull request comment can start work that analyzes code, makes changes, and pushes commits. The workflow's triggers and permissions determine what it can do.
This fits tasks that already begin in an issue or code review. Define the expected change and required checks in the request, then review the resulting commit or pull request through your normal process.
Copy link to headingGemini CLI vs Claude Code: which is right for solo developers?
Existing account access narrows the choice. Your preferred review interface and the amount of agent configuration you want to maintain determine the next step.
Copy link to headingTry Claude Code across your review workflow
If you want to work from an IDE or browser as well as a terminal, try Claude Code on a bounded repository task. Check that the selected interface can reach the right checkout and that you can inspect the changes before accepting them. Keep the task small enough to review its full diff and test results.
Copy link to headingTry Gemini CLI with an eligible existing setup
If your organization already uses Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise, check Gemini CLI against the repository instructions and tool integrations you need. Its source code is available when you need to inspect or change the agent itself. For legacy API or Vertex access, confirm the account path before investing in custom commands or a maintained fork.
Copy link to headingHow can both agents work with Vercel?
Vercel provides deployment tools and project context that either agent can use. Connect Vercel MCP to inspect deployments, or use the Vercel CLI from a permitted shell session. Claude Code also has a documented AI Gateway integration for choosing models through Vercel.
Copy link to headingAI Gateway opens Claude Code to models beyond Claude
AI Gateway setup configures Claude Code to send model requests through Vercel's compatibility endpoint and shows compatible models from the gateway catalog in its /model picker. This changes inference routing; it does not move the local coding session into a durable cloud execution service.
For a new Gateway key, --amount sets its budget, --refresh-period its reset cadence, and --expiration its expiry. These budgets are soft caps checked when each request starts, so a request that crosses the limit still completes. Review request and token usage in the AI Gateway Overview.
The supported-agent list includes Qwen Code, a Gemini CLI fork with an OpenAI-compatible connection. That integration applies to Qwen Code; it does not establish the same setup path for Google's Gemini CLI.
Copy link to headingVercel MCP puts deployment logs inside either agent
Debugging a failed build usually means switching between the terminal and the dashboard. The Vercel MCP server brings that context into the agent, which can list projects, read deployment details and logs, and search Vercel docs. Its supported clients include both Claude Code and Gemini CLI.
For Gemini CLI, add Vercel MCP to ~/.gemini/settings.json, run /mcp list, and authenticate when prompted. The available tools depend on the server configuration, OAuth grant, and your team permissions. Confirm the account and connection scope before asking the agent to change a project.
Copy link to headingDeploy from the agent's terminal
With Vercel CLI available and the required access, either agent can create a deployment from a shell. After a project's first deployment, vercel creates a preview and vercel --prod targets production. The first deployment of a new project goes to production even without --prod, so check the project state before using a preview workflow.
Git-connected projects can also create previews from branches outside the production branch. Each deployment receives a generated URL, where you can review the app before deploying the change to production.
Copy link to headingThe Vercel Plugin and agent skills teach Vercel conventions
The Vercel Plugin gives Claude Code platform guidance through an ecosystem knowledge graph and bundled skills. Skills package instructions for particular products or workflows that the agent can load when needed.
Install Vercel's published skills for Gemini CLI through the skills tool, which supports gemini-cli. Check which skills the agent loads. Claude Code's plugin installation configures only Claude Code.
Copy link to headingWhat stays under your control?
Repository instructions guide an agent's work. Tool permissions govern whether actions can run, and sandbox settings constrain the environment in which they run. Review both when configuring either agent; access to a model, an MCP server, or a deployment command does not grant every action automatically.
Before deployment, check the diff and the project's required tests, then confirm the target environment. Gateway model routing, agent execution, and production deployment remain separate parts of that workflow.
Start a project or choose a Vercel template for your next agent-assisted change.
Copy link to headingFrequently asked questions about Gemini CLI vs Claude Code
Copy link to headingWhat replaced Gemini CLI for free users?
Google directed Gemini CLI's free individual users and Google AI Pro or Ultra subscribers to Antigravity CLI when consumer access ended on June 18, 2026. Gemini CLI remains available for enterprise Code Assist workflows and the legacy access paths listed in its repository. Antigravity CLI is a separate product, so check its migration guidance for differences in your setup.
Copy link to headingCan you use Gemini models inside Claude Code?
Yes. Through Vercel AI Gateway, Claude Code can use compatible Gemini models. Configure Gateway and choose an available Gemini model in /model. Claude Code still provides the tools and session controls.
Copy link to headingDoes a bigger context window mean fewer compactions?
No, a larger model window alone does not guarantee fewer compactions. Gemini CLI's default compression threshold is 50% of context capacity, while Claude Code's threshold depends on the model and can be configured.
History and tool output affect compaction timing. Keep lasting Claude Code instructions in the root CLAUDE.md, which the agent reloads afterward.