Google Unveils Free Open-Source AI Tool Gemini CLI: Here’s How It Could Transform Developer Workflows

Google has announced the launch of Gemini CLI, an open-source command-line interface tool powered by the company’s Gemini 1.5 Pro model. This tool is designed specifically for developers, bringing AI assistance directly into the terminal, enabling code generation, debugging, content creation, and automation through natural language prompts.

Google on its developer blog, announced that Gemini CLI supports both interactive and non-interactive use cases. A key highlight of Gemini CLI is its integration with the Gemini Code Assist for individual developers. Anyone with a personal Google account can access Gemini 1.5 Pro for free, with a limit of up to 60 requests per minute and 1,000 requests per day. This free version also includes access to the model’s 1 million-token context window, allowing for broader and deeper interactions.

“All developers — on free, Standard, and Enterprise Code Assist plans — get prompt-driven, AI-first coding in both VS Code and Gemini CLI,” the tech giant says in its blog. Gemini CLI also supports enterprise integrations via Google AI Studio and Vertex AI. The project is fully open-source and licensed under Apache 2.0.

Developers can issue simple text commands in Gemini CLl to carry out complex tasks—from writing code and fixing errors to managing files and conducting AI-powered research. Google claims the tool can also automate workflows by running multi-step Gemini agents without user prompts. The tool shares the same agentic capabilities found in Gemini Code Assist for VS Code, the tech giant claims.

In addition, Gemini CLI supports custom tools, plugins, and prompts. It includes Google Search grounding, and is capable of generating video and image content through Veo and Imagen. Google has positioned Gemini CLI as part of its broader strategy to open AI tooling to the developer community.