Free (Google account)
$0
- 60 requests per minute and 1,000 per day, Gemini 3 models, 1M token context window
Gemini CLI: Free Tier, Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons
Founded 2025|Free tier with a Google account, usage-based through Gemini API or Vertex AI, or included with Gemini Code Assist licenses
What is Gemini CLI?
Gemini CLI is Google's open-source AI agent for the terminal, licensed under Apache 2.0. It runs on Gemini models with a 1M token context window, and it can query and edit large codebases, run shell commands, read and write files, fetch web pages, and ground answers with Google Search.
It extends through MCP servers and custom extensions, and project-level GEMINI.md files give it persistent context about how a codebase works. Conversations can be checkpointed and resumed, a sandbox isolates code execution, and a non-interactive mode with JSON output lets it run inside scripts and CI. A GitHub Action brings the same agent to pull request reviews and issue triage.
Signing in with a personal Google account includes a free tier of 60 requests per minute and 1,000 per day. Beyond that, usage bills through a Gemini API key or Vertex AI, or comes from quotas included with Gemini Code Assist Standard and Enterprise licenses, which are shared with Code Assist's agent mode. Gemini CLI works with Gemini models, so teams that want to mix providers need another layer.
Key features
Core capabilities this platform advertises.
- Terminal agent with file, shell, web fetch, and Google Search tools
- Gemini models with a 1M token context window
- MCP servers and custom extensions
- Conversation checkpointing and sandboxed execution
Strengths and tradeoffs
What this tool does well, and the limitations to keep in mind.
Pros
- Apache 2.0 license
- Free tier of 1,000 requests per day with a Google account
- 1M token context window for large codebases
- Headless mode with structured output for scripting
Cons
- Works with Gemini models only
Plans & pricing
What's included in each plan, and how the tiers compare.
Gemini API key
TBD
Usage-based
- Free tier of 1,000 requests per day, choice of specific Gemini models, pay-as-you-go for higher limits
Vertex AI
TBD
Usage-based
Common use cases
Developers who work in the terminal and want a coding agent powered by Gemini models
- Querying and editing large codebases from the terminal
- Automating rebases, PR queries, and other repo tasks
- Running an agent inside CI scripts
Using Gemini CLI with Respan
Respan integrates with Gemini CLI in two ways. One command, respan integrate gemini-cli, installs hooks that send every conversation to Respan with thinking, tool calls, and responses attached. Setting a base URL routes Gemini CLI's model calls through the Respan gateway with only a Respan API key, adding logging, caching, and per-request cost.
- One-command setup with respan integrate gemini-cli
- Every conversation traced, including thinking and tool calls
- Customer and project IDs attached to each session
- Gateway routing with only a Respan API key
- Caching and per-request cost on routed calls
- The same setup works for Claude Code, Codex CLI, and OpenCode
Trace every Gemini CLI session with Respan
10KFree traces/mo
1,000+Models
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