We installed Gemini CLI and used it on camera. Not sponsored: we picked it and nobody paid for it.
Gemini CLI is Google's open-source AI coding agent for the terminal. It edits and runs code with Gemini models, can roll changes back with checkpoints once you switch them on, takes extensions and runs in scripts. We tested it on Linux with a free AI Studio key.
The good:
• Open source, Apache 2.0: We like that the whole tool is open source under the Apache licence, with weekly releases.
• Free with an API key: It's free with an API key: set one environment variable and it works, no subscription. But the free daily cap is small; in our test one task used the whole Flash quota.
• Extensions, checkpoints, scripts: We like the installable extensions, checkpoints with the /restore command once you switch them on, and gemini -p for scripts.
The not so good:
• Google has moved on: Since 18 June 2026, personal Google accounts are refused, and individuals are pushed to the closed Antigravity CLI. It feels like Google has simply moved on.
• Gemini models only: One real drawback: Gemini CLI works only with Gemini models, with no built-in way to use other providers or local models. And it sends usage statistics to Google by default.
Our verdict: Recommended with caveats. A strong, open tool: one-line install, extensions, opt-in checkpoints, a script mode, and free with an AI Studio key. But personal Google accounts can no longer sign in, the free daily cap is small, and it runs Gemini models only.
The full review: https://brethof.ai/reviews/gemini-cli/
Partly AI-generated: Nova, our host, and her voice are AI; the testing, the verdict and the edit are ours.
#GeminiCLI #AItools
