Claude vs Gemini for coding

Q: Do both support MCP?

Yes. Claude Code adds servers with claude mcp add, and Antigravity has an MCP Store in the IDE plus a config file for the app and CLI. See what MCP is and Claude Code MCP setup.

Claude Code and Google's Gemini coding tools side by side: plans, free tier, models, editors and MCP.

Claude's coding tool is Claude Code, and it needs a paid Claude plan from $20 a month. Google's free coding tool for individuals is now Antigravity, not Gemini CLI.

Gemini CLI is still open source but now targets organizations with Gemini Code Assist, and Antigravity's paid plans also offer Claude models. Our advice: run the same real task in both before you pay, since neither vendor publishes a head-to-head test.

Good for

Developers choosing a coding agent for the terminal or editor
People who want a free coding agent to start with
Gemini CLI users wondering what to use now
Teams that already license Gemini Code Assist or Claude

Side by side

Use Claude Code if you want Claude models doing the work. Use Antigravity if you want a free start or Gemini models, and Gemini CLI only if your company licenses Gemini Code Assist.

Option	Claude Code	Google (Antigravity)
Coding agent	Claude Code	Antigravity CLI (agy)
Free plan	No	Yes, basic weekly limits
Paid entry plan	Pro, $20/mo	Google AI Pro, $19.99/mo
Top personal plan	Ultra, $200/mo	Google AI Ultra, to $199.99
Models	Opus, Sonnet, Haiku	Gemini, Claude, GPT-OSS (by plan)
Where it runs	Terminal, IDE, desktop, web	App, CLI, IDE, SDK
Connect apps with MCP	Yes	Yes
Usage limits	5-hour and weekly	Weekly on free

Which to pick

Our advice: start with Antigravity if you want a free tier or Gemini models, and use Claude Code on Pro if you want Claude models. Antigravity's paid plans also offer Claude Sonnet and Opus 5.5, so trying one does not lock you out of the other.

The main limit on each side: Claude Code has no free plan, and Google's free coding tool for individuals is Antigravity, not Gemini CLI.

Best for

Claude Code: people who want Opus or Sonnet writing their code
Claude Code: Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise subscribers
Antigravity: developers who want a free coding agent to start with
Antigravity: people who want Gemini models, or Claude 5.5 models on Google AI Pro (non-trial)
Gemini CLI: companies with Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise

Skip it if

Claude Code: you want a free plan, since it starts at Pro
Gemini CLI: you are an individual, since Google moved free access to Antigravity
Antigravity: you want Claude 5.5 models on the free plan, since Google's model table lists Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5 on Pro (non-trial), Ultra and Enterprise; Claude 4.6 models on Free are marked for removal on November 18, 2026

Questions

Is Claude or Gemini better for coding?

Neither wins outright. Neither vendor publishes a head-to-head test, and results depend on your codebase and the model you pick. Our advice: give both the same real task for a week, starting with Google's free plan and Claude Pro at $20 a month.

Is Claude Code free?

No. The Claude Free plan does not include Claude Code. You need Pro ($20 a month, or $17 billed yearly) or higher, or an Anthropic Console account (checked November 2026).

Is Gemini free for coding?

Yes, with limits, through Antigravity. Google lists an Individual plan at $0 with basic weekly rate limits. Gemini CLI is different: Google's pages disagree. The README says free individual access moved to Antigravity CLI on June 18, 2026. The quota page repeats that notice at the top, but its table below still lists free tiers. Check Google's current sign-in options before relying on either.

What happened to Gemini CLI?

Google's repository says Gemini CLI is now maintained for organizations with Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise, and for legacy paid API or Vertex keys. Free individual access and Google AI Pro and Ultra moved to Antigravity CLI (the agy command) on June 18, 2026. It is still open source under Apache-2.0. For MCP setup, see Gemini CLI. For two-way views, see Claude Code vs Gemini CLI and Claude Code vs Antigravity.

Can I use Claude models in Google tools?

Yes. Google's model table lists Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5 in Antigravity on Google AI Pro (non-trial subscriptions only), Ultra and Enterprise. It also lists Claude 4.6 models on Free, Plus and Pro, marked for removal on November 18, 2026.

How much do Claude and Gemini coding tools cost?

Claude Pro is $20 a month ($17 billed yearly), Max $100 and Ultra $200. Antigravity's Individual plan is $0. Google AI Pro is $19.99 a month in the US, and Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 with a $199.99 tier (all checked November 2026).

Do both support MCP?

Yes. Claude Code adds servers with claude mcp add, and Antigravity has an MCP Store in the IDE plus a config file for the app and CLI. See what MCP is and Claude Code MCP setup.

Which editors do they work in?

Claude Code has a VS Code extension and a JetBrains plugin, plus a terminal CLI, a desktop app and the web. Google lists Antigravity extensions for VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Zed, Xcode and Eclipse.

Information

updated Nov 3, 2026

Made by: Anthropic
Connector directory: claude.ai/directory

In the Claude directory

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 11

Claude plans and pricing · claude.com
Claude Code overview · code.claude.com
Google Antigravity pricing · antigravity.google
Antigravity models · antigravity.google
google-gemini/gemini-cli · github.com
Google AI plans · gemini.google
Claude Code model configuration · code.claude.com
Antigravity MCP · antigravity.google
Connect Claude Code to tools via MCP · code.claude.com
Gemini CLI: Quotas and pricing · geminicli.com
Antigravity docs: Gemini CLI migration · antigravity.google