Darce vs Gemini CLI
Updated October 2026
Gemini CLI is Google's open source terminal agent for Gemini models. Darce is an open source terminal agent for 250+ models, Gemini included.
Update: on May 19, 2026 Google announced that Gemini CLI is transitioning to Antigravity CLI (agy), and since June 18, 2026 Gemini CLI no longer serves free, Google AI Pro or Ultra individual accounts. The open source repo still works with paid Gemini API keys and enterprise licenses. See Google's announcement and our roundup of CLI coding agents.
Facts about Gemini CLI are as of October 2026 and based on its public documentation; check its docs for the latest.
At a glance
| Darce | Gemini CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | Apache 2.0 |
| Models | 250+ via OpenRouter, including Gemini, Claude, GPT, Qwen, DeepSeek | Google's Gemini models |
| How you pay | Free tier (daily allowance), or $15 / $65 per month | Paid Gemini API keys or enterprise licenses; individual Google accounts moved to Antigravity CLI in June 2026 |
| Reverting | /undo, /rewind, including files changed by shell commands | Optional checkpointing (off by default) with /restore for files changed by its tools |
| Risky commands | Scored per command; risky ones ask with the reason; classifier checks scripts | Asks for confirmation; sandboxing options |
| Parallel work | /swarm, /derby | Single session |
| Extensions | Skills (SKILL.md), memory | MCP servers, extensions |
Who Gemini CLI is for
If you're on a paid Gemini API key or an enterprise license and want an open source, Gemini-first agent, Gemini CLI still works, with MCP support and an extension ecosystem. Individual users are now pointed to Antigravity CLI instead.
Who Darce is for
Darce suits you if you want Gemini and other models in one tool: use Gemini Flash for fast work, switch to Claude or GPT for a hard bug with Shift+↑, or /derby Gemini against two other vendors on the same task and keep the best diff. /undo covers what shell commands did, and risky commands ask with a reason.
Use Gemini in Darce
darce --model google/gemini-3.1-pro-previewSee Gemini models in the directory.
Bottom line
Pick Gemini CLI (or its successor, Antigravity CLI) for a Gemini-first agent from Google. Pick Darce to use Gemini alongside 250+ other models, with model races and undo for everything.
Next: Getting started · Models · Claude Code alternative