Is Gemini CLI free to use?

Yes, Gemini CLI offers 1000 free API calls per day, which is significantly more generous than competitors like Claude Code ($20-200/month), Cursor Pro ($20-40/month), and Augment Code ($25-100/month).

How do I install Gemini CLI?

You can install Gemini CLI using NPM with the command: npm install -g @google/gemini-cli. This works on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.

What is Veo3 and how is it different?

Veo3 is Google's AI video generation technology integrated with Gemini CLI. It's unique because no other AI coding tool offers video generation capabilities - Claude Code, Cursor Pro, and Augment Code only focus on text-based coding assistance.

Can I use Gemini CLI with VSCode?

Yes, Gemini CLI has native VSCode integration through official extensions. This provides better integration compared to third-party solutions used by competitors.

Install Gemini CLIComplete Guide 2025

Get started with Google's official open-source AI agent in minutes. Gemini CLI brings powerful codebase analysis, workflow automation, and multimodal AI capabilities directly to your terminal.

Quick Install Guide Troubleshooting

✅ FREE: 1000 API calls per day (no credit card required)

System Requirements

Before installing Gemini CLI, make sure your system meets these requirements.

Node.js

Required

18.0.0 or higher

JavaScript runtime required for NPM installation

NPM

Required

8.0.0 or higher

Package manager (comes with Node.js)

Git

Latest

Version control system (optional, for source builds)

Google Account

Required

Active

Required for API authentication

Installation Methods

Choose the installation method that works best for your setup.

📦

NPM Installation (Recommended)

Install globally using Node Package Manager

Easy

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Supported Platforms:

WindowsmacOSLinux

View on NPM

⬇️

Direct Download

Download pre-built binaries for your platform

Easy

Download from GitHub releases

Supported Platforms:

WindowsmacOSLinux

Download Releases

🔧

Build from Source

Compile from source code for advanced users

Advanced

git clone && npm run build

Supported Platforms:

WindowsmacOSLinux

View Build Guide

Step-by-Step Installation

Follow these detailed steps to install Gemini CLI using NPM (recommended method).

Official Repository: https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli

Install Node.js and NPM

Download and install Node.js from the official website. NPM comes bundled with Node.js.

# Check if Node.js is installed
node --version
npm --version

Install Gemini CLI

Use NPM to install Gemini CLI globally on your system.

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Verify Installation

Check that Gemini CLI is installed correctly and accessible from your terminal.

gemini --version
gemini --help

Authenticate with Google

Run Gemini CLI and follow the authentication prompts, or set up your API key.

gemini

Or set API key:

export GEMINI_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

✓

Test Your Installation

Run your first Gemini CLI command to ensure everything is working.

gemini

# Then in the interactive session:

> Hello, world!

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Having trouble with installation? Here are solutions to the most common problems.

⚠️

Permission denied error

Run with sudo on macOS/Linux or as Administrator on Windows

sudo npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

⚠️

Command not found after installation

Add NPM global bin directory to your PATH

echo $PATH | grep npm

⚠️

Authentication failed

Set up authentication by running Gemini CLI or setting your API key

export GEMINI_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

⚠️

Network timeout during installation

Use a different NPM registry or check firewall settings

npm config set registry https://registry.npmjs.org/

Installation Complete! What's Next?

Now that you have Gemini CLI installed, explore these next steps to get the most out of your setup.

Set up VSCode Integration View Tutorials Try Veo3 Video Generation