Gemini CLI vs Qwen Code
Compare Gemini CLI and Qwen Code by workflow, pricing, privacy, model support, and best use cases.
Gemini CLI
Gemini CLI is worth documenting as an important open-source Google terminal agent, but new individual users should strongly consider Antigravity CLI because Google has made it the forward migration path. Existing users should preserve working configs, review quotas, and plan migration before consumer Gemini CLI service changes take effect.
Qwen Code
Qwen Code is a strong choice for developers who want an open-source terminal agent optimized for Qwen Coder models and flexible provider routing. It is less suitable for teams that need a polished enterprise SaaS package or users who want a purely graphical AI IDE.
Key Differences
Workflow
Gemini CLI is Google’s open-source terminal coding agent for Gemini-powered development workflows, now positioned as a legacy tool transitioning toward Antigravity CLI for future agent-first development.
Qwen Code is an open-source terminal coding agent optimized for Qwen Coder models and designed for developers who want agentic code understanding, editing, automation, and tool use from the command line.
Pricing
freemium
open-source
compare.fields.localModels
No
Yes
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Gemini CLI | Qwen Code |
|---|---|---|
| Primary workflow | Gemini CLI is Google’s open-source terminal coding agent for Gemini-powered development workflows, now positioned as a legacy tool transitioning toward Antigravity CLI for future agent-first development. | Qwen Code is an open-source terminal coding agent optimized for Qwen Coder models and designed for developers who want agentic code understanding, editing, automation, and tool use from the command line. |
| Type | cli-agent | cli-agent |
| Editor base | CLI | CLI |
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Local models | No | Yes |
| BYOK | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | macOS, Linux, Windows, Terminal, Node.js/npm, GitHub Actions, Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, Google Cloud, Zed via agent integrations where supported | macOS, Linux, Windows, Node.js, npm, Homebrew, CLI, VS Code, Zed, JetBrains IDEs, GitHub Actions, MCP, Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, OpenRouter, Fireworks AI, Ollama, vLLM |
| Models | Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini models via Gemini API, Gemini models via Vertex AI | Qwen3.6-Plus, Qwen3.5-Plus, Qwen3-Max, Qwen3-Coder-Next, Qwen3-Coder-Plus, Kimi K2.5, GLM-5, GLM-4.7, MiniMax-M2.5, OpenAI-compatible models, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Ollama, vLLM |
| Enterprise features | Vertex AI authentication, Google Cloud project-based usage, Gemini Code Assist enterprise workflows, Quota management through Google Cloud and Code Assist plans, GitHub Actions automation, MCP server integration, Enterprise migration path to Antigravity CLI and Google Antigravity | Bring your own API key, OpenAI-compatible provider routing, Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan workspace cost tracking, GitHub Actions integration, Headless mode, MCP server integration, Agent Skills, SubAgents, Sandboxing, Ignore files and trusted folder configuration, Scriptable CLI workflows, Custom provider configuration |
| Best for | Existing Gemini CLI users, Terminal-first Gemini workflows, Developers using Google AI Studio or Vertex AI, Codebase exploration, Bug fixing, Test generation and test coverage improvements, GitHub issue triage, Pull request review automation, MCP-connected development tasks, Teams planning migration to Antigravity CLI | Developers who want an open-source terminal coding agent, Qwen model users who want a CLI optimized for Qwen Coder models, Teams experimenting with BYOK, OpenAI-compatible endpoints, local models, or Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan, Developers who need codebase exploration, bug fixing, refactoring, tests, documentation, and Git automation, CI and automation workflows where a scriptable coding agent is more useful than an IDE sidebar |
| Not best for | New individual users who want Google’s forward-looking coding agent platform, Users who need local model execution, Developers who want provider-agnostic model routing, Non-technical users looking for prompt-to-app builders, Teams that cannot allow AI agents to read files or run commands, Users who want a full AI-native editor rather than a terminal agent | Users who want a fully hosted AI code editor with no terminal setup, Teams that require a mature enterprise admin console, SSO, RBAC, and procurement package, Developers who relied on the discontinued Qwen OAuth free tier, Users who want a visual prompt-to-app builder rather than repository-level coding automation, Organizations that cannot allow agents to read files, run shell commands, or send code context to configured model providers |
Use Case Winners
Both Gemini CLI and Qwen Code have comparable signals here.
Qwen Code supports local model workflows.
Qwen Code lists more team or enterprise controls.
Qwen Code has stronger frontend or web workflow signals.
Qwen Code supports more model/provider options or BYOK-style workflows.
Both Gemini CLI and Qwen Code have comparable signals here.
Pricing Comparison
Gemini CLI
- Individual Free$0 / month
Free individual Gemini CLI access through Gemini Code Assist for individuals, with Google account authentication and quota limits. Consumer support transitions to Antigravity CLI on June 18, 2026.
- Google AI Pro$19.99 / month
Google AI plan with higher Gemini CLI and AI-tool usage limits while Gemini CLI remains available for the plan.
- Google AI UltraPlan-dependent / month
Higher-usage Google AI tier with expanded access to Google AI features and higher developer-tool quotas where supported.
- Gemini API KeyUsage-based
Use Gemini CLI with a Google AI Studio API key and pay Gemini API token-based pricing.
- Vertex AI / EnterpriseUsage-based
Use Gemini CLI with Vertex AI or enterprise Google Cloud authentication for professional and organizational workflows.
Qwen Code
- Open Source CLI$0 / month
Qwen Code itself is open source and free to install from npm, Homebrew, GitHub, or the official installer.
- Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan Pro$50 / month
Fixed monthly Coding Plan with 90,000 requests/month, 45,000 requests/week, and 6,000 requests per 5-hour window.
- Alibaba Cloud Model Studio APIUsage-based
Bring an API key and pay model-token pricing through Alibaba Cloud Model Studio.
- OpenAI-Compatible ProvidersProvider-based
Use compatible providers such as OpenRouter, Fireworks AI, vLLM, Ollama, or other OpenAI-format endpoints.
- Other Model ProvidersProvider-based
Configure Anthropic or Gemini providers with your own credentials and provider pricing.
Privacy & Security
Gemini CLI
Gemini CLI can send prompts, local project context, file contents, command output, MCP tool results, and repository metadata to Google or the selected Google Cloud model endpoint depending on authentication method. Users should avoid exposing secrets, credentials, customer data, production tokens, or private files in prompts, terminal output, MCP tools, or files included in context. Extra caution is needed when running Gemini CLI against untrusted repositories because terminal agents can be affected by malicious instructions embedded in project files.
Qwen Code
Qwen Code runs locally as a CLI, but prompts, code context, tool results, and generated outputs are sent to the configured model provider, such as Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan, Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, OpenAI-compatible endpoints, Anthropic, Gemini, OpenRouter, Fireworks AI, Ollama, or vLLM. Teams should review provider terms, region, retention, API key storage, ignored files, trusted folders, sandboxing, MCP permissions, and shell command approval before using it with sensitive repositories.
Choose Gemini CLI if...
- Existing Gemini CLI users
- Terminal-first Gemini workflows
- Developers using Google AI Studio or Vertex AI
- Codebase exploration
- Bug fixing
Choose Qwen Code if...
- Developers who want an open-source terminal coding agent
- Qwen model users who want a CLI optimized for Qwen Coder models
- Teams experimenting with BYOK, OpenAI-compatible endpoints, local models, or Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan
- Developers who need codebase exploration, bug fixing, refactoring, tests, documentation, and Git automation
- CI and automation workflows where a scriptable coding agent is more useful than an IDE sidebar
Avoid Gemini CLI if...
- New individual users who want Google’s forward-looking coding agent platform
- Users who need local model execution
- Developers who want provider-agnostic model routing
- Non-technical users looking for prompt-to-app builders
- Teams that cannot allow AI agents to read files or run commands
Avoid Qwen Code if...
- Users who want a fully hosted AI code editor with no terminal setup
- Teams that require a mature enterprise admin console, SSO, RBAC, and procurement package
- Developers who relied on the discontinued Qwen OAuth free tier
- Users who want a visual prompt-to-app builder rather than repository-level coding automation
- Organizations that cannot allow agents to read files, run shell commands, or send code context to configured model providers