Have you noticed Claude Code seems to be slipping lately? With so many AI coding tools around, choices abound. Back in June, Google released Gemini CLI — free, generous limits, a near-identical interface, and similar features — a true step-change competitor for terminal-first coding.
- Free tier: 60 requests/minute, 1,000 requests/day with a personal Google account
- Gemini 2.5 Pro: Access to a 1M-token context window
- Built-in tools: Basic Google Search, file operations, shell commands, web scraping
- Extensible: MCP (Model Context Protocol) for custom integrations
- Terminal-first: Designed for developers who live in the command line
- Open source: Apache 2.0 license
How to Install Gemini CLI
Gemini CLI requires Node.js 20 or higher. The fastest way is to use ServBay to quickly install the right Node version.
Prerequisites
- Download and install ServBay from the official site: https://www.servbay.com
- In the left menu, open “Packages,” choose Node.js, then click to install the version you need. The whole process takes about a minute.
- Important: Pick version 18 or above (Node.js 20 recommended).
- Verify your Node environment in the terminal once ready.
Helpful link: node.js 20
If you need a guided setup, you can also install node.js environment from the same page to match project requirements.
Quick Install: Gemini CLI
Once the environment is ready, install and run Gemini CLI:
- Run this in your terminal: npx https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli
- Choose a theme color when prompted.
- Authenticate with your personal Google account.
- Wait a moment for setup to complete.
That’s it — you can now use Gemini CLI. The whole process takes under five minutes. If you need specific models or higher request capacity, set your API key:
export GEMINI_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
Real-World Usage
Start simple and ramp up.
- Example: Ask Gemini CLI to analyze a GitHub URL and generate a presentation (PPT) outline. It will request permissions during the run. You’ll get structured slides content; you can polish it in your editor.
- In VS Code, install the Gemini CLI extension and pair your terminal and editor workflow.
- Try a small game: ask Gemini to create a Snake game. If bugs pop up, ask Gemini to fix them and iterate to a final version.
- For serious work: have Gemini generate requirement docs, technical designs, and step-by-step implementation tasks before coding. This keeps you structured and avoids rework.
Final Notes
ServBay handles complex local dev stacks with one click, while Gemini CLI helps write and modify code. You focus on thinking; they handle the heavy lifting. With node.js 20 as your base and an easy path to install node.js environment, getting from zero to productive takes minutes — not hours.
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