Alongside the Gemini 3.0 launch, Google quietly released a brand-new development platform: Google Antigravity. Officially it’s described as a fork of VS Code, but in practice it’s much more than “VS Code + AI chat.” Antigravity is built around an agent-first philosophy, powered by Gemini 3 Pro, and the current preview is free to use.
This article looks at what Antigravity actually does, how it differs from tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot Workspace, and why combining it with a solid local setup (for example, using a local dev environment platform that can deploy complex Python environment stacks and install Node.js with one-click) is a very practical way to work.
Antigravity’s Core Idea: You Manage Agents, Not Just Files
The core shift in Antigravity is that developers act less like line-by-line coders and more like project managers for multiple AI agents.
Manager View and Multi-Agent Parallelism
Antigravity introduces a Manager View where you can:
- Spin up several agents at once.
- Assign distinct tasks:
- Refactor backend APIs.
- Update frontend React components.
- Write or improve unit tests.
Each agent operates in its own con, so they don’t constantly collide or pollute each other’s history like a single chat thread. This makes long-running, multi-part refactors much more manageable.
Real Browser Control, Not Just Manipulation
Most AI coding tools only touch code and tests. Antigravity goes further by giving agents real control over a browser via an integrated Chrome extension:
- After generating or updating code, an agent can start your app.
- It opens a browser, clicks buttons, fills forms, and navigates flows.
- If the layout breaks or a redirect goes wrong, it can detect issues visually and propose or apply fixes.
This moves verification from “trusting a unit test log” to “watching an automated QA run in a real browser.”
Artifacts: Plans, Screenshots, and Replayable Sessions
To avoid the “black box” problem of AI coding, Antigravity introduces Artifacts as first-class deliverables:
- Implementation plans and task lists.
- Rendered UI screenshots.
- Browser session recordings of the agent actually testing your app.
You can comment directly on these Artifacts—similar to commenting in a docs tool. The agent uses your feedback to revise plans, code, and tests without you having to re-explain everything from scratch.
Antigravity also provides two work modes:
- Planning Mode: The agent drafts plans and docs first, then implements once you approve.
- Fast Mode: The agent jumps straight into coding—ideal for quick prototypes and spikes.
How It Compares: Antigravity vs Cursor vs Copilot Workspace vs Windsurf
At a high level:
-
Antigravity
- Default model: Gemini 3 Pro.
- High autonomy: can orchestrate editor, terminal, and browser.
- Strongest on verification: Artifacts, screenshots, and recorded test runs.
- Native multi-agent “manager” surface.
-
Cursor
- Fantastic for rapid coding, refactors, and inline assistance.
- Good multi-file edits and code comprehension.
- Less focused on full-stack browser validation, more on code flow.
-
GitHub Copilot Workspace
- Deep GitHub integration, branch-aware planning and execution.
- Well-suited for repo-wide changes and RFC-like task flows.
- Less about live browser automation, more about Git and code.
-
Windsurf / similar local-first tools
- Strong for offline and privacy-focused workflows.
- Ideal if data can’t leave your machine.
- Doesn’t yet match Antigravity’s multi-agent plus browser integration story.
If your priority is:
- End-to-end verification with visual evidence: Antigravity feels ahead.
- Typing less and shipping code faster in a single repo: Cursor shines.
- Git-driven planning and CI/CD alignment: Copilot Workspace fits naturally.
- Completely local, privacy-locked development: tools like Windsurf win.
Cloud Agents + Local Vibe Coding: Why Local Matters
Antigravity is a great example of “Vibe Coding”: you describe intent; agents design, implement, and verify. That’s powerful, but a fully cloud-based approach raises concerns:
- Sensitive code and data living on someone else’s servers.
- Latency and dependency on network stability.
This is where a good local dev environment platform becomes the perfect companion:
- You can use Antigravity to design, refactor, and test the overall architecture in the cloud.
- Then pull everything down and run it locally in a consistent, reproducible stack.
- A capable platform will let you:
-
Deploy complex Python environment setups without fighting
pyenv, virtualenv, or system packages. - Install Node.js with one-click and switch versions per project with minimal friction.
-
Deploy complex Python environment setups without fighting
On top of that, you can run open-source LLMs locally for sensitive logic or offline work, while letting cloud agents handle large, generic reasoning tasks.
Example: An Agent-Built Flask Service With Logging
Imagine you tell Antigravity:
“Create a Flask-based service with a /status endpoint that logs every request into a SQLite database.”
You might get something like:
import sqlite3
import datetime
from flask import Flask, jsonify, request
app = Flask(name)
DB_FILE = 'access_logs.db'
def init_db():
"""Initialize the database schema."""
with sqlite3.connect(DB_FILE) as conn:
cursor = conn.cursor()
cursor.execute('''
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS logs (
id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
ip_address ,
timestamp ,
user_agent
)
''')
conn.commit()
def log_request(req):
"""Store request info."""
with sqlite3.connect(DB_FILE) as conn:
cursor = conn.cursor()
now = datetime.datetime.now().isoformat()
cursor.execute(
'INSERT INTO logs (ip_address, timestamp, user_agent) VALUES (?, ?, ?)',
(req.remote_addr, now, req.headers.get('User-Agent'))
)
conn.commit()
@app.route('/status', methods=['GET'])
def status_check():
log_request(request)
return jsonify({
"status": "running",
"service": "Antigravity_Demo",
"checked_at": datetime.datetime.now().isoformat()
})
if name == 'main':
init_db()
app.run(debug=True, port=5000)
In Antigravity, the agent will:
- Run this code in a dev environment.
- Open the browser to
http://localhost:5000/status. - Capture the JSON response and record a video of the entire interaction.
You then review the Artifact (plan + code + recording), leave comments (e.g., “add authentication,” “change response shape”), and let the agent iterate.
Closing Thoughts
Google Antigravity shows what an agent-first IDE can look like: multi-agent orchestration, real browser control, auditable artifacts, and clear separation between planning and rapid execution.
But the most robust workflow won’t be cloud or local — it will be hybrid:
- Use Antigravity in the cloud for complex reasoning, coordination, and UI validation.
- Use a local dev environment platform to deploy complex Python environment setups and install Node.js with one-click, then run and refine the generated systems under your full control.
That kind of cloud-planning + local-execution loop is likely what “normal” high-efficiency development will look like over the next few years.
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