AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
Gemini CLI logo
Gemini CLI
★ 108.6k
vs
qwen-code logo
qwen-code
★ 28.8k

Gemini CLI vs qwen-code

Gemini CLI: Gemini CLI is Google's open-source AI agent for the terminal, providing direct access to Gemini models with a free tier of 60 requests/minute and 1,000/day. It ships with built-in tools for Google Search grounding, file operations, shell command execution, and web fetching, plus native MCP support for custom integrations. Built for developers who work primarily in the command line.; qwen-code: Qwen Code is an open-source AI coding agent from the Qwen team for the terminal, editors, a desktop app, a web UI and chat apps. It ships Auto-Memory, Auto-Skills, SubAgents, Agent Teams and MCP, and speaks OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and Qwen APIs, including third-party providers and local models through Ollama or vLLM, switchable at runtime. Integrations cover VS Code, Zed, JetBrains, Telegram, DingTalk, WeChat and Feishu.

01

TL;DR

Gemini CLI logo
Gemini CLICode Assistant · ★ 108.6k
When to choose:
  • You want an Apache-2.0 terminal coding and task agent from Google with a generous free tier using a personal Google account.
  • You want built-in file editing, shell execution, Google Search grounding, MCP server support, and a GitHub Action for CI.
When to skip:
  • You want to switch freely between Claude, OpenAI, DeepSeek, and local Ollama models inside the same terminal agent; Open Interpreter supports any OpenAI-compatible provider.
  • You prefer a graphical desktop workspace over a command-line interface; AionUi or Cherry Studio provide GUI clients.
Read Gemini CLI full review →
qwen-code logo
qwen-codeCode Assistant · ★ 28.8k

A terminal coding agent backed by open Qwen models

Read qwen-code full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
Gemini CLI logoGemini CLI
qwen-code logoqwen-code
Category
Code Assistant
Code Assistant
Stars
★ 108.6k
★ 28.8k
License
Apache-2.0
Apache-2.0
Install Command
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest
Updated
1d ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
CLI, AI Agent, Gemini
coding-agent, qwen, terminal
03

Features

Gemini CLI logoGemini CLI
01Free tier: 60 req/min and 1,000 req/day with a personal Google account
02Built-in tools: Google Search grounding, file ops, shell commands, web fetch
03Native MCP support for custom tool integrations
04Access to Gemini 3 models with 1M token context window
05Open source under Apache 2.0 license
qwen-code logoqwen-code
01Auto-Memory, Auto-Skills, SubAgents, Agent Teams and MCP out of the box
02OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini and Qwen API protocols, switchable at runtime
03Terminal, desktop app, experimental web UI and IDE plugins for VS Code, Zed and JetBrains
04Chat integrations for Telegram, DingTalk, WeChat and Feishu
05Local models via Ollama or vLLM
04

Use Cases

Gemini CLI logoGemini CLI
↳Running AI-assisted development tasks directly in the terminal without switching contexts
↳Automating shell workflows with natural language instructions and real-time web grounding
↳Extending terminal AI capabilities with custom MCP servers for project-specific tools
qwen-code logoqwen-code
↳A terminal coding agent backed by open Qwen models
↳Using one agent across terminal, IDE and team chat
↳Running coding tasks on local models for privacy or cost
05

Best For

Gemini CLI logoGemini CLI
Most PopularEssentialTrending
qwen-code logoqwen-code
Most Popular
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between Gemini CLI and qwen-code?
Both Gemini CLI and qwen-code are in the Code Assistant category. Gemini CLI has 108.6k stars, while qwen-code has 28.8k stars.
Which is better, Gemini CLI or qwen-code?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose Gemini CLI if Running AI-assisted development tasks directly in the terminal without switching contexts, and qwen-code if A terminal coding agent backed by open Qwen models.
Is Gemini CLI free or open source?
Yes, Gemini CLI is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
Is qwen-code free or open source?
Yes, qwen-code is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
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Related

Alternatives to Gemini CLI →Alternatives to qwen-code →Gemini CLI details →qwen-code details →Gemini CLI vs Open Interpreter →