Quick Verdict
Command-line interface for Gemini with dramatically better free limits than the API: 60 RPM and 1,000 requests/day with Gemini 3 support.
Best for: Developers, Power Users, API Heavy Users, Automation Engineers
4.1/5
freeCoding
Gemini CLI
Command-line interface for Gemini with dramatically better free limits than the API: 60 RPM and 1,000 requests/day with Gemini 3 support.
Best for: Developers • Power Users • API Heavy Users • Automation Engineers
Key Features
- 60 requests/minute (12x better than API)
- 1,000 requests/day
- 1 million token context window
- Gemini 3 Pro and Flash access
- OAuth authentication - no API key needed
- Interactive chat mode
Pros
- Best free limits available - 60 RPM
- 12x better than standard API limits
- No API key or billing setup required
- Gemini 3 access included
- 1M token context window
Cons
- CLI only - no GUI
- Requires npm installation
- OAuth required for authentication
- Daily limits on Gemini 3 Pro not published
Tips & Best Practices
Install with npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
Use OAuth login - no API key needed
Enable Preview Features for Gemini 3 access
Use Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite for sustained heavy usage
Features
- 60 requests/minute (12x better than API)
- 1,000 requests/day
- 1 million token context window
- Gemini 3 Pro and Flash access
- OAuth authentication - no API key needed
- Interactive chat mode
Best for: Developers • Power Users • API Heavy Users • Automation Engineers
Pros
- Best free limits available - 60 RPM
- 12x better than standard API limits
- No API key or billing setup required
- Gemini 3 access included
- 1M token context window
Cons
- CLI only - no GUI
- Requires npm installation
- OAuth required for authentication
- Daily limits on Gemini 3 Pro not published
Final Recommendation
Gemini CLI is a free AI tool best suited for Developers and Power Users.