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59 models ranked12 boards36 tools tracked, 7 not what they werecaptured 25 Sep 2026against 24 Sep 202629 rose · 23 fell · 51 held · 8 newadoption, not capability
COMPARISONS/GEMINI CLI VS KILO CODE

Gemini CLIVSKilo Code

Read from each vendor’s own pages last night, so it does not go stale the way a written comparison does.

GEMINI CLI
Not read
KILO CODE
$15 / mo
CHANGES ON EITHER
3
CAVEATS
1
CLI AGENT · IDE EXTENSIONREAD NIGHTLY FROM THE VENDORS’ OWN PAGESVERDICT DERIVED FROM THE ROWS BELOW
Contents
BEFORE YOU READ ON1 of the two is not what it was

GEMINI CLISUNSET SINCE 18 JUNE 2026Gemini CLI has had an access tier withdrawn; check what is still available before choosing it. Free consumer access ended 18 June 2026; users were directed to Google Antigravity. The tool still exists for API-key and paid use, so this is a withdrawn access tier rather than a shutdown, a distinction almost every ranked page gets wrong.

THE VERDICTderived from the rows below, so it cannot say anything the table does not

On the prices each vendor publishes about itself, Gemini CLI starts at Not read and Kilo Code at $15 / mo. Before that decides anything: Gemini CLI has had an access tier withdrawn; check what is still available before choosing it. (since 18 June 2026) Both take your own API key, so on either one the subscription and the model bill are separate decisions. Both are open source, so neither can withdraw the thing you have already installed. Every figure on this page was read from the two vendors' own pages in last night's run rather than written down once, which is the only reason it is still the current answer. ToolDrift sells neither and takes no referral fee on either.

SIDE BY SIDE9 asserted rows, 5 measured
COMPARED ONGEMINI CLIKILO CODE
ASSERTED · WHAT EACH VENDOR PUBLISHES ABOUT ITSELF
CategoryCLI agentIDE extension
VendorGoogleKilo
StatusSunsetActive
How it chargesUsageHybrid
Entry priceNot read$15 / mo
Default modelgoogle/geminiNone, you choose
Your own keyYesYes
SourceOpen source · Apache-2.0Open source · Apache-2.0
PlansNo named tier on Google's pricing page could be read with a price beside it.Free & Open Source · Usage is billed separatelyTeams · $15 / mo per user/monthEnterprise · Custom
MEASURED · COUNTED ON THE LAST NIGHTLY RUN
Stars107.2K27.4K
Maintenance100/100100/100
Days since last push00
Top model in itnot measuredPoolside: Laguna S 2.1 (free) · Free
Its volumenot measured2.70T tokens
THE QUESTIONS3 answered from the rows above

Is Gemini CLI or Kilo Code cheaper?

On the cheapest option each vendor publishes: Gemini CLI is Not read and Kilo Code is $15 / mo. Treat both as an allowance rather than a bill, every tool in this category meters model usage on top of the plan, and which one costs more in practice depends on the models you drive and how hard. The tier prices are the part that can be checked from outside, so they are the part this page prints.

Can I use my own API key with Gemini CLI or Kilo Code?

Gemini CLI: yes. Kilo Code: yes. It is the row that decides whether the subscription price is most of what you pay or a fraction of it: a tool that takes your own key charges for the software, and one that does not is reselling inference with a margin you cannot see.

Are Gemini CLI and Kilo Code still maintained?

Sunset and Active as of last night's read. Gemini CLI's repository was last pushed 0 days ago and it scores 100/100 on maintenance; Kilo Code's repository was last pushed 0 days ago and it scores 100/100 on maintenance. One caution: Gemini CLI has had an access tier withdrawn; check what is still available before choosing it. (since 18 June 2026) This is the question a written comparison cannot answer, because it was true on the day it was published and nobody went back.