Side by side
Amazon Q vs Gemini CLI
Both stand on ai coding assistants. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidAPIExtension+5
Choose Amazon Q if its developer allowances or business response and consumption options match your work. Look elsewhere if you need a plan without the listed request, code-line, response-size, or unit limits.
Visit Amazon Q
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose Gemini CLI if you want a terminal-based coding assistant with codebase indexing and support for your listed IDE. The free plan is framed for exploring; users seeking higher usage limits should consider one of the other access plans.
Visit Gemini CLIThe facts
| Amazon Q | Gemini CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, API, Extension, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 15 | 7 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | aws.amazon.com | geminicli.com |
| On ai coding assistants | #13 of 103 | #17 of 103 |
Amazon Q: what it does well
- Free Developer tier includes 50 agentic requests monthly.
- Developer Free includes 1,000 monthly code lines for Java upgrades.
- Business plans offer response-size and consumption options.
- Supports file uploads, app integrations, and team workspaces.
What to know first
- Developer Free limits Java upgrades to 1,000 code lines monthly.
- Business Lite responses are limited to approximately one page.
- Business Consumption includes 30,000 units per month.
Gemini CLI: what it does well
- Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Includes chat assistance and a coding agent.
- Supports codebase indexing and terminal access.
- Works with four named IDE options.
- Offers Google Account, API-key, and Google Cloud access routes.
What to know first
- The free plan is described as access for exploring Gemini CLI.
- Higher usage limits are part of other plan descriptions.
Alternatives to Amazon Q Alternatives to Gemini CLI The whole list