# Gemini CLI GUI: desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux

URL: https://agentvera.dev/en/blog/gemini-cli-gui/ · Published: 2026-11-03

Gemini CLI GUIs for Windows, Mac and Linux in 2026: Gemini CLI Desktop, Tesseract, Gemini Code Assist, Zed, Orca and AgentVera, and what Google’s own apps do.

**In short:**

- Gemini CLI Desktop (Piebald AI, MIT) and Tesseract (free) are desktop GUIs for Gemini CLI on Windows, macOS and Linux; VS Code’s Gemini Code Assist agent mode also runs on Gemini CLI.
- Google’s Gemini desktop app is a chat assistant, and Antigravity runs Google’s own agents; neither is a window for Gemini CLI.
- AgentVera, which we make, runs Gemini CLI next to 17 other CLI agents with their own logins on Windows, Linux and macOS, with worktrees and an MCP manager.

**Short answer:** Google does not ship a desktop window for Gemini CLI, so the GUIs come from elsewhere. On **Windows, macOS and Linux**, Gemini CLI Desktop by Piebald AI (MIT, free) wraps Gemini CLI and Qwen Code in a chat-style app, and Tesseract (free) puts Gemini CLI next to an editor, a terminal and a live preview. If you live in an editor, **VS Code with Gemini Code Assist** has an agent mode that Google says uses Gemini CLI, and **Zed** runs Gemini CLI as an external agent. If you want Gemini CLI next to Claude Code, Codex and other agents, Tesseract, Orca and AgentVera do that. Google’s own **Gemini desktop app** is a chat assistant for Windows and macOS, not a Gemini CLI GUI.

One disclosure before the list: we make AgentVera, one of the apps below. We are not affiliated with Google. I’ll say plainly where the others fit better.

## Which Gemini CLI GUIs exist?

Platforms, agents and prices below were checked on each tool’s own site, docs or repository on 3 November 2026.

| Tool | Windows | macOS | Linux | Runs Gemini CLI | Other agents | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Gemini CLI Desktop (Piebald AI) | Yes | Yes (Intel, Apple Silicon) | Yes (AppImage, .deb, .rpm) | Yes | Qwen Code | Free (MIT); desktop and web UI |
| Tesseract | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 13 more, including Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Antigravity CLI | Free |
| Gemini Code Assist for VS Code (Google) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Agent mode (preview) uses Gemini CLI | None | Quotas depend on your Code Assist tier |
| Zed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, as an external agent over ACP | Zed’s agent, Claude Agent, Codex, OpenCode, Copilot, Cursor | Personal free; Pro $10/month (GPL-3.0) |
| Orca | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, OpenCode and any other CLI | Free (MIT) |
| Canopy | Yes | Yes (Apple Silicon) | Yes | Yes | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode | Free, source-available |
| AgentVera | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Claude Code, Codex and 15 more CLIs | Free plan; paid Pro and Team |
| Claude Squad | Through WSL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Claude Code, Codex, Aider, OpenCode, Amp | Free (AGPL-3.0); terminal UI |
| Antigravity (Google) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No, Google’s own agents | None | No charge for developers |
| Gemini desktop app (Google) | Yes (x64, ARM64) | Yes (Apple Silicon, macOS 15+) | No | No, it is a chat assistant | None | Some features need a Google AI plan |

Two notes on the table. Gemini CLI Desktop’s latest release, v0.3.15, is from January 2026, though its repository was still being updated in October. And Google’s Gemini desktop app can launch Antigravity in one click on macOS, but its page does not mention Gemini CLI at all.

## Which one fits?

### Gemini CLI only, in a chat window

**Gemini CLI Desktop** is the most direct answer to “a GUI for Gemini CLI”. It turns sessions into chats you can search, shows a file tree with @-mentions, asks you to approve tool calls visually, shows diffs and supports MCP servers. It also switches between Gemini CLI and Qwen Code. Builds exist for Windows, macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Linux, plus a web version you open in the browser.

**Tesseract** is the other free option. It runs Gemini CLI beside a code editor, a terminal and a live preview, asks before risky tool calls, shows context use and cost per conversation, and can run Gemini CLI on another machine.

### Inside your editor

**VS Code with Gemini Code Assist.** Google’s docs say agent mode in VS Code uses Gemini CLI. It is a preview feature, and Code Assist also runs in IntelliJ, where some features such as tool configuration are missing. **Zed** runs Gemini CLI, Codex and Claude as external agents over the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), next to your code.

### Gemini CLI next to other agents

If you also use Claude Code or Codex, **Tesseract** gives each conversation its own agent, **Orca** runs any CLI agent with worktrees and SSH, **Canopy** has a worktree sidebar and a browser tab per worktree, and **Claude Squad** is a tmux-based terminal UI. **AgentVera** runs Gemini CLI in a grid next to 17 other CLI agents; more on that below.

### You just want Google’s own app

Then the choice is between two different products. The **Gemini desktop app** is a quick-access chat assistant for Windows and macOS. **Antigravity** is Google’s agentic development platform, with an app, an IDE and its own Antigravity CLI. Neither one is a front end for Gemini CLI. If you were on Gemini CLI’s free tier before June 2026, Google moved you to Antigravity CLI anyway; the [Gemini CLI guide](/en/blog/how-to-use-gemini-cli/ "How to use Gemini CLI") explains the change.

## Where AgentVera fits

AgentVera is a desktop app that runs terminal coding agents side by side, each in its own real terminal, so Gemini CLI looks and behaves the way it does in your terminal. What it adds around Gemini CLI:

- **18 CLI agents with your own logins.** Gemini CLI, Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Cursor, opencode, Qwen Code, Antigravity CLI and others, each with [its own page](/en/agents/ "Agents in AgentVera"). Each Gemini agent uses its own Google sign-in or `GEMINI_API_KEY`; no extra key from us.
- **Windows, Linux and macOS.** A native Windows installer that starts the script behind `gemini.cmd` directly, so prompts and JSON settings arrive intact; an AppImage and a `.deb` on Linux; a Mac build.
- **Git worktrees.** Create one from the [Git panel](/en/features/git-and-github/ "Git and GitHub in AgentVera") and start Gemini CLI in it, so it doesn’t edit the same files as the agent next to it.
- **Accounts at the usage limit (Pro).** Add more Gemini accounts, each signed in from its own folder, and an ordered fallback list per agent. At the limit, the next model is tried on the same account first, then the next account. See [account switching](/en/features/account-switching/ "Account switching").
- **An MCP manager.** Add MCP servers once, from a catalog of 23 ready servers or your own, and they go to Gemini CLI and every other CLI agent that takes MCP. Remote servers need one OAuth sign-in in the app. See the [MCP manager](/en/features/mcp-manager/ "MCP manager").
- **A free plan.** The grid, worktrees and all agents are free; [Pro and Team](/en/pricing/ "Pricing") add features such as account switching and a team kanban.

Where it fits less well: if Gemini CLI is your only agent and you want a chat-style window rather than the CLI’s own interface, Gemini CLI Desktop or Tesseract is the lighter choice. AgentVera is closed source.

## Wrapping up

There is no Gemini CLI GUI from Google, but there are good free ones: Gemini CLI Desktop for a focused chat window, Tesseract for an editor and preview around it, and VS Code or Zed if you prefer to stay in an editor. Whichever you pick, it runs the same Gemini CLI with the same sign-in rules. To run Gemini CLI next to Codex, Claude Code and other agents with your own logins, [download AgentVera](/en/download/ "Download AgentVera") for Windows, Linux or macOS.

Related reading: [how to use Gemini CLI](/en/blog/how-to-use-gemini-cli/ "How to use Gemini CLI"), [Codex vs Gemini CLI](/en/blog/codex-vs-gemini-cli/ "Codex vs Gemini CLI"), the same question for OpenAI’s agent in [Codex CLI GUI](/en/blog/codex-cli-gui/ "Codex CLI GUI"), and Anthropic’s in [Claude Code GUI for Windows and Linux](/en/blog/claude-code-gui-windows-linux/ "Claude Code GUI for Windows and Linux").

## Frequently asked questions

**Is there an official Gemini CLI GUI from Google?** We did not find one. Google’s Gemini desktop app for Windows and macOS is a chat assistant and does not mention Gemini CLI. Antigravity is Google’s agentic development platform with its own agents. The closest official option is agent mode in Gemini Code Assist for VS Code, which Google says uses Gemini CLI.

**What is the best Gemini CLI GUI for Windows?** If Gemini CLI is your only agent, Gemini CLI Desktop by Piebald AI (a Windows .exe, MIT license) or Tesseract (free) give it a chat-style window. If you work in an editor, use VS Code with Gemini Code Assist or Zed. If you want Gemini CLI next to Claude Code, Codex and other agents, look at Tesseract, Orca or AgentVera.

**Is there a Gemini CLI GUI for Linux?** Yes. Gemini CLI Desktop ships an AppImage, a .deb and an .rpm. Tesseract, Zed, Orca, Canopy and AgentVera also run on Linux, and Claude Squad is a terminal UI on tmux.

**Does a GUI change how Gemini CLI signs in?** No. These apps start the Gemini CLI you install, so its sign-in rules apply. Since June 18, 2026, Google no longer serves unpaid tier and Google One users in Gemini CLI; it works with a paid Gemini API key, Vertex AI or a Gemini Code Assist Standard or Enterprise license.

**How does AgentVera run Gemini CLI?** In a real terminal, so you see Gemini CLI’s own interface, slash commands and prompts. Each Gemini agent uses its own Google sign-in or GEMINI_API_KEY, and you can start it in a git worktree next to Claude Code, Codex or other agents.

**Is AgentVera free or open source?** AgentVera has a free plan with the grid, worktrees and all agents; Pro and Team are paid. It is closed source, and it is an independent app, not affiliated with Google.

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**About AgentVera.** AgentVera is a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, built by Solviera Teknoloji. It runs 18 AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor, Antigravity, opencode, Hermes, Qwen Code, Kimi Code, Kiro, Amp, Droid, Goose, Vibe, Crush, Aider, Cline) side by side, per project, in real terminals with the user's own CLI installs and logins. The free plan has unlimited agents. Download: https://agentvera.dev/en/download/ · Pricing: https://agentvera.dev/en/pricing/