Claude Code vs Antigravity: Which AI Coding Agent Should You Use?
Short answer: pick Claude Code if you already pay for Claude Pro or Max and want a terminal-first agent you can script, hook and run in CI. Pick Google Antigravity if you want to start at $0, prefer a desktop "agent manager" with a built-in browser, or live in the Google/Firebase stack. "Claude Code vs Antigravity" is less about the model than it sounds: Antigravity's paid tiers can run Claude models too, so the real choice is the harness (how the agent plans, edits, tests and asks permission) and the price you pay for usage. Both sit in our AI coding agents ranking.
Everything below comes from Anthropic's and Google's own docs and pricing pages, checked on 17 October 2026. Plans and model lists change often, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Claude Code vs Antigravity at a glance
| Claude Code | Google Antigravity | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | |
| Surfaces | Terminal CLI, VS Code and Cursor extension, JetBrains plugin, desktop app, web (claude.ai/code) | Antigravity App (desktop), Antigravity CLI (agy), Antigravity IDE, IDE extensions (VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Zed, Xcode), Python SDK |
| Free option | No. Claude's Free plan does not include Claude Code | Yes. Individuals get a $0 tier with a weekly quota |
| Paid entry | Claude Pro: $17/month billed annually ($200 up front) or $20 monthly; Max from $100/month | Higher quotas with Google AI Pro or Ultra; optional AI credits for overage |
| Models | Claude models (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku) | Gemini models; Claude Sonnet/Opus and GPT-OSS on some plans (see below) |
| Project instructions | CLAUDE.md (can read an existing AGENTS.md) |
Rules and skills; workspace skills in .agents/skills/ |
| MCP config | claude mcp add, .mcp.json (project) or ~/.claude.json |
MCP Store, or mcp_config.json (~/.gemini/config/ or .agents/) |
| Best for | Terminal and automation-heavy work, CI, teams already on Claude | $0 start, visual multi-agent management, browser-in-the-loop front-end work |
What is Claude Code?
Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool. Per its docs, it reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands and works with git, and it runs in the terminal, in VS Code/Cursor and JetBrains, in a desktop app and in the browser. You install the CLI with one command (curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash on macOS, Linux and WSL) and run claude inside a project.
What sets it apart is how much you can automate around it: CLAUDE.md project memory, reusable skills, hooks that run shell commands before or after the agent acts, subagents, MCP servers, headless claude -p runs you can pipe logs into, GitHub Actions and GitLab CI integration, and cloud "Routines" that run on a schedule. If you are new to it, start with our Claude Code tutorial for beginners.
What is Google Antigravity?
Google Antigravity is Google's "agentic development platform". It is a family of surfaces rather than one app:
- Antigravity App: a desktop command centre for running several local agents in parallel, grouped into Projects, with scheduled messages.
- Antigravity CLI (
agy): a lightweight terminal agent, launched on 19 May 2026. It shares the same agent harness and settings as the app. - Antigravity IDE: a full agentic IDE with an agent manager and "artifacts" (plans and walkthroughs you review).
- IDE extensions and SDK: extensions for VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Zed and Xcode, plus a Python SDK for building your own agents.
It runs on macOS, Windows, Linux and Googlebook. One thing to know if you used Gemini CLI: per the Gemini CLI README, unpaid-tier and Google One users were moved to Antigravity CLI on 18 June 2026, and Google publishes a migration guide for skills, extensions and MCP servers.
Pricing and free tier
Claude Code is included in every paid Claude plan but not in Free (Claude pricing). Pro is $17/month with annual billing ($200 billed up front) or $20 billed monthly; Max starts at $100/month for 5x or 20x Pro's usage. Usage limits reset on a rolling five-hour window, paid plans add weekly limits, and your chats and Claude Code draw from the same pool. For heavy use you can switch to pay-as-you-go API billing through a Console account.
Antigravity lists a $0/month tier for individuals (pricing) with unlimited Tab completions and a "meaningful quota, refreshed weekly". Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers get larger quotas that refresh every five hours, and can spend purchased AI credits after the quota runs out (plans). Google says it does not currently support bring-your-own-key for extra rate limits in the app, though the CLI can run on your own Gemini API key (auth docs).
Bottom line on cost: Antigravity is the only one of the two you can use for $0. If you already pay $20 for Claude Pro, Claude Code costs you nothing extra.
Which models can you use?
Claude Code runs Anthropic's Claude models. Antigravity's model page shows model access by plan (as of 17 October 2026):
| Model in Antigravity | Free & Google AI Plus | Google AI Pro | Google AI Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.8 Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gemini 4 Argon (not in Antigravity IDE) | No | Yes (non-trial) | Yes |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 / Opus 5.5 (thinking) | No | Yes (non-trial) | Yes |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 / Opus 4.6 (thinking) | Yes, until 2 Nov 2026 | Yes, until 2 Nov 2026 | No |
| GPT-OSS-120b | Yes, until 2 Nov 2026 | Yes, until 2 Nov 2026 | Yes, until 2 Nov 2026 |
So yes, you can use Claude models inside Antigravity, but on the free tier only the 4.6 models, and Google marks those for removal on 2 November 2026. After that date, the free tier's listed reasoning model is Gemini 3.8 Flash.
Workflow: terminal agent vs agent manager
Claude Code feels like a senior colleague in your terminal. You describe a task, it explores the repo, proposes and makes changes, runs tests and reports back; you review with git or the IDE diff. Its strength is composability: pipe input in, run it non-interactively in CI, and script around it.
Antigravity leans visual. The App and IDE let you run multiple agents side by side, review generated plans and artifacts, and let agents drive a browser to check a UI. The CLI gives you a Claude-Code-style terminal experience on the same harness, and conversations can be pulled from the CLI into the app.
If you think in tasks and shell pipelines, you will feel at home in Claude Code. If you like to see several agents and their plans on screen, Antigravity's App/IDE is the closer fit.
MCP and integrations
Both support the Model Context Protocol (new to MCP? read MCP explained).
- Claude Code: add a remote server with
claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url>, a local one withclaude mcp add <name> -- <command>, and share project servers in a committed.mcp.json. Claude Code asks before using project servers from.mcp.json(MCP docs). - Antigravity: install from the built-in MCP Store, or edit
mcp_config.jsonglobally (~/.gemini/config/mcp_config.json) or per workspace (.agents/mcp_config.json). Remote servers use aserverUrlkey, noturl, and unconfigured MCP tools run in "Ask" mode by default (MCP docs).
Most popular servers (GitHub, Supabase, Vercel, Sentry, Context7) work with both, so your integrations are not a lock-in. See our list of the best MCP servers for Claude Code.
Who should pick which
Choose Claude Code if you: - already pay for Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise; - want to automate: CI reviews, scheduled jobs, scripted refactors; - want fine-grained hooks, skills and permission rules.
Choose Antigravity if you: - want to start for $0 and accept a weekly quota; - prefer a desktop app that manages several agents and shows plans visually; - build on Firebase or Google AI Studio (Google points Firebase Studio users to Antigravity in its migration guide).
Who should not use either (yet): if you have never shipped code and want a website by tomorrow, an AI app builder is gentler; see best AI app builders. Comparing Claude Code with other options instead? Read Cursor vs Claude Code and Claude Code vs Codex.
How we compared
We compared the two tools on 17 October 2026 using only first-party sources: Anthropic's Claude Code documentation and pricing page, and Google's Antigravity site, docs (models, plans, MCP, auth) and launch blog. We did not run benchmarks, and we do not quote third-party benchmark scores because the two vendors test differently. The embedded video is an independent hands-on comparison you can watch for a practical feel.
Sources
- Claude Code overview and MCP docs (Anthropic)
- Claude plans and pricing (Anthropic)
- Google Antigravity, pricing, plans, models, MCP, authentication (Google)
- Introducing Google Antigravity CLI, 19 May 2026 (Google)
- Gemini CLI README (transition notice) (Google)
FAQ
Is Antigravity better than Claude Code?
Neither is better for everyone. Antigravity wins on price (it has a $0 tier) and visual multi-agent management; Claude Code wins on terminal automation, CI and customisation for people already paying for Claude.
Is Google Antigravity free?
Yes, Google lists a $0 individual tier with unlimited Tab completions and a weekly quota. Google AI Pro and Ultra raise the quota and refresh it every five hours.
Can I use Claude models in Antigravity?
Yes. Per Google's model table on 17 October 2026, Claude Sonnet and Opus 5.5 are available on Google AI Pro (non-trial) and Ultra, while Claude Sonnet and Opus 4.6 are on Free and Pro until 2 November 2026.
Is there a free version of Claude Code?
No. Claude Code is included in paid Claude plans (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise) or billed per token through an Anthropic Console account; the Free plan does not include it.
What is the Claude Code alternative from Google?
Antigravity CLI (agy) is Google's terminal agent and the closest equivalent; it replaced Gemini CLI for free-tier users on 18 June 2026. See our Claude Code alternatives guide for more options.
See the full ranking: best Coding agents tools, ranked.