Gemini CLI vs Perplexity
A detailed comparison to help you choose the right AI tool for your needs.
Feature Comparison
Feature
Gemini CLI
Perplexity
Ratings
Overall Rating
4.6
4.6
Coding
4.5
3.5
Writing
4.4
4.2
Reasoning
4.6
4.4
Speed
4.7
4.8
Value
5.0
4.7
Pricing
Monthly Price
$0
$20
Free Tier
Input (per 1M tokens)
$1.25
-
Output (per 1M tokens)
$5
-
Features
Context Window
1000K
128K
Vision/Images
Audio
Video
Code Generation
AI Agents
Gemini CLI
Pros
- Most generous free tier (1,000/day)
- 1M token context window
- Fully open source (Apache 2.0)
- Built-in Google Search grounding
- MCP support for extensions
Cons
- Newer than Claude Code
- Less proven in enterprise settings
Perplexity AI
Pros
- Real-time web access
- Cites all sources
- Great for research
- Fast responses
- Generous free tier
Cons
- Not as capable for coding
- Writing not as polished
- Limited context for complex tasks
Choose Gemini CLI if you need:
Budget-conscious developers, large codebases, Google ecosystem users
Choose Perplexity if you need:
Research, fact-checking, current events
Ready to get started?
Both tools offer free tiers or trials. Try them out and see which one works best for your workflow.