Antigravity is close on independent scores, roughly half the cost per task, free to start and can even run Claude Opus 5.5 on Pro. Claude Code is the safer daily driver: more mature permissions, documented limits, and no risk to your whole Google account.
Pick Claude Code if
- You want the top independent agent scores (66-68 vs 64 on the AA index)
- You want a mature auto mode and permission system
- You need an official GitHub Action and CI story
- You don't want your coding tool tied to your Google account
Pick Google Antigravity if
- You want a free tier, or Pro at $19.99 with Claude 5.5 included
- Cost per task matters (about $5.84 vs $13.04 on the AA index)
- You want a built-in browser agent and a GUI desktop app
- You work in Visual Studio, Zed or Xcode
At a glance
Claude Code
Anthropic- What it is
- Agentic coding tool that reads your repo, edits files and runs commands
- Where it runs
- Terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, desktop app, web (cloud sessions), iOS and Android
- Models
- Claude: Opus 5.5 (default on paid plans), Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5, Fable 5.1
- Starts at
- Pro $20/mo ($17/mo billed yearly). The Free plan does not include Claude Code
- Best for
- Hard multi-file work, long autonomous runs, heavy customization with hooks, skills and subagents
Google Antigravity
Google- What it is
- Agent platform: desktop app, agy CLI, IDE extensions and a Python SDK
- Where it runs
- Desktop app, terminal (agy), VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Zed, Xcode, browser remote
- Models
- Gemini 3.8 Flash (default), Gemini 4 Argon, Claude Opus/Sonnet 5.5 on Pro and Ultra
- Starts at
- Free tier; Google AI Pro $19.99/mo
- Best for
- Free or cheap agent work, GUI-first users, browser testing, Google users
Feature by feature
Basics
| Claude Code | Google Antigravity | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Terminal agent, plus VS Code, JetBrains, desktop, web and mobile | Agent platform: desktop app, agy CLI, IDE extensions, Python SDK, one shared harness |
| Owner | Anthropic | |
| Open source | No. The GitHub repo holds docs and plugins; the code is all rights reserved | No. The CLI repo has a README and changelog, no code or license |
| Platforms | macOS 13+, Windows 10+ (native or WSL), Ubuntu 20.04+ and other Linux | App on macOS 12+, Windows 10/11, Linux. CLI works over SSH |
Models & context
| Claude Code | Google Antigravity | |
|---|---|---|
| Models | Claude: Opus 5.5 default, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5, Fable 5.1 | Gemini 3.8 Flash default, Gemini 4 Argon, Claude Opus/Sonnet 5.5 on Pro and Ultra |
| Default model API price | Opus 5.5: $4 in / $20 out per 1M tokens | Gemini 3.8 Flash: $0.75 / $3.75 per 1M (until Dec 31 2026) |
| Context window | 1M tokens by default on current models, 200K opt-out | Gemini 3.8 Flash: 1M input. Window inside the app not documented |
| Artificial Analysis agent index (independent, Oct 2026) | 66 with Opus 5.5, 68 with Sonnet 5.5 | 64 with Gemini 4 Argon (Antigravity CLI) |
| Cost and time per task (same index) | $13.04 and 1.1 h (Opus 5.5) | $5.84 and 34.5 min (Gemini 4 Argon) |
Agent features
| Claude Code | Google Antigravity | |
|---|---|---|
| Subagents and teams | Custom subagents, worktree isolation, /batch, dynamic workflows (GA) | Subagents with worktree modes, /teamwork-preview agent teams, /boost (paid) |
| Browser testing | Claude in Chrome extension (beta) drives your logged-in browser | Built-in browser subagent in sandboxed Chrome, with recordings and screenshots |
| Hooks, skills, plugins, MCP | Hooks, skills, plugins with marketplaces, MCP with tool search | Hooks, Agent Skills, plugin marketplace (Sept 2026), MCP |
| Rules file | CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md (since Sept 2026), auto memory | AGENTS.md or GEMINI.md, .agents/rules |
| Undo | /rewind checkpoints track every file edit | /rewind and /undo |
| Auto mode | Auto mode and permission modes, cycled with Shift+Tab | CLI auto mode arrived Oct 2026; users had relied on skip-permissions (HN) |
Workflow & integrations
| Claude Code | Google Antigravity | |
|---|---|---|
| IDE | VS Code extension (also installs in Cursor), JetBrains plugin | VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Zed, Xcode |
| CI | -p headless mode, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Agent SDK (Python, TS) | agy -p with JSON output. No official GitHub Action found |
| Remote and scheduled | Remote Control, cloud sessions, scheduled tasks (preview) | Remote Control from any browser (installable, push alerts), Automations |
Pricing & limits
| Claude Code | Google Antigravity | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Pro $20/mo. No free plan | Free tier with weekly quota. AI Pro $19.99/mo |
| Top individual plan | Max 20x $200/mo | AI Ultra $199.99/mo (20x Pro limits) |
| How limits work | Rolling 5-hour window + weekly caps, shared with Claude chat. No fixed message count | 5-hour and weekly quotas, no numbers published. Gemini and Claude models on separate quotas |
Privacy & licensing
| Claude Code | Google Antigravity | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Consumer plans: you choose. 5-year retention if training is on, 30 days if off | Consumer interactions used to improve Google products and may be reviewed by staff. Opt-out |
| Using the login elsewhere | Pro/Max login only for Claude Code and claude.ai | Using it in other tools can get your Google account suspended |
Pricing
Claude Code
Google Antigravity
Google publishes no quota numbers for Antigravity, and Claude models draw from a separate quota from Gemini. Claude Code gives no message counts either, but documents the 5-hour plus weekly structure.
Building with Claude? Get paid for it.
Forward Deployed Engineers ship AI agents inside real customer systems. Open roles at Anthropic, OpenAI, Cognizant and more.
The same job in both
How a typical task plays out in each tool. This is where the difference in approach shows.
Claude in Chrome tests the change in your logged-in browser and reads console logs; the desktop app shows an app preview.
The browser subagent runs it in sandboxed Chrome and returns screenshots, recordings and a walkthrough artifact.
Plan mode, then /batch worktree subagents on Opus 5.5, with /rewind for bad steps.
/plan with a review policy, then subagents in branch mode (each in its own worktree). Gemini 3.8 Flash by default, Claude 5.5 on Pro.
Use the official GitHub Action, or run claude -p in the pipeline.
Run agy -p with a Gemini API key in your pipeline. No official Action found, so you wire it up yourself.
The Claude app starts and monitors cloud sessions; Remote Control drives local ones.
Remote Control in any browser, installable with push alerts, drives sessions running on your machine.
What developers say
Claude Code
- "Between those two, it's Claude Code" (HN, Aug 2026)
- More mature permissions and auto mode (HN)
- Holds the top two Terminal-Bench 4.0 spots
- Over twice the cost per task on the AA index
- Weekly caps drain fast on heavy Opus use
- No free tier
Google Antigravity
- "Right up there with Claude Code" on quality and speed (XDA)
- Gemini 3.8 Flash plus the harness "holds its own" (HN)
- Sometimes better on small UI details (XDA)
- No quota display; lockouts after a few requests (HN, The Register)
- Fear of whole-Google-account bans (HN)
- "Permanently 6 months behind" on features (HN)
Switching, or using both
Moving from Google Antigravity to Claude Code
- 1.Install: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash, then log in with Pro or Max.
- 2.Keep AGENTS.md, which both read. Copy GEMINI.md content into CLAUDE.md.
- 3.Move skills from .agents/skills/ to .claude/skills/.
- 4.Move MCP servers from mcp_config.json into Claude Code's MCP config.
- 5.Recreate hooks from .agents/hooks.json as Claude Code hooks.
Running both side by side
Both read AGENTS.md, so shared rules go there. Antigravity on Pro can run Opus 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5, but on a separate quota. Don't plug your Antigravity login into Claude Code or other tools: Google's terms say that can get the account suspended.
Frequently asked questions
Is Claude Code better than Google Antigravity?
Slightly, on independent scores: the Artificial Analysis coding agent index (Oct 2026) has Claude Code at 66 with Opus 5.5 and 68 with Sonnet 5.5, and Antigravity CLI with Gemini 4 Argon at 64. Antigravity was faster and cheaper per task ($5.84 vs $13.04). Users praise Claude Code's maturity and Antigravity's price.
Claude Code vs Antigravity pricing
Antigravity has a free tier, Google AI Pro at $19.99 and Ultra at $99.99 or $199.99. Claude Code has no free plan: Pro $20, Max 5x $100, Max 20x $200. Neither publishes exact quotas.
Can Antigravity use Claude models?
Yes. Claude Opus 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5 are in the model picker on Google AI Pro (not trials), Ultra and Enterprise, with their own quota separate from Gemini.
Is Antigravity free?
There is a $0 individual tier with Gemini 3.8 Flash and basic weekly limits. Gemini 4 Argon and Claude models need a paid Google AI plan. Claude Code needs at least the $20 Pro plan.
What happened to Gemini CLI?
Google moved consumers to Antigravity CLI. Gemini CLI stopped serving free and Google AI Pro/Ultra users on June 18 2026 and now works only with enterprise licenses or paid API keys. See our Claude Code vs Gemini CLI page.
Which is better for beginners?
Antigravity is easier to try: it is free and the desktop app is GUI-first. Claude Code costs $20 to start but its permissions and limits are better documented.
Can I use both?
Yes, with separate logins. Both read AGENTS.md. Using your Antigravity login inside Claude Code or other third-party tools breaks Google's terms.
- Claude Code overview
- Claude pricing
- Claude Code model config
- Claude Code data usage
- Claude Code license
- Claude Opus 5.5 announcement
- Antigravity pricing
- Antigravity plans
- Antigravity models
- Antigravity changelog
- Antigravity FAQ
- Antigravity terms
- Google AI subscriptions
- Artificial Analysis coding agent index
Prices and features change often. Everything here was checked against official pages on 2026-10-21. Spotted something out of date? Tell us on GitHub.
