Google's Gemini-powered coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains — agent mode, repo-aware customization, and a genuinely free individual tier.
Gemini Code Assist is Google's answer to GitHub Copilot — inline completions, chat, and an agent mode inside VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Its standout is pricing: the individual tier is free with generous monthly limits, and the enterprise tier adds code customization so suggestions match your private repos and conventions. Under the hood it runs Gemini 2.5-class models tuned for code.
Who it's for: Google Cloud shops, cost-sensitive developers priced out of Copilot, and enterprises that want suggestions tuned to their internal codebase.
Multi-step tasks: scaffold features, run tests, and edit across files from a single instruction.
Tens of thousands of completions and chat requests per month at $0 — no card required.
Enterprise tier grounds suggestions in your private repos and style guides.
Deep hooks into Cloud Shell, Android Studio, Workstations, and BigQuery.
The default pick if you want frontier coding help for free, or if your org already lives on Google Cloud. Copilot still leads on ecosystem; Gemini Code Assist wins on price and Google integration.