Google Antigravity is Google's agentic development platform, and individual developers can use it for free. It launched in November 2025 as an "agent-first" code editor in public preview, but by October 2026 it has grown into something broader: a desktop app for running several agents at once, a full IDE, a terminal CLI, extensions for other editors and a Python SDK. This guide covers what it includes today, the real limits of the free plan, how to install it, how to run your first project and how it compares with Cursor and Claude Code.
What is Google Antigravity in 2026?
Google describes it as an "agentic development platform". Instead of writing code line by line with autocomplete, you hand an agent a goal; it plans, edits files, runs commands and returns the result for you to review. Antigravity 2.0 was unveiled at Google I/O in May 2026 and split the product into several surfaces:
- Antigravity app: a desktop command center to run multiple local agents in parallel, group conversations into projects and schedule recurring tasks.
- Antigravity IDE: the original editor, with an agent manager, artifacts (implementation plans, walkthroughs, screenshots) and codebase-wide understanding.
- Antigravity CLI (the agy command): a terminal interface written in Go that replaces Gemini CLI. Since 18 June 2026, Gemini CLI no longer serves requests for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
- Extensions for VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Zed and Xcode, if you would rather keep your editor.
- Antigravity SDK: a Python toolkit, still in preview, for building your own agents on the same harness.
It runs on macOS 12 Monterey or later, 64-bit Windows 10, Linux (glibc 2.28 or later, e.g. Ubuntu 20 or Debian 10) and Googlebook. Agents can also drive a Chrome browser to test web interfaces, which is handy for frontend work.
Is Google Antigravity free? Plans and limits
Yes. According to the official pricing page, the Individuals plan is $0 per month, generally available and requires no subscription. It includes unlimited Tab completions and command requests, every product feature (scheduled tasks and the CLI included) and an agent quota with weekly rate limits. Google does not publish exact numbers: the docs promise "a meaningful quota, refreshed weekly" and warn that limits depend on available capacity and on how much work each task takes.
| Plan | Quota | Key models |
|---|---|---|
| Free (and Google AI Plus) | Refreshed weekly | Gemini 3.8 Flash, Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6, GPT-OSS-120b |
| Google AI Pro | Refreshed every 5 hours up to a weekly cap | Gemini 3.8 Flash, Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5 (non-trial subscriptions only) |
| Google AI Ultra | Highest, every 5 hours | All of the above plus Gemini 4 Argon |
| Business (Google Cloud) | From $30 per seat per month, or pay-as-you-go | Gemini Enterprise catalog |
Two caveats matter. First, the official model list says Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Opus 4.6 and GPT-OSS-120b will be removed on 2 November 2026, so after that the free plan will lean on Gemini 3.8 Flash. Second, Gemini 4 Argon, Google's newest frontier model announced this month, is limited to Ultra subscribers and is not available in the IDE, only in the app, the CLI and the IDE extensions. Bring-your-own-key for extra capacity is not supported either.
How to install Google Antigravity
- Go to antigravity.google and download the app or the IDE for your OS (Macs get separate Apple Silicon and Intel builds).
- Install and launch it. If asked whether to keep an older version, choose "Replace".
- Sign in with your personal Google account, or pick "Business account" if your company uses Gemini Enterprise.
- Prefer the terminal? Install the CLI with the one-line command shown in the docs (there are macOS/Linux and PowerShell variants) and run agy inside your project folder. On first launch it asks for a color scheme, a rendering mode and confirmation that you trust the folder.
Your first Antigravity project
In the desktop app the flow is straightforward:
- Click the folder-with-plus icon in the sidebar and choose New Project.
- Use Add Folder to attach a local folder or Git repository, then click Create. Each project keeps its own settings and security policies.
- Type a concrete goal, for example: "Build a responsive HTML and CSS landing page for a language school, with a contact form".
- Pick a mode: Local works directly in your folders; New worktree works in an isolated Git worktree, the safer choice if you do not want it touching your main branch.
- Review the artifacts the agent produces (implementation plan, walkthrough, screenshots) before accepting the changes.
A practical tip: on the free quota, large open-ended tasks burn far more than small, well-scoped ones. Break the work into steps and use worktree mode to experiment safely.
Antigravity vs Cursor vs Claude Code: an honest comparison
| Google Antigravity | Cursor | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, weekly quota | Yes, limited usage | No: needs Claude Pro ($20/month, $17 billed annually) or Max |
| Models | Gemini, some Claude, GPT-OSS | Multiple providers | Claude models |
| Interface | Desktop app, IDE, CLI, extensions | VS Code-based editor | Terminal, IDE extensions and apps |
| Strength | Parallel agents and built-in browser | Polished editor experience | Agent quality on large codebases |
My take: if you have never used a coding agent and do not want to pay, Antigravity is currently the most generous on-ramp available. Cursor remains comfortable if you want a classic AI editor with model choice. If you already live in Claude Code, Antigravity is not an automatic replacement: the latest Claude models sit behind Google's paid tiers, and Claude Code is still more flexible in the terminal thanks to hooks, MCP and scripting. A sensible mix is free Antigravity for prototypes and frontend, and Claude Code for serious work. To keep costs down, see our guides on Claude Code for free in 2026 and its real limits, getting Cursor Pro free as a student and the tools I use alongside Claude Code.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Antigravity really free?
Yes. The Individuals plan costs $0 and is generally available. It has a weekly quota with no published numbers; for more usage you need Google AI Pro or Ultra.
Can I use Claude inside Google Antigravity?
Yes. Free users get Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Opus 4.6 until 2 November 2026; Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Opus 5.5 require a non-trial Google AI Pro or an Ultra subscription.
What is the difference between Antigravity and Gemini CLI?
Antigravity CLI is Gemini CLI's successor. It keeps skills, hooks, subagents and extensions (now called plugins) and shares its agent harness with the desktop app.
Which operating systems does Antigravity support?
macOS 12 or later, 64-bit Windows 10, Linux with glibc 2.28 or later, and Googlebook.
