Gemini CLI integrates with VS Code through Gemini Code Assist, which shares the same underlying technology and provides a complementary development experience. Gemini Code Assist agent mode in VS Code is actually powered by Gemini CLI, meaning you get access to a subset of Gemini CLI functionality directly within your IDE. This integration allows you to use familiar chat interfaces within VS Code while benefiting from the powerful reasoning and tool capabilities that make Gemini CLI effective. You can run agent mode in VS Code to handle complex, multi-step tasks, generate code from design documents, and work with the same MCP servers and tools that you configure for Gemini CLI.
The IDE integration is designed to complement rather than replace Gemini CLI, with each tool serving different aspects of the development workflow. Within VS Code, you can use Gemini Code Assist for inline code suggestions, real-time completions, context-aware chat, and visual integration with your editor. Meanwhile, Gemini CLI excels at system-level tasks, comprehensive project analysis, automation workflows, and terminal-based operations. Many developers find that using both tools together provides the most comprehensive AI assistance, switching between the terminal-based CLI for infrastructure and automation tasks and the IDE integration for active coding and development work.
For JetBrains IDEs, Gemini Code Assist is also available and provides similar functionality to the VS Code integration, though some features like agent mode may have different availability or capabilities. The IDE integrations support the same authentication methods as Gemini CLI and share quota limits between the terminal and IDE usage. You can configure custom commands, use the @ symbol to reference files and directories, manage context through dedicated UI panels, and access multiple chat sessions within your IDE environment. The integration approach ensures that you can maintain consistent AI assistance across your entire development workflow, from initial planning and architecture discussions in the terminal to detailed implementation and debugging within your preferred IDE.