Google has released a free version of Gemini Code Assist, its AI-powered coding assistant, in public preview. Available as of February 25, the tool is designed for students, hobbyists, freelancers, and startups, leveraging Google’s Gemini 2.0 generative AI model to streamline software development.
According to Google, AI now generates more than 25% of all new code at the company, with engineers reviewing and refining the output before deployment.
What can Gemini Code Assist do?
Gemini Code Assist supports 22 programming languages and provides AI-driven coding assistance, including explaining errors, code suggestions, and debugging support. While the Standard and Enterprise tiers allow customization using private codebases, the individual version is a standalone tool for general coding tasks. It integrates seamlessly with popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs.
“We fine-tuned the Gemini 2.0 model for developers by analyzing and validating a large number of real-world coding use cases,” wrote Ryan J. Salva, senior director of product management at Google, in the product announcement. “As a result, the quality of AI-generated recommendations in Gemini Code Assist is better than ever before and ready to address the myriad of daily challenges developers face, whether they’re hobbyists or startup developers.”
Previously, Gemini Code Assist was only available through paid tiers:
- Standard: $22.80 per user per month ($19 per month annually)
- Enterprise: $54 per user per month ($45 per month annually)
Gemini Code Assist also came bundled with Google’s application development tools Firebase and Android Studio.
With this free release, Google is expanding access to AI-assisted coding, positioning Gemini as a direct competitor to GitHub Copilot.
Competitive features
The free Gemini Code Assist for individuals will be available in Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs.
It includes:
- Up to 128,000 input token support in chat, for handling large files.
- 180,000 code completions per month, far exceeding GitHub Copilot’s free tier, which offers only 2,000 completions per month.
Google plans to use the public preview phase to refine the tool based on user feedback.
Gemini Code Assist for GitHub also enters public preview
Alongside the individual release, Google has also also launched Gemini Code Assist for GitHub, a tool that reviews code in both public and private repositories. It functions like a spell check for code, identifying stylistic inconsistencies and potential bugs. Developers can also set custom rules for each repository. Gemini Code Assist for GitHub is available through a GitHub app.
Gemini Code Assist for individuals offers more of the same in terms of generative AI’s ability to write and check code; however, this update signals Google’s push to expand its AI coding tools beyond enterprise customers, making advanced AI-powered development assistance widely accessible.