May 20, 2026 · 10 min read

Google Antigravity 2.0 Complete Guide: The Agent-First Coding Platform

Google just shipped the biggest update to its agentic coding platform. Antigravity 2.0, announced at Google I/O 2026 on May 19, is a full rebuild — not an incremental update. It bundles a desktop IDE, a Go-based CLI, and an SDK for custom agents into a single platform powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash running at 289 tokens per second.

If you’ve been using Gemini CLI, this is its replacement. If you’ve been comparing Claude Code vs Codex CLI vs Gemini CLI, the landscape just shifted again.

Here’s everything you need to know about Google Antigravity 2.0 — what it does, how to set it up, what it costs, and how it stacks up against the competition.

What’s New in Antigravity 2.0 vs the Original

When Google first launched Antigravity (our original review), it was primarily a desktop coding assistant. Version 2.0 is a fundamentally different product:

Three-component architecture: Desktop App + CLI + SDK instead of a single app
Agent-first design: Multiple AI agents work simultaneously on subtasks rather than a single assistant responding to prompts
Gemini 3.5 Flash: A 12x optimized version of Flash built specifically for Antigravity, outputting at 289 tok/s
Managed agent API: The Antigravity agent is available as a single API call on the Gemini API — it reasons, executes code, manages files, and browses the web in a secure Linux sandbox
Compute-based usage: No more daily prompt limits. Usage is compute-based and refreshes every 5 hours
Cross-platform: Available on macOS, Linux, and Windows

The shift from “assistant” to “agent” is the key difference. Antigravity 2.0 doesn’t wait for you to tell it what to do next — it plans, executes, and verifies autonomously.

The Three Components of Antigravity 2.0

1. Desktop App (VS Code Fork)

The Antigravity Desktop App is a fork of VS Code with deep agent integration. It’s not just an extension — the entire editor is built around the agent workflow. You describe a task, and the agent system takes over: planning the approach, writing code, running tests, and iterating until the task is complete.

The desktop app is the most visual way to interact with Antigravity. You get real-time visibility into what each agent is doing, can approve or reject changes, and maintain full control over your codebase.

2. Antigravity CLI

The Antigravity CLI is built in Go and designed for terminal-native developers who don’t want to leave their existing editor setup. It provides the same agent capabilities as the desktop app but through a command-line interface.

This is the direct successor to Gemini CLI. If you were using Gemini CLI with subagents, the Antigravity CLI takes that concept much further with its multi-agent architecture.

Key CLI features:

Full agent capabilities (plan, execute, verify)
Multi-agent task decomposition
Secure sandboxed code execution
Function calling and structured output
Works alongside any editor (Vim, Emacs, VS Code, JetBrains)

3. SDK for Custom Agents

The Antigravity SDK lets you build custom agent workflows on top of the platform. You can define your own agent behaviors, chain them together, and integrate them into CI/CD pipelines, internal tools, or product features.

The SDK exposes the same primitives the desktop app and CLI use internally: code execution, file management, web browsing, and reasoning — all running in Google’s secure Linux sandbox.

Pricing and Subscription Tiers

Google Antigravity 2.0 uses a compute-based usage model that refreshes every 5 hours. This replaces the old daily prompt limits.

Tier	Price	Usage Limits	Notes
Google AI Pro	$20/month	Standard limits	Includes Antigravity access
Google AI Ultra	$100/month	5x higher limits	Priority access
Google AI Ultra+	$200/month	20x higher limits	For heavy professional use

All tiers support pay-as-you-go AI credits as top-ups when you hit your limit before the 5-hour refresh.

For a broader comparison of AI API pricing, see our AI API pricing comparison for 2026.

The $20/month Google AI Pro tier is competitive with Claude Code’s Pro plan and gives you access to the full Antigravity platform — desktop, CLI, and SDK. The higher tiers are aimed at professional developers and teams who need sustained heavy usage throughout the day.

How the Agent System Works

Antigravity 2.0’s core innovation is its multi-agent architecture. Here’s how it works:

Manager Agent: When you describe a task, a manager agent analyzes it and breaks it into subtasks
Parallel Execution: Multiple specialized agents work simultaneously — one writes code, another runs terminal commands, a third tests in the browser
Verification Loop: Agents verify each other’s work and iterate until the task passes all checks

This is fundamentally different from single-agent tools like Claude Code or Codex CLI, which process tasks sequentially. Antigravity’s parallel approach means complex tasks complete faster because agents aren’t waiting on each other.

The system supports:

Function calling: Agents can invoke external tools and APIs
Structured output: Responses follow defined schemas for reliable parsing
Search: Agents can search the web and your codebase
Code execution: All code runs in a secure Linux sandbox
Browser testing: Agents can interact with web UIs to verify frontend changes

Antigravity CLI Setup Guide

Getting started with the Antigravity CLI takes about two minutes:

Prerequisites

macOS, Linux, or Windows
Google AI Pro subscription ($20/month minimum)
Go 1.21+ (for building from source, optional)

Installation

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install google/antigravity/antigravity

Linux:

curl -fsSL https://antigravity.dev/install.sh | bash

Windows:

winget install Google.Antigravity

Authentication

antigravity auth login

This opens a browser window for Google OAuth. Once authenticated, your credentials are stored locally.

First Run

cd your-project
antigravity "Add input validation to the user registration endpoint"

The agent will analyze your codebase, plan the changes, implement them, and run your test suite to verify.

For a deeper dive into using Gemini 3.5 Flash with the CLI, check out our guide on how to use Gemini 3.5 Flash with Antigravity CLI.

Configuration

Create an .antigravity.yaml in your project root:

model: gemini-3.5-flash
sandbox: true
auto_approve: false
test_command: "npm test"

Setting auto_approve: false means the agent will show you planned changes before executing them — recommended when you’re getting started.

SDK Overview

The Antigravity SDK is available for Python, TypeScript, and Go. It exposes the managed agent as a programmable interface:

from antigravity import Agent, Task

agent = Agent(model="gemini-3.5-flash")

task = Task(
    description="Refactor the authentication module to use JWT",
    workspace="/path/to/project",
    constraints=["Don't modify the public API", "Maintain backward compatibility"]
)

result = agent.execute(task)
print(result.summary)
print(result.files_changed)

The SDK is particularly powerful for:

CI/CD integration: Automated code review, refactoring, and migration agents
Custom tooling: Build internal developer tools with agent capabilities
Product features: Embed coding agents in your own products via the Gemini API

A single API call to the managed agent gives you an agent that reasons, executes code, manages files, and browses the web — all in a secure Linux sandbox. No infrastructure to manage.

For developers building agent workflows with external tool integration, the MCP protocol remains relevant for connecting agents to custom data sources.

Antigravity 2.0 vs Claude Code vs Codex CLI

Here’s how the three major agentic coding tools compare as of May 2026:

Feature	Antigravity 2.0	Claude Code	Codex CLI
Interface	Desktop + CLI + SDK	CLI only	CLI only
Model	Gemini 3.5 Flash	Claude Opus 4.7 / Sonnet	GPT-5.5
Speed	289 tok/s	~80 tok/s	~120 tok/s
Multi-agent	Yes (parallel)	No (single agent)	Yes (sequential)
SWE-Bench	Strong	Best-in-class	Strong
Desktop App	Yes (VS Code fork)	No	No
SDK	Yes	API available	API available
Pricing	From $20/month	From $20/month	From $20/month
Sandbox	Secure Linux	Container-based	Container-based

Bottom line: Antigravity 2.0 wins on speed and breadth (IDE + CLI + SDK). Claude Code still leads on raw coding quality per SWE-Bench benchmarks. Codex CLI sits in between. Your choice depends on whether you value speed and integration (Antigravity), code quality (Claude Code), or OpenAI ecosystem lock-in (Codex).

For a detailed breakdown, see our Claude Code vs Codex vs Gemini Agents 2026 comparison.

Gemini CLI Retirement Notice

Google has confirmed that Gemini CLI is being retired for consumer users. Antigravity 2.0’s CLI is the direct replacement.

What this means:

Existing Gemini CLI installations will continue to work through Q3 2026
No new features will be added to Gemini CLI
Migration path: antigravity migrate --from-gemini-cli imports your configuration
Enterprise customers on Vertex AI retain access to Gemini CLI for now

If you’re currently using Gemini CLI, start migrating now. The Antigravity CLI is a superset of Gemini CLI’s capabilities. Everything you could do before, you can still do — plus multi-agent workflows, the SDK, and the faster Gemini 3.5 Flash model.

Read our Gemini CLI complete guide for context on what’s being replaced.

Limitations

Antigravity 2.0 is impressive, but it’s not perfect:

Subscription required: Heavy use requires at least $20/month. The free tier (if any) is extremely limited
Compute-based limits can be opaque: It’s not always clear how much compute a task will consume
SWE-Bench gap: While fast, Gemini 3.5 Flash doesn’t match Claude Opus 4.7 on complex reasoning tasks
Desktop app is a VS Code fork: If you’re invested in JetBrains or another IDE, you’re limited to the CLI
Early SDK: The SDK is new and the ecosystem of community agents is still forming
Sandbox limitations: The secure Linux sandbox doesn’t support all system configurations — GPU workloads, custom kernel modules, and some network configurations aren’t available
5-hour refresh window: If you burn through compute early, you either wait or pay for top-up credits

FAQ

Is Google Antigravity 2.0 free?

Antigravity 2.0 requires a Google AI Pro subscription ($20/month) for meaningful use. There may be a limited free trial, but sustained development work requires a paid tier. All tiers support pay-as-you-go top-up credits.

Does Antigravity CLI replace Gemini CLI?

Yes. Google has confirmed Gemini CLI is being retired for consumer users. Antigravity CLI is the direct replacement with a superset of features. Use antigravity migrate --from-gemini-cli to import your existing configuration.

What model does Antigravity 2.0 use?

Antigravity 2.0 is powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash — specifically a 12x optimized version built for the platform. It outputs at 289 tokens per second, making it one of the fastest coding agents available.

Can I use Antigravity CLI with my existing editor?

Yes. The CLI works independently of any editor. You can use it alongside VS Code, Vim, Neovim, Emacs, JetBrains IDEs, or any other editor. The desktop app is optional.

How does Antigravity 2.0 compare to Claude Code?

Antigravity offers more surface area (desktop + CLI + SDK vs CLI-only) and faster output speed. Claude Code currently produces higher-quality code on complex tasks according to SWE-Bench. See our full comparison for details.

What is the Antigravity managed agent API?

It’s a single API call on the Gemini API that gives you a full coding agent. The agent reasons, executes code, manages files, and browses the web in a secure Linux sandbox. No infrastructure setup required — ideal for embedding agent capabilities in your own products.

Does Antigravity 2.0 work on Windows?

Yes. Antigravity 2.0 is available on macOS, Linux, and Windows. The desktop app, CLI, and SDK all support all three platforms.

What happens when I hit my usage limit?

Usage is compute-based and refreshes every 5 hours. If you hit your limit before the refresh, you can purchase pay-as-you-go AI credits as a top-up. Higher subscription tiers ($100/month or $200/month) provide 5x and 20x the standard limits respectively.

What’s Next

Google Antigravity 2.0 represents a clear shift in how Google thinks about developer tools — from assistants to agents, from single-model to multi-agent, from CLI-only to full platform.

Whether it’s the best AI coding tool in 2026 depends on your priorities. For speed and platform breadth, it’s hard to beat. For raw code quality on complex tasks, Claude Code still has an edge. For choosing between them, check our guide on how to choose an AI coding agent in 2026.

The AI startup race is accelerating, and tools like Antigravity 2.0 are why. Developers who master these agent-first workflows will ship faster than those who don’t.

Related reading: