Generative AI has seamlessly integrated itself into a wide range of products and services, benefiting various sectors to differing degrees. Among these applications, AI-assisted coding stands out as particularly effective. Developers—from independent coders to large corporations—are increasingly utilizing generative tools for software creation and debugging. Now, indie developers have access to a groundbreaking AI coding assistant at no cost: Google has launched Gemini Code Assist, making it available to everyone.

Initially introduced late last year as an enterprise solution, the updated Gemini Code Assist retains nearly all its original functionalities. While standard tools like Gemini or alternative AI models such as ChatGPT can aid with coding challenges, Gemini Code Assist is specifically engineered to integrate effortlessly into developers’ existing workflows. This allows users to harness the capabilities of a large language model (LLM) without the hassle of switching between applications. With Gemini Code Assist directly linked to your development environment, the model will be continuously informed about your code and ready to provide on-demand suggestions. It can also tackle specific issues based on your inputs, and you can engage in conversations about your code, provided you’re using a language in the public domain.

Upon its initial release, Gemini Code Assist was priced at $45 per month per user. However, it is now available for free to individual developers, with generous limits on its free tier. According to Google, the product offers 180,000 code completions each month, which is designed to cater even to the most active professional developers. In comparison, Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot provides similar capabilities but is restricted to just 2,000 code completions and 50 Copilot chat messages monthly. Google has highlighted that Gemini Code Assist delivers an impressive 90 times the completions offered by Copilot, making it a compelling choice for developers seeking robust AI support.