Claude Code vs antigravity: A Complete Comparison of AI Assistants for Developers 2026

Two philosophies are clashing in the realm of AI assistants for developers in 2026. On one side, Claude Code by Anthropic is all about the terminal and granular control. On the other, Google Antigravity pushes agent autonomy to the limit, orchestrating multiple AIs running in parallel.

Choosing between these two tools is less about raw performance and more about how you like to work. Let’s dive into the details to help you decide.

Claude Code: The Terminal at the Developer’s Service

Claude Code operates in a terminal-first mode. You launch your commands from the CLI or via extensions for VS Code and JetBrains.

The agent analyzes your codebase, suggests modifications, but will always wait for your approval before writing anything. This approach reassures enterprise teams and environments where security is paramount.

What’s under the hood? Claude Opus 4.5 or Sonnet 4.5, with scores around 80% on SWE-bench. These models excel at structured reasoning: multi-file refactoring, dependency analysis, debugging CI/CD pipelines.

If you’re working on Infrastructure as Code or complex migrations, Claude quickly becomes indispensable.

Claude Code achieves a first-try success rate of about 33% on autonomous tasks, but its iterative approach delivers reliable results in just a few passes.

Integration with the MCP protocol lets you connect Slack, Notion, and other tools. For developers juggling between documentation, tickets, and code, it’s a real timesaver. If you’re curious about how AI agents are transforming development workflows, Claude Code is a prime example of this trend.

Antigravity: Google’s Autonomous IDE

Launched in November 2025, Antigravity takes a radically different approach. Google has created a standalone IDE (a fork of VS Code) where several Gemini 3 agents work in parallel. You define a mission, and the agents get to work: one handles the code, another runs browser tests, a third interacts with the local database.

This multi-agent orchestration is a hit with startups wanting to ship fast. Linus Torvalds himself uses Antigravity for what he calls “vibe coding”—coding while letting the AI propose and execute, with only light monitoring. The near-zero latency (local execution) makes everything feel seamless.

Key point: Antigravity natively integrates browser automation and UI testing. For a full-stack app with a web interface, you can ask the agent to click, fill forms, and validate rendering—no Selenium scripts required.

Gemini 3 Pro clocks in at 76.2% on SWE-bench. Lower than Claude on paper, but the gap only shows up in deep reasoning tasks.

For rapid feature generation or prototyping, Antigravity delivers. For surgical refactoring across 50 interdependent files, Claude remains ahead.

Detailed Criteria Comparison

Performance and Accuracy

Benchmarks tell part of the story. Claude Opus 4.5 leads with ~80.9% on SWE-bench, versus 76.2% for Gemini 3.

But these numbers only measure isolated bug resolution. In real-world conditions, Claude shines on tasks requiring an understanding of overall architecture. Antigravity is best when you need parallelization—generating backend code while another agent tests the frontend.

Latency and Responsiveness

Claude Code runs through Anthropic’s cloud API. During intensive loops (dozens of successive changes), latency adds up. Antigravity runs locally, eliminating this issue. For “vibe coding” where you iterate every 30 seconds, the difference is noticeable.

Pricing

Claude Code costs around $150/month for premium access. Anthropic justifies this with time savings for senior profiles; user feedback confirms this ROI in enterprise settings. Antigravity is still in preview with no public pricing yet, but Google is betting on its Gemini Code Assist ecosystem to woo businesses.

Integrations and Ecosystem

Claude Code fits right into your existing stack: VS Code, JetBrains, Unix/Windows terminal. The MCP protocol links your productivity tools. Antigravity requires its dedicated IDE but, in exchange, gives you browser access, automated UI testing, and direct interaction with local databases.

Use Cases: Which Tool for Whom?

Choose Claude Code If…

• You work in DevOps or Platform Engineering with lots of IaC
• Your codebase needs structural refactoring across dozens of files
• You’re in an enterprise setting with strict validation requirements
• You prefer maintaining control over every change

Choose Antigravity If…

• You develop full-stack apps with web interfaces
• You’re at a startup and speed of delivery trumps perfection
• You want to automate UI tests without extra scripting
• “Vibe coding” with light supervision suits your style

Both tools amplify the inherent quality of your codebase. Poor documentation or messy code will drag down performance, whichever assistant you choose.

Limitations to Know Before You Start

Claude Code depends heavily on your documentation quality. Without clear context, the agent can just spin its wheels. API latency can also be frustrating in long sessions. The 33% first-attempt rate means you’ll often go through 2–3 iterations.

Antigravity is still young (less than a year old). Multi-agent orchestration requires some adjustment: tracking several agents in parallel adds a cognitive load. Without supervision, autonomous errors can pile up—especially in complex tasks where Gemini 3’s reasoning shows its limits.

Google continues to improve its models. To follow the ecosystem’s evolution, check out our article on Gemini 2.5 Ultra for a look at Google’s current AI trajectory.

Verdict: No Clear Winner

Comparing Claude Code and Antigravity is like comparing a precision screwdriver to a cordless drill. Both make holes, but in different ways and for different purposes.

Claude Code is for developers who want an intelligent but obedient copilot. You keep your hands on the wheel, the AI suggests the route. Antigravity is for those who’d rather set a destination and let the AI drive—keeping a watchful eye from the passenger seat.

Best advice? Test both on a real project from your codebase. Benchmarks will never replace 48 hours of hands-on experience to see which one fits your workflow.

For deeper exploration, check out the official Claude Code documentation and try out each tool’s features on your specific use cases.

FAQ

Does Claude Code work without an Internet connection?

No. Claude Code uses Anthropic’s cloud API to process requests. A stable connection is required. Antigravity, on the other hand, runs part of its processing locally.

Can you use Claude Code and Antigravity on the same project?

Technically, yes. Some developers use Antigravity for rapid prototyping and Claude Code for refactoring and stabilization phases. The tools don’t conflict with each other.

Which tool uses more local system resources?

Antigravity demands more local resources since it runs a full IDE with multi-agent execution. Claude Code only needs lightweight extensions; most work happens server-side.

Do both tools support “exotic” programming languages?

Claude Code and Antigravity cover the major languages (Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust, Java). For less common languages like Elixir or Haskell, Claude Code generally performs better thanks to Opus 4.5’s reasoning.

How do you handle errors generated by Antigravity in autonomous mode?

Antigravity provides a “mission control” view to monitor each agent. You can interrupt, correct, or restart a specific agent. Keep an eye on the logs during early sessions.

Can Claude Code run tests automatically?

Yes, via terminal commands. You can ask it to run your test suite and iterate on the code until the tests pass. Antigravity’s native browser automation is still more advanced for UI testing.

Which tool is best for a solo freelance developer?

Antigravity if you build full web apps and want to deliver fast. Claude Code if your clients have strict requirements for code quality and documentation of changes.

Can enterprises self-host these tools?

Claude Code currently works only via the Anthropic API. Antigravity offers more flexibility with local execution, but the Gemini 3 model still runs on Google’s servers.

What’s the learning curve for each tool?

Claude Code takes just a few hours to learn if you’re comfortable with the terminal. Antigravity requires more time to master multi-agent orchestration and effective supervision.

Do these tools replace a junior developer?

Not really. They boost the productivity of experienced developers who know what to ask and how to validate results. Without technical expertise, you risk accepting buggy or poorly architected code.