[Google Antigravity]: The Free AI IDE That Actually Understands "Weekend Projects"
Google Antigravity is a standalone, agentic code editor that combines the blistering speed of Gemini 3 with the deep reasoning of Claude Opus 4.5—for free. The headline feature isn't just the tech, but the unique "Weekly Allowance" model that lets hobbyists burn through massive compute on Saturday and recover by next Friday.
🎨 What It Actually Does
- The Dual-Core Brain: It automatically routes your requests. Simple UI tweaks go to Gemini 3 Pro (fast, cheap), while complex architectural logic is handled by Opus 4.5 (smart, expensive). – You stop wasting "smart" tokens on CSS edits and stop getting "dumb" answers on database schema.
- Agentic Autonomy: Unlike a standard chatbot, Antigravity has permission to control your terminal and a headless browser. – It doesn't just write the code; it installs the packages, runs the server, and checks
localhost:3000to see if it actually works. - Weekly Context Cache: The editor "remembers" your project state for 7 days. – You don't have to re-explain your entire codebase every time you log in for a quick fix.
The Real Cost (Free vs. Paid)
The "catch" here is the reset timer. Unlike competitors that throttle you daily, Antigravity gives you a massive bucket of credits that resets once a week. This is perfect for binge-coding but risky for daily grinders.
| Plan | Cost | Key Limits/Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Weekly Limit Reset (approx. 50 Opus 4.5 requests/week) |
| Pro | $20/mo | Limits reset every 5 hours + Priority Processing |
How It Stacks Up
- vs. Cursor: Cursor is still the king of daily reliability and UX polish. However, Antigravity’s free tier grants access to Opus 4.5, a model that is often gatekept behind a paywall on other platforms.
- vs. GitHub Copilot: Copilot is faster for simple autocomplete but lacks the "Agentic" ability to run terminals or browsers independently. Antigravity feels more like a junior developer; Copilot is just a really smart spellchecker.
- vs. Windsurf: Windsurf offers better "flow" state, but Antigravity wins on raw model power by letting you use Gemini 3 and Opus 4.5 simultaneously without configuring your own API keys.
The Verdict
Google Antigravity is the first AI tool designed specifically for the "Burst Creative." It understands that creativity often doesn't happen in neat, daily 50-credit increments; it happens in manic, caffeine-fueled sprints. By offering a weekly quota, it empowers you to build an entire MVP in one sitting without hitting a paywall. It’s not just a coding tool; it’s an invitation to finish that side project you’ve been ignoring for months.
