CLIProxyAPI
Wrap Gemini CLI, Antigravity, ChatGPT Codex, Claude Code, Qwen Code, iFlow as an OpenAI/Gemini/Claude/Codex compatible API service, allowing you to enjoy the free Gemini 2.5 Pro, GPT 5, Claude, Qwen model through API
The Lens
By Erik Loyd, SaaS CEO and former COO/CFO of an AWS Premier Partner.
Updated Aug 2026
CLIProxyAPI wraps existing AI coding CLIs, Gemini CLI, Claude Code, ChatGPT Codex, and others, and exposes them as OpenAI/Gemini/Claude-compatible API endpoints. The pitch is that you get access to models like Gemini 2.5 Pro and GPT-5 through their free CLI tiers, served as a standard API you can plug into any app.
Let me be direct: this is a proxy that routes around pricing by using free CLI tools as backends, and exploding because free model access is irresistible. The homepage points to a subscription service at z.ai.
The catch: this sits in a gray area. You're wrapping free CLI tools and serving them as APIs, which likely violates the terms of service for most of those CLIs. The sustainability of this approach depends entirely on providers not shutting it down. The MIT license covers the code, but the underlying model access is not yours to redistribute. Use at your own risk.
Free vs Self-Hosted vs Paid
open coreThe CLI proxy itself is MIT-licensed and free to self-host. However, the homepage links to z.ai which offers a subscription-based hosted service.
Self-hosted: free, but you're responsible for maintaining the CLI tool installations and handling rate limits from upstream providers. The 'free' model access depends on the free tiers of Gemini CLI, Claude Code, etc.; those providers can change terms at any time.
Hosted (z.ai): subscription pricing, details on their site.
The real cost is risk. If Google, Anthropic, or OpenAI crack down on CLI-to-API proxying, your integration breaks overnight.
Free to self-host but built on borrowed time. The upstream free tiers can disappear.
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License: MIT License
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