compare / gemini managed
Aethereum vs Gemini Managed Agents
Managed Agents in the Gemini API spin up a Google-hosted Linux sandbox with one API call: the agent reasons, executes code, and browses inside Google's environment, powered by Gemini's Antigravity agent, with your repository cloned into that sandbox. Aethereum is the control plane for the agents you already run, Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and Gemini CLI included, executing on your own machines or CI, so your source never leaves your boundary. In one line: their agent in their cloud, versus your agents under your management.
compared here: Google Antigravity agent, Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform managed agents
The honest comparison
Capability by capability. Green means yes, amber means partial, a dash means no. Where Gemini Managed is genuinely stronger, the table says so.
| capability | Aethereum | Gemini Managed |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-machine coordination | yesagents on different machines stay on one set of contracts | nono cross-agent coordination documented; subagent delegation unsupported |
| Cross-developer awareness | yesyour agent sees a teammate's uncommitted change | noeach agent runs alone in its sandbox; no agent-to-agent surface documented |
| Works with any MCP agent | yesClaude Code, Cursor, Codex, anything MCP | noGemini only: base_agent is locked to the Antigravity model |
| Shared interface contracts | yesdeclare_contract, versioned + dependency-aware | no |
| Contract negotiation | yespropose, push back, finalize a shape change | no |
| Collision alert before merge | yeswarned the moment a dependency changes | no |
| Operator directives | yesone standing order pins to every agent's context | partialstatic instruction files, not a live directive |
| Soft-lock claims | yesclaim a file, overlap is flagged to others | no |
| Tickets / work assignment | yesassign tickets to agents from the cockpit | noan API of interactions, not a work board |
| Durable team memory | yesdecisions + plan persist across sessions + machines | partialsandbox files persist, retained 7 days offline; no shared team log |
| Live dashboard | yeswatch the whole fleet coordinate in real time | nointeraction states over the API; no fleet dashboard documented |
| CLI cockpit | yesaethereum mission to steer from the terminal | noan API surface, not a cockpit |
| GitHub / Slack / Linear | partialintegrations are early | partialrepos clone into the sandbox; creds injected by an egress proxy |
| MCP-native | yesthe whole surface is MCP tools | partialagents connect OUT to remote MCP servers; coordination is not an MCP surface |
| Source code stays private | yesby default only the interfaces an agent publishes leave the machine; opt-in code sharing is end-to-end encrypted, so the server holds only ciphertext it cannot read | noyour repo is cloned into a Google-hosted sandbox to run |
| Zero-install / quick setup | yesone command, about thirty seconds | yesa single API call provisions the sandbox |
| Pricing | yesfree to start, no card | partialpreview: standard Gemini token rates; sandbox compute unbilled during preview |
where aethereum is stronger
- Runs everyone's coding agents: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini CLI, anything MCP; no model lock-in.
- Your code stays yours: runs execute on your machines or your CI; the server carries coordination metadata, never source.
- A team layer: shared contracts, collision alerts, negotiation, tickets, and a live control room across developers and machines.
- Guarded autopilot with enforced budgets and an approvals inbox; a run is killed at its budget, not warned.
where gemini managed is stronger
- True zero infrastructure: one API call provisions an isolated Linux sandbox, nothing to install anywhere.
- A managed harness with environment persistence (snapshots, file retention) that you never operate.
- First-party Gemini integration, remote MCP tool connections, and Google-managed credential injection via an egress proxy.
When to use which
use aethereum: Use Aethereum when a team runs coding agents it already trusts, on infrastructure it controls, and wants management on top: scheduling, budgets, approvals, cross-agent coordination, and source that never leaves the boundary.
use gemini managed: Use Gemini Managed Agents when you want a hosted, Gemini-powered agent with zero infrastructure, and cloning your repository into Google's sandbox fits your security posture.
Common questions
Where does my code go with each?
With Gemini Managed Agents, your repository is cloned into a Linux sandbox hosted by Google, where the agent executes; Google's docs describe environment sources for Git repos with credentials injected by an egress proxy. With Aethereum, runs execute on your own machines or your own CI, and the server stores only coordination metadata (contracts, intent, run summaries and numbers), never your source.
Can Gemini Managed Agents run Claude Code or Cursor?
No. Google's docs state the only supported base agent is the Antigravity agent (a Gemini model). Aethereum is vendor-neutral: it coordinates and manages whichever MCP-speaking agents your team already uses, including Gemini CLI.
Do Gemini Managed Agents coordinate multiple agents as a team?
Google's docs describe single-agent interactions and explicitly note that subagent delegation is not yet supported; no cross-agent or cross-developer coordination surface is documented. Team coordination is Aethereum's core: shared interface contracts, collision alerts before merge, negotiation, and a live team room.
Which is cheaper?
They price differently. Managed Agents is pay-as-you-go on standard Gemini token rates (sandbox compute is not billed during the preview, per Google's pricing page). Aethereum is currently free, and the compute for runs is whatever your own machines or CI minutes already cost you.
Can I use both together?
Yes in principle: Managed Agents expose remote MCP connections, and Aethereum's coordination surface is MCP. But today the practical pairing is Aethereum managing your local Gemini CLI agents alongside Claude Code and Cursor, all in one room.
Make your agents one team.
Free, no signup, no card. One command, about thirty seconds. Your agents share contracts, claim what they touch, and warn each other before merge.
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