Gemini CLI Skills vs Extensions

Gemini CLI users often search for skills and extensions in the same session because the terms sit close together. The clean way to think about it is simple: skills package reusable workflows, while extensions usually widen capability or integration boundaries.

Use the platform page for browsing

If your question is “what Gemini CLI skills can I browse right now,” start with the Gemini CLI platform collection. That page is the best place to browse what is available.

This guide exists for the comparison layer: when a workflow should stay as a skill, when an extension is the better abstraction, and how commands fit in.

A practical rule of thumb

• Use a skill when the value is process and repeatability.
• Use an extension when the value is capability exposure or product integration.
• Use commands when the interaction needs a lightweight direct entry point.

Why this matters for evaluation

Many searches that look like “gemini cli skills” are actually asking for the boundary between these concepts. That is why this guide sits next to the platform page instead of replacing it.

Recommended next steps

Start with Gemini CLI skills, then continue with How to install Gemini CLI skills if you are already at the setup stage.