Gemini gems vs Claude skills: how they compare as Gems become skills

Gemini gems vs Claude skills comes down to this: Google is turning Gems into skills, so from November 17, 2026 the two products use the same idea, a folder with a SKILL.md file. Claude skills are further along on sharing and reach more products, while Gemini skills are new and still missing sharing and Drive files, according to Google's help page and Anthropic's docs.

This comparison is based on the products' docs and published results, not hands-on testing. Details are as of November 5, 2026.

What changes for Gems on November 17

On November 17, 2026, Gems on personal Google accounts (age 18 and over) become read-only and move to skills. On December 17, 2026, Gems are removed from the Gemini app. Google says Gems convert to skills automatically, and that Opal and Gems by Google Labs also go away in November 2026.

Work and school accounts come later. Google lists March 2027 for Workspace business, enterprise and non-profit accounts, and June 2027 for Workspace education. People under 18 move on a later date that Google hasn't given. If you want the steps to move a Gem, that's a separate job and not covered here.

Gemini gems vs Gemini skills vs Claude skills

Claude's prices come from claude.com/pricing. Google's help pages for Gems and skills don't tie either feature to a paid plan. Google's own plans, listed on its subscriptions page, run from free to Google AI Ultra at $99.99 a month and up.

Format: both use SKILL.md

The shared file name is the main news. A Claude skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file, and it can include extra markdown files, scripts and reference material. Claude reads only each skill's name and description at first, and loads the full instructions when a request matches. Anthropic says a skill's metadata costs about 100 tokens until it is used.

Gemini skills look similar from the outside. Google says Gemini can apply a skill when it fits the prompt, you can call one by typing "/" and its name, and you can stack several in one chat. Google also lets you upload SKILL.md files from other platforms in the web and Mac apps. Neither company's docs say a skill built for one product is guaranteed to run unchanged on the other, so test before you rely on it.

Sharing and availability

Sharing is the biggest gap today. Google lists skill sharing and Drive files as coming in "the coming weeks" and gives no date. Gems could already be shared, so for a few weeks Gemini users lose something they had.

Claude's sharing depends on where you use it. On claude.ai, the Agent Skills overview says custom skills are individual to each user, while Anthropic's help center says Team and Enterprise owners can provision skills for all members. The two pages differ in wording, so check your own admin settings. Skills don't sync across surfaces: a skill uploaded to claude.ai has to be uploaded again to the API.

For more on how skills work in Claude, see our guide on how to use skills in Claude.

Plan access also differs between Anthropic pages: the help center lists Free among the plans with skills, while the platform docs list custom skills in claude.ai on Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise only.

Limits that matter

Gemini skills allow 100 MB of files per skill and 100 active skills. They don't work with Canvas or Deep Research, and most default Gem tools (Create video, Create music, Guided Learning) aren't available with them. Audio, video, archives and old Office formats can't be attached.

Claude skills run in a code execution environment, so they need code execution turned on in claude.ai. On the API, skills run in a sandbox with no network access and no package installs. Skills are also not covered by zero data retention.

Which one to use

If you live in Gemini, you don't choose: your Gems become skills. The question is whether you need sharing before Google ships it. If your Gems are shared with a team, expect a gap.

If you work across a chat app, a coding agent and an API, Claude's skills reach more places today, though each place keeps its own copy. If you need skills that run code, check the sandbox rules above first. Both products tell you to treat skills like installed software, because a skill can carry scripts.