How is Continue different from GitHub Copilot?

Continue is fundamentally open-source and model-agnostic, which means you can choose any LLM to power it, including models you run locally on your own machine. This gives you complete control over your data, privacy, and costs. GitHub Copilot is a proprietary product tightly integrated with Microsoft/OpenAI's models and infrastructure, offering less flexibility and control.

Can I use Continue completely for free?

Yes, the core Continue extension is open-source and free to use. To make it work, you must connect it to a large language model. You can achieve a completely free setup by using an open-source model running locally through a tool like Ollama.

Does Continue work offline?

Yes, Continue can function entirely offline. To do this, you must configure the extension to use a large language model (LLM) that is running locally on your computer, for example, through a platform like Ollama or LM Studio.

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Continue

Freemium

ai coding assistantopen sourcedeveloper toolvs code extensionjetbrains pluginself-hostedollamacode generationprivacygithub copilot alternative

An open-source AI coding assistant that functions as an IDE extension, allowing developers to use any large language model, self-host for privacy, and customize their entire development workflow.

Try it out

Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant designed to enhance developer productivity by bringing large language models directly into the IDE. It operates as a versatile extension for VS Code and JetBrains, offering features like intelligent autocompletion, a contextual chat interface, and slash commands for automated actions. The core value proposition of Continue is its focus on customization and privacy, enabling developers to connect to any LLM, including OpenAI, Anthropic, or self-hosted models via Ollama. This flexibility empowers individuals and teams to maintain full control over their data, avoid vendor lock-in, and tailor the AI's behavior to their specific codebase. By combining a rich feature set with an extensible, open-source framework, Continue establishes itself as a powerful, developer-centric alternative to proprietary coding assistants like GitHub Copilot.

Pros

Open-source and highly customizable, allowing connection to any LLM API or local model.
Strong emphasis on privacy and security with self-hosting capabilities to keep code on-premises.
Seamless integration into popular IDEs, including Visual Studio Code and all JetBrains editors.
Allows for custom context providers, enabling the AI to reference specific files, terminal output, or documentation.
Can operate fully offline when connected to a local LLM via Ollama or similar tools.

Cons

Initial setup for local models and self-hosting can be complex for less technical users.
Performance with local models is highly dependent on user's hardware and can be slower than cloud-based competitors.
The user interface and feature polish may lag slightly behind more mature, proprietary tools.
Quality of AI suggestions is directly tied to the chosen third-party LLM, which can vary significantly.

Key features

IDE Chat Panel for contextual Q&A about the codebase
Intelligent Code Autocompletion
In-line editing and refactoring using natural language
Model-agnostic support for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and local models via Ollama
Customizable slash commands (e.g., /edit, /test, /debug)
Context providers for adding specific files, URLs, or terminal output to the AI's context
Codebase indexing for repository-wide awareness

Integrations

Visual Studio CodeJetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.)OllamaOpenAI APIAnthropic APIGoogle AI (Gemini)LM StudioTogether AIGitHubGitLab

Target audience

Individual software developers, software engineering teams, and enterprises focused on code privacy, security, and AI tool customization, especially those wanting to use local LLMs.

Ratings & Reviews

0.0

Based on 0 reviews

Key Metrics

Active Users

200k+ installs on VS Code

Founded

2023

Headquarters

San Francisco, USA

Pricing Tiers

Open Source

Core IDE extension for VS Code & JetBrains. Supports any LLM, self-hosting for privacy, codebase context, and community support.

Free

Pro

Includes all open-source features plus Continue Cloud for synced history and remote profiles, team management, and pre-configured premium models.

$20/mo

Enterprise

All Pro features plus self-hosting options for all components, advanced role-based access control (RBAC), audit logs, SOC 2 compliance, and dedicated support.

Custom

Frequently Asked Questions

Top Alternatives to Continue

GitHub Copilot

Choose Copilot for its seamless, out-of-the-box experience and deep integration with the GitHub ecosystem, offering top-tier performance with minimal setup.

Cody by Sourcegraph

Cody excels at understanding entire codebases, making it a powerful choice for developers needing deep contextual awareness for code navigation and generation in large projects.

Tabnine

Tabnine is a strong alternative that also supports local and self-hosted models, often praised for its specialized code completion models and enterprise security features.

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