Claude Code
GitHub CopilotAbout Continue
Continue is an open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that brings chat, tab autocomplete and agent-style edits into the editor you already use — with whatever model you choose. It's built to be configured and extended rather than used as a fixed black box.
You point it at any provider or a local model, define custom commands and context sources, and keep everything transparent and under your control. That flexibility makes it a favourite open alternative to GitHub Copilot and Cursor.
It's Apache-2.0 licensed with a large community and a growing library of blocks and assistants you can share. For teams that want a customizable, model-agnostic AI assistant across both major IDE families, Continue is a top open pick.
What makes it different
Inline autocomplete, a chat sidebar and agent edits, all inside VS Code or JetBrains.
Connect any provider or run a local model — you decide what powers each feature.
Define custom commands, context providers and assistants, and share them as blocks.
Self-hostable and transparent, so your code and configuration stay yours.
TypeScript
VS Code
JetBrainsThe honest read
- Works in both VS Code and JetBrains
- Chat, autocomplete and agent edits in one tool
- Model-agnostic — use any provider or local model
- Highly customizable with shareable blocks
- Apache-2.0 licensed with a strong community
- Configuration depth can be daunting at first
- You supply and pay for your own model usage
- Autocomplete quality depends on the model chosen
- Less turnkey than a bundled commercial tool
Quick answers
Yes — Continue is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license. You only pay for the model provider you connect, or nothing with a local model.
Continue is open source and model-agnostic — you choose any provider or local model and customize it deeply — while Copilot is a closed, subscription product tied to its own models.
Yes — Continue has extensions for both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.
Yes — you can point Continue at a local model, so no code leaves your machine.
Yes — it offers inline tab autocomplete alongside chat and agent edits.
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