Continue
Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains
- Open Source
- VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Self-hosted
- AI Code AssistantsWritingCode
- Open source
- Free forever
What is Continue?
Key features
Inline code completion
Get contextual code suggestions as you type in your editor
Chat interface
Ask questions about your code and get explanations or suggestions without switching tools
Multiple model support
Connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, open-source models, or self-hosted options
Keyboard shortcuts
Quick access to common actions like refactoring, documentation generation, and debugging help
Codebase awareness
The assistant can reference your project files and understand broader context
Open-source codebase
Full visibility into how the tool works and ability to self-host
Pros & cons
Advantages
- Free and open-source with no vendor lock-in; you control the data and can modify the tool
- Works with multiple AI models, so you can switch providers or use cheaper alternatives as they emerge
- Tight IDE integration for VS Code and JetBrains means minimal context switching
- Self-hosting option available for teams with privacy or compliance requirements
Limitations
- Requires technical setup if you want to self-host or use non-default models; not as simple as commercial alternatives
- Quality and speed depend on which underlying AI model you connect, so performance varies
- Community-driven support rather than dedicated customer support teams
Use cases
Developers wanting AI code assistance without monthly subscription costs
Teams that need to keep code private and can't use cloud-based AI services
Engineers experimenting with different language models to find the best fit
Open-source projects looking for a maintainable, transparent code assistant
Companies with strict data governance requirements who need self-hosted solutions
Ready to try Continue?
Pricing
Free
Free
Full open-source tool with core code completion and chat features. Bring your own API keys for language models.
Get started with Continue
Click through to Continue and start using it now.
- Open source
- Free forever