Continue

Continue is an open-source AI code assistant platform that brings customizable chat, autocomplete, and editing to VS Code and JetBrains.

Overview

Continue lets developers build their own AI coding assistant from composable blocks: models, context providers, rules, and tools, configured in a simple YAML file. Use it for codebase-aware chat, inline autocomplete, and multi-file edits without locking into a single vendor’s model. The Continue Hub provides a registry of shareable blocks and enterprise controls for teams that need governed model access. Because everything is open source, you can run fully against local models and keep code private.

Continue treats an AI assistant as configurable infrastructure rather than a fixed product. The blocks system lets platform teams approve specific models and context providers centrally, then distribute configuration to every developer through version control. This governance model is one reason enterprises adopt it alongside, or instead of, commercial copilots.

For individual developers, the ability to run entirely on local models keeps source code private and costs predictable, while the same interface can switch to frontier models for harder problems.

Teams also appreciate that configuration is text-based and reviewable, so changes to model policy follow the same governance as code changes.

Key Features

• Configurable chat, autocomplete, and inline edit powered by any model provider
• YAML-based configuration for models, context providers, rules, and system prompts
• Continue Hub registry of reusable blocks with team sharing and access control
• Codebase context from files, documentation, git history, and issue trackers
• Runs with local models (Ollama, llama.cpp) for fully offline development
• VS Code and JetBrains support with agent mode for multi-step tasks

Pricing

The core extension is free and open source. Teams can subscribe to Continue Hub for shared configuration, analytics, and enterprise governance, while model costs are paid to whichever providers you connect.

Who Is It For

Engineering teams that want to standardize AI assistance across editors while keeping control of models, prompts, and data. It is also a favorite of developers who run local models for privacy or cost reasons.

FAQ

Is Continue free to use?

Yes, the open-source extension is free; paid plans exist only for team features on Continue Hub, plus your own model costs.

Does Continue offer an API?

Continue is delivered as editor extensions and a hub service, and it integrates with any OpenAI-compatible model API plus MCP tool servers.

How does Continue compare to alternatives?

Unlike single-vendor assistants, Continue is fully configurable and vendor-neutral, giving teams more control than Copilot while staying lighter than a full AI IDE.