Continue
Source-controlled AI checks and configurable coding assistants across IDEs, terminal, and CI/CD pipelines.
What is Continue?
Continue is an open-source AI platform (Apache 2.0) that brings flexible, developer-controlled AI assistance into IDEs, terminals, and CI/CD pipelines. It supports an agent‑based model where developers can define AI checks in markdown that run on pull requests, providing pass/fail status and optional fixes. Continue integrates with any language model (commercial or local), enables inline autocomplete, chat, edit and multi‑step agent workflows via IDE extensions and CLI, and offers a Hub for sharing configurations and agents across teams.
What you can do with it
Inline code completion
Provides AI suggestions as you type within your existing IDE using your preferred models.
Context-aware code chat
Allows conversational interactions with your codebase, referencing files, recent edits, and semantic context.
Natural‑language code editing
Enables users to highlight code and instruct edits via natural-language prompts, applied as diffs.
Automated multi‑step code transformations
Runs agent workflows that can traverse your repo, run terminal commands, and perform refactors with permission.
Team assistant sharing
Using Continue Hub, teams can publish, centralize, and deploy shared AI assistants with predefined prompts and model configs.
Terminal‑first workflows and CI/CD automation
Uses CLI modes for headless or TUI workflows, enabling scripted builds, pre‑commit hooks, and integration into pipelines.
Key features
- IDE-integrated autocomplete, chat, edit, and agent modes
- Supports VS Code and JetBrains editors
- Model‑agnostic backend routing across cloud and local models
- Configurable via JSON/YAML, including model roles and custom slash commands
- Context providers for file, codebase, terminal, docs, and more
- Continue Hub for sharing and managing team‑wide assistant configurations
- CLI with TUI and headless modes for scripting and CI/CD integration
Screenshots
Inputs / Outputs
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
Fully open-source and vendor‑neutral
Licensed Apache 2.0, supports any LLM including local/hosted, preserving developer control and privacy.
Source‑controlled AI checks
Checks defined in markdown files in the repo, applied as GitHub status checks, enabling reproducibility and auditability.
Multi‑modal integration
First-class support via IDE plugins (VS Code, JetBrains), CLI/TUI, and headless/CI modes.
Continue Hub for reuse and sharing
Allows teams to publish and install agents, prompts, and configurations, promoting collaboration.
Local-first and customizable workflows
Can run entirely offline via Ollama; configuration allows model routing, context providers, and automation rules.
Limitations
Setup complexity
Requires configuration via YAML/JSON; not plug‑and‑play compared to Copilot or Cursor.
Latency variability
Inline autocomplete with small local models can be slower than alternatives, sometimes requiring hosted models for responsiveness.
Feature parity across IDEs
JetBrains extension sometimes lags behind VS Code in delivering new agent functionality.
Hub and team features maturing
Marketplace and management tools are early-stage compared to mature developer platforms.
Billing for heavy model use
Starter pay‑as‑you‑go token charges can accumulate for heavy users of frontier commercial models.
Pricing & Plans
Model: Freemium
Starter / Solo
Access to core IDE extensions, ability to create and share agents, any compute or model endpoints
Team
Adds centralized private agent management, allow/block lists, and secure proxy for API‑key protection
Enterprise
Includes enterprise onboarding/support, SSO integration, and optional on‑prem data plane
Open-source core is free (IDE extensions and CLI). Starter plan: $3 per million tokens (pay-as-you-go) for hub and agent runtime. Team plan: $20 per seat per month (includes $10 credits, SSO, private agent sharing). Enterprise: custom pricing with SAML/OIDC, BYOK, SLA.
Who it's for
Ideal for
Experienced developers or engineering teams who want customizable AI assistance, local model support, and reproducible AI workflows integrated into IDEs and CI/CD.
Not ideal for
Casual or solo developers who prefer zero‑configuration, out‑of‑the‑box AI coding assistants with minimal setup.
What users say
- Freedom and flexibility
- Powerful open‑source alternative to proprietary tools
- Steep learning curve for configuration
- Strong for privacy and self‑hosted use cases
- Occasional latency and usability friction
Prompts & Results
›Write an AI check to flag hardcoded secrets in PRs.
A markdown check named "Security Review" that describes criteria (e.g., API keys in code) and outputs pass/fail with suggested removal.
›Explain the current function under cursor.
Continue's chat pane returns a concise natural‑language explanation of the function logic, highlighting inputs, outputs, and behavior.
›Refactor this code block to use async/await.
The IDE inline edit feature produces a rewritten version of the code block with async/await syntax applied.
›Run a multi‑step agent: format files, update docs, commit changes.
Continue agent executes formatting, documentation updates, runs tests, and applies changes across files, committing via CLI or IDE.
FAQ
What does "bring your own model" mean?+
Continue lets you configure any LLM—commercial (e.g., GPT‑4, Claude, Gemini) or local (via Ollama)—by supplying your own API keys or running models locally.
How do AI checks on pull requests work?+
You define markdown files under `.continue/checks/` with prompts and criteria; Continue runs them on PR diffs and reports GitHub status checks with pass/fail and suggested fixes.
What IDEs are supported?+
Continue offers extensions for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, providing autocomplete, chat sidebar, edit mode, and agent workflows.
Is it free to use?+
Yes—the core CLI and IDE extensions are open‑source and free under Apache 2.0. Paid is only for Hub credits or team features.
Ratings & Reviews
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