Continue
Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains — autocomplete, chat, edit, and agent in one extension.
Best for
- Teams that want one assistant covering autocomplete + chat + agent without juggling extensions
- Mixed VS Code and JetBrains shops (first-class support for both)
- Orgs that need on-prem or fully offline deployment
Weak at
- Polish vs Cursor on raw editor experience (especially completion)
- Long autonomous runs — Claude Code and Cline are stronger here
Pricing
| Tier | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 / one-time | All core features free — autocomplete, edit, chat, agent |
| Hub | $10 / month | Private rules, team analytics, advanced models, marketplace blocks |
| Enterprise | Custom / month | On-prem or VPC, premium support, custom integrations |
What it is
Continue is an open-source AI code assistant that ships four core capabilities — Autocomplete, Edit, Chat, and Agent — across VS Code and JetBrains. Continue Hub adds enforceable CI checks for AI-generated code and a marketplace of shared prompts and rules.
What it does well
Provider flexibility (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Mistral, local) plus genuine multi-IDE support is rare. JetBrains coverage is the strongest in the open-source category. The Hub’s “rules as code” model is distinctive — you can enforce that AI-generated patches pass certain checks before they merge.
Where it falls short
It’s a generalist, not the best at any one thing. Cursor’s Tab is slicker; Cline’s agent is more transparent; Claude Code goes further on long autonomous tasks. If you only use one IDE and want the best-in-class experience, a focused tool may serve you better.
Verdict
Strong open-source generalist. The "use any model anywhere" positioning is real — and the new Hub adds CI-enforceable rules for AI-generated code, which matters for teams. If you split time between VS Code and JetBrains, this is the most natural fit.
Alternatives to Continue
Claude Code
$20Anthropic's terminal-first AI coding agent — best-in-class for long autonomous tasks and tool use.
Cursor
Free + $20VS Code fork with the best Tab completion in the business and a competent Composer agent.
GitHub Copilot
Free + $10The original AI coding assistant — broad IDE support, predictable pricing, and the deepest GitHub integration.
Aider
Free + VariableOpen-source CLI coding agent — bring your own API key and get a power-user terminal workflow.
Cline
Free + Free → $20Open-source agentic VS Code extension — bring your own API key, plan-then-act flow, very transparent.
Devin
$20Autonomous AI software engineer — async task execution, runs in its own sandbox, priced by Agent Compute Units.