🇺🇸 USA · Continue.dev (open-source)
Status: 🟩 COMPLETE 🟦 LIVING Last updated: 2026-06-26 Plain-English tagline: Open-source AI coding agent framework — VS Code and JetBrains plugin, BYO API key, customisable via config files. Apache 2.0.
Front-matter facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Continue Dev Inc (USA) — open-source maintained |
| Country / origin | 🇺🇸 USA (open-source) |
| Recommended for Australian users? | ✅ Yes — open-source, no region restrictions |
| Privacy summary | Continue itself collects nothing; your data flows to your chosen model provider |
| Free tier | Continue extension is free; API costs apply |
| Paid tiers | None for Continue itself; model API costs apply |
| First released | 2023 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-06-26 |
| Official site | https://continue.dev |
What it is
Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant extension for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Like Cline, it lets you bring your own model API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Mistral, local via Ollama) and have an AI coding workflow inside your existing editor.
Key differentiators vs Cline:
- Designed as a framework — heavily configurable via YAML / JSON config files
- Both VS Code AND JetBrains support (Cline is VS Code only)
- Mature ecosystem — Continue has been around since 2023
- Custom commands (similar to Claude Code’s slash commands)
- Context providers — pluggable sources of context (codebase, web, terminal, custom)
- Local-first option — runs entirely with local models if you choose
Continue’s positioning: more configurable than Cline / Roo Code, less polished than Cursor, fully open-source.
What you’d use it for
- You want to use both VS Code AND JetBrains with the same AI tool
- You want maximum configurability via config files
- You want open-source with longer maturity track record than Cline
- You want local-only AI with custom configuration
- You’re building / fine-tuning your own AI coding workflow
How to install + first 5 minutes
- Install Continue extension from VS Code Marketplace or JetBrains Plugins
- Configure in
~/.continue/config.json(or via UI):- Add your model provider(s) and API keys
- Set default model
- Open Continue sidebar in IDE
- Chat / inline edits / context-aware suggestions
What it costs
- Continue extension: free (Apache 2.0)
- API costs depend on your chosen model provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc.)
How it compares to alternatives
| Capability | Continue.dev | Cline | Roo Code | Aider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open-source | Yes (Apache 2.0) | Yes (Apache 2.0) | Yes (Apache 2.0) | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
| IDE support | VS Code + JetBrains | VS Code only | VS Code only | Terminal CLI |
| Configurability | Most (config files) | Moderate | Moderate | High (CLI flags) |
| Multi-model | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MCP support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Best for | JetBrains + VS Code parity | VS Code-native | Cline alternative | Terminal lovers |
For JetBrains + VS Code users wanting one open-source tool, Continue.dev is the most natural choice.
Privacy / data handling
- Continue itself sends nothing to a central server
- All data flows to your chosen model provider
- Local models: data never leaves your machine
Recent changes
- 2026: MCP support, agent mode improvements
- 2025: Continue raised funding, expanded team
- 2023: Initial release
Gotchas
- Config-file-heavy — less click-and-go than Cursor
- JetBrains plugin sometimes lags VS Code feature parity — verify your preferred IDE’s current state
- Smaller community than Cursor / Copilot — fewer tutorials
- Some advanced features require paid model APIs — local models can do basic completion but struggle with complex agentic tasks
See also
- Cline 🟩 🟦
- Roo Code 🟥
- Aider 🟩 🟦
- Cursor 🟩 🟦
- GitHub Copilot 🟩 🟦
- Claude Code deep dive 🟩 🟦
- MCP — Model Context Protocol 🟩 🟦
- Ollama 🟥