Continue.dev is an open-source AI coding assistant plugin for VS Code and JetBrains that lets you connect any LLM to your editor.
✓ Pros
- Fully open-source—no vendor lock-in
- Connect any LLM: OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, local models
- Works as a plugin within VS Code or JetBrains (no editor switch)
- Custom slash commands and context providers
✗ Cons
- Requires manual setup and API key management
- Quality depends entirely on the connected model
- Less polished UX than Cursor or GitHub Copilot
| Free tier | ✓ Free tier |
| Pricing model | open_source |
| Features | |
| API | ✓ Available Docs ↗ |
| Pricing Plans | Open Source (self-configured)$0Bring your own model API keys Continue Hub (Pro)TBDManaged model access, team features |
| Platforms | |
| Integrations | VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI |
| Homepage | https://continue.dev |
AI Commentary
Continue.dev is the leading open-source AI coding assistant, appealing to developers who want model flexibility without vendor lock-in. Its plugin architecture for VS Code and JetBrains eliminates the editor switching cost that Cursor imposes. Teams can route code through local Ollama models for complete data privacy. The trade-off is a more complex setup and a UX that trails polished commercial alternatives. It is a strong choice for privacy-sensitive or cost-constrained engineering teams.
