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Continue

Continue

The open-source AI code assistant

API costs only (varies by model) ✓ Strong Consensus Visit Website ↗

Score Breakdown

7.6
7.5
7.6
Code Quality & Accuracy 7.5
7.5 7.4 7.5
Context Understanding 7.2
7.3 7.0 7.2
Multi-file Editing 6.9
6.9 6.8 7.0
Speed & Performance 7.7
7.8 7.6 7.7
Pricing Value 9.2
9.0 9.2 9.5
Ease of Use 7.2
7.3 7.2 7.2
Model Flexibility 9.7
9.5 9.6 10.0
Extension Ecosystem 7.0
6.9 6.6 7.5

Judge Opinions

Claude Opus 7.6

"Continue is the leading open-source AI coding assistant with the highest model flexibility of any tool in this category — including full local model support via Ollama for air-gapped environments. Its extensible architecture with custom context providers enables deep workflow customization. The trade-off is a less polished experience and more setup friction than commercial alternatives."

+ Fully open-source with self-hosting and air-gapped support
+ Highest model flexibility in the category including local models
+ Extensible architecture with custom context providers
+ Works in both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs
+ Zero vendor lock-in with complete data privacy option
- Setup and configuration complexity deters less technical users
- Multi-file editing trails Cursor, Windsurf, and Claude CLI
- Documentation often lags behind rapidly evolving features
- Output quality entirely dependent on chosen model
GPT-5.2 7.5

"Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant that supports many model providers (local or hosted) and can run fully offline. It integrates with both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs and can be customized with context providers for specialized workflows. The trade-off is more setup and a less guided out-of-the-box experience."

+ Active open-source project with frequent updates
+ Run completely offline with local models
+ Supports both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs
+ Customizable context providers for specialized workflows
- Setup complexity deters less technical users
- Some advanced agent workflows are limited
- Quality depends entirely on chosen model
Gemini 3 7.6

"Continue is the best option for developers who demand absolute control and privacy. Its ability to run entirely offline with local models makes it indispensable for air-gapped environments or IP-sensitive projects. While it lacks the polish and 'magic' of proprietary integrated IDEs like Cursor, the flexibility to swap components and models is unmatched in the open-source space."

+ Complete data privacy with air-gapped/local model support
+ Universal model support (Ollama, LM Studio, etc.)
+ Works across both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs
+ Open-source codebase with no vendor lock-in
- Requires more configuration and maintenance than paid tools
- UX is less polished than dedicated AI editors
- Multi-file editing is less reliable than top-tier agents

/// RECOMMENDED_USE_CASE

"Developers who prioritize open-source, privacy, and model flexibility, especially those using JetBrains IDEs or local models"