Continue Review: Open-source AI code assistant

Overview

Continue is the leading open-source AI code assistant. It's an editor extension (VS Code and JetBrains) that connects to any LLM you choose — OpenAI, Anthropic, local models via Ollama or LM Studio, or any custom API. Unlike Copilot or Cursor, Continue doesn't lock you into any model, any provider, or any pricing model.

The philosophy is simple: you should control your AI tools, not the other way around. Continue provides the UI — chat, inline edits, autocomplete — and you provide the brain. Want to use GPT-4o for complex tasks and a local model for autocomplete? Continue lets you configure that. Want to switch providers tomorrow? No problem.

Continue is especially popular with developers who have access to corporate AI APIs, run local models for privacy, or want to avoid recurring subscriptions. It's also the best option for teams that need to customize AI behavior deeply — every aspect of Continue is configurable via JSON.

Key features

• Model flexibility — use any LLM: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, local models, custom APIs, Azure, AWS Bedrock
• Chat with context — @-mention files, folders, docs, and terminal output for precise context
• Inline editing (Cmd+I) — select code, describe the change, Continue rewrites it
• Tab autocomplete — fast, local-model-friendly completions as you type
• Custom slash commands — create reusable prompt templates for common tasks
• Fully configurable — every model, prompt, and behavior is defined in a JSON config file
• Open source — Apache 2.0 license, full source available, community-driven development
• Data stays local — when using local models, your code never leaves your machine

How it fits your workflow

Continue adapts to your workflow rather than forcing you to adapt to it:

1. Configure your models — edit ~/.continue/config.json to set up which models to use for chat, autocomplete, and embeddings. One-time setup.
2. Chat as needed — highlight code, press Cmd+L, ask a question. Continue uses the model you configured for chat.
3. Edit with Cmd+I — select a block, describe the change, Continue rewrites it inline using your chosen model.
4. Tab through completions — as you type, Continue suggests completions. You can use a fast, cheap model for this while reserving GPT-4o for chat.
5. Customize slash commands — create /review, /test, /refactor commands with custom prompts tailored to your codebase.

The key advantage is that you're never surprised by a bill or a model change. You control everything.

Pricing

Continue itself is free and open source. You pay only for the models you use:

• Free with local models — use Ollama, LM Studio, or llama.cpp at zero cost
• API-based models — pay your provider's standard rates: GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, etc.
• Continue hub (optional) — free for sharing and discovering configurations, slash commands, and model setups

There's no Continue subscription. If you use local models, the total cost is $0. If you use GPT-4o for chat and a local model for autocomplete, you might spend $5-20/month on API costs.

Strengths

• Truly open source — Apache 2.0, no strings attached
• Complete model freedom — use any LLM from any provider, switch anytime
• Data privacy — with local models, code never leaves your machine
• Deep customization — every aspect is configurable via JSON
• Works in VS Code and JetBrains — covers the two biggest editor ecosystems
• Active community — growing ecosystem of shared configs and slash commands
• Zero subscription cost — pay only for the models you use

Limitations

• Less polished than Cursor or Copilot — the UI is functional but not beautiful
• Autocomplete is slower and less accurate than Cursor's Tab (especially with local models)
• No agent mode — can't autonomously execute multi-file tasks or run terminal commands
• Requires configuration — you need to set up models, API keys, and preferences
• Smaller community than Copilot — fewer tutorials, less documentation
• No built-in codebase indexing — context is limited to what you @-mention

Who it's for

Continue is ideal for developers who value control, privacy, and open-source principles. If you want to use your own models, avoid subscriptions, or customize every aspect of your AI assistant, Continue is the best choice. It's also the best option if you need to use corporate AI APIs (Azure, AWS Bedrock) that aren't supported by commercial tools. It's less ideal if you want a polished, zero-config experience — Cursor or Copilot will get you started faster.

Verdict

Continue is the best open-source AI editor extension. It gives you complete control over your AI tools without sacrificing the convenience of inline editing and chat. The tradeoff is polish — it's not as slick as Cursor or Copilot — but for developers who value freedom over convenience, that's a fair trade. If you're comfortable editing a JSON config file and want AI that respects your choices, Continue is the answer.