Continue

★★★★☆4.1 / 5 editorial Free Free and open source — you only pay for the model API access you choose to plug in.

Open-source autopilot for VS Code and JetBrains — bring any model

✓ Editor-researched listing — details reviewed by Grab AI Tool editors; pricing re-checked regularly.

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#code completion#open source#chat#local models#custom agents

What is Continue?

Continue is an open-source autopilot for your existing editor: a VS Code and JetBrains extension that lets you plug in almost any AI model — cloud or local — and shape it with your own prompts, context providers, and rules. Because nothing is locked to one vendor, teams can swap models as better or cheaper options appear.

Its hub makes it easy to share reusable blocks — models, prompts, documentation context, and rules — across a whole team, so everyone's assistant behaves consistently. Continue is free to use and you only pay for the model access you choose, which makes it popular with privacy-conscious developers who run local models and with teams avoiding per-seat fees.

Who Continue Is Best For

Best for: Developers and engineering teams get the most from Continue — no vendor lock-in — swap models freely; free apart from your own model costs. It is completely free, so there is no budget decision to make.

Not ideal for: Less suited to users who will hit its limits head-on: setup and configuration take real effort; experience varies with the model you choose.

Key Features

Autocomplete, chat, and agent mode in your editor
Works with almost any cloud or local model
Shareable hub of prompts, rules, and context blocks
Custom context providers for docs and codebases
Fully open source and self-configurable

Pros

No vendor lock-in — swap models freely
Free apart from your own model costs
Great for local-model and privacy-first setups

Cons

Setup and configuration take real effort
Experience varies with the model you choose
Less polished than commercial all-in-one editors

Pricing

Model: Free
Free and open source — you only pay for the model API access you choose to plug in.

Adding Up Your AI Bill?

If you pay for Continue alongside other AI subscriptions, the monthly total adds up quietly. Tick every tool you pay for in our free AI Tool Cost Calculator to see your real monthly and yearly bill — and spot overlaps you can cut. Still choosing? Start with our guide on how to choose the right AI tool.