Continue Review 2026: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons
Continue (continue.dev) is an open-source, bring-your-own-model AI coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains. Here's an honest look at what it does well, what it costs in practice, and how it compares to Cline and Cursor.
Quick Verdict
Best for: Developers who want control over which AI model powers their assistant — including fully local, offline models — without paying a fixed monthly fee to a closed-source vendor for that flexibility.
What Is Continue?
Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant available as an extension for both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Rather than locking you into one AI provider, Continue is model-agnostic: you connect it to Claude, GPT, Gemini, or any other supported API, or run it fully offline against a local model through Ollama or LM Studio.
The extension covers the now-standard set of AI coding features — inline autocomplete, in-editor chat, targeted edits, and an agent mode capable of multi-step, multi-file tasks. What sets it apart is Continue Hub, where teams and individuals can publish and reuse "assistants" — bundled prompts, context rules, and model configurations — instead of every developer building their own setup from scratch.
Because the extension itself is Apache-2.0 licensed and free, the only real cost is whichever model you connect: paid API usage if you choose a frontier hosted model, or nothing at all if you run locally.
Continue Pros & Cons
✓ Pros
- •Fully open source and free at its core: Continue's IDE extension is Apache-2.0 licensed, with the source code publicly auditable — there's no paywall on the core autocomplete, chat, and edit features
- •Bring your own model: Unlike assistants locked to one provider, Continue lets you plug in Claude, GPT, Gemini, or a fully local model via Ollama or LM Studio, so you're never stuck paying for AI you don't want or sending code to a vendor you don't trust
- •Works in both VS Code and JetBrains: Most AI coding extensions pick one IDE family — Continue supports both major ecosystems with the same core feature set, useful for teams that don't standardize on a single editor
- •Agent mode alongside autocomplete and chat: Beyond inline suggestions, Continue can run multi-step agent tasks that read, edit, and test across files, similar in spirit to Cline or Cursor's agent modes
- •Continue Hub for shareable configs: Teams can publish and reuse custom "assistants" — prompts, model configs, and context rules — through Continue's hub rather than every developer reinventing their own setup
- •No vendor lock-in on cost: Because you supply your own model API key (or run locally for free), your AI spend scales with actual usage and model choice rather than a fixed subscription tier
✗ Cons
- •You manage your own model costs and keys: The flexibility of bring-your-own-model means you're responsible for provisioning and paying for API keys separately — there's more setup than a single all-in-one subscription like Cursor's
- •No single flat price for the full feature set: Because pricing depends on which model(s) you connect, it's harder to answer "how much does Continue cost" with one number the way you can for Cursor or GitHub Copilot
- •Smaller polish budget than VC-funded competitors: As an open-source project, UI refinement and edge-case handling can lag behind well-funded closed-source tools that ship faster iteration cycles
- •Team features require more configuration: Getting consistent behavior across a team (shared configs, model access, guardrails) takes more manual setup than tools with a built-in admin dashboard
- •Local model performance varies significantly: Running fully local via Ollama keeps costs at zero, but code-completion quality on local models still generally trails frontier hosted models, so the free tier isn't always the most useful one
- •Less brand recognition outside developer circles: Continue is well known among engineers who follow open-source AI tooling but has far less mainstream awareness than Copilot or Cursor, so hiring managers and less technical stakeholders may not recognize it
Continue Pricing 2026
Continue Core
- •Open-source VS Code & JetBrains extension
- •Autocomplete, chat, and edit modes
- •Agent mode for multi-file tasks
- •Bring your own model (cloud or local)
Individual developers who want full control over which model powers their assistant and don't mind managing their own API keys
Continue Hub
- •Publish & share custom assistants
- •Reusable prompts and context rules
- •Community-built configs
Developers who want a pre-configured starting point instead of building their assistant setup from scratch
Teams
- •Centralized model & access management
- •Shared org-wide assistants
- •Usage visibility across the team
Engineering teams standardizing configuration and model access across multiple developers
Continue never charges a license fee for the extension — your only cost is the model you choose to connect, and that can be $0 if you run locally.
Continue vs Cline vs Cursor
| Feature | Continue | Cline | Cursor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base cost | ✅ Free (open source) | ✅ Free (open source) | ⚠️ Free tier + $20/mo Pro |
| Bring your own model | ✅ Any provider or local | ✅ Any provider or local | ❌ Cursor-managed models only |
| IDE support | ✅ VS Code & JetBrains | ⚠️ VS Code only | ✅ Own fork of VS Code |
| Agent mode (multi-file tasks) | ✅ Included | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| Shareable team configs | ✅ Continue Hub | ❌ Not built in | ⚠️ Team plan settings |
| Fully local/offline option | ✅ Via Ollama/LM Studio | ✅ Via Ollama/LM Studio | ❌ Cloud only |
Who Should Use Continue?
JetBrains Developers
Most open-source AI coding extensions focus on VS Code first — Continue is one of the few with genuine JetBrains parity, making it a natural pick for IntelliJ, PyCharm, or WebStorm users.
Privacy-Conscious Teams
Running Continue against a fully local model via Ollama means code never leaves your machine, which matters for teams under strict data-handling requirements.
Multi-Model Shops
If your organization already has API access to several providers and wants flexibility to switch models without changing tools, Continue's bring-your-own-model design fits directly.
Not For: Zero-Setup Users
Anyone who wants to install one tool and have AI coding work immediately without choosing or configuring a model should look at an all-in-one product like Cursor or GitHub Copilot instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Continue (continue.dev) free?
The Continue extension itself is free and open source under an Apache-2.0 license, for both VS Code and JetBrains. What isn't free is the underlying AI model — you connect your own API key (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.) which is billed by that provider, or run a local model through Ollama or LM Studio at no cost.
Do I need to pay for a separate AI model to use Continue?
You need access to a model, but it doesn't have to cost money. You can run Continue fully offline against a local model via Ollama or LM Studio for free, or connect a paid API key from a provider like Anthropic or OpenAI for higher-quality completions. Continue itself never charges for the connection — you're only ever billed by whichever model provider you choose.
Continue vs Cline — what's the difference?
Both are open-source, model-agnostic AI coding assistants with agent modes for multi-file tasks. Continue's main edge is JetBrains support alongside VS Code and its Hub for sharing team configs, while Cline is VS Code-only but has a highly active community around its agent-mode workflow. Many developers try both since neither has a licensing cost — the choice often comes down to IDE and preferred agent-mode UX.
Does Continue work with local models?
Yes. Continue supports fully local, offline setups through tools like Ollama and LM Studio, so you can run autocomplete and chat without sending code to any cloud provider. Quality depends on which local model you choose — it typically trails frontier hosted models like Claude or GPT on complex tasks, but it's a genuine zero-cost, fully private option.
Is Continue good for teams?
Continue works for teams, especially through Continue Hub, which lets you publish and reuse shared assistant configurations — prompts, context rules, and model settings — so every developer isn't configuring things independently. It requires more manual setup than an all-in-one paid tool with a built-in admin dashboard, but it avoids per-seat licensing since the core extension is free.
Ready to Try Continue?
Free and open source for VS Code and JetBrains — bring your own model or run fully local.
Or compare alternatives:
Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, AISO Tools may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our rankings or reviews.
📬 Get the best new AI tools delivered weekly
One concise email with fresh launches, trending picks, and featured standouts.
Join thousands of professionals who discover the best AI tools every week. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.