Continue
Open-source VS Code and JetBrains AI coding extension — bring your own LLM including local models.
Overview
Continue is an open-source AI coding extension for VS Code and JetBrains that lets developers use any LLM backend — OpenAI, Anthropic, local Ollama models, or any OpenAI-compatible API. Unlike GitHub Copilot and Codeium which are tied to proprietary backends, Continue gives developers complete control over which model powers their coding assistance.
The extension provides chat, autocomplete, and edit capabilities within the IDE. The 'Edit' feature is particularly powerful: highlight code, describe the change in natural language, and Continue rewrites the selected code in place. The model can read context from multiple open files simultaneously for more relevant suggestions.
For teams with data residency or security requirements, Continue enables fully local AI coding with models running on the developer's own machine via Ollama. For researchers and enthusiasts who want to experiment with different models, the flexible backend means trying any new model release requires changing one line in the config file. The project is actively maintained and highly rated on the VS Code marketplace.
Pricing
Pricing shown for reference only. These figures reflect RECATOOLS research as of 8 May 2026 and may be out of date or incomplete. This is not financial or purchasing advice — always confirm the current price on the provider’s official website before making any decision.
Use cases
ASEAN Perspective
Continue in Southeast Asia
ASEAN-region availability and pricing notes coming soon. Drop the editorial team a note via /contact/ if you can supply local context (Singapore/Malaysia/Indonesia/Thailand/Vietnam).
Continue is a leading open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains, offering autocomplete, chat, edits and agentic actions while letting you plug in any model — cloud APIs or fully local LLMs via Ollama. That model-agnostic, self-controlled approach is its core appeal versus closed tools like Copilot or Cursor: no lock-in, no forced data sharing, and you pay only for the inference you choose.
The trade-off is setup and tuning: quality depends entirely on the model you wire up, and the out-of-box polish trails commercial rivals. It is ideal for privacy-conscious or cost-sensitive developers and teams with on-prem requirements — a real plus for ASEAN orgs with data-residency concerns. Excellent value given it is free and open-source.
Notable facts
- Continue is the only major IDE extension that lets you switch between GPT-4, Claude, Llama, and Mistral by editing a single JSON config file.
- The extension's full-file context mode can include your entire codebase as context for chat queries, going beyond the active file limitation of most tools.
- Continue was built specifically because the founders wanted to use a local Llama model for coding without sacrificing IDE integration quality.
Frequently asked questions
About this listing
This entry was compiled from publicly available data including Continue's official website, press releases, documentation, and reputable third-party publications. RECATOOLS is not affiliated with Continue unless explicitly stated.
Third-party AI tools update their pricing, features, availability, and policies frequently. Information here may be outdated by the time you read this — we make reasonable efforts to keep listings current, but cannot guarantee absolute accuracy.
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