Continue
Open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains - bring your own model (local or API).
Our take
The best choice if you want full control over your model and costs - bring your own API key, including cheap or local models, at zero license cost.
Best for
Cost-sensitive developers and teams who want to use open or self-hosted models instead of paying for a bundled subscription.
Pros
- Free and open-source - no subscription required
- Works with any model (OpenAI, Anthropic, local Ollama models)
- Highly customizable
Cons
- Requires more setup than out-of-the-box tools
- Quality depends entirely on which model you connect
How it compares
More flexible and cheaper than Copilot or Cursor, but requires more configuration and your own API costs.
Full review
Continue is a free, open-source AI coding assistant distributed as an extension for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Unlike subscription-based tools, Continue is "bring your own model" — you connect it to any LLM provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) or to locally-run open models via tools like Ollama, and pay only for the API usage you generate.
This makes Continue extremely flexible: you can use a cheap, fast model for everyday completions and switch to a more powerful model for harder tasks, or run everything locally for zero ongoing cost and full data privacy. It supports chat, inline edits, and autocomplete, with an active open-source community contributing improvements and integrations.
The trade-off is setup: you need to configure API keys and choose models yourself, and the quality of your experience depends entirely on which models you connect. For cost-sensitive developers and teams who want full control over their AI stack — or who already have API credits from another provider — Continue offers a no-license-fee alternative to Copilot or Cursor, at the cost of a more hands-on setup.
Cloudkart Rubric
3.6/5 avg- Actual Utility3/5
- Ease of Use3/5
- Pricing Fairness5/5
- Reliability3/5
- Differentiation4/5