Continue AI

Continue AI is an open-source, configurable AI coding assistant framework that integrates as a plugin into mainstream development environments to help developers connect and use multiple large language models for coding assistance.

It primarily supports integration as a plugin for Visual Studio Code (VS Code) and JetBrains IDEs.

Yes. Continue AI itself does not include AI models; it is an integration framework. Users must configure and connect external LLM APIs (such as OpenAI or Anthropic) or run models locally (for example via Ollama).

Key features include in-IDE intelligent chat, context-aware code completion, natural-language code editing and refactoring, and agent capabilities for handling more complex tasks.

It uses techniques like retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to index the codebase and build global awareness, enabling the assistant to understand cross-file relationships and project structure.

According to available information, personal use is free. There are also paid plans available for teams.

The main difference is that Continue AI is open-source, highly customizable, and supports multiple models, while Copilot is a closed-source, commercial product driven by specific models. Continue AI emphasizes flexibility and control.

If you choose to run large language models locally (for example Llama), hardware requirements depend on the model. For instance, running Llama 3 8B is recommended on a machine with at least 16GB of RAM.

It’s especially suitable for teams that prioritize code privacy, need local deployment, require highly customized workflows, or want the flexibility to choose different AI models to control costs.