Continue

Open source alternative to GitHub Copilot, Tabnine and Gemini Code Assist

36.3K stars
Apache-2.0
Active this week
Last commit 1 day ago

Last verified Oct 21, 2026

Continue is an open source Copilot alternative for VS Code and JetBrains that connects to any LLM — cloud or local — for inline completions, chat, and codebase-aware edits. Apache 2.0.

Visit website GitHub36.3K Deploy on Hostinger

Continue AI coding extension for VS Code and JetBrains

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Continue is for#

Developers testing local LLM coding

Use Continue to connect local models into daily IDE workflows for chat, edit, and autocomplete.

Skip if:

Skip if you want a fully managed assistant and do not care about provider choice.

Teams controlling code context

Use Continue when security or architecture teams need visibility into which code context reaches which model.

Skip if:

Skip if your organization already approves GitHub Copilot and wants the fastest rollout.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Hosted coding assistants are convenient but limit model choice, context rules, and deployment control. Teams working with sensitive code need a way to choose which models run, what context is shared, and how assistant behavior fits their workflow.

how Continue solves it

How it solves it#

IDE-native AI workflows

Continue brings chat, code editing, autocomplete, and agent-style assistance into developer editors rather than a separate web app.

Configurable model providers

Developers can connect local or hosted models, making Continue useful for teams experimenting with different LLMs.

Context-aware assistance

Continue focuses on using codebase context so answers, edits, and suggestions reflect the files a developer is working with.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Model flexibilityContinue is useful when teams want to compare OpenAI, Anthropic, local, or other model endpoints without changing IDE workflows.
Open assistant layerApache-2.0 licensing gives teams more control over the assistant integration than closed hosted copilots.

Trade-offs

-Configuration is part of the valueContinue gives control, but teams must configure providers, context rules, and policies. A hosted copilot is simpler for individual developers.

versus alternatives

Continue vs alternatives#

Continue vs GitHub Copilot

Continue is better when teams want open configuration, local model options, and control over code context. GitHub Copilot is still stronger for the simplest managed rollout and consistently high default model quality.

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: JavaScriptKotlinPythonRustTypeScript
Frameworks: Next.jsReact
Databases: PostgreSQLSQLite
Infrastructure: AWS
Tooling: esbuild

frequently asked

FAQ#

What is Continue?

Continue is an open source AI code assistant for IDE chat, autocomplete, edits, and agent workflows.

What does Continue replace?

Continue commonly replaces GitHub Copilot or closed AI coding extensions when model control matters.

Can Continue use local models?

Yes. Continue is designed to work with configurable model providers, including local model setups.

also worth a look

Similar open-source tools#

codex

Alternative toClaude Code

OpenAI's terminal coding agent, Apache-2.0 licensed

130,162 GitHub stars
Licence Apache-2.0

codegraph

Alternative toAtlassian Code Context

Transform codebases into queryable knowledge graphs

74,525 GitHub stars
Licence MIT

Tabby

Alternative toGitHub Copilot

Self-hosted AI coding assistant server for private team deployment

33,889 GitHub stars
Licence Apache-2.0

Claude Context

Alternative toAugment Code

Enhance AI coding assistants with semantic code search.

12,610 GitHub stars
Licence MIT

Cline

Alternative toGitHub Copilot

VS Code AI agent that plans and edits across your entire project

70,766 GitHub stars
Licence Apache-2.0

PearAI

Alternative toCursor

Open source AI code editor with chat, autocomplete, and search

708 GitHub stars
Licence MIT

by category

Open source tools in these categories#

404

Hostinger

Run Continue on your own server

Self-host Continue on a Hostinger VPS.

Deploy on Hostinger

Featured

rakazo

Alternative toGrok Bot

AI teammates you own: your keys, your model, your machine.

4,904 GitHub stars
Licence Apache-2.0
#AI Agents

Omnara

Alternative toClaude Managed Agents

Open-source agent deployment API. Self-host or use Omnara Cloud.

2,957 GitHub stars
Licence Apache-2.0
#AI Agents

Inbox Zero

Alternative toSuperhuman

AI email assistant that drafts replies and clears your inbox

12,712 GitHub stars
Licence AGPL-3.0
#Email

Feature your project

The projects we add and every new guide. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Find open source alternatives to paid software

Who Continue is for#