Continue.dev
Continue.dev is an open-source AI coding assistant that runs inside VS Code and JetBrains IDEs — chat, autocomplete, and custom context providers with your choice of models.
Last reviewed: June 2026
Continue config format and hub features change between releases. Verify at continue.dev.
What it is good at
| Strength | Detail |
|---|---|
| Open source | Self-host configs; inspect extension code |
| Multi-IDE | VS Code and JetBrains from one config model |
| Bring your own model | OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, Azure, custom endpoints |
| Context providers | @codebase, @docs, @issue, custom providers |
| config.yaml | Declarative models, rules, and prompts in repo |
| Hub | Share configs and blocks (verify license for org use) |
Setup
# VS Code: install "Continue" from marketplace
# JetBrains: install Continue plugin from marketplace
# Optional: add config to repo
mkdir -p .continue
Minimal .continue/config.yaml (shape varies by version — verify docs):
models:
- name: GPT-4o
provider: openai
model: gpt-4o
apiKey: ${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}
- name: Local Llama
provider: ollama
model: llama3.1
rules:
- "Use TypeScript strict. Match existing import style."
Store API keys in Continue's secret storage or env — not committed plaintext.
Modes / core workflow
| Feature | Use when |
|---|---|
| Chat | Q&A, explain code, small edits |
| Autocomplete | Inline suggestions while typing |
| Edit | Select code → describe change |
| Agent mode | Multi-step edits (if enabled in your version) |
Typical loop:
@codebaseor highlight files for context- Ask with scoped instruction — file paths, constraints
- Accept or reject diff hunks
- Run tests locally
Same verification as Copilot — tab/accept only what you understand.
Custom context providers
Continue supports pluggable context — internal docs, Jira, Postgres schema snippets. Useful when @Files is not enough but full MCP is overkill.
Compare with Building MCP Servers for standardized tool access across Cursor, Claude Code, and Continue.
When to use it vs alternatives
| Choose Continue | Choose something else |
|---|---|
| JetBrains + VS Code with one config | Cursor — deeper agent UX in VS Code fork |
| Self-hosted / local models (Ollama) | Copilot — enterprise at scale |
| Open-source requirement | Claude Code — terminal agent + hooks |
| Lightweight chat + autocomplete | Cline — full autonomous agent in VS Code |
See Choosing an AI Coding Tool.
Limitations
- Agent capabilities less mature than Cursor or Cline in some versions
- Team audit and SSO depend on deployment model (cloud hub vs self-hosted)
- Config YAML schema evolves — pin docs version when onboarding teams