Continue.dev
Open-source AI coding assistant for any LLM
Expert's Tip
"The open-source bridge between your IDE and any LLM. Works with Claude, GPT-4, Ollama, and more. Config-heavy but extremely flexible."
What is Continue.dev?
Continue.dev is an open-source VS Code and JetBrains extension that acts as a universal AI coding layer. You configure it to use any LLM — Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, Mistral, or local models via Ollama — and get inline completions, chat with highlighted code, codebase-aware Q&A, and slash commands. Unlike locked-in tools, you control the model, the context, and the cost.
Best for developers who want AI assistance but refuse to lock into GitHub's or Cursor's pricing and infrastructure. If you have an Anthropic API key and want Claude's intelligence inside VS Code without a $20/month tool subscription, Continue.dev is the setup. It's also popular for teams running local models on their own hardware.
Where it requires effort: configuration is YAML-based and requires understanding of model providers, context window settings, and prompt templates. Out-of-the-box experience is noticeably more complex than Cursor. But for developers who value control and are willing to spend 30 minutes on setup, it delivers genuine flexibility at zero subscription cost.
✓Best For
- •developers who want LLM flexibility
- •teams using Claude or local models
- •privacy-conscious developers
✗Not For
- •non-technical users
- •teams wanting a managed solution
Common Use Cases
Alternatives to Consider
See full comparison →Deepanshu Udhwani
Ex-Alibaba Cloud · Ex-MakeMyTrip · Taught 80,000+ students
Building AI + Marketing systems. Teaching everything for free.
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