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 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 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 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.
Continue vs alternatives#
What it's built on#
- Languages
- JavaScriptKotlinPythonRustTypeScript
- Databases
- PostgreSQLSQLite
- Infrastructure
- AWS
- Tooling
- esbuild
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.
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