Continue
AI coding assistant that plugs right into VS Code and JetBrains
4.1/ 520,000 GitHub starsTypeScriptApache 2.0
⚡ TL;DR
What
AI coding assistant that plugs right into VS Code and JetBrains
Who
VS Code and JetBrains users wanting AI pair programming without switching tools
Catch
Indexed codebase slow on large repos
Verdict
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Essential
🎯 The Problem It Solves
You want AI help while coding but switching to an external chat window breaks your flow. Continue embeds AI assistance directly into your IDE — highlight code, say "refactor this," get inline responses. Custom commands and context providers make it deeply integrated.
🔧 How It Works
Continue is a VS Code and JetBrains extension. You highlight code or open the sidebar and request changes, explanations, or documentation. Context providers (@codebase for repo-wide RAG, @file, @docs) give the AI relevant context. Multi-model support (OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama) and custom slash commands make it flexible.
🚀 Installation & Quick Start
Installation
Install from VS Code Marketplace → Search "Continue" → InstallQuick Start
- Install the extension
- Configure model in settings
- Highlight code or open sidebar
- Type @codebase to index your repo
- Start chatting
✅ Pros
- •Tightest IDE integration
- •Custom commands are highly flexible
- •Context providers are unique
- •Multi-model support
- •Strong community
❌ Cons
- •Indexed codebase slow on large repos
- •Some features are paid
- •Extension can conflict with other AI tools
💬 Practitioner Verdict
"The most flexible IDE AI extension. If you live in VS Code or JetBrains, this is the integration to use."
— AI RepoIndex, Security Reviewer
📊 Specifications
- Language
- TypeScript
- License
- Apache 2.0
- Platform
- Linux, macOS, Windows, VS Code, JetBrains
- Kill Chain
- None
💰 Pricing Reality
Free for indie developers and open-source. Enterprise features require Pro plan ($20/month).
👥 Community Health
Stars20,000
Forks2,000
Contributors100
Health Score9/10
🏷️ Tags
Open SourceLocalMulti-Modal