Continue, Joute's Review 2026

The essentials in 20 seconds

• Open source VS Code and JetBrains extension, BYOK, highly configurable
• Price: free (open source), paid Hub for teams available
• Joute score: 7.7/10
• Obsolescence risk: 7/10
• For who: engineering teams that want to standardize a custom AI setup

Verdict: Continue is the Lego of code assistants. You assemble exactly what you want. Less plug-and-play than Cursor, much more flexible.

What is Continue

Continue is an open source extension for VS Code and JetBrains that brings autocomplete, chat and agent into the editor. Its main feature: a JSON config that lets you precisely define which models to use for which tasks, which contexts to index, and which tools to activate.

Launched in 2023, the project found its audience in engineering teams that want a standardized AI tool across their entire organization without paying high per-seat subscriptions.

What works

Deep customization

A config file defines everything: the autocomplete model (different from the chat model), context sources (docs, Jira, Confluence), custom actions. A team can distribute an identical configuration to all its developers.

Smart multi-model support

You can use GPT-4o for chat, Claude Haiku for autocomplete (cheaper), and a local model for sensitive files. This granularity is unique in the category.

VS Code and JetBrains

Unlike Cline or Cursor which are VS Code only, Continue natively supports JetBrains IDEs. For Java or Kotlin teams, that's a decisive advantage.

What doesn't work

Less fluid experience than Cursor

Customization has a price: the out-of-the-box experience is less polished. It takes time to correctly configure Continue before getting the most out of it.

Less powerful agent

Continue has an agent mode, but less autonomous than Cursor or Cline on complex multi-file tasks. It excels at in-context assistance more than autonomy.

Documentation still a work in progress

Docs are improving, but some advanced features remain under-documented. The Discord community partially compensates.

Comparison table

Pricing

• Extension: free, open source (Apache 2.0)
• Continue Hub: paid team offering for config sharing and analytics, see site for current pricing
• Real cost: API tokens from connected models

Who it's for

Yes for: engineering teams that want to standardize their AI setup, JetBrains organizations, those with custom context needs (internal docs, Jira, etc.).

No for: individual developers who want a fast install solution. Those looking for a powerful autonomous agent.

Karpathy obsolescence risk

Score: 7/10. Continue is open source with a customization model that adapts to new models. Its main risk is that major platforms (VS Code, JetBrains themselves) integrate similar features natively.

Final verdict

Continue is the right choice for a team that wants to master its AI stack end to end. For an individual developer with no desire to configure, Cursor or Cline are more direct.

Joute score: 7.7/10.

FAQ

Is Continue free?

The extension is entirely free and open source. You only pay for the tokens of connected LLM APIs.

How do you configure Continue for your team?

A config.json file in the Continue folder defines models, contexts and actions. It can be shared via a git repo or the paid Continue Hub.

Does Continue work with local models?

Yes, via Ollama or LM Studio. It's even a common use case for teams with confidentiality constraints.

What's the difference between Continue and Cline?

Continue focuses on customization and supports JetBrains. Cline is more oriented toward autonomous agents in VS Code. Both are BYOK and open source.

Sources

• Continue official site - verified May 2026
• Continue GitHub - verified May 2026

Continue is open source and free. Joute doesn't earn a commission on this tool. Learn more about our affiliate policy.