Summary
Continue is an open-source IDE extension for VS Code and JetBrains that brings LLM-powered chat, inline code completion, and multi-file edits into the developer's existing editor environment.
What is Continue?
Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant available as an extension for Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs. It creates a chat interface inside the editor where developers can ask questions about their codebase, request refactors, generate tests, or get explanations—all with direct access to the currently open files as context.
The tool supports a wide variety of LLM backends, including cloud providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as locally running models served by Ollama. This flexibility allows teams to choose between cloud-based convenience and on-premises privacy depending on their requirements.
Continue also offers tab-based autocomplete, which uses a model to suggest completions as the developer types, making it a full-featured alternative to proprietary coding assistants while remaining fully customizable and self-hostable.
Why is Continue relevant?
- IDE integration: Works inside VS Code and JetBrains without switching tools or context
- Model agnostic: Connects to any LLM backend, including local and cloud-hosted options
- Open source: Fully auditable and customizable, suitable for security-conscious environments
- Context-aware: Automatically includes relevant open files in prompts for more accurate responses