Continue.dev

Continue.dev is the leading open-source AI code assistant. It's a VS Code/JetBrains extension that connects to any model — local (Ollama, LM Studio) or cloud (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini).

What Makes Continue.dev Different

• Fully open-source — MIT license, inspect/modify everything
• Local models — Use Ollama or LM Studio for offline coding
• Custom slash commands — Create project-specific AI workflows
• Model flexibility — Switch between local and cloud models in the same session

Getting Started

Install from continue.dev, then configure ~/.continue/config.json:

{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "Claude Sonnet 4",
      "provider": "anthropic",
      "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
      "apiKey": "${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"
    },
    {
      "title": "Llama 4 (Local)",
      "provider": "ollama",
      "model": "llama4"
    }
  ],
  "tabAutocompleteModel": {
    "title": "Starcoder2",
    "provider": "ollama",
    "model": "starcoder2:3b"
  }
}

Custom Slash Commands

~/.continue/config.ts:

export function modifyConfig(config: Config): Config {
  config.slashCommands = [
    {
      name: "review",
      description: "Code review with project standards",
      prompt: `Review this code against our standards:
      - TypeScript strict mode, no any types
      - Server components unless interactivity needed
      - Error boundaries on route segments
      Return a list of violations and suggested fixes.`
    },
    {
      name: "explain",
      description: "Explain selected code",
      prompt: "Explain this code at a senior engineer level. Cover: architecture decisions, patterns used, potential issues."
    }
  ];
  return config;
}

When to Choose Continue.dev

Continue.dev is the natural pick when the constraint is freedom and cost: it's fully open source, runs on local models, and works with whatever provider you already pay for. It fits:

• Local-first developers — Code offline with Ollama or LM Studio, with no cloud calls and no per-token bills.
• Heterogeneous teams — Standardize on one extension while letting each developer pick their own model (local or cloud) rather than forcing a single vendor.
• Custom workflows — The config.ts API and slash commands let you bake team-specific review, explain, and scaffold workflows directly into the assistant.

For the fully open-source, terminal-based agent alternative, see OpenCode. If your team lives in GitHub, Copilot offers deeper GitHub integration; for a VS Code fork with agent mode, see Cursor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Pages

• Tool Comparison — Continue.dev vs other AI coding tools
• OpenCode — open-source terminal agent with provider flexibility
• Ollama Deep Researcher (MCP) — Local model MCP integration
• Cursor — AI-powered VS Code fork with agent mode