Continue
Continue is an open-source AI coding platform with VS Code and JetBrains extensions plus a CLI, letting developers build custom code agents, choose model providers, and launch background workflows triggered by events or schedules while keeping control of keys and compute.
Overview
Continue is a developer-focused AI platform that combines open-source IDE extensions with a hub for creating and sharing code agents. The core experience is provided through open-source VS Code and JetBrains extensions and a CLI, while the Continue Hub adds team features and agent management. Continue emphasizes customization: you can define models and roles such as chat, edit, autocomplete, embeddings, and more, and the documentation lists support for many model providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Ollama, Amazon Bedrock, Azure, xAI, and others.
On the automation side, Continue describes launching background agents with workflows that integrate with tools like GitHub, Sentry, Snyk, Linear, and Slack, and you can trigger agents on events or schedules and monitor interventions. Pricing for the hub starts with a Solo plan at $0 per developer per month, which includes creating and sharing agents, using the open-source extensions, and bringing your own compute or API keys. Team plans add centralized management and governance with allow and block lists, and a managed proxy so members can use but not view shared API keys, while Enterprise options add SSO and an on-premises data plane for keeping sensitive data in your own environment.
Continue is a strong fit when you want flexibility in models and prompts, but it also requires setup discipline because you are choosing providers, keys, and policies rather than relying on a single managed model.
Key features
- Open-source extensions: Use VS Code and JetBrains extensions to run Continue agents directly in your editor workflow daily
- Custom AI agents: Build and share reusable agents and blocks with prompts and tools tailored to your stack and repo rules
- Bring your own models: Choose from many model providers and assign roles like chat edit autocomplete embed and rerank per task
- Background automation: Launch background agents and trigger workflows on events or schedules with monitoring and interventions
- Hub Solo plan: Solo hub plan is $0 per developer per month and supports agent sharing plus use of open-source extensions
- Team governance: Team plan adds allow and block lists so admins control which agents and blocks developers can run safely
- Secret protection proxy: Managed proxy lets members use shared API keys while preventing direct viewing of the secrets in configs
- Enterprise controls: Enterprise adds SSO options and an on-premises data plane to keep code and sensitive data in your environment
Best for
- Standardize agents: Create shared agents for code reviews migrations or scaffolding so every developer uses the same playbook
- Model flexibility: Swap providers for chat edits and autocomplete without changing the workflow when requirements shift over time
- Security remediation: Trigger agents from Snyk alerts to propose fixes and open pull requests for review in GitHub quickly
- Incident response: Use Sentry issue triggers to generate candidate patches and create PRs while engineers validate behavior
- Slack workflows: Mention the agent in Slack to kick off tasks and receive updates without manual status chasing later on
- Org key management: Use the managed proxy so developers can run agents with shared keys without exposing secrets to users
- On-prem governance: Use enterprise data plane options to keep sensitive code paths inside your environment for compliance
- Custom context: Configure rules prompts and context sources so suggestions reflect repository conventions and constraints
Capabilities
Custom agent design
Create and share code agents and building blocks that package prompts, tools, and rules for your stack. This enables consistent workflows across repos while letting teams version and improve agents over time.
Multi-provider models
Configure model providers and assign roles such as chat, edit, and autocomplete. This supports switching between providers without changing the developer workflow when performance, cost, or policy needs evolve.
Background agents
Launch background agents triggered by events or schedules and monitor interventions. Designed for automation use cases like opening PRs from alerts while keeping execution aligned with team governance.
Keys and access
Use allow and block lists plus a managed proxy to protect shared API keys. Enterprise options add SSO and an on-premises data plane so sensitive data can remain in your environment while still using the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Continue pricing start?
Continue Hub lists a Solo plan at $0 per developer per month for individuals and open source usage. Team is listed at $10 per developer per month, and Enterprise is custom priced with added governance and support.
How does Continue handle data and privacy?
Continue supports bringing your own compute and API keys, and Team plans describe a managed proxy so members can use but not view shared keys. Enterprise options include an on-premises data plane, which can help with sensitive code controls.
What integrations and model providers are supported?
Continue describes integrations with tools like GitHub, Slack, Sentry, Snyk, and Linear for agent workflows. Its docs list many model providers, so teams can choose based on policy and capability requirements.
What setup effort and skills are required?
You typically install the VS Code or JetBrains extension, then configure models, keys, and agent definitions. Teams should plan ownership for agent maintenance, prompt changes, and policy updates as workflows evolve.
How is Continue positioned versus single-vendor assistants?
Continue is built for flexibility and customization across model providers and workflows. If you want a managed assistant with fewer configuration choices, a single-vendor tool may be simpler, but you may give up BYO models and governance controls.
