Continue.dev

Continue is an open-source AI code assistant that integrates with VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Continue is an open source platform for building AI-powered coding assistants with customizable components for chat, autocomplete, edit, and agent workflows. Solo developers gain full control over their AI assistant with no vendor lock-in. You can use any model, define your own rules, and tap into community MCP tools—all without vendor lock-in or usage limits. This makes it an attractive option among Windsurf alternatives.

Strengths

Model flexibility - You can use any model, define your own rules, and tap into community MCP tools
Open source architecture - Continue.dev is licensed under Apache‑2.0, available for free with full customization
Multi-IDE support - Works in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs with consistent experience
Codebase context awareness - It supported codebase context along with a few other options to augment the chat (web crawl of a URL, specific files, etc.)
Agent automation - Continue's autonomous Agent mode allows for triggering AI workflows based on events and performing complex tasks like generating comprehensive unit tests
Local deployment option - Local LLM support for complete data control

Weaknesses

Setup complexity - I had my first suspicion it is not going to be perfect after I had to modify JSON to add the Azure OpenAI model
Polish limitations - The Swiss Army Knife That Sometimes Fails to Cut according to user reviews
Configuration overhead - Requires technical knowledge for model setup and customization
Extension constraints - The user experience is more limited and confined to being an extension, in contrast to how Cursor and Windsurf build a new type of IDE around these features

Best for

Developers who need full control over AI models and workflows without licensing restrictions.

Pricing plans

Free — $0/month — Available for free, unlimited usage with own models
Individual — Unknown — Use a variety of frontier models for a flat monthly fee
Team — Unknown — Use a variety of frontier models for a flat monthly fee
Enterprise — Unknown — For organizations with governance needs

Tech details

Type: IDE extension and CLI tool
IDEs: VS Code and JetBrains IDEs
Key features: Continue autocompletes entire sections of code or single lines in any programming languages as you type. Ask questions about files, functions, the entire codebase and more by attaching code or context
Privacy / hosting: Enterprises can maintain full data governance and deploy assistants on-premises or in the cloud, local model support available
Models / context window: Any model supported, context window varies by chosen model

When to choose this over Windsurf

Open source requirement - Continue.dev is licensed under Apache‑2.0, available for free with full code access
Custom model integration - You can use any model, define your own rules including local deployments
No usage restrictions - All without vendor lock-in or usage limits

When Windsurf may be a better fit

Integrated IDE experience - Windsurf's commercial model offers a polished solution with managed services
Terminal integration needs - Advanced features like terminal integration
Streamlined setup - Windsurf provides ready-to-use environment without configuration overhead

Conclusion

Continue is an open source platform for building AI-powered coding assistants that prioritizes flexibility over convenience. Continue includes open-source IDE extensions and an open-source CLI that lets developers build custom AI code agents with full control. While it requires more technical setup than commercial alternatives, it offers unmatched customization. Continue has higher industry adoption (76% vs 73%) compared to Windsurf in some metrics.