Continue — Cursor alternative

Continue includes open-source IDE extensions and an open-source CLI that lets developers build custom AI code agents with full control. Unlike proprietary tools tied to specific vendors, Continue.dev is open-source, giving developers the flexibility to use models of their choice—including OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, Cohere, and local models via Ollama or LM Studio. Solo developers value its vendor-agnostic approach and ability to customize AI behavior without subscription locks. This makes it a popular Cursor alternatives choice for developers seeking flexibility.

Strengths

• You can use any model, define your own rules, and tap into community MCP tools—all without vendor lock-in or usage limits.
• Continue takes a more platform-agnostic approach as an open-source extension.
• You can use any LLM as an AI coding assistant.
• Continue.dev enables seamless inline coding help, interactive chat within familiar IDEs.
• Cost-effective solution with no monthly subscription fees for core functionality.
• Full control over data privacy and model selection.

Weaknesses

• Continue.dev: The Swiss Army Knife That Sometimes Fails to Cut suggests inconsistent performance.
• Requires manual configuration and setup compared to plug-and-play alternatives.
• Less polished user experience than commercial solutions.
• Community support relies on open-source contributors rather than dedicated teams.

Best for

Developers who prioritize model flexibility, data privacy, and cost control over convenience.

Pricing plans

• Open Source — Free — No usage limits or vendor lock-in
• Continue Hub Individual — Unknown — Unknown limits
• Continue Hub Team — Unknown — Unknown limits
• Continue Hub Enterprise — Unknown — Unknown limits
• Models Add-On — flat monthly fee — Access to frontier AI models

Tech details

• Type: IDE extension and CLI tool
• IDEs: VS Code and JetBrains
• Key features: Custom AI agents, autocomplete, chat, multi-model support
• Privacy / hosting: local models via Ollama or LM Studio, self-hosted options available
• Models / context window: OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, Cohere, and local models, context size varies by chosen model

When to choose this over Cursor

• You need flexibility to switch between different AI models without vendor lock-in.
• Data privacy requirements demand local or self-hosted model deployment.
• Budget constraints make subscription costs prohibitive for your development needs.

When Cursor may be a better fit

• You prefer polished, commercial-grade user experience over customization options.
• Setup complexity and configuration time outweigh the benefits of flexibility.
• Integrated workflow and consistent updates matter more than model choice freedom.

Conclusion

Continue offers developers unprecedented flexibility in AI-powered coding assistance. While Cursor operates as a full VS Code fork with deep AI integration, Continue takes a more platform-agnostic approach as an open-source extension. Its open-source nature and model-agnostic design make it ideal for developers seeking control. However, this flexibility comes with increased setup complexity and potentially inconsistent performance.

Sources

• Official site: https://www.continue.dev/
• Pricing: https://hub.continue.dev/pricing