What it is
Continue is an open-source coding agent available as a CLI, a VS Code extension, and a JetBrains plugin. Its GitHub repository continuedev/continue has 36,232 stars (checked 2026-10-17) and describes it simply as an open-source coding agent. In plain terms, Continue puts an AI assistant inside the editor you already use, where it can read your code, answer questions about it, and propose edits you review before keeping. Read this before you install: the README states that the repository is no longer actively maintained and is read-only for all users, and that the team shipped a final 2.0.0 release of the VS Code extension, CLI, and JetBrains plugin — including removing anonymous telemetry, pulling out authentication, and squashing bugs. Adopt it as a stable, frozen tool for a small team, not as a fast-moving platform to build your future on.
Who it is for / SMB use case
Continue is for small businesses with at least one developer who works in VS Code or JetBrains and wants AI help inside the editor without switching to a separate chat tool. It fits solo developers, freelancers, and tiny dev teams maintaining a website or internal tool. Practical SMB use cases include:
- Understand unfamiliar code: ask what a file does, who calls it, or where validation happens, before you change anything.
- Small, reviewable edits: request one narrow change — a null guard, a new validation rule, a test case — and review the diff before saving.
- Scripted chores: run the CLI in headless mode to generate commit messages, documentation, or summaries from git diffs.
Because the project is unmaintained, do not make it the only way your team accesses source code, secrets, or deployment tooling. If your team does not write code, the AI writing tools covered on this site are a better fit.
Installation
There are three ways to install Continue. Pick the one that matches how you work.
Option A: VS Code extension
Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace (also available on the OpenVSX Registry). From the command line, the equivalent is:
code --install-extension continue.continue
Then open your project and open Continue from the VS Code sidebar.
Option B: CLI
The Continue CLI requires Node.js 20 or higher and works on macOS, Windows, and Linux. The official docs give this install script:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/continuedev/continue/main/extensions/cli/scripts/install.sh | bash
The CLI is also published as an npm package, installable globally with npm i -g @continuedev/cli. The CLI binary is cn. On a managed work machine, read the script first before piping it to bash.
Option C: JetBrains plugin
A JetBrains plugin exists, but the README recommends using the Continue CLI instead of the JetBrains plugin. If you work in JetBrains, try the CLI route first and only fall back to the plugin if the CLI does not fit your workflow.
After installing, configure one model before you ask for code changes. Continue uses a config.yaml file for model and MCP server configuration — the docs at docs.continue.dev carry the full schema, including examples for local models via Ollama.
How to use
Step 1: Ask a question about your code
Open one repository, open Continue, and start with a task that has an obvious, human-verifiable answer. For example, in a small project, ask: “List the files that validate user input and explain the validation path.” Check the cited files yourself. If the answer is wrong, fix your model or configuration before trusting any edits.
Step 2: Request one narrow edit and review the diff
Select a single function — ideally 10 to 30 lines — and request one change, such as: “Return a typed ValidationResult instead of throwing for an empty email; preserve every existing success behavior.” Then inspect the diff, run the repository’s existing formatter and tests, and either commit or revert. Do not begin with “refactor the whole repository.”
Step 3: Run the CLI interactively
For terminal-first work, launch the interactive CLI from your project directory:
cn
Use it the same way as the editor version: ask a question first, then request a small change, then review the diff before committing.
Step 4: Run the CLI headless for scripted tasks
The CLI’s headless mode (-p) is useful for automation and one-off chores. For example, generate a conventional commit message from the current git changes:
cn -p "Generate a conventional commit name for the current git changes"
You can also pipe a git diff into it, or run several headless sessions in parallel for batch jobs such as generating test cases. Check the docs for current flags before wiring this into a shared script.
Step 5: Keep a human in the loop
Continue proposes changes; you decide what lands. Every edit gets a diff review and a test run before it is committed, and nothing generated goes straight to production.
Pricing / Limitations
Continue itself is free open-source software under the Apache 2.0 license. There is no per-seat fee for the extension or CLI. What you pay for is the model behind it: API usage from your chosen provider, or the cost of running a local model. Check your provider’s pricing page for current rates; the README does not state pricing. Limitations to plan around:
- Unmaintained and read-only: the repository is no longer actively maintained. Expect no new features or fixes, and do not build a critical dependency on it.
- Final 2.0.0 release: the last release polished the extension, CLI, and JetBrains plugin, removed anonymous telemetry, and pulled out authentication. Verify the current behavior against the docs, since older blog posts may describe features that no longer exist.
- JetBrains plugin is second-class: the README recommends the CLI over the JetBrains plugin. JetBrains users should test the CLI path first.
- Model-dependent quality: answers and edits are only as good as the configured model, and a misconfigured model produces confident-looking wrong code. Always verify against your own files and tests.
Bottom line for SMB
Continue is a reasonable, free way for a small dev team to add AI help inside VS Code or the terminal — provided you go in with eyes open about its unmaintained status. Install the VS Code extension or the CLI, configure one approved model, and use it for questions and small, reviewed edits. Do not adopt it as your team’s long-term platform. The docs live at docs.continue.dev.
FAQ
Is Continue still maintained?
No. The README states the repository is no longer actively maintained and is read-only, with a final 2.0.0 release. Treat it as a stable, frozen tool.
Which should I install: the VS Code extension, the CLI, or the JetBrains plugin?
VS Code users should install the extension; terminal-first users should install the CLI (cn). The README recommends the CLI over the JetBrains plugin.
Does Continue send my code to a third party?
It depends on the model you configure. The final 2.0.0 release removed anonymous telemetry and pulled out authentication. If you use a cloud model, your prompts go to that provider; if you use a local model via Ollama, they stay on your machine. Check the official docs for current details.
