# Continue - Deep Dive

> **TL;DR**: Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant (30,600+ stars) that works in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Unlike GitHub Copilot, you can use ANY LLM (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, local models via Ollama) and customize everything. Features autocomplete, chat, and now cloud agents for automated workflows. Y Combinator-backed, Apache 2.0 licensed, with 74+ LLM providers supported.

---

## What Is Continue?

**Continue** is an open-source AI-powered development platform that enables developers to delegate coding tasks to AI while maintaining full control over which models and configurations to use.

### The Core Philosophy

```
"The future of coding isn't writing more code.
It's delegating the boring parts, so you can build the interesting stuff."
```

### Why Continue Exists

| Problem | Continue's Solution |
|---------|-------------------|
| Locked into one LLM | 74+ providers supported |
| Cloud-only solutions | Run locally with Ollama |
| Limited customization | Fully configurable |
| Expensive subscriptions | Free + use your own API keys |
| Vendor lock-in | Open source (Apache 2.0) |

---

## Quick Stats

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| **GitHub Stars** | 30,600+ |
| **Forks** | 4,000+ |
| **Contributors** | 434+ |
| **Releases** | 734 |
| **License** | Apache 2.0 |
| **Backed By** | Y Combinator |

---

## Three Deployment Modes

Continue operates in three modes, covering different use cases:

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    CONTINUE DEPLOYMENT MODES                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│   1. IDE AGENTS                                                     │
│      └── Direct integration in VS Code / JetBrains                  │
│      └── Autocomplete + Chat + Inline editing                       │
│      └── Trigger workflows without leaving editor                   │
│                                                                     │
│   2. CLI AGENTS                                                     │
│      └── Terminal-based AI assistant                                │
│      └── TUI Mode: Interactive with step-by-step approval          │
│      └── Headless Mode: Background execution                       │
│      └── Install: npm i -g @continuedev/cli → cn                   │
│                                                                     │
│   3. CLOUD AGENTS                                                   │
│      └── Automated workflows triggered by events                    │
│      └── PR opens, schedules, custom triggers                      │
│      └── Enterprise-grade automation                                │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

---

## Key Features

### 1. Autocomplete

Real-time code suggestions as you type:
- Automatic or manual trigger (hotkey)
- Context-aware based on cursor position
- Works with any supported LLM
- Fill-in-the-middle (FIM) support for code completion

### 2. Chat Interface

Interactive conversations about your code:
- Ask questions, get explanations
- Request changes and refactoring
- Multi-file editing capabilities
- Tool calling for file operations

### 3. Context Providers

Extensible context via MCP (Model Context Protocol):

| Provider | What It Provides |
|----------|-----------------|
| **Code** | File contents, codebase indexing |
| **GitHub** | Repos, issues, PRs |
| **Jira** | Tickets, project data |
| **Confluence** | Documentation |
| **Notion** | Notes, databases |
| **Sentry** | Error context |
| **Supabase** | Database context |

### 4. MCP Integration

Model Context Protocol support for unlimited extensibility:
- Connect to any data source
- Build custom integrations
- Enterprise tool connections

---

## Supported LLMs (74+ Providers)

### Major Commercial Providers

| Provider | Models |
|----------|--------|
| **Anthropic** | Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3, etc. |
| **OpenAI** | GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-3.5 |
| **Google** | Gemini Pro, Gemini 1.5 |
| **Azure** | Azure OpenAI, AI Foundry |
| **AWS Bedrock** | Multiple foundation models |

### Additional Providers

| Provider | Notes |
|----------|-------|
| **Cohere** | Command models |
| **Groq** | Fast inference |
| **Mistral** | Mistral models |
| **Together AI** | Open models |
| **xAI** | Grok |
| **HuggingFace** | Multiple variants |

### Local Models

| Provider | Notes |
|----------|-------|
| **Ollama** | Run any open model locally |
| **LM Studio** | GUI for local models |
| **vLLM** | High-performance serving |

---

## Supported IDEs

| IDE | Status |
|-----|--------|
| **VS Code** | Full support (Marketplace) |
| **JetBrains** | Full support (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.) |
| **CLI** | Full support |
| **Neovim** | Not on roadmap |

---

## Comparison with Alternatives

### vs. GitHub Copilot

| Aspect | Continue | Copilot |
|--------|----------|---------|
| **Open Source** | Yes (Apache 2.0) | No |
| **Model Choice** | 74+ providers | Fixed |
| **Local Models** | Yes (Ollama) | No |
| **Customization** | Full config | Limited |
| **MCP Support** | Yes | No |
| **Price** | Free + API costs | Subscription |

### vs. Cursor

| Aspect | Continue | Cursor |
|--------|----------|--------|
| **Type** | IDE Plugin | Full IDE |
| **Open Source** | Yes | No |
| **Local Models** | Yes | No |
| **Existing IDE** | Works in yours | Replace IDE |
| **Price** | Free | Subscription |

---

## Installation

### Quick Start (CLI)

```bash
npm i -g @continuedev/cli
cn
```

### VS Code

1. Open Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search "Continue"
3. Install and configure

### JetBrains

1. Open Settings → Plugins
2. Search "Continue"
3. Install and configure

---

## Configuration

Continue uses `config.json` or YAML for configuration:

```json
{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "Claude 3.5 Sonnet",
      "provider": "anthropic",
      "model": "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
      "apiKey": "YOUR_API_KEY"
    },
    {
      "title": "Local Llama",
      "provider": "ollama",
      "model": "llama2"
    }
  ],
  "tabAutocompleteModel": {
    "title": "Autocomplete",
    "provider": "ollama",
    "model": "starcoder2:3b"
  }
}
```

---

## Architecture

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    CONTINUE ARCHITECTURE                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│   IDE Extension ←→ Core Backend ←→ Webview UI                       │
│        │                │               │                           │
│        ↓                ↓               ↓                           │
│   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐       │
│   │              Protocol Layer                             │       │
│   │  ToIdeProtocol / ToWebviewProtocol / ToCoreProtocol    │       │
│   └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘       │
│        │                │               │                           │
│        ↓                ↓               ↓                           │
│   LLM Layer      Context Providers   Extensions                     │
│   (LiteLLM)      (MCP-based)         (VS Code, JetBrains, CLI)     │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

---

## Who Created Continue?

**Continue Dev, Inc.**

| Fact | Detail |
|------|--------|
| **Founded** | 2023 |
| **Backed By** | Y Combinator |
| **Team** | 434+ contributors |
| **Philosophy** | "Developers amplified, not automated" |
| **Hiring** | Entry-level and senior engineers |

---

## How This Connects to Our Other Deep Dives

| Deep Dive | Connection |
|-----------|------------|
| **OpenHands** | Both are open-source AI coding tools |
| **Awesome LLMOps** | Continue listed as Code AI tool |
| **Awesome MCP Servers** | Continue supports MCP |
| **Context Engineering** | Continue uses context providers |

---

## Key Links

| Resource | URL |
|----------|-----|
| GitHub | https://github.com/continuedev/continue |
| Documentation | https://docs.continue.dev |
| VS Code Extension | VS Code Marketplace |
| Discord | Community support |

---

## Bottom Line

Continue is the **open-source alternative to GitHub Copilot** that gives you complete control.

**Why it matters**:
- Use any LLM you want (74+ providers)
- Run locally with Ollama for privacy
- Full customization via config
- MCP integration for unlimited extensibility
- Free and open source

**The key insight**: AI coding assistants shouldn't lock you into one provider. Continue proves you can have enterprise-grade AI assistance while maintaining full control over your tools and data.

---

*Document created: January 2026*
*Sources: [GitHub - continuedev/continue](https://github.com/continuedev/continue), [Continue Documentation](https://docs.continue.dev)*
