# Continue Open-source AI code agent for VS Code and JetBrains that combines chat, edit, agent, and autocomplete modes with source-controlled AI checks enforceable in CI. ## Agent Decision Summary - Risk level: moderate - Source confidence: high - Recommended workflows: Coding agent workflow - Permission surface: shell/files - Agent JSON: https://www.openagent.bot/agents/continue.agent.json ## Summary Continue is an open-source AI code agent that runs as a VS Code and JetBrains extension with four modes: Chat for questions, Edit for targeted changes, Agent for autonomous task execution, and Autocomplete for inline suggestions. It recently pivoted to focus on source-controlled AI checks that run as GitHub status checks, enforceable in CI pipelines. ## Guide Continue started as the leading open-source AI coding extension for VS Code and JetBrains, and has since evolved into a platform for source-controlled AI checks that run in CI. This unique combination of IDE agent and CI enforcement makes it stand out in the crowded coding agent space. ### What it is Continue is an open-source AI code agent for VS Code and JetBrains with four modes — Chat, Edit, Agent, and Autocomplete — plus source-controlled AI checks that run as GitHub status checks in CI pipelines. ### Why it matters Most coding agents operate only in the development environment. Continue's CI check system extends AI assistance into the pull request workflow, making it auditable, version-controlled, and enforceable — bridging the gap between AI-assisted development and traditional software engineering governance. ### How it works Start with one safe workflow for Continue. Inspect official setup instructions, required credentials, execution logs, approval points, and failure recovery before expanding from a sandbox task into production automation. ## Use Cases - PR automation with AI checks: Define security, style, and correctness checks as markdown files. Every PR gets automated AI review as a GitHub status check. - Multi-IDE agentic coding: Use Continue's Agent mode across VS Code and JetBrains for multi-file refactoring, testing, and documentation tasks. - Gradual AI adoption for teams: Start with Autocomplete for quick wins, add Chat for questions, then graduate to Agent mode and CI checks as the team becomes comfortable. ## Alternatives - Use Cline for more advanced autonomous agent capabilities vs Cline: Continue offers broader IDE support and CI checks. Cline has more advanced autonomous agent features and browser automation. - Use OpenCode for terminal-native workflows vs OpenCode: Continue is IDE-native with CI integration. OpenCode is terminal-native with 75+ provider support. ### Getting Started - Read the documentation: https://docs.continue.dev - Inspect the repository: https://github.com/continuedev/continue ### FAQ - What should I check before using Continue? - Start with one safe workflow for Continue. Inspect official setup instructions, required credentials, execution logs, approval points, and failure recovery before expanding from a sandbox task into production automation. - Is Continue open source? - Continue is listed with Apache-2.0 based on the official source links in this profile. Re-check the repository, model card, or docs before production use. - What IDEs does Continue support? - Continue supports both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs with full feature parity across chat, edit, agent, and autocomplete modes. ## What It Does Continue is an open-source AI code agent for VS Code and JetBrains with four modes — Chat, Edit, Agent, and Autocomplete — plus source-controlled AI checks that run as GitHub status checks in CI pipelines. ## How To Evaluate Start with one safe workflow for Continue. Inspect official setup instructions, required credentials, execution logs, approval points, and failure recovery before expanding from a sandbox task into production automation. ## Why It Matters Continue is the only open-source coding tool with full VS Code and JetBrains support across chat, edit, agent, and autocomplete modes. Its new direction toward AI checks in CI represents an innovative approach to making AI-assisted development auditable and governed by version control. ## Best For - Developers who need both VS Code and JetBrains support - Teams that want AI checks enforced in CI pipelines alongside agentic coding - Engineers who want a single tool covering chat, edit, agent, and autocomplete workflows ## Not For - Users who prefer terminal-native agents over IDE extensions - Teams looking for a standalone coding agent without IDE integration ## What It Actually Does - Multi-mode workflow: Four integrated modes: Chat for questions, Edit for targeted changes, Agent for autonomous tasks, and Autocomplete for inline suggestions. - Why it matters: One extension covers the full spectrum of AI-assisted development, from quick completions to complex multi-file agentic tasks. - VS Code + JetBrains support: The only open-source coding agent with full feature parity across both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. - Why it matters: Teams using different IDEs can standardize on one tool, and developers switching editors don't lose functionality. - CI-enforceable AI checks: Source-controlled AI checks defined as markdown files in your repository, running as GitHub status checks on every PR. - Why it matters: Makes AI-assisted development auditable and governed by version control — the same workflow as traditional CI/CD checks. - Model-agnostic architecture: Supports any LLM provider through an extensible model system, including local models via Ollama. - Why it matters: Teams can choose the best model for each task without being locked into a single provider. ## Typical Use Cases - Automated code review in CI: Define AI review checks as markdown files in .continue/checks/ — every PR gets automated security, style, and correctness review. - Mixed-mode development: Use Autocomplete for quick suggestions, switch to Agent for complex tasks, and use Chat for architectural questions — all in one session. - Cross-IDE team workflows: Some team members use VS Code, others use JetBrains — Continue provides the same AI coding capabilities in both editors. ## How It Compares - Choose Continue for multi-IDE support and CI checks vs Cline: Continue supports both VS Code and JetBrains with CI-enforceable AI checks. Cline has deeper autonomous agent capabilities but is VS Code-focused. ## Fit Matrix - Coding agent workflow: strong. Continue has multiple signals for coding agent workflow, including matching tags, capabilities, category, or positioning. Required check: Run a small repository change and inspect the diff, tests, and rollback path. - Connector or protocol layer: partial. Continue has at least one signal for connector or protocol layer, but should be checked against a real task before adoption. Required check: Connect one low-risk service, then inspect schemas, auth scope, errors, and logs. - Reusable skill workflow: partial. Continue has at least one signal for reusable skill workflow, but should be checked against a real task before adoption. Required check: Run one skill end to end and check whether it produces evidence or structured output. - Browser automation: weak. Continue is not primarily positioned for browser automation in the current metadata. Required check: Run one non-sensitive website task and inspect clicks, waits, retries, and changed URLs. - Evaluation and observability: weak. Continue is not primarily positioned for evaluation and observability in the current metadata. Required check: Add one repeatable test case and confirm results can run again in review or CI. - Local or private AI stack: weak. Continue is not primarily positioned for local or private ai stack in the current metadata. Required check: Verify hardware requirements, data path, storage, and whether all calls stay in your environment. ## Evidence - verified: Continue is listed as open source. Source: License metadata: Apache-2.0 - verified: Continue has a recorded GitHub repository: continuedev/continue. Source: Resource facts and GitHub source link. - inferred: Continue supports these recorded deployment modes: cloud. Source: OpenAgent decision signal metadata. - inferred: Continue is tagged with workflow orchestration capabilities. Source: OpenAgent capability taxonomy. ## Missing Checks - Repository freshness has not been recorded. ## Next Actions - Inspect repository: https://github.com/continuedev/continue - Open Homepage: https://continue.dev - Read setup docs: https://docs.continue.dev - Install Continue CLI: npm i -g @continuedev/cli ## Command Line ### Install Continue CLI Install the Continue CLI globally via npm, then run 'cn' in any project directory. ```bash npm i -g @continuedev/cli ``` ## Facts - Category: agents - Resource type: agent - Open source: yes - License: Apache-2.0 - Last verified: 2026-06-04 - GitHub repo: continuedev/continue - GitHub stars: 31800 ## Capabilities - workflow-orchestration ## Structured Use Case Tags - developer-workflow ## Getting Started - Open the GitHub repository: https://github.com/continuedev/continue - Read the documentation: https://docs.continue.dev - Visit the project website: https://continue.dev ## Links - GitHub: https://github.com/continuedev/continue - Homepage: https://continue.dev - Docs: https://docs.continue.dev ## Structured Outputs - JSON: https://www.openagent.bot/agents/continue.json - Markdown: https://www.openagent.bot/agents/continue.md - Agent JSON: https://www.openagent.bot/agents/continue.agent.json - Canonical: https://www.openagent.bot/agents/continue