Master Continue with our step-by-step tutorial, detailed feature walkthrough, and expert tips.
Install Continue extension from VS Code marketplace or JetBrains plugin repository Configure your preferred AI provider by adding API keys for OpenAI, Claude, or Gemini in settings Start using chat interface for coding questions or enable autocomplete for real
time suggestions
💡 Quick Start: Follow these 2 steps in order to get up and running with Continue quickly.
Explore the key features that make Continue powerful for ai coding workflows.
Yes, the open-source Continue extension is free to install and use with your own API keys. You only pay for the AI model usage through your chosen providers (OpenAI, Claude, etc.) or use free local models via Ollama.
Continue offers more model flexibility and privacy options through open-source architecture, while Cursor and Copilot provide more polished out-of-the-box experiences. Continue requires more setup but offers greater customization and vendor independence.
Yes, Continue supports local models through Ollama integration, allowing you to run AI coding assistance entirely on your hardware without sending any code to external servers, ideal for privacy-sensitive environments.
Continue offers native extensions for VS Code and JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.) with full feature parity including chat, autocomplete, and agent capabilities.
Now that you know how to use Continue, it's time to put this knowledge into practice.
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Tutorial updated March 2026