Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that lets you plug in any model, including local ones — it was already free and open source on its own. Continue was recently acquired by Cursor, which is prompting some users who want to stay independent of the Cursor ecosystem to look at other open, model-agnostic editors and assistants.
FAQ
Is there a free, open-source alternative to Continue?
Continue itself is open source. If you're looking for a full editor rather than an extension, PearAI is an Apache-2.0 VS Code fork built on Continue's own chat engine.
What's the best open-source alternative to Continue?
PearAI is worth considering if you want a standalone AI-first editor rather than an extension added to VS Code.
What are the top open-source alternatives to Continue?
Browse all open-source alternatives to Cursor for more AI coding tools, or explore the full Developer Tools category.