Continue vs JetBrains AI
Auto-updated comparison · last refreshed September 3, 2026
TL;DR
| Continue | JetBrains AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | vscode-extension | ide-native |
| Vendor | open source | JetBrains |
| Pricing | Free tier (OSS extension, BYO API keys) | Free tier · Pro $10/mo (AI Pro on top of IDE license) |
| Autocomplete | Yes | Yes |
| Agent mode | Yes | Yes |
| MCP support | Yes | No |
| Local models | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | No |
| Codebase indexing | Yes | Yes |
| Team features | Yes | Yes |
Where Continue wins
- fully OSS
- config-file driven
- local model support
Where JetBrains AI wins
- deep IDE integration
- excellent for JVM langs and Kotlin
Weaknesses
Continue: config-heavy; slower to add new features than Cursor
JetBrains AI: requires JetBrains subscription; less flexible than Cursor
Best for
Pick Continue if you are teams that need OSS auditable AI tooling, or local LLM users.
Pick JetBrains AI if you are JVM/Kotlin/Swift devs already on JetBrains.
FAQ
Is Continue more expensive than JetBrains AI?
Free tier (OSS extension, BYO API keys) vs Free tier · Pro $10/mo (AI Pro on top of IDE license). Compare the Pro tiers first if you're a solo dev; Business/Enterprise only matters for teams.
Do Continue and JetBrains AI use the same AI models?
Continue supports: any via API. JetBrains AI supports: claude-sonnet-4-6, gpt-4.1, gemini-2.5-pro. Most modern tools default to Claude Sonnet 4.6 in 2026.
Can I use both?
Yes. They don't conflict at the file level. Some devs use one for autocomplete and one for agent work.
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Best Continue and JetBrains AI pairings by language
- Python: Continue for Python · JetBrains AI for Python
- TypeScript: Continue for TypeScript · JetBrains AI for TypeScript
- Rust: Continue for Rust · JetBrains AI for Rust
- Go: Continue for Go · JetBrains AI for Go