Continue vs Kilo Code (2026): Copilot or Autonomous Agent?
Updated April 29, 2026
How they actually differ
Continue and Kilo Code both target IDE developers but they make opposite bets about who owns the loop.
Continue is an assistive IDE plugin. Chat in the sidebar, inline edits, autocomplete, slash commands. Strong VS Code and JetBrains integration, configurable across providers, large library of recipes. Best when you want fast in-flow help while you stay at the keyboard. The agent capabilities exist but the gravity is still assistive.
Kilo Code is an autonomous agent forked from Roo Code (which forked from Cline). Runs in VS Code, JetBrains, and the CLI. You hand it a task, it reads files, writes files, runs commands, iterates until the task is done or the budget is hit. The interface is heavier but the autonomy is real. Best for tasks you can describe in a sentence and walk away from.
Where the trade-off bites: Continue wins on velocity inside your editor when you are actively coding. Kilo Code wins on tasks that would otherwise pull you off the keyboard (mechanical refactors, scaffolding, repeated edits, fix-this-failing-test loops). Different jobs.
Where Respan fits. Either tool routes cleanly through the Respan gateway for unified provider keys, per-developer cost tracking, and model swapping. See the proxy coding agents cookbook for the setup.
Overview
Continue is the leading open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains, with autocomplete, chat, edit, and agent capabilities powered by any LLM you choose — Claude, GPT-4, Mistral, or local models via Ollama. Free OSS extension plus a Hub for source-controlled prompts, rules, and CI checks; paid plans from $10/mo.
Kilo Code is an open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, and the CLI with 500+ models at zero markup. Compare its pricing, pros and cons.
Key features
Core capabilities each platform advertises.
- Autocomplete, chat, edit, and agent modes in VS Code and JetBrains
- Bring any LLM — Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, Mistral, or local Ollama
- Source-controlled config: prompts, rules, and context providers live in the repo
- Continue Hub for shared assistants, rules, and CI-enforceable AI checks
- On-prem, cloud, or fully offline deployment for compliance-sensitive teams
- VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI
- Ask, Architect, Code, Debug, and custom modes
- 500+ models through Kilo Gateway, BYOK, or local models
- Code completion and generation
Strengths and tradeoffs
What each tool does well, and the limitations to keep in mind.
Pros
- 100% open-source — no vendor lock-in, fully auditable
- Most flexible model support of any major coding assistant
- Source-controlled AI configuration treats prompts like code
- Strong on-prem / air-gapped story for enterprise
- Active Hub marketplace and community contributions
Cons
- Setup is more involved than turn-key tools like Copilot or Cursor
- UX is functional rather than polished compared to Cursor
- Quality bound to your chosen model — no built-in agent intelligence
- Smaller out-of-the-box integration set than incumbents
Pros
- Free and open source under MIT
- No markup on model usage
- 500+ models, including BYOK and local
- Same agent across VS Code, JetBrains, and the CLI
Cons
- 5% processing fee on credit purchases
- Now owned by Anaconda, with product integration details still to come
- Audit logs, SSO, and SCIM are Enterprise only
What people are saying
Continue.dev isn't the easiest AI coding assistant, and it's not the prettiest, but it's undeniably the most powerful and flexible option available.
Read full reviewBrilliant coding assistant — works great for both VS Code and JetBrains IDEs with access to many providers.
Read full reviewContinue or Kilo Code — which should you choose?
Choose Continue if you wantChoose if you want
- Standardized AI coding workflows across an engineering org
- On-prem or air-gapped development for regulated industries
- BYOK with no markup across many providers
- Source-controlled prompts and rules under code review
- CI gates that enforce AI-output quality before merge
Choose Kilo Code if you wantChoose if you want
- Multi-step refactors across an existing codebase
- BYOK coding with no provider markup
- Standardizing one agent across VS Code and JetBrains
- Private coding workflows with local models
Compare Continue and Kilo Code on your own traffic
Respan lets you trace LLM and agent calls across any model or framework, A/B test prompts on production traffic, and route requests across 1,000+ models through one gateway.
Try Respan free