Continue vs Sourcegraph Cody (2026)
Updated April 29, 2026
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.
Cody is Sourcegraph's AI coding assistant that understands your entire codebase. It uses Sourcegraph's code graph to provide context-aware code completions, explanations, and refactoring across massive codebases. Cody supports multiple LLM backends and works in VS Code, JetBrains, and the web.
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
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 tier with unlimited autocompletion
- Affordable Pro plan at USD 9/month
- IDE integration across popular platforms
- Strong codebase context awareness
Cons
- Pro and Free tiers being discontinued mid-2025
- Transitioning to new Amp product
- Uncertainty around product roadmap
- Enterprise customers only path forward
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 reviewContinue or Sourcegraph Cody — 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 Sourcegraph Cody if you wantChoose if you want
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