Continue vs GitHub Copilot
Continue and GitHub Copilot are both AI coding extensions. Here's how they line up on the things that actually decide it — price, platform, and what they plug into.
| Continue | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free tier |
| Platform | windows, mac, linux | windows, mac, linux |
| Works with | claude, chatgpt, gemini | vscode, jetbrains, visual-studio, neovim |
| In one line | Free, open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that supports any LLM via BYOK — autocomplete, chat, and inline edits. | GitHub's AI coding assistant — inline completions and AI chat built into VS Code, Visual Studio, and other editors. |
Which should you pick?
On budget alone, Continue is the lower-cost entry (free), so it's the safer place to start if you're not ready to pay. They target different setups, so let what you already use break the tie. For the full picture, read the reviews below — the verdict is where the real difference shows up.