Continue.dev vs GitHub Copilot in 2026: Features, Pricing and Use Cases
Continue.dev is no longer a going commercial concern — it was acquired by Cursor in June 2026, its hosted pricing page is gone, and its open-source Apache-2.0 extension (VS Code, JetBrains, CLI) received a final 2.0.0 release with the repository now read-only. GitHub Copilot is the actively developed option, with a free tier (2,000 completions/month), Copilot Pro at $10/month, Business at $19/user/month, and Enterprise at $39/user/month. For a small business choosing a supported tool today, Copilot is the practical pick; if you want a free, self-hosted, bring-your-own-model assistant, the open-source Continue extension still works.
TL;DR
- Continue.dev was acquired by Cursor in June 2026; its homepage now carries the acquisition notice and continue.dev/pricing returns a 404.
- Continue's open-source Apache-2.0 codebase remains freely available — a final 2.0.0 release shipped for the VS Code extension, CLI, and JetBrains plugin, but the GitHub repository is now read-only and no longer actively maintained.
- GitHub Copilot's lineup: Free ($0, 2,000 completions/month), Pro ($10/month, 1,500 total AI credits), Pro+ ($39/month, 7,000 credits), Max ($100/month, 20,000 credits), Business ($19/user/month, 1,900 credits), Enterprise ($39/user/month, 3,900 credits).
- Copilot supports agent mode in VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, and Xcode, plus Copilot CLI, code review, cloud agent, and MCP server integration — MCP support now extends even to the free plan.
- Continue's last-advertised hosted plans (before retirement) were Starter at $3 per million tokens pay-as-you-go, Team at $20/seat/month with $10 in credits, and custom-quoted Company pricing.
- Continue's standout strength was model freedom: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama, Bedrock, Azure, xAI, Mistral, local models, and full self-hosting for privacy and cost control.
- For small businesses that need a supported product with admin controls and predictable billing, Copilot Business at $19/user/month is the safer choice in 2026.
Head to head
| Dimension | Continue.dev | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Open-source extension free (BYOK); hosted plans discontinued (last-advertised: $3/M tokens Starter, $20/seat Team) | Free tier; Pro $10/mo; Pro+ $39/mo; Max $100/mo; Business $19/user/mo; Enterprise $39/user/mo 🏆 |
| Ease of use | Configuration-heavy; requires choosing and wiring model providers | Sign in and go; works across five IDEs, CLI, GitHub.com, and mobile 🏆 |
| Features | Autocomplete, Edit, Chat, Agent mode, CLI, MCP | Agent mode, CLI, chat, code review, cloud agent, custom instructions/agents, MCP, PR summaries 🏆 |
| Model flexibility | 25+ providers, local models, self-hosting, per-task model assignment 🏆 | Dozens of Claude/GPT/Gemini/Grok/Kimi models, but within GitHub's credit system |
| Support & maintenance | Repository read-only after Cursor acquisition; no active development or vendor support | Actively developed by GitHub/Microsoft; enterprise support and audit logs available 🏆 |
| Integrations | VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, MCP servers, any model provider | VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, Xcode, CLI, GitHub.com, GitHub Mobile, MCP, third-party agents (Pro+ preview) 🏆 |
| Setup | Install extension, configure config.yaml with provider API keys | Install extension or sign in on GitHub; free tier needs no configuration 🏆 |
| Team/admin controls | Former Team plan had SSO and agent controls; discontinued | Business/Enterprise: org policy management, pooled-credit controls, audit logs, content exclusion 🏆 |
| Longevity risk | High — product sunset; codebase remains as a community foundation | Low — flagship GitHub/Microsoft product 🏆 |
The contenders
Continue.dev is an open-source AI coding agent, licensed under Apache 2.0, available as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, and CLI. Its four core capabilities are Autocomplete, Edit, Chat, and Agent mode, and it connects to external context and tools through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Its defining trait is openness: teams can mix model providers — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Ollama, Amazon Bedrock, Azure, xAI, Mistral, and many more — run models locally for offline use, or self-host the whole stack for privacy, compliance, and cost control. The VS Code Marketplace showed more than 2.5 million installs and the GitHub repository over 32.4k stars. In June 2026, however, Continue was acquired by Cursor; the hosted Continue Hub platform and its pricing tiers were retired, and the repository shipped a final 2.0.0 release (removing anonymous telemetry and authentication) before going read-only. The codebase remains freely available as a foundation for others, but the product is no longer actively developed.
pricing 0
- + Fully open source under Apache 2.0 — inspect, modify, and self-host the entire system with no black boxes
- + Unmatched model flexibility: mix providers, use local or hosted models, assign different models to different tasks
- + Works in familiar editors (VS Code, JetBrains) plus a CLI, so it fits existing workflows
- + Self-hosting and local models (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp) support privacy, compliance, and cost control
- + No vendor lock-in — bring your own API keys
- + Large community footprint: 2.5M+ VS Code Marketplace installs and 32.4k+ GitHub stars
- − Acquired by Cursor in June 2026; the GitHub repository is read-only and no longer actively maintained
- − The hosted Continue Hub platform and its pricing tiers were discontinued — continue.dev/pricing returns a 404
- − Setup is configuration-heavy; reviewers note new users may miss the product's overall shape and want better-curated starter templates
- − No vendor support, SLA, or roadmap anymore — teams adopting it now own the maintenance burden
GitHub Copilot is GitHub's AI coding assistant, spanning IDEs (VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, Xcode), the terminal via Copilot CLI, GitHub.com and GitHub Mobile, and a cloud agent that researches, plans, and writes code and opens pull requests. Every plan now includes agent mode and Copilot CLI, and even the free tier supports CLI, agent mode, and MCP server integration. Usage is metered through GitHub AI Credits: Copilot Pro ($10/month) includes 1,500 total monthly credits, Pro+ ($39/month) 7,000, and Max ($100/month) 20,000. Organization plans add centralized management — Copilot Business at $19 per seat per month includes 1,900 credits per user and policy controls, while Enterprise at $39 per seat adds priority premium-model access and enterprise features like audit logs and content exclusion. Copilot offers one of the broadest model lineups in the category, including multiple Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, and Kimi models, with premium models consuming credits at higher multipliers.
pricing 0/month
- + Free tier with 2,000 completions/month, agent mode, CLI, and MCP support — a genuine zero-cost entry point
- + Copilot Pro at $10/month is one of the cheapest paid tiers among major AI coding tools
- + Broadest environment coverage: five IDEs, CLI, GitHub.com, GitHub Mobile, and a cloud agent
- + Huge model selection across Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, and more on paid plans
- + Business plan ($19/user/month) adds centralized management, policy controls, and IP indemnity — real small-business admin value
- + Actively developed and backed by GitHub/Microsoft with a clear roadmap and enterprise support path
- − AI Credits are consumed at higher multipliers for premium models (e.g., advanced models like Opus consume 3x), so heavy premium-model use shrinks your effective budget
- − Free and Student plans are limited to auto model selection only — no model choice
- − Not available for GitHub Enterprise Server
- − Usage-based AI Credits introduce variable-cost risk for power users who exceed allowances
Verdict
Winner: GitHub Copilot
Continue.dev's acquisition by Cursor and the retirement of its hosted platform leave GitHub Copilot as the only fully supported, actively developed option of the two. Continue's open-source extension remains a free, flexible alternative for teams willing to self-host and manage their own model keys.
| Option | Overall | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Continue.dev | 5.5 | : 7: 7: 2: 5: 10 |
| GitHub Copilot | 8 | : 8: 9: 10: 9: 7 |
Pricing compared
The Cursor acquisition and what it means for Continue users
Model choice and ecosystem flexibility
Which should you pick?
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FAQ
Is Continue.dev still available in 2026?
Yes, but in a limited form. The open-source Apache-2.0 extension (VS Code, JetBrains, CLI) had a final 2.0.0 release and remains free to download and self-host with your own model keys. However, Continue was acquired by Cursor in June 2026, the hosted Continue Hub platform and its pricing tiers were discontinued, and the GitHub repository is now read-only with no active development.
How much does GitHub Copilot cost for a small business?
Individual plans run from Free ($0) to Pro ($10/month), Pro+ ($39/month), and Max ($100/month). For organizations, Copilot Business is $19 per granted seat per month with 1,900 AI credits per user, and Copilot Enterprise is $39 per seat with 3,900 credits and priority premium-model access. Premium models consume credits at higher multipliers, so heavy top-tier model use costs more.
What were Continue.dev's prices before the acquisition?
Continue's last-advertised hosted plans were Starter at $3 per million tokens on pay-as-you-go with no monthly fee, Team at $20 per seat per month including $10 in model credits per seat, and a custom-quoted Company tier with SSO, BYOK, and an SLA. These tiers were retired when Continue joined Cursor; the open-source extension itself was always free.
Which tool supports more AI models?
Continue.dev supports the widest range of providers — OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama, Bedrock, Azure, xAI, Mistral, and local runners — with per-task model assignment and self-hosting. GitHub Copilot offers dozens of Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, and Kimi models on paid plans, but Free and Student tiers are limited to auto model selection only, and all usage flows through GitHub's AI Credits system.
Do both tools support MCP (Model Context Protocol)?
Yes. GitHub Copilot includes MCP server integration on every plan — even the free tier, in editors — and extends MCP to agents on Pro and above. Continue.dev also connects to MCP servers, letting its agents access context and capabilities beyond the editor. If you use MCP, you can extend either tool with external skills and tools; directories like SkillzBench (currently in pre-launch) are building free, security-scanned collections of agent skills plus a free MCP connector to test them with any agent.