Continue vs Aider(2026)
Continue is better for teams that need full model control. Aider is the stronger choice if completely free and open source. Continue is open-source (from $0) and Aider is open-source (from $0).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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Continue
Continue is an open-source AI code assistant that connects to any LLM (Claude, GPT-4, local Ollama) inside VS Code or JetBrains. Full control over which model and data leaves your machine.
Starting at $0
Visit ContinueAider
Aider is an open-source AI pair programmer that works in your terminal. It edits code across multiple files using git for tracking changes — works with Claude, GPT-4, and local models.
Starting at $0
Visit AiderHow Do Continue and Aider Compare on Features?
| Feature | Continue | Aider |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | open-source | open-source |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |
| Open source (Apache 2.0) | ✓ | — |
| Any LLM backend | ✓ | ✓ |
| VS Code + JetBrains | ✓ | — |
| Inline autocomplete | ✓ | — |
| Chat | ✓ | — |
| Codebase indexing | ✓ | — |
| Slash commands | ✓ | — |
| Terminal-based | — | ✓ |
| Multi-file editing | — | ✓ |
| Git integration | — | ✓ |
| Repository mapping | — | ✓ |
| Automatic commits | — | ✓ |
| Chat-driven development | — | ✓ |
Continue Pros and Cons vs Aider
Continue
Aider
Should You Use Continue or Aider?
Choose Continue if…
- •Full model control
- •Works with local Ollama models
- •Free forever
Choose Aider if…
- •Completely free and open source
- •Git-native workflow
- •Works with any LLM