Continue.dev is winding down after the Cursor acquisition: where to go next

Continue.dev's homepage now reads: “Continue has been acquired by Cursor.” The product is framed in the past tense as a “pioneering open-source coding agent” whose “mission continues through Cursor.” There are no download or sign-up CTAs left on the site. The continuedev/continue GitHub repository carries a notice that it is no longer actively maintained and is read-only for all users. The final release was v2.0.0-vscode on June 19, 2026.

That is a gentle landing for an end-of-life announcement. Continue had 34.6k GitHub stars, 21,566 commits, and an Apache 2.0 license. It was one of the projects that made BYOLLM-in-your-editor mainstream: a free VS Code and JetBrains extension for AI chat, autocomplete, and agent mode, configured through a YAML file, with one of the broadest provider lists in the ecosystem. Local model support via Ollama, LM Studio, and llama.cpp was a first-class feature from early on. It helped a lot of developers get out of locked-in AI tooling.

There is a gentle irony worth naming: the acquirer is Cursor, a paid cloud-subscription IDE, so “the mission continues through Cursor” may not describe the outcome for developers who chose Continue precisely because it was open, BYOK, and not a subscription. That is not a criticism of either team. It is just the honest context for picking what comes next.

What actually happened

The timeline is straightforward:

• June 19, 2026: Final release, v2.0.0-vscode, shipped to GitHub.
• June 19, 2026 (or shortly after): The continuedev/continue repository was set to read-only with a notice that it is no longer actively maintained.
• The continue.dev homepage now confirms the Cursor acquisition and frames the project as retired. No download, no sign-up, no roadmap.

The Apache 2.0 code is still there and anyone can fork it. But the original team will not ship further updates, and provider API changes or VS Code extension API changes will eventually break things in a fork you maintain yourself.

What Continue users actually valued

Before picking a replacement, name what Continue gave you. The things we hear most:

• Open source, Apache 2.0. You could read, audit, and fork the code.
• Bring your own API keys. No per-seat subscription, no hosted credits, no platform fee. You paid Anthropic or OpenAI or whoever directly for tokens.
• Broad local model support. Ollama, LM Studio, and llama.cpp worked well. This was not an afterthought.
• Multi-IDE support. VS Code and all JetBrains IDEs. Some users also used the CLI.
• YAML-file configuration. Provider setup was version-controllable and shareable across a team without a UI.

Any honest replacement has to cover at least the first three. The fourth and fifth narrow the field.

Your three options

1. Cline (the closest like-for-like)

Cline is Apache 2.0, a free VS Code extension, BYOK, and has strong local model support via Ollama, LM Studio, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. It started as “Claude Dev” in 2024 and is widely used, with 5M+ installs and 58K+ GitHub stars.

The business model is clean. The extension is free. You bring your own API keys. Cline offers optional managed inference credits for teams who want centralized billing, but that is entirely optional. No subscription required, no credit-burn pricing, no surprise tier changes.

The main tradeoff versus Continue is form factor: Cline is VS Code only (plus JetBrains via a separate extension). If you were a JetBrains-primary user and relied on Continue's native JetBrains plugin, check whether Cline's JetBrains support covers your use case before committing. Also see our Cline alternatives page for the full picture.

Best for: the majority of Continue users. Same open-source, BYOK, extension model. The shortest switch.

2. OpenCode (MIT, terminal-native)

OpenCode is an MIT-licensed open-source terminal AI coding agent. It runs in the terminal rather than inside a GUI IDE, supports any model including local ones via Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, and is aimed at developers who prefer the terminal over a graphical editor pane.

If you used Continue's CLI, or if you work primarily in a terminal editor like Neovim and treated the VS Code extension as a compromise, OpenCode is the most natural fit. It is a different form factor from Continue but the same philosophy: open source, no subscription, you own your API keys and your inference.

Best for: terminal-native developers who want an open-source agent without a GUI IDE dependency. Also see our OpenCode alternatives page.

3. Bodega One Code (standalone IDE, free in open beta)

Bodega One Code is a standalone Electron desktop app, not a VS Code extension. Monaco editor, AI chat, an autonomous coding agent, 10+ LLM provider presets including local models, and air-gap mode with network egress blocking. Windows, macOS, and Linux. Free for personal use. During the current open beta, commercial use is also free. Pro ($39 one-time for 2 machines and a commercial license) goes live at full release.

Honest tradeoffs you need to know:

• Not open source. Continue was Apache 2.0. Bodega One Code is a commercial product. If open source is a hard requirement, pick Cline or OpenCode.
• Not a VS Code extension. Your VS Code keybindings, extensions, and muscle memory do not carry over. If you need to stay in VS Code, pick Cline.
• In beta. Full launch coming later this year. It has bugs; report them on Discord or GitHub. Cline is the right immediate move if you need a stable, production-ready tool today.

Best for: Continue users who are ready to leave the VS Code extension model and want a purpose-built AI coding environment that ships as one installer, works fully local, and does not require a monthly subscription.

Comparison table

Migration steps

1. Export your Continue configuration. Your config.yaml (or config.json in older versions) has your model definitions, API key references, and any custom context providers. Keep it. The provider list is a useful reference even if the format differs in your next tool.
2. Back up your API keys. Move them into a password manager if they are not already there. You will need them for whichever tool you pick next.
3. Pick your form factor first. Staying in VS Code: Cline. Terminal-native: OpenCode. Ready to leave the extension model: Bodega One Code. Do not pick the tool before you have picked the form factor.
4. Install and test on a real task. Do not wait for the read-only repository to start causing problems before you have a working alternative.

The takeaway

Continue.dev did real work. It normalized BYOLLM in the editor at a time when most AI coding tools were pushing proprietary model subscriptions. The Apache 2.0 code stays available and the projects it influenced, particularly Cline, carry that work forward.

If you want the shortest migration path, install Cline. If you want to leave the VS Code extension model and own your tools without a subscription, download Bodega One Code free. Beta is open to everyone right now.

Sources

• continue.dev - Continue homepage (Cursor acquisition announcement)
• github.com/continuedev/continue - Read-only repository notice, v2.0.0-vscode final release