Claude Code vs Continue
Side-by-side comparison of Claude Code and Continue — features, pricing, and trade-offs.
| Claude Code | Continue | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Anthropic's terminal-native coding agent. | Open-source AI code assistant you fully control. |
| Pricing model | freemium | free |
| Lowest paid tier | $20/mo | Free |
| Launched | 2024 | 2023 |
| Best for | terminal-first devs, automation, complex refactors | OSS lovers, local model users, config tinkerers |
| Top features | Terminal CLI, MCP server support, Hooks | Open source, Multi-model, Local model support |
Claude Code
Anthropic's terminal-native coding agent.
- + Best agentic loop
- + Terminal-native
- + Extensible via MCP
- − Steep learning curve
- − Token usage adds up
Continue
Open-source AI code assistant you fully control.
- + Free
- + Full control
- + Privacy-friendly
- − Setup complexity
- − Less polished than Cursor