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Kilo Code vs Continue

Continue’s source and final binaries remain available, but active product maintenance has ended.

What this comparison covers

This comparison covers Continue’s final VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI releases and surviving documentation. It does not present retired login, hosted configuration, subscription, or organization services as current offerings.

Verdict

Continue remains a valuable Apache-2.0 foundation with unusually clear model-role configuration, but it is no longer an independently maintained product. Kilo is the safer default for users who want an actively supported open agent with managed models and current team features.

Updated Verified against Continue’s acquisition page, maintenance notice, final repository, marketplace, model, YAML migration, and CLI documentation.
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Quick Comparison

Product status
Kilo Code
Actively maintained
Continue
Discontinued
Joined Cursor; repository says no active maintenance
Surfaces
Kilo Code
VS Code, JetBrains, CLI
Continue
Final VS Code, JetBrains, CLI releases
Client price
Kilo Code
Free
Continue
Free preserved clients
Models/BYOK
Kilo Code
500+
Continue
Configurable providers and roles
Local/offline
Kilo Code
Continue
Autocomplete
Kilo Code
Continue
Open source
Kilo Code
Apache-2.0 maintained
Continue
Apache-2.0 unmaintained
Current team controls
Kilo Code
Continue

Where Continue may fit better

Reasons to choose the competitor, depending on your workflow and constraints.

Clear model-role separation

Continue can assign different models to chat, editing, apply, autocomplete, embeddings, and reranking.

Portable YAML configuration

Models, rules, prompts, context, MCP servers, and agent files are represented in inspectable local configuration.

Useful offline foundation

Apache-2.0 source, Ollama guidance, compatible endpoints, and locally installable packages remain useful to internal forks.

500+ models without provider lock-in

Use Kilo-hosted models at provider rates, bring provider keys, or connect Ollama and LM Studio. Model choice applies across agent workflows rather than one vendor catalog.

Open agent stack

Kilo is Apache-2.0. Teams can inspect prompts, context assembly, tools, and configuration instead of treating the coding harness as a black box.

One workflow across editors and terminal

Kilo runs in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and the CLI, so adoption does not require a proprietary editor or a single model provider.

Continue alternative: why developers switch to Kilo Code

Continue joined Cursor and is no longer actively maintained. Compare its preserved IDE, CLI, YAML, and local-model capabilities with Kilo.

500+ models without provider lock-in

Use Kilo-hosted models at provider rates, bring provider keys, or connect Ollama and LM Studio. Model choice applies across agent workflows rather than one vendor catalog.

Open agent stack

Kilo is Apache-2.0. Teams can inspect prompts, context assembly, tools, and configuration instead of treating the coding harness as a black box.

One workflow across editors and terminal

Kilo runs in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and the CLI, so adoption does not require a proprietary editor or a single model provider.

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Complete Feature Comparison

An honest look at where Kilo wins, where Continue wins, and where they're comparable

Status and support

Active feature maintenance
Kilo Code
Continue
Current security fixes
Kilo Code
Continue
Downloadable clients
Kilo Code
Continue
Final binaries remain distributed
Current enterprise service
Kilo Code
Continue

Preserved developer features

Agent, Plan, Chat, and Edit
Kilo Code
Continue
Inline autocomplete
Kilo Code
Continue
Headless CLI and CI output
Kilo Code
Continue
BYOK and compatible endpoints
Kilo Code
Continue
Ollama/offline setup
Kilo Code
Continue

Configuration and teams

Local YAML configuration
Kilo Code
Continue
Per-role model assignment
Kilo Code
Workflow-level choice
Continue
MCP, rules, and agent files
Kilo Code
Continue
Maintained SSO/RBAC/admin plane
Kilo Code
Continue

Specialized agents built into Kilo Code

Code, Plan, Debug, and Ask cover the primary workflow. Code, Plan, and Debug can delegate isolated work to Explore, General, or custom subagents, while Agent Manager coordinates parallel VS Code sessions across git worktrees.

Preserve Continue configuration before compatibility drifts

Validate models, permissions, reusable instructions, and team workflows before removing your current tool.

1

Archive non-secret configuration

Inventory ~/.continue/config.yaml, project .continue files, .continueignore, rules, prompts, MCP definitions, and agent files. Move credentials to secrets.

15 min
2

Map model roles

Choose Kilo models for agent, planning, editing, and autocomplete work rather than copying provider names without testing capability.

20 min
3

Replace scripts and clients

Validate CLI/CI jobs, JetBrains workflows, and offline requirements in Kilo before removing Continue’s final binaries.

One pilot

Factual basis

Last reviewed . Product details can change; these first-party sources support the comparison above.

Common Questions About Switching from Continue

Everything you need to know about moving to Kilo Code.

Compare Kilo Code with more alternatives

See how Kilo stacks up against every major AI coding assistant.

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