Continue vs Glean: 2026 comparison
Open-source coding agent for VS Code and JetBrains — bring your own model, customize every prompt.
Continue vs Glean — specs
| Spec | Continue | Glean |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Rank | 75 / 100 (A) | 80 / 100 (A) |
| Autonomy | Semi-autonomous | Assistant |
| Pricing | Free · OSS | Subscription · Free tier |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Capabilities | Code, Tool use, Memory | RAG, Memory, Tool use |
| Integrations | 3 apps | 6 apps |
| Verified | Verified | Verified |
| Released | Feb 2025 | Feb 2025 |
Agent Rank breakdown
- Autonomy fit
- 8
- Capabilities
- 6
- Integrations
- 4
- Pricing value
- 10
- Polish & maturity
- 7
- Verifiability
- 10
Auto-computed from autonomy, capabilities, integrations, pricing, maturity and editorial verification. Updated every deploy. How is this computed?
- Autonomy fit
- 7
- Capabilities
- 6
- Integrations
- 10
- Pricing value
- 9
- Polish & maturity
- 6
- Verifiability
- 10
Auto-computed from autonomy, capabilities, integrations, pricing, maturity and editorial verification. Updated every deploy. How is this computed?
Pros & cons
- +Apache 2.0 — fully open source; auditable end-to-end
- +Works with any OpenAI-compatible API endpoint, including local LLMs
- +JetBrains support that Cursor and Cline lack
- −Smaller community than Cursor or Cline
- −Less polished than Cursor; requires more configuration
- −No native MCP server marketplace — manual config required
- +Single best enterprise knowledge agent in 2026 — instant grounding in your company data
- +Custom Agents (Glean Agents) let teams build internal workflows without code
- +Strong permission-aware retrieval — agents see only what users are allowed to
- −Enterprise-only — typically $50K+ ACV minimum
- −Initial connector setup takes weeks for full coverage
- −Pricier than ChatGPT Enterprise on a per-seat basis
Pricing
- +Apache 2.0 license
- +BYO model API key
- +VS Code + JetBrains support
- +Shared models + assistants
- +Org-wide rules and prompts
- +Usage analytics
- +Unified search across 100+ apps
- +Work assistant + custom agents
- +SSO + enterprise data isolation
Which one should you pick?
Pick Continue if cost is the main constraint or if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place.
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Frequently asked
Should I pick Continue or Glean in 2026?+
Pick Continue if cost is the main constraint or if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place. Pick Glean if your stack spans many tools and integration depth is the constraint. Most working teams running both can use Continue for primary work and Glean for the workflows where its specific strengths matter.
What's the price difference between Continue and Glean?+
Continue starts at Free · OSS; Glean starts at Subscription · Free tier. Continue is the cheaper entry option. For team deployments the TCO can differ — use the AI Agent Rank TCO calculator for your specific volume.
Which is more autonomous, Continue or Glean?+
Continue is the more autonomous of the two (Semi-autonomous vs Assistant). Higher autonomy ships throughput faster but requires verification loops in place — see our autonomous-vs-copilot framing for when each tier wins.