GitHub's AI pair-programmer — inline completions, chat, and the new Agent mode that ships PRs.
CodeTool useMemory
Demo · hover to play
Continue vs OpenHandswhich AI code agent should you pick in 2026?
Open-source coding agent for VS Code and JetBrains — bring your own model, customize every prompt.
CodeTool useMemory
Continue vs OpenHands — specs
| Spec | Continue | OpenHands |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Rank | 77 / 100 (A) | 77 / 100 (A) |
| Autonomy | Semi-autonomous | Autonomous |
| Pricing | Free · OSS | Free · OSS |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities | Code, Tool use, Memory | Code, Tool use, Browser, Multi-agent |
| Integrations | 3 apps | 3 apps |
| Verified | Verified | — |
| Released | Feb 2025 | Jun 2025 |
Agent Rank breakdown
Continue
Agent Rank
77/ 100
- Autonomy
- 8
- Capabilities
- 6
- Integrations
- 4
- Pricing
- 10
- Polish
- 8
- Verifiability
- 10
Auto-computed from autonomy, capabilities, integrations, pricing, maturity and editorial verification. Updated every deploy. How is this computed?
OpenHands
Agent Rank
77/ 100
- Autonomy
- 9
- Capabilities
- 8
- Integrations
- 6
- Pricing
- 10
- Polish
- 7
- Verifiability
- 6
Auto-computed from autonomy, capabilities, integrations, pricing, maturity and editorial verification. Updated every deploy. How is this computed?
Pros & cons
Continue
Pros
- +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
Cons
- −Smaller community than Cursor or Cline
- −Less polished than Cursor; requires more configuration
- −No native MCP server marketplace — manual config required
OpenHands
Pros
- +73K+ GitHub stars — the most popular OSS coding agent (formerly OpenDevin)
- +Self-hostable with full data control — runs locally in Docker
- +Active community + plugin ecosystem; $18.8M Series A backs ongoing development
Cons
- −Setup more involved than commercial alternatives like Cursor
- −Hosted Cloud tier still maturing relative to Devin / Factory
- −BYO model API — costs separate from the platform itself
Pricing
Continue
Open source
Free
Engineers + teams
- +Apache 2.0 license
- +BYO model API key
- +VS Code + JetBrains support
Recommended
Hub
$20/mo
Teams sharing config
- +Shared models + assistants
- +Org-wide rules and prompts
- +Usage analytics
OpenHands
Self-hosted
Free
Anyone
- +Full OSS code (MIT)
- +Docker sandbox
- +BYO model API
Recommended
Cloud Pro
$20/mo
Solo devs
- +Hosted sandbox
- +GitHub integration
- +Claude / GPT included
Cloud Team
$50/seat/mo
Teams
- +Shared workspaces
- +Audit logs
- +Priority compute
Which one should you pick?
Continue
Pick Continue if you want a vendor we've verified for accessibility and pricing accuracy.
Try Continue →OpenHands
Pick OpenHands if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place.
Try OpenHands →Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked
Should I pick Continue or OpenHands in 2026?+
Pick Continue if you want a vendor we've verified for accessibility and pricing accuracy. Pick OpenHands if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place. Most working teams running both can use Continue for primary work and OpenHands for the workflows where its specific strengths matter.
What's the price difference between Continue and OpenHands?+
Both Continue and OpenHands start in the same pricing range (Free · OSS vs Free · OSS). Total cost of ownership depends on your team size and volume — see the TCO calculator for your specific math.
Which is more autonomous, Continue or OpenHands?+
OpenHands is the more autonomous of the two (Autonomous vs Semi-autonomous). Higher autonomy ships throughput faster but requires verification loops in place — see our autonomous-vs-copilot framing for when each tier wins.
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See more alternatives: alternatives to Continue · alternatives to OpenHands
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