Continue vs Shortwave: 2026 comparison
Open-source coding agent for VS Code and JetBrains — bring your own model, customize every prompt.
AI email client — natural-language search, summary, scheduled send, and AI-drafted replies grounded in your inbox.
Continue vs Shortwave — specs
| Spec | Continue | Shortwave |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Rank | 75 / 100 (A) | 72 / 100 (A) |
| Autonomy | Semi-autonomous | Assistant |
| Pricing | Free · OSS | Freemium · from $9 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Capabilities | Code, Tool use, Memory | RAG, Memory, Tool use |
| Integrations | 3 apps | 3 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
- 6
- Pricing value
- 8
- 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
- +Best AI-native email client in 2026 — search, summarize, draft all natural-language
- +Built specifically for Gmail; faster + smarter than Gmail itself
- +Cheap relative to Superhuman with better AI features
- −Gmail-only — no Outlook support
- −AI assistant is helpful but not yet revolutionary
- −Smaller user base means fewer integrations than Gmail/Outlook ecosystems
Pricing
- +Apache 2.0 license
- +BYO model API key
- +VS Code + JetBrains support
- +Shared models + assistants
- +Org-wide rules and prompts
- +Usage analytics
- +Basic AI summary
- +90-day search
- +Unlimited search
- +AI assistant
- +Scheduled send
- +Shared inboxes
- +Send delegation
- +Admin controls
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.
Try Continue →Pick Shortwave if its specific capabilities (RAG, Memory) match what you need.
Try Shortwave →Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked
Should I pick Continue or Shortwave 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 Shortwave if its specific capabilities (RAG, Memory) match what you need. Most working teams running both can use Continue for primary work and Shortwave for the workflows where its specific strengths matter.
What's the price difference between Continue and Shortwave?+
Continue starts at Free · OSS; Shortwave starts at Freemium · from $9. 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 Shortwave?+
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.