{"slug":"continue-vs-ollama))","title":"Continue vs Ollama","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))","faqCount":5,"faqs":[{"question":"Can I use Continue and Ollama together?","answer":"Yes, this is the recommended setup for privacy-focused developers. Configure Continue to use Ollama as the LLM backend instead of proprietary APIs. You get the IDE integration and chat interface of Continue with the offline privacy of Ollama."},{"question":"What's the learning curve for each tool?","answer":"Continue is beginner-friendly: install extension, authenticate with an API key, start using. Ollama requires CLI familiarity but is straightforward for developers: download, run 'ollama pull llama2', then 'ollama serve'. Non-technical users may find Continue easier."},{"question":"Can I use Continue offline?","answer":"Continue itself requires internet for proprietary LLM APIs (Claude, GPT-4). However, you can configure it to use Ollama as a local backend, which enables offline operation. This requires running Ollama separately on your machine and pointing Continue to the local Ollama server via configuration."},{"question":"Do I need to pay for Ollama?","answer":"No, Ollama is completely free and open-source. You can run as many open-source models as your hardware supports at no cost. There are no subscription fees, API charges, or usage limits. Your only costs are electricity and hardware."},{"question":"Which is faster for code generation: Continue or Ollama?","answer":"Continue with cloud LLMs (Claude 3, GPT-4) is faster and produces higher-quality code (120-200 tokens/sec). Ollama runs locally at 30-60 tokens/sec on mid-range hardware but is sufficient for most coding tasks. Speed tradeoff: cloud = fast+premium, local = slower+private."}],"faqPageSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#faq","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Continue vs Ollama — FAQ","description":"Frequently asked questions about Continue vs Ollama","dateModified":"2026-07-09T21:40:59.986Z","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"},"isPartOf":{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#article"},"license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#faq-speakable","cssSelector":[".faq-answer"]},"mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#q1","name":"Can I use Continue and Ollama together?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#a1","text":"Yes, this is the recommended setup for privacy-focused developers. Configure Continue to use Ollama as the LLM backend instead of proprietary APIs. You get the IDE integration and chat interface of Continue with the offline privacy of Ollama.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#q2","name":"What's the learning curve for each tool?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#a2","text":"Continue is beginner-friendly: install extension, authenticate with an API key, start using. Ollama requires CLI familiarity but is straightforward for developers: download, run 'ollama pull llama2', then 'ollama serve'. Non-technical users may find Continue easier.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#q3","name":"Can I use Continue offline?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#a3","text":"Continue itself requires internet for proprietary LLM APIs (Claude, GPT-4). However, you can configure it to use Ollama as a local backend, which enables offline operation. This requires running Ollama separately on your machine and pointing Continue to the local Ollama server via configuration.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#q4","name":"Do I need to pay for Ollama?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#a4","text":"No, Ollama is completely free and open-source. You can run as many open-source models as your hardware supports at no cost. There are no subscription fees, API charges, or usage limits. Your only costs are electricity and hardware.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#q5","name":"Which is faster for code generation: Continue or Ollama?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))#a5","text":"Continue with cloud LLMs (Claude 3, GPT-4) is faster and produces higher-quality code (120-200 tokens/sec). Ollama runs locally at 30-60 tokens/sec on mid-range hardware but is sufficient for most coding tasks. Speed tradeoff: cloud = fast+premium, local = slower+private.","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama))","upvoteCount":1,"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B"}}}]}}