Continue vs Ollama
type: Article
description: Continue is an IDE extension for AI-assisted coding across multiple LLMs, while Ollama is a lightweight runtime for running open-source LLMs locally on personal devices. Continue requires an editor integration, whereas Ollama is a standalone service for local model execution.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-07-07T11:41:37.396Z
date created: 2026-07-07T11:41:37.396Z
date modified: 2026-07-07T11:41:37.426Z
content reference time: 2026-07-07T11:41:37.426Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: Continue
about: Ollama
abstract: Continue is an IDE extension for AI-assisted coding across multiple LLMs, while Ollama is a lightweight runtime for running open-source LLMs locally on personal devices. Continue requires an editor integration, whereas Ollama is a standalone service for local model execution.
text: Primary Purpose. Supported Editors. Model Sources. Local Execution. Memory Footprint (Typical Setup). Privacy Mode (Zero Cloud Calls). Installation Complexity
conclusion text: Choose Continue if you want a feature-rich, editor-integrated coding assistant with access to multiple premium and open-source LLMs through a single interface. Choose Ollama if you prioritize complete privacy, local-only execution, minimal resource usage, or need a lightweight API server for running open-source models in production or personal projects.
additional property: Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 5-10 minutes | Ollama: 15-30 (CLI, GPU setup)
  value reference: Continue
additional property: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 10-20 (API key + config required) | Ollama: 2-3 minutes
  value reference: Ollama
additional property: Free Tier Autocomplete Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Unlimited with local models | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Autocomplete Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 200-500ms average | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Context Window Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Up to 100,000+ tokens | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Supported IDEs Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: VS Code, JetBrains suite, Vim, Neovim (4 major platforms) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Paid Plan Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Free (optional donations for commercial use) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Programming Languages Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 50+ (with LLM-dependent support) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Base Cost (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: $0 (self-hosted) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Supported IDE Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 3 (VSCode, JetBrains, Cursor) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: AI Model Choices
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Claude, GPT-4, Llama, Mistral, local | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Data Processing Location
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Local + optional cloud | Ollama: N/A
additional property: GitHub Stars (as of 2026)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 13,000+ | Ollama: ~18,000
  value reference: Ollama
additional property: Free Tier Code Completions
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Unlimited (depends on API usage) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Customization via Config
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Full JSON config (prompts, model params, shortcuts) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Monthly Cost (Individual)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Free (+ API costs) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: AI Model Options
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 5+ (Claude, GPT-4, Llama 2, custom, local) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: IDE Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 4 major (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Web) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Base Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Free | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Supported AI Models
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 6+ (Claude, GPT-4, Ollama, local) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: IDE Compatibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 5+ (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Code Context Window
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 8000-200000 (model-dependent) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Real-time Suggestion Speed
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 400-800 | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Local Model Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Yes (Ollama, LLaMA) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Estimated Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 150 | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Local Execution Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Yes (full local support) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: User Base Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: ~0.05 million (2025 estimate) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Enterprise SLA Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: No (community-driven) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Setup Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 15–30 min (API key configuration) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Data Privacy (Cloud Processing)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Optional (local or cloud) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Code Completion Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 800-1200 | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Number of Supported IDEs
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 4 | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Enterprise SSO Authentication
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: No | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Local Processing Option
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Yes (default) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Open-Source Availability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Full open-source (Apache 2.0) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Team Size Limit (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Unlimited | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Training Data Cutoff
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 2024 | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Time to First Response (Small Prompt)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 2-5 sec (Claude/GPT-4) | Ollama: 15-45 sec (CPU), 3-8 sec (GPU)
  value reference: Continue
additional property: Monthly Cost at Heavy Usage
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: $50-150 for power users | Ollama: $0 after hardware
  value reference: Ollama
additional property: Available Models
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 10+ providers supported | Ollama: 15+ models
  value reference: Ollama
additional property: Internet Dependency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Required for cloud models | Ollama: Not required after setup
additional property: Minimum RAM Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 8GB minimum (16GB recommended) | Ollama: 8 GB minimum
additional property: IDE Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Native VS Code extension | Ollama: Requires external plugins/API setup
additional property: Data Privacy Level
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Depends on provider, some cloud processing | Ollama: 100% (on-device)
additional property: Setup Time to First Use
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 15-30 minutes (model download + config) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Average Code Completion Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 5-15 seconds (hardware-dependent) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: IDE Platform Support Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: 4 major platforms (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Neovim) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: Unlimited (fully free and open-source) | Ollama: N/A
additional property: Pro Plan Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: Continue: $0 (open-source) or hosted option available | Ollama: N/A
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/continue
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/continue
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/ollama
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/ollama
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/continue-vs-ollama)
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/continue-vs-ollama)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/ollama-vs-vllm)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/aider-vs-ollama
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/aider-vs-continue
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-codeium
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/codeium-vs-continue
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-github-copilot
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-cursor
teaches: How to choose between Continue and Ollama
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: Continue vs Ollama — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

Continue
type: SoftwareApplication
language: en-US
description: Open-source IDE extension providing AI-assisted coding across multiple LLM providers.
subject of: Continue vs Ollama

Ollama
type: SoftwareApplication
language: en-US
description: Simple, user-friendly local LLM runner for Mac, Linux, and Windows
image: ImageObject
  caption: Ollama
subject of: Continue vs Ollama
image: ImageObject
  caption: Ollama

Continue vs Ollama — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for Continue vs Ollama. Contains 132 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Initial Setup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operational Efficiency
variable measured: Free Tier Autocomplete Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Autocomplete Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Context Window Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Technical Specs
variable measured: Supported IDEs Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Paid Plan Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Programming Languages Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Support
variable measured: Base Cost (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Supported IDE Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: AI Model Choices
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Data Processing Location
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy
variable measured: GitHub Stars (as of 2026)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Free Tier Code Completions
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Usage Limits
variable measured: Customization via Config
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Flexibility
variable measured: Monthly Cost (Individual)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: AI Model Options
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Technology
variable measured: IDE Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Base Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Supported AI Models
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Flexibility
variable measured: IDE Compatibility
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Code Context Window
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Real-time Suggestion Speed
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Local Model Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy
variable measured: Estimated Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Local Execution Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy
variable measured: User Base Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Enterprise SLA Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Enterprise
variable measured: Setup Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operations
variable measured: Data Privacy (Cloud Processing)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy
variable measured: Code Completion Latency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Number of Supported IDEs
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Enterprise SSO Authentication
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Enterprise Features
variable measured: Local Processing Option
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Privacy
variable measured: Open-Source Availability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Licensing
variable measured: Team Size Limit (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Training Data Cutoff
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Knowledge
variable measured: Time to First Response (Small Prompt)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Monthly Cost at Heavy Usage
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost
variable measured: Available Models
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Internet Dependency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Architecture
variable measured: Minimum RAM Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: IDE Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Development Features
variable measured: Data Privacy Level
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Setup Time to First Use
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Experience
variable measured: Average Code Completion Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: IDE Platform Support Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Free Tier Monthly Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Pro Plan Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Data Privacy Model
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Open Source
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Development Model
variable measured: Monthly Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Avg Code Completion Speed
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Maximum Context Window
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Capacity
variable measured: Supported IDE Platforms
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: AI Provider Options
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Flexibility
variable measured: Training Data Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Model Quality
variable measured: Annual Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Base Pricing (Monthly)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Cost
variable measured: IDE Integration Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: LLM Provider Options
variable measured: Minimum Installation Time
variable measured: Runtime Memory Usage (Idle)
variable measured: Privacy Level (0=cloud-only, 100=fully local)
variable measured: API Documentation Quality
variable measured: Cost (Base Usage)
variable measured: Code Generation Accuracy (HumanEval Benchmark)
variable measured: Monthly Operating Cost (5,000 token average session)
variable measured: Minimum Hardware RAM Required
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama)

Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Continue vs Ollama.
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Operational Efficiency
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Technical Specs
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Privacy
has defined term: Community
has defined term: Usage Limits
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Technology
has defined term: Integration
has defined term: Enterprise
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: Enterprise Features
has defined term: Licensing
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Knowledge
has defined term: Cost
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: Development Features
has defined term: Security
has defined term: User Experience
has defined term: Development Model
has defined term: Capacity
has defined term: Model Quality
has defined term: Setup
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Hardware
has defined term: Speed
has defined term: System Requirements
has defined term: Pricing & Usage
has defined term: Security & Privacy
has defined term: Economics
has defined term: Requirements
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Resource Efficiency
has defined term: Hardware Requirements
has defined term: Model Support
has defined term: Accessibility
has defined term: Maintenance
has defined term: Hardware Compatibility
has defined term: Capability
has defined term: Content Library
has defined term: Collaboration
has defined term: Installation
has defined term: Adoption

Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ease-of-use
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Operational Efficiency
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operational-efficiency
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Technical Specs
type: DefinedTerm
term code: technical-specs
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Privacy
type: DefinedTerm
term code: privacy
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Usage Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: usage-limits
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Flexibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: flexibility
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Technology
type: DefinedTerm
term code: technology
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integration
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operations
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise-features
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Licensing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: licensing
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scalability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scalability
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Knowledge
type: DefinedTerm
term code: knowledge
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Cost
type: DefinedTerm
term code: cost
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Architecture
type: DefinedTerm
term code: architecture
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Development Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: development-features
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-experience
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Development Model
type: DefinedTerm
term code: development-model
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capacity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capacity
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Model Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: model-quality
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Setup
type: DefinedTerm
term code: setup
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-experience
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Hardware
type: DefinedTerm
term code: hardware
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Speed
type: DefinedTerm
term code: speed
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

System Requirements
type: DefinedTerm
term code: system-requirements
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Usage
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-usage
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security & Privacy
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security-&-privacy
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Economics
type: DefinedTerm
term code: economics
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Requirements
type: DefinedTerm
term code: requirements
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Usability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: usability
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Resource Efficiency
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resource-efficiency
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Hardware Requirements
type: DefinedTerm
term code: hardware-requirements
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Model Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: model-support
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Accessibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: accessibility
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maintenance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maintenance
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Hardware Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: hardware-compatibility
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Capability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: capability
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Content Library
type: DefinedTerm
term code: content-library
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Collaboration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: collaboration
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Installation
type: DefinedTerm
term code: installation
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: adoption
in defined term set: Continue vs Ollama — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-07-07T11:41:37.426Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: continue-vs-ollama)
main entity: Can I use Continue without paying for OpenAI or Claude API keys?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Yes. Continue can use Ollama as a free backend, allowing you to run open-source models like Mistral or Llama 2 entirely locally. You can also configure Continue to use other free options like LocalAI. However, if you want access to GPT-4 or Claude, you'll need paid API keys.
    language: en-US
main entity: Does Ollama work as a backend for Continue?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Yes. Ollama integrates seamlessly with Continue. You can run Ollama locally (e.g., 'ollama run mistral') and configure Continue to route all requests to your local Ollama instance, creating a fully private, zero-cost AI coding setup.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which is faster for code generation—Continue or Ollama?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Continue with a paid API (OpenAI GPT-4o, Claude 3.5) is typically faster for quality responses due to larger models. Ollama's speed depends on your hardware; on a modern GPU, Mistral 7B (running in Ollama) can generate code in 1-3 seconds, while CPU-only setups may take 10-30 seconds.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can Ollama be used in production or just for local development?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Ollama can be deployed in production. It exposes a REST API (default localhost:11434) that can be containerized with Docker, run on servers, or integrated into applications. Many teams use Ollama to power private LLM backends for cost-sensitive or privacy-critical applications.
    language: en-US
main entity: Does Continue work offline?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Not by default—Continue requires internet to reach cloud LLM providers. However, if you configure it to use Ollama (running locally), then yes, Continue works fully offline with zero external API calls.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between Continue and Ollama
type: HowTo
description: Continue is an IDE extension for AI-assisted coding across multiple LLMs, while Ollama is a lightweight runtime for running open-source LLMs locally on personal devices. Continue requires an editor integration, whereas Ollama is a standalone service for local model execution.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Primary Purpose
step: Consider: Supported Editors
step: Consider: Model Sources
step: Consider: Local Execution
step: Consider: Memory Footprint (Typical Setup)
step: Consider: Privacy Mode (Zero Cloud Calls)
step: Consider: Installation Complexity
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose Continue if you want a feature-rich, editor-integrated coding assistant with access to multiple premium and open-source LLMs through a single interface. Choose Ollama if you prioritize complete privacy, local-only execution, minimal resource usage, or need a lightweight API server for running open-source models in production or personal projects.

Consider: Primary Purpose
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Primary Purpose: Continue has IDE-integrated coding copilot, while Ollama has Local LLM runtime engine.

Consider: Supported Editors
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Supported Editors: Continue has VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Vim, while Ollama has None (CLI/API only).

Consider: Model Sources
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Model Sources: Continue has OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Ollama, LocalAI, while Ollama has Hugging Face models only.

Consider: Local Execution
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Local Execution: Continue has Optional via Ollama backend, while Ollama has Primary function.

Consider: Memory Footprint (Typical Setup)
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Memory Footprint (Typical Setup): Continue has 200-500 MB IDE extension, while Ollama has 50-200 MB runtime + model size.

Consider: Privacy Mode (Zero Cloud Calls)
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Privacy Mode (Zero Cloud Calls): Continue has Yes, when using Ollama backend, while Ollama has Yes, all processing local.

Consider: Installation Complexity
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Installation Complexity: Continue has Single extension install (2 minutes), while Ollama has CLI install + model download (5-15 minutes).

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: Continue vs Ollama
review body: Continue is an IDE extension for AI-assisted coding across multiple LLMs, while Ollama is a lightweight runtime for running open-source LLMs locally on personal devices. Continue requires an editor integration, whereas Ollama is a standalone service for local model execution.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: Continue vs Ollama

Data Privacy Model
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: Local-only, zero cloud transmission | Ollama: N/A

Open Source
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: Yes (GitHub public repository) | Ollama: N/A

Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: $0 | Ollama: N/A

Avg Code Completion Speed
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 2 | Ollama: N/A

Maximum Context Window
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 200,000 | Ollama: N/A

Supported IDE Platforms
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 6+ | Ollama: N/A

AI Provider Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 10+ | Ollama: N/A

Training Data Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: Varies by provider | Ollama: N/A

Annual Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: $0 | Ollama: N/A

Base Pricing (Monthly)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: Free + $20 Pro | Ollama: N/A

IDE Integration Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 3 major editors (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim) | Ollama: None (CLI/API only)
value reference: Continue

LLM Provider Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 15+ providers including premium APIs | Ollama: 100+ open-source models (single source)
value reference: Ollama

Minimum Installation Time
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 2 minutes (IDE extension) | Ollama: 5-15 minutes (install + model download)
value reference: Continue

Runtime Memory Usage (Idle)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 300-500 MB | Ollama: 50-200 MB
value reference: Ollama

Privacy Level (0=cloud-only, 100=fully local)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: 80 (optional local via Ollama backend) | Ollama: 100 (always local)
value reference: Ollama

API Documentation Quality
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: Comprehensive with config examples | Ollama: Extensive REST API documentation

Cost (Base Usage)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: $0 (free + optional API costs) | Ollama: $0 (fully free)

Code Generation Accuracy (HumanEval Benchmark)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 68% (Llama 2 70B)

Monthly Operating Cost (5,000 token average session)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: $0 (hardware only)

Minimum Hardware RAM Required
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 8GB (Llama 2 7B)

Average Response Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 5-10s (CPU) / 2-4s (GPU)

Supported Programming Languages
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 50+ languages

Data Privacy (0=external servers, 1=local only)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 1 (local)

Autonomous Code File Editing
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: No (suggestions only)

Minimum Hardware to Run
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 4GB (minimum); 8GB recommended

Free Tier API Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Unlimited (fully free)

Production API Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: $0 (fully open-source)

Privacy Level
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 100% local processing

Community Contributors
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 10,000+ GitHub stars, active Discord

Inference Speed (Llama 2 7B)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 15-50 (GPU-dependent)

Total Cost of Ownership (12 months, 1M daily tokens)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: $0 (hardware amortized)

Inference Latency (7B model, first token)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 800-1200ms

Throughput (7B model)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 8-15

Minimum Hardware Requirements
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 8GB RAM + 4GB GPU (Llama 7B)

Setup Time to First Inference
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 8-10 (including model download)

Maximum Concurrent Requests
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 1-5 (limited by local hardware)

Supported Quantization Formats
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 1 (GGUF)

Model Inference Speed (Llama 2 7B on RTX 4090)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: ~145 tokens/sec

REST API Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Yes (native)

Idle Memory Usage
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: ~250 MB

LoRA Fine-tuning
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Not supported

User Interface
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Command-line interface

Graphical User Interface
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: No (CLI only)

Model Download Time (7B model)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 3-5 minutes (depends on internet)

Native REST API Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Yes (OpenAI-compatible /v1 endpoints)

Model Merging
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Not supported

GPU Acceleration Options
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: NVIDIA CUDA, AMD ROCm, Metal (Apple)

Installation Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Medium (CLI setup required)

Time to First Token (ms)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 150-300 ms

Throughput (tokens/second, batch size 32)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: ~80 tok/s

Minimum RAM Required
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 4 GB (with offloading)

GPU Memory for 7B Model
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 6-8 GB (fp16)

Setup Time (from download to first inference)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 5 minutes

Pre-packaged Models Available
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 20,000+ (registry)

GitHub Stars
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 100,000+

Cost (Monthly Usage Example)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: $0 (free)

Model Accuracy (MMLU Benchmark %)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Llama 2 70B: 82.3%

Setup Time (First Use)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 15-30 minutes (download, install, configure)

Number of Available Models
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 50+ open-source models

Internet Connectivity Required
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Only for initial model download; runs offline after

Multimodal Capabilities (Vision, Image Gen)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Limited; vision support emerging in some models

Installation Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: ~150 MB

Latest Release Activity
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Weekly updates (as of 2026)

CPU Fallback Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Full support with graceful degradation

Base Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: $0 (Free)

Average Inference Latency
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 200-5000ms (hardware dependent)

Maximum Throughput
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 1-10 (single device)

Largest Available Model
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 70B (Llama 2)

Commercial Support SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Community-only (none)

Available Pre-trained Models
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 200+

Minimum GPU Memory (7B LLM)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 4-6GB

Free Tier Request Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Unlimited (local only)

Data Transmission
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: No external data transmission (100% offline)

Community Features
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Model registry only, 0 community features

Download Size
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 450 MB

Transformers Library Downloads (weekly)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Not applicable (CLI tool)

Inference Throughput (RTX 4090, Llama 2 13B)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: ~175 tokens/sec

Memory Usage (Llama 2 7B quantized)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: ~9 GB

Installation Time (from zero)
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 3-5 minutes

Minimum VRAM for Llama 2 7B
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 4 GB

Number of Supported GPU Backends
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: 4 (CPU, Metal, CUDA, Vulkan)

Batch Processing Support
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: No (sequential only)

API Standardization
type: PropertyValue
value: Continue: N/A | Ollama: Custom REST endpoints

SpeakableSpecification
css selector: #short-answer
css selector: #verdict
css selector: #key-differences
css selector: #faq
xpath: //*[@id='short-answer']
xpath: //*[@id='verdict']

Continue — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Ollama — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare Continue vs Ollama
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/continue-vs-ollama)
object: Continue
object: Ollama

LLM Provider Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Minimum Installation Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Setup

Runtime Memory Usage (Idle)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Privacy Level (0=cloud-only, 100=fully local)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

API Documentation Quality
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Developer Experience

Cost (Base Usage)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Code Generation Accuracy (HumanEval Benchmark)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Monthly Operating Cost (5,000 token average session)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Cost

Minimum Hardware RAM Required
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Hardware

Average Response Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Speed

Supported Programming Languages
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Data Privacy (0=external servers, 1=local only)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Autonomous Code File Editing
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Minimum Hardware to Run
type: PropertyValue
value reference: System Requirements

Free Tier API Limit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing & Usage

Production API Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing & Usage

Privacy Level
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security & Privacy

Community Contributors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Inference Speed (Llama 2 7B)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Total Cost of Ownership (12 months, 1M daily tokens)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Economics

Inference Latency (7B model, first token)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Throughput (7B model)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Minimum Hardware Requirements
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Requirements

Setup Time to First Inference
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Maximum Concurrent Requests
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Supported Quantization Formats
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Model Inference Speed (Llama 2 7B on RTX 4090)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

REST API Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Idle Memory Usage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resource Efficiency

LoRA Fine-tuning
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

User Interface
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Graphical User Interface
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Model Download Time (7B model)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Native REST API Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Model Merging
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

GPU Acceleration Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Installation Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Setup

Time to First Token (ms)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Throughput (tokens/second, batch size 32)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Minimum RAM Required
type: PropertyValue
value reference: System Requirements

GPU Memory for 7B Model
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Hardware Requirements

Setup Time (from download to first inference)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Pre-packaged Models Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Model Support

GitHub Stars
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Cost (Monthly Usage Example)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Model Accuracy (MMLU Benchmark %)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Setup Time (First Use)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Number of Available Models
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Internet Connectivity Required
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Accessibility

Multimodal Capabilities (Vision, Image Gen)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Installation Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Latest Release Activity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Maintenance

CPU Fallback Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Hardware Compatibility

Base Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Average Inference Latency
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Maximum Throughput
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Largest Available Model
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Capability

Commercial Support SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Available Pre-trained Models
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Content Library

Minimum GPU Memory (7B LLM)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Hardware Requirements

Free Tier Request Limit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Data Transmission
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Privacy

Community Features
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Collaboration

Download Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Installation

Transformers Library Downloads (weekly)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Adoption

Inference Throughput (RTX 4090, Llama 2 13B)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Memory Usage (Llama 2 7B quantized)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resource Efficiency

Installation Time (from zero)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Minimum VRAM for Llama 2 7B
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Hardware Requirements

Number of Supported GPU Backends
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Batch Processing Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

API Standardization
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration