Continue vs GitHub — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Continue starts at Free. GitHub starts at $4/mo. Continue is $4/mo cheaper on the entry tier than GitHub.
Open-source AI code assistant that runs as an extension in VS Code, JetBrains, and other editors. Individual use is free (BYOK for LLM). Continue for Teams costs $10/user/mo and adds shared prompts, custom AI blocks, and analytics. Enterprise adds SSO, on-prem, and custom integrations. Positioned as the open-source alternative to GitHub Copilot with full customization of models and prompts.
The dominant developer platform (source control + code review + CI/CD + package registry), owned by Microsoft ($7.5B acquisition, 2018). Positioned as the alternative to GitLab and Bitbucket for the vast majority of open-source and enterprise software teams. Distinctive for its Copilot AI product ($10-$39/user/mo) that became Microsoft's fastest-growing AI SKU. Priced free (unlimited public + private repos) up to $21/user/mo Enterprise. Real cost bloat: GitHub Actions minutes and Copilot seats scale with team activity.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Continue monthly | Continue annual | GitHub monthly | GitHub annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | — / Free | — | — | Free | Free |
| Teams | — / Team | — | — | $4 | $4 |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | $21 | $21 |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Continue is worth it if… developers and teams that want to customize their AI coding stack — choose your own model, write custom prompts, share blocks across the team. Individual tier is free with BYOK; Teams ($10/user/mo) is the cheapest way to standardize prompts across a team.
GitHub is worth it if… GitHub is still the default Git host in 2026 for any team that wants industry-standard PR workflows, code review, CI/CD (Actions), and native Copilot AI. Free for public repos; Team is the entry paid tier, Enterprise for larger orgs.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Continue over GitHub if…
Choose Continue if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, a free entry tier).
- You match the profile Continue is built for: developers and teams that want to customize their AI coding stack — choose your own model, write custom prompts, share blocks across the team.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose GitHub if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (per seat, from $4/mo).
- You match the profile GitHub is built for: still the default Git host in 2026 for any team that wants industry-standard PR workflows, code review, CI/CD (Actions), and native Copilot AI.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Continue | GitHub | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Entry price | Free | $4/mo |
| Enterprise available | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | Per Seat | Per Seat |
| Last verified | September 20, 2026 | September 14, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 20, 2026. Tracked daily.