Continue vs exo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Continue
Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains
VS
exo
Run your own AI cluster across everyday devices
| Feature | Continue | exo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 35,374 | ★ 46,708 |
| First released | 2023 | 2024 |
| Replaces | GitHub Copilot, Cursor | OpenAI API |
Why pick each one
Choose Continue if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 35.4k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Choose exo if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 46.7k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Continue or exo better?
Neither is universally better. exo has the larger community, while Continue is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Continue and exo free and open-source?
Yes. Continue is licensed under Apache-2.0 and exo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Continue and exo with Docker?
Continue: check the project docs for container support. exo: check the project docs for container support.