Continue vs FastChat
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
FastChat
Platform for serving and evaluating large language models
| Feature | Continue | FastChat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 35,374 | ★ 39,516 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| 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 FastChat if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 39.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Continue or FastChat better?
Neither is universally better. FastChat 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 FastChat free and open-source?
Yes. Continue is licensed under Apache-2.0 and FastChat under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Continue and FastChat with Docker?
Continue: check the project docs for container support. FastChat: yes.