Continue vs LiteLLM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted local llm runners options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
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Continue
Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains
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LiteLLM
Unified proxy and gateway for 100+ LLM APIs
| Feature | Continue | LiteLLM |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Local LLM Runners | Local LLM Runners |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 35,374 | ★ 55,843 |
| First released | 2023 | 2023 |
| Replaces | GitHub Copilot, Cursor | OpenRouter |
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 LiteLLM if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 55.8k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Continue or LiteLLM better?
Neither is universally better. LiteLLM 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 LiteLLM free and open-source?
Yes. Continue is licensed under Apache-2.0 and LiteLLM under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Continue and LiteLLM with Docker?
Continue: check the project docs for container support. LiteLLM: yes.