Continue vs Stable Diffusion (2026)
A head-to-head comparison to help you pick the right tool
Continue
Continue is an open-source AI code assistant that integrates into VS Code and JetBrains, letting you use any LLM as your coding assistant.
Get Pricing →Stable Diffusion
Stable Diffusion is an open-source AI image generation model that can be run locally or via cloud platforms like DreamStudio.
Get Pricing →Pros
- ✓Open source and free
- ✓Use any LLM including local models
- ✓Good IDE integration
- ✓Privacy-friendly local model option
Cons
- ✗Requires LLM API keys
- ✗Less polished than Copilot
- ✗Setup required
Pros
- ✓Free and open source
- ✓Run locally for privacy
- ✓Highly customizable
- ✓Huge community and models
Cons
- ✗Requires technical setup for local use
- ✗Less polished out of the box
- ✗Steeper learning curve
Our Take
Choose Continue if privacy-conscious developers who want to use their own llm with ai coding assistance. Choose Stable Diffusion if developers and power users who want full control over image generation.