Free alternatives to GitHub Copilot

Home › Guides · Last checked 2026-10-16 · Facts verified from each project's docs unless marked tested

The closest free alternative to GitHub Copilot is Continue, an Apache-2.0 assistant for VS Code and JetBrains. It's only free if your model is free, for example a local model through Ollama. Tabby fits self-hosted teams and Aider fits terminal users.

	Editor	Model source	Cost risk	License
GitHub Copilot	VS Code, JetBrains and more	GitHub-hosted	See plans	Commercial service
Continue	VS Code, JetBrains	Bring your own	API usage if not local	Apache-2.0
Tabby	Self-hosted server	Self-hosted	Your GPU	Apache-2.0 core; ee/ separate
Aider	Terminal	API key or local	API usage can cost money	Apache-2.0

Continue with a local model

Install Ollama and pull a coding model.
Install the Continue extension in VS Code or JetBrains.
Point Continue at your local Ollama model in its settings (see the Continue docs).
Try it on a small file first to check speed on your machine.

The real catch

Free means local. Local models run on your hardware and are usually weaker than hosted ones. If your machine is slow, you'll feel it.

See all free coding assistants or read Continue vs GitHub Copilot.

FAQ

Is Continue really free?

The extension is free and Apache-2.0. You bring the model. A local model via Ollama costs nothing; a paid API model bills you for usage.

Can I self-host a Copilot alternative for my team?

Yes. Tabby is a self-hosted code completion server. Its core is Apache-2.0, but code in its ee/ directory is under a separate enterprise license. It needs a GPU for good speed.

Does Aider cost money?

Aider itself is free (Apache-2.0). It needs an LLM, and if you use an API key, usage can cost money. A local model avoids that.

Are local models as good as Copilot?

Generally smaller local models are weaker than the hosted models behind Copilot, and quality depends on your hardware. We haven't benchmarked them.