The most versatile free AI extension for VS Code is Continue, an open-source tool that allows you to integrate your own AI models (such as Groq, Ollama, or local LLMs) to provide chat, code generation, and autocomplete features without subscription fees.
Other top free alternatives include:
Codeium: Offers unlimited code completions, an interactive AI chat panel, and semantic code search across over 70 languages for individual developers.
IntelliCode: Microsoft's native extension that uses machine learning to prioritize the most relevant code completions and patterns locally.
AWS CodeWhisperer: Provides context-aware code suggestions and built-in security scanning for vulnerabilities, free for individual users.
Tabnine: Features a free plan with basic completions and a local model option to ensure code privacy without cloud dependency.
CodeRabbit: Delivers free AI code reviews directly in the IDE to catch bugs and logical errors before commits.
| Extension | Primary Strength | Key Limitation |
| Continue | Highly customizable (BYOM); supports local models via Ollama/Groq | Requires manual configuration for API keys or local setups. |
| Codeium | Unlimited completions and robust chat; no setup complexity | Some advanced features may be reserved for paid tiers. |
| IntelliCode | Seamless integration; privacy-focused local processing | Limited to code suggestions rather than full chat generation. |
| AWS CodeWhisperer | Strong security scanning and AWS-specific support | Best suited for AWS-centric development workflows. |
| Tabnine | Strong privacy with local model options | Free tier offers basic completions; advanced models require payment. |
For users seeking a completely free setup without API costs, the Continue extension can be configured to run locally using Ollama or via Groq with a free API key, providing a "game-changing" alternative to paid tools like GitHub Copilot.
I've tried TabNine but has this sin of refactoring my code even when I ask only to suggest a documentation for it. Yet for now I think it's still the most useful free one on the market. I've tried others but still none has been proven as satisfying. Any suggestions?
EDIT: Also, do you have any open source suggestions? Pls specify it when you comment
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Staff React dev here, my day job don't allow the use of any AI coding tools, so I haven’t really haven't gotten the reps in.
Starting next week I'll be going on a sabatical for the next 3 months, I’m building a journal app for my new born daughter. I've got the rough architecture filled out and I want to use this project to really try out vibe coding and get comfortable with agents and the new coding workflow.
I'm now debating which way to go.
I’m aware of AI native IDEs like Cursor, Kiro and now Antigravity, which looks like at least is partially built on vs code.
I also see CLI options like Claude code and OpenAI's codex, do you all have the terminal open and go back and forth between the two?
Lastly what about VS code extensions like kilo code, cline or kombai? I've never heard of any of these, i'm willing to switch IDE or terminal in the future but for now I prefer to stay in plain VS Code with an addon extension.
Basically, if you want least changes to the VS Code environment, how would you set up a coding agents and which ones are best with frontend React work?
What is the best AI VS code extension in your opinion? Which one do you use or used before? Why you switched and what extension you chosed to go with? I am mainly interested in autocompletion and preferably free. I use Codeium for autocompletion, it is absolutely free, but I think it is far from being best. Not sure which model it uses for autocompletion, probably gpt4 non o version. I heard that Cursor AI is great, but it's like an entire new code editor and I don't want to switch, even though it is based on VS code and very similar. Sometimes I use Deepseek V3 on their website, it really helps not just solving problems I encounter and can't solve myself, but also showing new ways to programm stuff, I look at it's code and learn new things. I think having Deepseek V3 as a code extension would be the best choice for me, since it is free and very capable in code, but I don't know such extension. So, what is the best VS code AI extension as of January 2025? Thanks in advance.