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Tools · Comparison

Continue vs Cursor vs Mails.ai

All three are code assistant tools. Here is what separates them.

ContinueCursorMails.ai
What it isAn open-source assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that you point at whichever model you want, including local ones.AI-first code editor built for speed with intelligent auto-completion and codebase understanding.Self-serve AI email API + MCP for agents. Per-agent addresses, per-agent reputation, native prompt-injection scanning on every inbound.
CategoryCode AssistantCode AssistantCode Assistant
PricingFree · Free · self-hostedFreemium · $20/moFreemium · $15 - $149/mo
How it billsFreeFlat monthlyFlat monthly
Free tierYesYesYes
RatingNot yet rated4.8 from 4,500 reviewsNot yet rated
Features
  • Works with hosted or local models
  • VS Code and JetBrains extensions
  • Configuration as a file in your repo
  • Custom context providers
  • No telemetry by default
  • AI-native editor
  • Codebase understanding
  • Multi-file editing (Composer)
  • Inline generation (Cmd+K)
  • Multiple AI models
  • Tab completion
  • Bug detection
  • Natural language editing
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What works
  • Code never has to leave your machine
  • No subscription
  • Model choice is entirely yours
  • Best AI code editor
  • Understands full codebase
  • VS Code compatibility
  • Multiple model support
  • Incredibly fast
  • Has a free tier, so it can be tried before paying
  • Publishes its price openly — $15 - $149/mo
  • Sits in Code Assistant, one of the better-covered categories here — easy to compare
What does not
  • Requires setup and a model to point at
  • Quality depends on what you connect
  • Fewer conveniences than commercial editors
  • Subscription required for full features
  • Can be resource-intensive
  • Newer with some bugs
  • Limited free completions
  • 97 other tools in this catalogue claim to do the same job
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