JetBrains AI

AI assistant and coding agent integrated natively into all JetBrains IDEs with EU-first data processing

Continue

Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that works with any LLM

JetBrains AI

Strong

20/25

Continue

Strong

17/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionJetBrains AIContinue

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

JetBrains AI: EU-first processing by default; on-premises and self-hosted LLM support via AI Enterprise for full data locality; .aiignore file for context control

Continue: Fully self-hosted with local model inference. Source code never leaves the developer's machine when using local models. Maximum data sovereignty achievable.

4/5

EU-first processing by default; on-premises and self-hosted LLM support via AI Enterprise for full data locality; .aiignore file for context control

5/5

Fully self-hosted with local model inference. Source code never leaves the developer's machine when using local models. Maximum data sovereignty achievable.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

JetBrains AI: Czech Republic incorporation within the EU; subject to GDPR by default as an EU company; bootstrapped with no US investor influence; not subject to US CLOUD Act

Continue: Delaware incorporation. However, the open-source licence and self-hosting capability mean the product can be used with zero dependency on the company's cloud infrastructure.

4/5

Czech Republic incorporation within the EU; subject to GDPR by default as an EU company; bootstrapped with no US investor influence; not subject to US CLOUD Act

2/5

Delaware incorporation. However, the open-source licence and self-hosting capability mean the product can be used with zero dependency on the company's cloud infrastructure.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

JetBrains AI: Zero prompt retention with third-party providers by default; detailed telemetry opt-in only; .aiignore exclusions; on-premises deployment available for complete data locality

Continue: Open-source, self-hosted, no telemetry when configured for local use. Complete data lifecycle control. Code is auditable.

5/5

Zero prompt retention with third-party providers by default; detailed telemetry opt-in only; .aiignore exclusions; on-premises deployment available for complete data locality

5/5

Open-source, self-hosted, no telemetry when configured for local use. Complete data lifecycle control. Code is auditable.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

JetBrains AI: SOC 2 Type II certified (2024/2025 audit period); GDPR compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

Continue: No formal certifications. Early-stage open-source project. Self-hosted model means organisations apply their own security controls.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified (2024/2025 audit period); GDPR compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

1/5

No formal certifications. Early-stage open-source project. Self-hosted model means organisations apply their own security controls.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

JetBrains AI: EU jurisdiction, EU-first processing, zero retention, on-premises option, and bootstrapped independence make JetBrains AI an excellent choice for regulated engineering teams with data sovereignty requirements

Continue: Self-hosted with local models is the gold standard for code sovereignty. Used by defence, government, and financial services teams. Lack of certifications offset by self-hosting and open-source auditability.

4/5

EU jurisdiction, EU-first processing, zero retention, on-premises option, and bootstrapped independence make JetBrains AI an excellent choice for regulated engineering teams with data sovereignty requirements

4/5

Self-hosted with local models is the gold standard for code sovereignty. Used by defence, government, and financial services teams. Lack of certifications offset by self-hosting and open-source auditability.

Total Score

20/25

17/25

Best For

JetBrains AI

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment; teams on a tight budget.

Continue

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment; teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Detailed Comparison

Continue vs JetBrains AI: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Continue (Continue, US) scores 17/25 overall with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that works with any LLM. JetBrains AI (JetBrains, CZ) scores 20/25 with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. AI assistant and coding agent integrated natively into all JetBrains IDEs with EU-first data processing.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Continue leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●Continue (5/5): Fully self-hosted with local model inference. Source code never leaves the developer's machine when using local models. Maximum data sovereignty achievable.

●JetBrains AI (4/5): EU-first processing by default; on-premises and self-hosted LLM support via AI Enterprise for full data locality; .aiignore file for context control

#### Legal Jurisdiction

JetBrains AI leads with 4/5 vs 2/5.

●Continue (2/5): Delaware incorporation. However, the open-source licence and self-hosting capability mean the product can be used with zero dependency on the company's cloud infrastructure.

●JetBrains AI (4/5): Czech Republic incorporation within the EU; subject to GDPR by default as an EU company; bootstrapped with no US investor influence; not subject to US CLOUD Act

#### Data Retention & Training

Both score equally at 5/5.

●Continue (5/5): Open-source, self-hosted, no telemetry when configured for local use. Complete data lifecycle control. Code is auditable.

●JetBrains AI (5/5): Zero prompt retention with third-party providers by default; detailed telemetry opt-in only; .aiignore exclusions; on-premises deployment available for complete data locality

#### Certifications

JetBrains AI leads with 3/5 vs 1/5.

●Continue (1/5): No formal certifications. Early-stage open-source project. Self-hosted model means organisations apply their own security controls.

●JetBrains AI (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified (2024/2025 audit period); GDPR compliant; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed

#### Regulatory Fit

Both score equally at 4/5.

●Continue (4/5): Self-hosted with local models is the gold standard for code sovereignty. Used by defence, government, and financial services teams. Lack of certifications offset by self-hosting and open-source auditability.

●JetBrains AI (4/5): EU jurisdiction, EU-first processing, zero retention, on-premises option, and bootstrapped independence make JetBrains AI an excellent choice for regulated engineering teams with data sovereignty requirements

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Continue	JetBrains AI
SOC 2 Type II	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

JetBrains AI has a clear trust advantage, scoring 20/25 compared to Continue's 17/25. JetBrains AI particularly excels in legal jurisdiction, certifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, JetBrains AI or Continue?

JetBrains AI has a TrustKit score of 20/25 while Continue scores 17/25. JetBrains AI currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do JetBrains AI and Continue compare on data residency?

JetBrains AI scores 4/5 for data residency (EU-first processing by default; on-premises and self-hosted LLM support via AI Enterprise for full data locality; .aiignore file for context control), while Continue scores 5/5 (Fully self-hosted with local model inference. Source code never leaves the developer's machine when using local models. Maximum data sovereignty achievable.).

Are JetBrains AI and Continue GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. JetBrains AI has a regulatory fit score of 4/5 and Continue scores 4/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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