Continue vs JetBrains AI / JunieUpdated 2026-03-16

SUMMARY

Continue (IDE) uses markdown configuration while JetBrains AI / Junie (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 4 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureContinueJetBrains AI / Junie
Config formatmarkdownmarkdown
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file.aiignore
IDE integration
Schema / structureFree-form (Markdown)Free-form (Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

PurposeContinueJetBrains AI / Junie
Settings / configuration.continue/config.yaml.noai
Project rules.continue/rules/*.md.aiassistant/rules/*.md

SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES

Continue
.continue/rules/*.md
markdown
# Code Style Rules

- Use TypeScript strict mode for all files
- Prefer named exports over default exports
- Use async/await over .then() chains
- Keep functions under 30 lines
- Use descriptive variable names (no single letters except loop counters)

JetBrains AI / Junie
.aiassistant/rules/*.md
markdown
# Kotlin Conventions

## Language Features
- Use Kotlin 2.x with coroutines for async work
- Prefer data classes for DTOs and value objects
- Use sealed classes/interfaces for domain errors
- Extension functions over utility classes

## Spring Boot
- Constructor injection (no field injection)
- Use @ConfigurationProperties over @Value
- Prefer WebFlux for reactive endpoints
- Use Spring Security with method-level security

## Testing
- JUnit 5 with Kotest assertions
- MockK for mocking (not Mockito)
- Testcontainers for integration tests
- Use @Nested for test organization

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Hierarchy support

Continue: Supported. JetBrains AI / Junie: Not supported.

2. Global config

Continue: Supported. JetBrains AI / Junie: Not supported.

3. Subdirectory scoping

Continue: Supported. JetBrains AI / Junie: Not supported.

4. Ignore file

Continue: Not supported. JetBrains AI / Junie: .aiignore.

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Continue, configure .continue/config.yaml. If you use JetBrains AI / Junie, configure .aiassistant/rules/*.md. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.

PORTABILITY TIP

sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md

SEE ALSO

File references:
agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)