Free AI Coding Assistant Setup 2026: 5-Min VS Code Guide (Continue, Copilot, Windsurf)

Want to install an AI coding assistant after reading the comparison, but not sure how to configure it? How do you connect Continue.dev to Ollama? How do you activate Copilot Free? How do you use Windsurf's 500 free credits? This article walks you through installing three mainstream free AI coding assistants in VS Code, complete with screenshot steps and common troubleshooting tips.

💡 What You Will Learn

Want to install an AI coding assistant after reading the comparison, but not sure how to configure it? How do you connect Continue.dev to Ollama? How do you activate Copilot Free? How do you use Winds

📜 Table of Contents

• ---
• 1️⃣ Continue.dev ConfigurationRecommendations
• Steps
• 2️⃣ GitHub Copilot Free Configuration
• Steps
• 3️⃣ Windsurf Free Configuration
• Steps
• |:----|:--------|:-----:|
• |:----|:------|
• 📌 Summary

---

1️⃣ Continue.dev ConfigurationRecommendations

Steps

1. VS Code Extensions search for "Continue" -> Install
2. Open sidebar -> Continue
③ Backend:  → OllamaFree Trial

# 
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
ollama pull deepseek-coder-v2:16b  #  qwen2.5-coder:7b

2️⃣ GitHub Copilot Free Configuration

Steps

① VS Code "GitHub Copilot" → 
②  → Sign in → GitHub
③ Auto/AutomaticConfiguration

①  education.github.com
② GitHub Student Developer Pack
③ Copilot FreeCopilot Pro

3️⃣ Windsurf Free Configuration

Steps

①  codeium.com/windsurf → VS Code
② Codeium/GitHub
③ 500

|:----|:---:|:----:|:--------:|:----------:| | Continue.dev || 🟡‍⭐ ||| | Copilot Free || 🟢⭐ | GitHub || | Windsurf Free || 🟢⭐ | Codeium ||

|:----|:--------|:-----:|

|:----|:------|

📌 Summary

3:
  ① Continue.dev → 
  ② Copilot Free → 
  ③ Windsurf Free → 

2:
  Ollama + Continue =  + 

:
  Copilot
  Continue
  Windsurf