Integrate AnyCoder with VS Code - Free AI Coding Assistant

Important Information

AnyCoder on Hugging Face Spaces is a web-based AI code generator. To get similar functionality directly in VS Code, you have several options including using the Continue extension with free models, Codeium, or setting up your own local AI. Below are all the methods explained in detail.

Integration Methods

RECOMMENDED

Continue Extension

Free AI with multiple providers

Continue is an open-source AI code assistant that works with various free AI providers including Ollama, HuggingFace, and more.

Install Continue extension from VS Code marketplace
Configure with free AI providers (Ollama, HuggingFace)
Get inline completions and chat features
Customize with your preferred models

Codeium

Free forever for individuals

Codeium offers free AI code completion with no usage limits. It's a direct Copilot alternative with excellent performance.

Install Codeium extension from marketplace
Create a free Codeium account
Authenticate in VS Code
Start coding with AI suggestions

Ollama (Local AI)

Run AI models on your machine

Run powerful AI models locally on your computer. Complete privacy, no internet required, and completely free.

Download and install Ollama
Pull a code model (CodeLlama, DeepSeek)
Install Continue or compatible extension
Connect extension to local Ollama

Tabby

Self-hosted AI assistant

Tabby is an open-source, self-hosted AI coding assistant. Host it yourself for complete control and privacy.

Install Tabby server locally or on cloud
Install Tabby VS Code extension
Configure connection to your server
Enjoy private AI completions

Step-by-Step Setup Guides

Setting Up Continue with Free Models

Continue is the most flexible option as it supports multiple AI providers. Here's how to set it up with HuggingFace's free inference API:

Step 1: Install the Extension

Open VS Code and go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X). Search for "Continue" and install it.

ext install Continue.continue

Step 2: Get HuggingFace API Token

Go to huggingface.co and create a free account
Navigate to Settings → Access Tokens
Create a new token with read permissions

Step 3: Configure Continue

Open Continue settings (click the gear icon in Continue sidebar) and add this configuration:

{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "DeepSeek Coder",
      "provider": "huggingface-inference-api",
      "model": "deepseek-ai/deepseek-coder-6.7b-instruct",
      "apiKey": "YOUR_HF_TOKEN"
    }
  ],
  "tabAutocompleteModel": {
    "title": "Starcoder",
    "provider": "huggingface-inference-api", 
    "model": "bigcode/starcoder2-3b",
    "apiKey": "YOUR_HF_TOKEN"
  }
}

Step 4: Start Coding!

Use Ctrl+L to open the AI chat
Select code and press Ctrl+Shift+L to add to context
Get inline completions as you type

Setting Up Codeium (Easiest Option)

Codeium is the easiest to set up and offers unlimited free usage for individual developers.

Step 1: Install Extension

ext install Codeium.codeium

Step 2: Create Account

Click the Codeium icon in VS Code sidebar
Click "Sign Up" or "Log In"
Use Google, GitHub, or email to register
Verify your email if required

Step 3: Authenticate

After creating your account, VS Code will automatically authenticate. You should see "Codeium: Active" in the status bar.

Features You Get:

Inline code completions (like Copilot)
Multi-line suggestions
Natural language to code
Code explanations
Support for 70+ languages

That's it!

Codeium is now active. Start typing code and you'll see AI suggestions appear automatically.

Setting Up Ollama for Local AI

Run AI models locally for complete privacy and offline usage. Requires a decent GPU for best performance.

Step 1: Install Ollama

Download from ollama.ai and install for your operating system.

# macOS/Linux
curl -fsSL https://ollama.ai/install.sh | sh

# Windows: Download from ollama.ai

Step 2: Pull a Code Model

# Recommended for coding
ollama pull deepseek-coder:6.7b

# Alternative options
ollama pull codellama:7b
ollama pull starcoder2:3b

Step 3: Install Continue Extension

Install Continue in VS Code, then configure it to use Ollama:

{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "DeepSeek Coder Local",
      "provider": "ollama",
      "model": "deepseek-coder:6.7b"
    }
  ],
  "tabAutocompleteModel": {
    "title": "StarCoder Local",
    "provider": "ollama",
    "model": "starcoder2:3b"
  }
}

System Requirements:

Minimum 8GB RAM (16GB recommended)
GPU with 6GB+ VRAM for best performance
SSD storage for faster model loading

Using AnyCoder with VS Code

While AnyCoder doesn't have a direct VS Code extension, you can create an efficient workflow to use it alongside your editor.

Method 1: Side-by-Side Workflow

Open AnyCoder in your browser
Split screen with VS Code
Generate code in AnyCoder
Copy and paste into VS Code

Method 2: Use Browser Extension

Install a clipboard manager or use browser extensions to quickly transfer code:

Use "Copy All Code" browser extensions
Set up keyboard shortcuts for quick paste
Use VS Code's "Paste JSON as Code" features

Method 3: Create Custom Snippets

Save frequently generated code as VS Code snippets:

// In VS Code: File → Preferences → User Snippets
{
  "AnyCoder Template": {
    "prefix": "anycode",
    "body": [
      "// Generated with AnyCoder",
      "$0"
    ],
    "description": "AnyCoder generated code template"
  }
}

Pro Tip: Use Both!

Combine AnyCoder for complex UI generation with Codeium/Continue for inline completions. This gives you the best of both worlds!

Comparison: Free Alternatives vs GitHub Copilot

Feature	GitHub Copilot	Codeium	Continue	Ollama
Price

Integrate AI Coding Assistant with VS Code