ChatGPT

AI assistant by OpenAI for conversation, analysis, and content creation

Continue

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

ChatGPT

Moderate

16/25

Continue

Strong

17/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionChatGPTContinue

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

ChatGPT: Enterprise/Business customers can choose from 10+ regional data residency options including EU and UK

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

3/5

Enterprise/Business customers can choose from 10+ regional data residency options including EU and UK

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?

ChatGPT: US Delaware corporation, subject to CLOUD Act; DPAs available for GDPR

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.

2/5

US Delaware corporation, subject to CLOUD Act; DPAs available for GDPR

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?

ChatGPT: Free/Plus tiers may train on data; Business and Enterprise tiers exclude data from training by default

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

3/5

Free/Plus tiers may train on data; Business and Enterprise tiers exclude data from training by default

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.

ChatGPT: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/17/18/701 certified

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

4/5

SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/17/18/701 certified

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

ChatGPT: Enterprise plan with regional residency and DPA suitable for regulated industries

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

Enterprise plan with regional residency and DPA suitable for regulated industries

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

16/25

17/25

Best For

ChatGPT

Best for organisations requiring broad certification coverage (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27017); teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Continue

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.

Detailed Comparison

ChatGPT vs Continue: Trust & Compliance Comparison

ChatGPT (OpenAI, US) scores 16/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI assistant by OpenAI for conversation, analysis, and content creation. Continue (Continue, US) scores 17/25 with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that works with any LLM.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Continue leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●ChatGPT (3/5): Enterprise/Business customers can choose from 10+ regional data residency options including EU and UK

●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.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 2/5.

●ChatGPT (2/5): US Delaware corporation, subject to CLOUD Act; DPAs available for GDPR

●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.

#### Data Retention & Training

Continue leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●ChatGPT (3/5): Free/Plus tiers may train on data; Business and Enterprise tiers exclude data from training by default

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

#### Certifications

ChatGPT leads with 4/5 vs 1/5.

●ChatGPT (4/5): SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/17/18/701 certified

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

#### Regulatory Fit

Both score equally at 4/5.

●ChatGPT (4/5): Enterprise plan with regional residency and DPA suitable for regulated industries

●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.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	ChatGPT	Continue
ISO 27001	Yes	No
ISO 27017	Yes	No
ISO 27018	Yes	No
ISO 27701	Yes	No
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	No

Overall Verdict

ChatGPT and Continue are closely matched on trust and compliance, with scores of 16/25 and 17/25 respectively. The right choice depends on your specific regulatory requirements and existing technology stack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, ChatGPT or Continue?

ChatGPT has a TrustKit score of 16/25 while Continue scores 17/25. Continue currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do ChatGPT and Continue compare on data residency?

ChatGPT scores 3/5 for data residency (Enterprise/Business customers can choose from 10+ regional data residency options including EU and UK), 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 ChatGPT and Continue GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. ChatGPT 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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