GitHub Copilot

AI pair programmer by GitHub that suggests code and entire functions in real time

Continue

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

GitHub Copilot

Moderate

14/25

Continue

Strong

17/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionGitHub CopilotContinue

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

GitHub Copilot: Processed on Microsoft Azure globally; no explicit customer-selectable data residency regions

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

2/5

Processed on Microsoft Azure globally; no explicit customer-selectable data residency regions

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?

GitHub Copilot: US Delaware corporation and Microsoft subsidiary, subject to 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.

2/5

US Delaware corporation and Microsoft subsidiary, subject to 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?

GitHub Copilot: Business/Enterprise tiers guarantee code snippets are not retained or used for training

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

4/5

Business/Enterprise tiers guarantee code snippets are not retained or used for training

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.

GitHub Copilot: SOC 2 Type I and ISO 27001 certified for Business/Enterprise tiers

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

3/5

SOC 2 Type I and ISO 27001 certified for Business/Enterprise tiers

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

GitHub Copilot: Suitable for most software teams; strict data residency requirements may require alternatives

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.

3/5

Suitable for most software teams; strict data residency requirements may require alternatives

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

14/25

17/25

Best For

GitHub Copilot

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 privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Detailed Comparison

Continue vs GitHub Copilot: 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. GitHub Copilot (GitHub (Microsoft), US) scores 14/25 with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI pair programmer by GitHub that suggests code and entire functions in real time.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Continue leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●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.

●GitHub Copilot (2/5): Processed on Microsoft Azure globally; no explicit customer-selectable data residency regions

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 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.

●GitHub Copilot (2/5): US Delaware corporation and Microsoft subsidiary, subject to CLOUD Act

#### Data Retention & Training

Continue leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

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

●GitHub Copilot (4/5): Business/Enterprise tiers guarantee code snippets are not retained or used for training

#### Certifications

GitHub Copilot 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.

●GitHub Copilot (3/5): SOC 2 Type I and ISO 27001 certified for Business/Enterprise tiers

#### Regulatory Fit

Continue leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●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.

●GitHub Copilot (3/5): Suitable for most software teams; strict data residency requirements may require alternatives

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Continue	GitHub Copilot
ISO 27001	No	Yes
SOC 2 Type I	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Continue has a clear trust advantage, scoring 17/25 compared to GitHub Copilot's 14/25. Continue particularly excels in data residency, data retention & training, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, GitHub Copilot or Continue?

GitHub Copilot has a TrustKit score of 14/25 while Continue scores 17/25. Continue currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do GitHub Copilot and Continue compare on data residency?

GitHub Copilot scores 2/5 for data residency (Processed on Microsoft Azure globally; no explicit customer-selectable data residency regions), 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 GitHub Copilot and Continue GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. GitHub Copilot has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and Continue scores 4/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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