TL;DR: Continue extension for budget safety; Roo Code extension for power. Sooo I went through this last month. I was cautious about costs, so I tested both with the DeepSeek-V3 API. I’m actually reallyyy satisfied with how Continue extension handles context without draining my credits. No complaints! It feels much safer for a professional setup. Roo Code extension is cool, but a bit too aggressive for my wallet tbh. Works well for me!

Ok so, in my experience, I'd suggest starting with Continue extension for VS Code and JetBrains. It feels way more stable if you're worried about reliability. I mean, Roo Code is basically a beast for agentic tasks, but it can blow through your tokens if you dont watch it closely. For a daily driver that wont lose context, Continue handles the DeepSeek-V3 API really cleanly. gl!

Same here!

Ive been coding for decades and have seen plenty of tools come and go, but honestly, go with Continue and you cant go wrong. It is basically the most reliable way to bridge your workflow with these newer models without feeling like youre fighting the UI every day. After using it for a long time, the biggest plus is how it handles the configuration files as simple code, which is a lifesaver for long term maintenance. The key for a seamless daily experience is having that flexibility. I have found that sticking with a brand that prioritizes open standards is way better than getting locked into a proprietary setup. It handles the api calls from DeepSeek perfectly and doesnt lose its place even in larger projects. Just get it set up and you will see what I mean!!!

• prioritize the open source extensions for better longevity
• keep your configuration simple
• dont get distracted by every new shiny tool that pops up

Honestly, I've been coding for a long time but I'm still such a beginner when it comes to these new model integrations... I decided to try a more DIY self-service approach with my current setup instead of just going with the standard defaults. I wanted to see if I could bridge the API through a local gateway I built myself to keep things private. * Setting up the endpoint manually helped me understand there token usage much better.
* It took me a while to get the IDE to actually talk to the local proxy without it crashing every five minutes.
* I'm still messing with the settings to make sure it dont drop the context mid-file. It’s been a reallyyy interesting experiment so far! I like having that extra layer of control even if it’s way more work than just installing something. Do you think it’s better to just trust the plugins or is it worth ur time to build something custom? Still figuring it out...

I'm actually gonna suggest a different path if you're worried about safety. Everyone loves the ease of Continue, but Cline Open Source VS Code Extension feels much more secure for a professional workflow because of the granular permissions. It requires you to approve every change, which is huge for long-term code stability. Two quick tips:

• Always set a hard cap on the DeepSeek dashboard side. Don't trust the IDE to stop spending your money.
• Keep your custom prompts in a local file so you actually own your setup regardless of which plugin you use.

Just catching up... honestly I went through this last year. - I stuck with Continue extension cuz it's free and fits my budget perfectly.
- My spend literally dropped from $30 to about $2/month using the DeepSeek-V3 API.
- It’s been stable using the OpenAI-compatible endpoint, tho I'm still kinda learning how to tweak the context settings... gl!

+1