SideCar
A free, open-source, local-first AI coding assistant for VS Code.
SideCar is a VS Code extension that serves as a drop-in replacement for GitHub Copilot and Claude Code. Use local Ollama models or the Anthropic API for AI-powered coding — with full agentic capabilities, inline completions, and tool use.
No subscriptions. No data leaving your machine. No vendor lock-in.
How SideCar compares
Most local AI extensions for VS Code are chat wrappers or autocomplete plugins. SideCar is a full agentic coding assistant — closer to Claude Code or Cursor than to a chatbot.
| Capability | SideCar | Continue | Llama Coder | Twinny | Copilot (free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chat with local models | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Inline completions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Autonomous agent loop | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| File read/write/edit tools | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Run commands & tests | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Security & secrets scanning | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| MCP server support | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Git integration (commit, PR) | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Diff preview & undo/rollback | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Fully offline / self-hosted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Free & open-source | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Freemium |
Quick start
- Install Ollama
- Install SideCar from the VS Code Marketplace
- Click the SideCar icon in the activity bar
- Start chatting — SideCar launches Ollama automatically
See the Getting Started guide for more details.
Requirements
- Ollama installed and in your PATH (for local models)
- Visual Studio Code 1.88.0 or later