Top 10 AI Code Assistants That Work Offline in 2026

Cloud-based AI code assistants like GitHub Copilot have transformed how developers write code. But what if you can't — or don't want to — send your code to the cloud? Whether you're working in a secure environment, traveling without internet, or simply value your privacy, AI code assistants that work offline are the answer.

Here are the top 10 options available in 2026, ranked by capability and ease of use.

Why Offline AI Code Assistants Matter

Before the list, let's understand why offline matters:

• Security compliance: Many organizations (government, finance, healthcare) prohibit sending code to external services
• Intellectual property: Your proprietary code stays on your machine
• Reliability: No internet outages, API rate limits, or service downtime
• Cost: No per-token charges or monthly subscriptions
• Speed: Local inference can be faster than cloud round-trips for small models

The Top 10

1. Archibald Titan — Best Overall

Rating: 9.5/10

Archibald Titan isn't just a code assistant — it's a full autonomous AI agent that happens to be exceptional at coding tasks.

What sets it apart:

• Goes beyond autocomplete to execute multi-step coding tasks
• Built-in security scanning catches vulnerabilities as you code
• Autonomous refactoring and test generation
• Works with any programming language
• Plugin system for custom extensions

Languages: All major languages
Models: Multiple built-in models optimized for different tasks
Hardware: 16GB RAM minimum, GPU recommended

2. Continue.dev — Best VS Code Integration

Rating: 8.5/10

Continue is an open-source AI code assistant that integrates deeply with VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.

Strengths:

• Seamless IDE integration
• Connect to any local model (Ollama, LM Studio)
• Tab autocomplete with local models
• Chat interface within the IDE

Languages: All languages supported by your chosen model
Models: Any model via Ollama or LM Studio
Hardware: Depends on model choice

3. Tabby — Best Self-Hosted Solution

Rating: 8/10

Tabby is a self-hosted AI coding assistant designed for teams.

Strengths:

• Self-hosted with team management
• Repository-aware code completion
• Supports multiple IDE clients
• Fine-tunable on your codebase

4. Cody (Sourcegraph) — Best for Large Codebases

Rating: 8/10

While Cody has cloud features, it can run with local models for offline code intelligence.

Strengths:

• Understands your entire codebase context
• Smart code navigation and explanation
• Works with local LLMs via Ollama

5. Aider — Best for Terminal Users

Rating: 7.5/10

Aider is a terminal-based AI pair programmer that works with local models.

Strengths:

• Git-aware — makes commits automatically
• Works with any OpenAI-compatible local API
• Excellent for refactoring tasks
• Minimal resource overhead

6. Void Editor — Best Standalone Editor

Rating: 7.5/10

A fork of VS Code built specifically for local AI integration.

7. Llama Coder — Best Lightweight Option

Rating: 7/10

Minimal VS Code extension that connects to Ollama for code completion.

8. CodeGPT — Best Multi-Provider

Rating: 7/10

VS Code extension supporting multiple AI providers including local models.

9. Fauxpilot — Best Copilot Alternative

Rating: 6.5/10

Open-source GitHub Copilot alternative that runs locally.

10. Turbopilot — Best for Low-End Hardware

Rating: 6/10

Designed to run on minimal hardware using GGML-quantized models.

Comparison Table

*Depends on model choice

Setting Up Your Offline AI Coding Environment

Quick Start with Archibald Titan

1. Download from archibaldtitan.com
2. Install and launch
3. Start coding — Titan automatically provides suggestions and can execute tasks

Quick Start with Continue + Ollama

# Install Ollama
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

# Pull a coding model
ollama pull codellama:13b

# Install Continue extension in VS Code
# Configure to use Ollama as the provider

Best Models for Offline Code Completion

Conclusion

AI code assistants that work offline have reached a level where they rival cloud-based alternatives for most daily coding tasks. Archibald Titan leads the pack with its autonomous agent capabilities, while Continue.dev and Tabby offer excellent IDE-integrated experiences.

The best approach: use Archibald Titan as your primary AI coding assistant, supplemented by a lightweight IDE extension like Continue for quick autocomplete. This gives you the best of both worlds — powerful autonomous capabilities and fast inline suggestions — all running privately on your own hardware.

Download Archibald Titan and experience offline AI coding at its best.

Originally published on Archibald Titan. Archibald Titan is the world's most advanced local AI agent for cybersecurity and credential management.

Try it free: archibaldtitan.com