Flexpilot

Flexpilot is a free, GPLv3 VS Code extension offering AI completions, chat and commit messages through your own API keys or local models. It is no longer actively maintained, with development moved to Flexpilot IDE.

Flexpilot is a free, open-source extension for Visual Studio Code that adds AI code completion and chat to the editor while leaving the choice of model provider to the user. It is positioned as an alternative to GitHub Copilot, and it mirrors Copilot's interface closely enough that existing habits carry over. Instead of bundling its own model service, it connects to API keys the developer already holds, which shifts the cost and data relationship to the provider of their choice. The feature set covers the everyday assistant workflow. Inline completions suggest code in context, a panel chat answers questions about the open workspace, and inline chat edits or explains code directly in the editor. A quick chat opens from a single shortcut, smart variables pull in editor and code references, and voice chat accepts spoken prompts. Smaller touches include automatically generated chat titles, AI-written commit messages and pull request descriptions, and a token usage view that tracks consumption across interactions. All of this uses native VS Code interface elements rather than embedded webviews. Setup is a matter of installing the extension from the Marketplace, restarting VS Code, and entering provider credentials as described in the official documentation. Supported providers include Anthropic, OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Groq, Google Gemini, Mistral AI and Ollama, plus self-hosted servers such as vLLM, LocalAI, llama-cpp-python and KoboldCpp. Different models can be assigned to different tasks, which suits developers who want a cheap model for completions and a stronger one for chat. Buyers should read the project's status notice before committing. The extension is no longer actively maintained and receives no new features, with the team pointing to Flexpilot IDE, a VS Code fork with the extension preinstalled, as the successor. The extension therefore suits developers who value open-source licensing (GNU GPLv3), local model support and key control, but it is a weaker bet than actively developed assistants for anyone who needs multi-file edits or ongoing improvements.