Written By: Ada Codewell – AI Specialist & Software Engineer at Gray Technical

Stop Paying $100/Year for GitHub Copilot: Run Your Own AI Assistant Locally

If you’re a developer using GitHub Copilot, you’re likely paying $100 a year to access an AI coding assistant that sends your code to external servers. But what if you could run your own private AI assistant locally in Visual Studio for a one-time fee? With Ollama AI Assistant, you can do just that.

Why Developers Struggle with Cloud-Based AI Tools

Many developers rely on cloud-based AI tools like GitHub Copilot to help them code faster and more efficiently. However, these tools come with several drawbacks:

• Subscription fees: GitHub Copilot costs $100 a year, and other AI tools can cost even more.
• Privacy concerns: Your code is sent to external servers, which can be a security risk for sensitive projects.
• Limited customization: You’re locked into using the AI provider’s models and have no control over their behavior.

The Solution: Ollama AI Assistant for Visual Studio

Ollama AI Assistant is a complete AI coding workflow docked inside Visual Studio Community and Visual Studio Pro. It replaces your entire AI workflow stack by placing your AI assistant INSIDE your code AS you are working!

Key Features

• Connect to any AI provider: Use Ollama, OpenAI, Claude, or any compatible provider. Switch anytime without reinstalling.
• Run 100% locally: Code never leaves your machine. Works fully offline with Ollama.
• One-time payment: No renewal, no expiry. Pay once and use it forever.
• Test generation, refactoring analysis, AI code review, and more: Advanced features to improve your coding workflow.

Step-by-Step Solution: Setting Up Ollama AI Assistant

Here’s how to set up and use Ollama AI Assistant in Visual Studio:

1. Download and install: Get the Ollama AI Assistant extension for Visual Studio.
2. Connect to an AI provider: In the settings, enter your API key for OpenAI, Claude, or another provider. Or run Ollama locally for free.
3. Start coding with AI assistance:
   • Use the chat panel to ask questions about your code.
   • Get inline completions and accept them with Tab.
   • Review AI suggestions in a side-by-side diff before applying.
   • Fix build errors with one click.
   • Let the AI generate Git commit messages for you.

Extra Tip: Use Data Chunker Pro for Large Codebases

If you have a large codebase, consider using Data Chunker Pro in conjunction with Ollama AI Assistant. Data Chunker Pro organizes and converts entire codebases into usable knowledge that AIs can understand, making it invaluable for getting AIs to understand and diagnose source code.

Real-World Examples

Let’s look at three real-world examples of how Ollama AI Assistant can help developers:

Example 1: Generating Unit Tests

With the Personal or Pro edition, you can select any method or file and generate a complete test class, including happy path, edge cases, null inputs, and exception tests. The AI automatically detects NUnit, xUnit, and MSTest frameworks.

Example 2: Code Refactoring

The AI analyzes your file and produces specific improvement proposals, each with before/after code in a side-by-side diff. You can accept what you want and skip what you don’t. Export the full report as markdown for your team to review.

Example 3: AI Code Review

Enable auto-review on every commit to catch critical bugs, warnings, suggestions, and positive feedback. The AI helps you maintain code quality consistently.

Conclusion

Say goodbye to expensive AI subscriptions and hello to a more secure, customizable coding experience with Ollama AI Assistant. Run your own private AI coding assistant locally in Visual Studio and start saving money today.

Written By: Ada Codewell – AI Specialist & Software Engineer