head to head · open source
refined-github vs lightning-browser-extension
refined-github has 32,432 GitHub stars, 1,935 forks, 80 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. lightning-browser-extension has 585 stars, 227 forks, 237 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. refined-github leads on adoption by 5,444% (32,432 vs 585 stars). refined-github is written in TypeScript under MIT; lightning-browser-extension is written in TypeScript under MIT. refined-github has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, lightning-browser-extension 39%. lightning-browser-extension was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (browser-extension, chrome-extension), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| refined-github | lightning-browser-extension | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 585 |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.9K | ⑂ 227 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick refined-github if
- You weight community size — 32K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick lightning-browser-extension if
- You want the lightning-browser-extension feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and lightning-browser-extension fits your workflow better
About refined-github
Refined GitHub Browser extension that simplifies the GitHub interface and adds useful features We use GitHub a lot and notice many annoyances we'd like to fix. So here be dragons. Our hope is that GitHub will notice and implement some of these much needed improvements. So if you like any of these improvements, please open a discussion on GitHub feedback or contact GitHub support about doing it. GitHub Enterprise is also supported: How to enable it. The GITHUB and REFINED GITHUB trademarks are owned by GitHub, Inc. and used under license. Install [link chrome]: 'Version published on Chrome Web Store' [link…
read the full refined-github overview →
About lightning-browser-extension
⚡ Alby Lightning Browser Extension Seamlessly bring Bitcoin's Lightning Network to your browser. The Alby browser extension seamlessly integrates the Bitcoin Lightning Network into websites, enabling both payments and authentication flows. Designed to be a lightweight and efficient web extension, Alby allows browsers to interact with the Lightning Network programmatically. It focuses on web payments rather than advanced node management, ensuring a simple and intuitive user experience. Alby implements the WebLN standard, providing a universal interface for websites to: Connect to Lightning Network nodes Request…
read the full lightning-browser-extension overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More Browsers & Extensions projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Browsers & Extensions field.
Frequently asked questions
Is refined-github or lightning-browser-extension more popular?
refined-github has 32,432 GitHub stars and lightning-browser-extension has 585. refined-github has the larger community by that measure.
Are refined-github and lightning-browser-extension free?
Both are open source. refined-github is licensed under MIT and lightning-browser-extension under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between refined-github and lightning-browser-extension?
refined-github is written in TypeScript and lightning-browser-extension in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, refined-github or lightning-browser-extension?
Choose refined-github if you want the larger community (32,432 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose lightning-browser-extension if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.