head to head · open source
refined-github vs Linguist
refined-github has 32,432 GitHub stars, 1,935 forks, 80 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Linguist has 1,083 stars, 51 forks, 267 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. refined-github leads on adoption by 2,895% (32,432 vs 1,083 stars). refined-github is written in TypeScript under MIT; Linguist is written in TypeScript under BSD-3-Clause. refined-github has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Linguist 5%. refined-github was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (browser-extension, chrome-extension, firefox-addon), 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.
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Side by side
| refined-github | Linguist | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-09-08 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.9K | ⑂ 51 |
| 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 Linguist if
- You want the Linguist feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the BSD-3-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Linguist 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 Linguist
Linguist is a powerful browser extension built to replace commercial translation services — private, fast, and under your control. Translate web pages, highlighted text, subtitles (including Netflix), and private messages; hear translations via TTS; and save entries to a personal dictionary. Supports 130 languages. Why Linguist? Linguist is a standalone translation system — not a thin wrapper around a commercial widget. Translate privately and offline on your device, or plug in any backend you choose (including your own; see Custom translators). See a custom translators list for popular bindings. Linguist is…
read the full Linguist overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is refined-github or Linguist more popular?
refined-github has 32,432 GitHub stars and Linguist has 1,083. refined-github has the larger community by that measure.
Are refined-github and Linguist free?
Both are open source. refined-github is licensed under MIT and Linguist under BSD-3-Clause. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between refined-github and Linguist?
refined-github is written in TypeScript and Linguist 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 Linguist?
Choose refined-github if you want the larger community (32,432 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Linguist if its feature set, stack or BSD-3-Clause licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.