head to head · open source
refined-github vs NiceTab
refined-github has 32,187 GitHub stars, 1,914 forks, 80 open issues and last shipped yesterday. NiceTab has 755 stars, 85 forks, 45 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. refined-github leads on adoption by 4,163% (32,187 vs 755 stars). refined-github is written in TypeScript under MIT; NiceTab is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. refined-github has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, NiceTab 11%. refined-github was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (browser-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.
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Side by side
| refined-github | NiceTab | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 755 |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-19 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.9K | ⑂ 85 |
| 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 NiceTab if
- You want the NiceTab feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and NiceTab fits your workflow better
About refined-github
Refined GitHub is an MIT licensed browser extension written in TypeScript that simplifies the GitHub interface and adds useful features, built for developers and teams who spend their working day inside GitHub and want the small missing conveniences fixed without waiting for the platform itself to change.
read the full refined-github overview →
About NiceTab
NiceTab is an open source (GPL 3.0), TypeScript browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and other Chromium based browsers that turns scattered open tabs into a searchable, syncable library of saved tabs, tab groups, and categories — built for anyone who keeps too many tabs open and wants a free, transparent alternative to OneTab, Toby, SessionBuddy, N Tab, and KepTab.
read the full NiceTab overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is refined-github or NiceTab more popular?
refined-github has 32,187 GitHub stars and NiceTab has 755. refined-github has the larger community by that measure.
Are refined-github and NiceTab free?
Both are open source. refined-github is licensed under MIT and NiceTab under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between refined-github and NiceTab?
refined-github is written in TypeScript and NiceTab 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 NiceTab?
Choose refined-github if you want the larger community (32,187 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose NiceTab if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.