head to head · open source
refined-github vs SmartProxy
refined-github has 32,432 GitHub stars, 1,935 forks, 80 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. SmartProxy has 2,773 stars, 167 forks, 27 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. refined-github leads on adoption by 1,070% (32,432 vs 2,773 stars). refined-github is written in TypeScript under MIT; SmartProxy is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. refined-github has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, SmartProxy 6%. 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 | SmartProxy | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 2.8K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-10-31 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.9K | ⑂ 167 |
| 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 SmartProxy if
- You want the SmartProxy 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 SmartProxy 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 SmartProxy
SmartProxy Download From Store Firefox Desktop and Android Extension Chrome Extension Edge Extension What is SmartProxy SmartProxy is a Firefox/Chrome extension based on WebExtensions/Chrome Extensions technology. It uses patterns to automatically define rules to proxify your web experience. With SmartProxy, you don't need to change your proxy manually and turn it on and off. You can add your desired website to the proxy rules list with just one click. After that, when you visit that specific website, SmartProxy will act and all you data for that website will be transferred though the proxy, without you doing…
read the full SmartProxy overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is refined-github or SmartProxy more popular?
refined-github has 32,432 GitHub stars and SmartProxy has 2,773. refined-github has the larger community by that measure.
Are refined-github and SmartProxy free?
Both are open source. refined-github is licensed under MIT and SmartProxy under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between refined-github and SmartProxy?
refined-github is written in TypeScript and SmartProxy 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 SmartProxy?
Choose refined-github if you want the larger community (32,432 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose SmartProxy if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.