head to head · open source
refined-github vs web-ext
refined-github has 32,432 GitHub stars, 1,935 forks, 80 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. web-ext has 3,151 stars, 391 forks, 223 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. refined-github leads on adoption by 929% (32,432 vs 3,151 stars). refined-github is written in TypeScript under MIT; web-ext is written in JavaScript under MPL-2.0. refined-github has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, web-ext 12%. 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 | web-ext | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 3.2K |
| License | MIT | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.9K | ⑂ 391 |
| 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 web-ext if
- You want the web-ext feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and web-ext 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 web-ext
Web ext This is a command line tool to help build, run, and test WebExtensions. Ultimately, it aims to support browser extensions in a standard, portable, cross platform way. Initially, it will provide a streamlined experience for developing Firefox Extensions. Documentation [Getting started with web ext][web ext user docs] Command reference Here are the commands you can run. Click on each one for detailed documentation or use help on the command line, such as web ext build help . run Run the extension lint Validate the extension source sign Sign the extension so it can be installed in Firefox build Create an…
read the full web-ext overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is refined-github or web-ext more popular?
refined-github has 32,432 GitHub stars and web-ext has 3,151. refined-github has the larger community by that measure.
Are refined-github and web-ext free?
Both are open source. refined-github is licensed under MIT and web-ext under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between refined-github and web-ext?
refined-github is written in TypeScript and web-ext in JavaScript. 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 web-ext?
Choose refined-github if you want the larger community (32,432 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose web-ext if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.