head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs refined-github
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars, 1,754 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. refined-github has 32,177 stars, 1,910 forks, 80 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 38% (44,481 vs 32,177 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; refined-github is written in TypeScript under MIT. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, refined-github 6%. Zen Browser was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| Zen Browser | refined-github | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 44K | ★ 32K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C++ | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 1.9K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Zen Browser if
- You weight community size — 44K stars and counting
- You want the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick refined-github if
- You want the refined-github feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and refined-github fits your workflow better
About Zen Browser
Zen Browser is a privacy focused, open source web browser built on Firefox’s Gecko engine. It inherits Firefox’s compatibility and extension ecosystem while introducing a streamlined interface and productivity oriented features. The project lives in the desktop browser ecosystem, targeting users who want a Firefox based experience with reduced clutter and enhanced customization.
read the full Zen Browser overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or refined-github more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,481 GitHub stars and refined-github has 32,177. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and refined-github free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and refined-github under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and refined-github?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and refined-github 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, Zen Browser or refined-github?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,481 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose refined-github if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.