head to head · open source
refined-github vs webtorrent
refined-github has 32,427 GitHub stars, 1,934 forks, 80 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. webtorrent has 31,465 stars, 2,852 forks, 83 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. refined-github leads on adoption by 3% (32,427 vs 31,465 stars). refined-github is written in TypeScript under MIT; webtorrent is written in JavaScript under MIT. refined-github has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, webtorrent 9%. refined-github 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
| refined-github | webtorrent | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 32K | ★ 31K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-31 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.9K | ⑂ 2.9K |
| 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 webtorrent if
- You want the webtorrent feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and webtorrent 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 webtorrent
WebTorrent The streaming torrent client. For node.js and the web. Sponsored by WebTorrent is a streaming torrent client for node.js and the browser . YEP, THAT'S RIGHT. THE BROWSER. It's written completely in JavaScript – the language of the web – so the same code works in both runtimes. In node.js, this module is a simple torrent client, using TCP and UDP to talk to other torrent clients. In the browser, WebTorrent uses WebRTC (data channels) for peer to peer transport. It can be used without browser plugins, extensions, or installations. It's Just JavaScript™. Note: WebTorrent does not support UDP/TCP peers in…
read the full webtorrent overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is refined-github or webtorrent more popular?
refined-github has 32,427 GitHub stars and webtorrent has 31,465. refined-github has the larger community by that measure.
Are refined-github and webtorrent free?
Both are open source. refined-github is licensed under MIT and webtorrent under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between refined-github and webtorrent?
refined-github is written in TypeScript and webtorrent 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 webtorrent?
Choose refined-github if you want the larger community (32,427 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose webtorrent if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.