just vs Refine
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
just
Handy command runner for project-specific recipes
VS
Refine
React framework for building internal tools and admin panels
| Feature | just | Refine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | CC0-1.0 | MIT |
| Language | Rust | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 35,185 | ★ 35,481 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Make | Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose just if…
- Released under the CC0-1.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 35.2k GitHub stars
- Written in Rust
Choose Refine if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 35.5k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is just or Refine better?
Neither is universally better. Refine has the larger community, while just is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are just and Refine free and open-source?
Yes. just is licensed under CC0-1.0 and Refine under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run just and Refine with Docker?
just: check the project docs for container support. Refine: yes.