MindsDB 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?
MindsDB
AI layer for existing databases that allows you to effortlessly
VS
Refine
React framework for building internal tools and admin panels
| Feature | MindsDB | Refine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Elastic-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Makefile | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 39,527 | ★ 35,481 |
| First released | 2026 | 2021 |
| Replaces | — | Retool |
Why pick each one
Choose MindsDB if…
- Released under the Elastic-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 39.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Makefile
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 MindsDB or Refine better?
Neither is universally better. MindsDB has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are MindsDB and Refine free and open-source?
Yes. MindsDB is licensed under Elastic-2.0 and Refine under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MindsDB and Refine with Docker?
MindsDB: yes. Refine: yes.