Comparison

Refined GitHub vs BASIC

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Refined GitHub

Enhance your GitHub experience with this Safari extension. It streamlines the interface and introduces over 200 features, including improved link detection, visible whitespace, and one-click tools for common tasks. Gain deeper insights into code, pull requests, and repository history.

Highlights
  • Linkifies issue/PR references and URLs
  • Makes whitespace characters visible
  • Reduces tab size to 4 spaces
  • One-click merge conflict fixers
  • Reaction avatars for comments
  • View source of Markdown files
  • Build/CI status icon next to repo name
Features
Read full description

Refined GitHub is a Safari extension that simplifies the GitHub.com interface and adds useful features. ■ Highlights - Linkifies issue/PR references and URLs in code. - Makes whitespace characters visible. - Reduces tabs’ size to 4 spaces instead of 8. - Adds one-click merge conflict fixers. - Adds reaction avatars showing who reacted to a comment. - Adds a button to revert all the changes to a file in a PR. - Adds a build/CI status icon next to the repo’s name. - Adds a button to view the source of Markdown files. - Shows PRs that touch the current file. - Highlights the most useful comment in conversations. - Shows the first Git tag a merged PR was included in. - Adds a link to an automatic changelog for each tag/release. - Adds possible related pages and alternatives on 404 pages. - Displays the age of the repository in the sidebar. And so much more! 200+ features. See the developer website for a full list of features. The GITHUB and REFINED GITHUB trademarks are owned by GitHub, Inc. and used under license.

About

BASIC

Create and publish your own applications directly on your iOS device using an extended BASIC programming language. Features include a rich interface, advanced graphics, sound capabilities, and hardware support.

Highlights
  • Create standalone apps for App Store
  • Rich user interface elements
  • Advanced graphics and animation
  • Comprehensive sound and music support
  • Hardware sensor integration
  • Networking and file management
  • Customizable IDE with documentation
Features
Read full description

This is "smart BASIC" - an extended version of popular Minimal BASIC programming language. With "smart BASIC" you can create your own programs right on your iOS device. BASIC programs, written in "smart BASIC", can be published in the App Store as standalone applications using the "smart BASIC" SDK for Xcode. The "smart BASIC" programming language has many powerful features. INTERFACE: - buttons, text boxes, sliders, switches, browsers - pages for grouping your interface objects - support for additional TTF fonts - clipboard support - multitouch up to 11 simultaneous touches GRAPHIC: - advanced graphics functions - animated sprites, sprite sheet support MUSIC and SOUND: - play MP3, AIFF, WAV, MIDI, MOV and MP4 files - programmable MIDI synthesizer with 128 built-in instruments - support for additional sound fonts SF2 and DLS - speech synthesizer HARDWARE support: - GPS, compass - accelerometer - photo and video recording and more: - files - networking - integrated mathematics of complex numbers - customizable IDE - built-in documentation - ready-to-use examples of programs Visit the support forum to get assistance and to share your BASIC programs with other users.

Screenshots

Refined GitHub2 screens
BASIC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Refined GitHub at Free against BASIC's $11.99. Refined GitHub also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (81 vs 17). BASIC's advantage is chart position (#109 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Refined GitHub is free to download; BASIC costs $11.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Refined GitHub holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 81 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Refined GitHub's written reviews are positive against 68% of BASIC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Refined GitHub ships an update every 6 weeks, BASIC every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Refined GitHub versus BASIC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRefined GitHubBASIC
PriceFree — better$11.99
Rating4.6 (81 ratings) — better4.2 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better68.0% of reviews
Number of ratings81 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#109 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.412.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB135 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSindre SorhusNikolay Denislamov

Customer experience

Refined GitHub

All ratings81 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral6.2%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral9.4%
Negative15.6%

BASIC

All ratings17 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive68.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative28.0%

In-app purchases

None

Refined GitHub

No in-app purchases

None

BASIC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Refined GitHub free?
Refined GitHub is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BASIC free?
BASIC costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Refined GitHub or BASIC?
Refined GitHub is rated higher. Refined GitHub averages 4.6 out of 5 from 81 ratings, while BASIC averages 4.2 from 17 ratings.
Do Refined GitHub or BASIC have ads?
Neither Refined GitHub nor BASIC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Refined GitHub or BASIC?
Refined GitHub ships an update every 6 weeks, and BASIC every 2 months. Most recently, Refined GitHub was updated on September 24, 2026 and BASIC on September 23, 2026.

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