Critical systems run on C++. We help those systems evolve through fiscal sponsorship of open source projects, including Boost and EDG, by advancing WG21 proposals and implementations, and supporting the Clang and GCC front ends. Our goal is to get safer, modern C++ into the hands of developers.
From the C++ Alliance
News from the Alliance: library releases, tooling, compiler work, and the community efforts that keep C++ infrastructure robust.
Unordered polymorphic collections
During Q3 2026, Joaquín worked on unordered polymorphic collections for Boost.PolyCollection, shipping in Boost 1.93, plus maintenance fixes across Boost.Container and MultiIndex, and Papergate, an AI tool that checks WG21 proposals.
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To ensure that C++ stays vibrant, accessible, and indispensable for the next generation.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we fund and staff the libraries, tools, and compiler work millions of developers rely on, and we open pathways for emerging contributors to do work that matters.
The State of C++
Global Usage & Growth
C++ powers the world's most demanding software: operating systems, game engines, trading platforms, and embedded devices. The global C++ developer population reached 16.3 million in 2025, up 73% from 9.4 million in 2022 (SlashData).
16.3M
C++ developers worldwide (2025)
73%
Growth since 2022 (from 9.4M)
The Challenges We Face
Standards Participation
The ISO C++ committee (WG21) shapes the language's future, but meaningful participation takes time and resources many contributors cannot afford. Without broader participation, the language risks drifting from the developers who use it.
Accessibility
C++ has evolved through modern standards (C++17, C++20, C++23, and beyond), but education and documentation tooling have not kept pace.
Safety
Security scrutiny is rising. C++ must show that performance and safety are not a trade-off. This requires sustained investment in safer patterns, better tooling, and compilers that enforce them.
We’re a team of C++ leaders, expert engineers, and technology veterans, united by a commitment to open source contribution. Together we maintain and create libraries, build developer tooling, contribute to compilers, and help shape the future of the language.
Meet our staff
Make C++ accessible, safe, and powerful for everyone. From students learning how computers work to engineers building the infrastructure the world depends on.
Boost C++ Libraries
We serve as fiscal sponsor and primary supporter. Staff engineers maintain core libraries and modernize the infrastructure developers depend on.
EDG
The Alliance was selected by EDG to be its fiscal sponsor when it transitioned to open source in September 2026.
wg21.org
A volunteer resource for the C++ standards committee: paper search, filters, abstracts, and GitHub cross-links so any developer can follow standardization work. Independent; not affiliated with ISO.
MrDocs
A documentation generator built on Clang/LLVM that understands modern C++ templates, constraints, overloads, and more. Available at mrdocs.com.
Compiler Development
Alliance engineers contribute upstream to Clang/LLVM, and help strengthen the wider compiler front end ecosystem, including GCC and EDG. The goal is to help modern language features reach developers sooner.
What we are investing in next: safer C++, clearer access to standards work, the next generation of compiler contributors, the story of Boost, and stewardship of a critical C++ front end.
Safer C++
Opt-in compiler guarantees (Profiles) so libraries and applications can rule out whole classes of memory and undefined behavior bugs without giving up the performance C++ is known for.
wg21.org
Keep improving the public window into WG21: better search, clearer paper discovery, and tools that help developers follow the standard as it evolves.
Compiler Research Fellowship
A mentor driven fellowship that places emerging engineers on real upstream Clang/LLVM work. Public contributions, guided by experts, funded by the Alliance.
Boost Documentary
A feature length film about the people, craft, and history behind Boost, so the next generation can see how peer reviewed libraries and community stewardship actually work.
Open Source EDG
EDG's C++ front end quietly powers tools developers already use. As it moves toward open source, the Alliance is helping ensure this critical piece of the compiler ecosystem continues to live and improve in public.
Given the existence of Standard C++ Foundation and Software Freedom Conservancy, why was it necessary to form The C++ Alliance as a new, separate legal entity?
While the missions of Standard C++ Foundation and The C++ Alliance are similar and overlapping, they have different status under tax law. The Foundation is organized as a 501(c)(6) organization, a trade group. In addition to providing legal protection for companies to work together in ways that might otherwise be viewed as industrial "collusion," a trade group can accept tax-deductible dues from member companies. The Alliance is organized as a 501(c)(3) organization, a charity which can accept tax deductible contributions from the general public.
Although the tax status of Software Freedom Conservancy and The C++ Alliance are similar, their missions and concerns are different. There is mission overlap. Conservancy, whose mission is to support the development of FLOSS libraries, supports the Boost Libraries project, which would also be within the mission of The Alliance, but The Alliance has both a narrower and a broader mission. While Conservancy is language agnostic and is focused on software development, The Alliance is focused exclusively on the C++ environment and is free to support non-FLOSS projects such as language proposals, books, education materials, tools, or other projects which may not be software or may have non-FLOSS licensing.
It is also the case that The C++ Alliance is not a good fit as a Conservancy project. It is appropriate for small non-proprietary projects to pool their resources to provide themselves with financial, legal, accounting, and other services for which they have a common need and for which they may, individually, be too small to economically procure. Although the Alliance will be promoting library development, it doesn't have the same requirements as a FLOSS software producer, so would need different services than your typical Conservancy project and has sufficient endowment to fund the services that it will require.