Survey: Which C++ Frameworks Are Actually Used in Production in 2025

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Survey: which C++ frameworks are actually used in production?

Despite its venerable age, C++ remains one of the most in-demand languages for high-load systems, financial platforms, game engines, and embedded development. However, choosing tools for production is always a compromise between performance, convenience, and stability. The PythonLib editorial team analyzed data from a recent survey of over 1,500 C++ developers from Russia and the CIS to find out which frameworks and libraries actually work "in the field."

Survey methodology

The survey was conducted in Q1 2025 among participants of specialized Telegram chats, C++ Russia conferences, and GitHub users. Participants could select multiple options and specify their stack. Only those who confirmed using C++ in production projects (not educational or pet projects) were included in the sample.

Top 5 frameworks in production

Qt (42% of respondents) — the absolute leader. Used not only for GUI but also for network interactions, database work, and multithreading. Especially popular in embedded and desktop development for industrial software.
Boost (38%) — the "Swiss Army knife" of C++. From smart pointers to ASIO, Boost remains the de facto standard for projects requiring cross-platform compatibility without being tied to a specific compiler.
POCO C++ Libraries (21%) — gaining momentum. Lightweight, modular, and well-suited for backend services, REST APIs, and IoT. Many respondents noted they are switching from Boost to POCO to simplify builds.
OpenCV (19%) — the go-to choice for computer vision. Used in video surveillance systems, robotics, and medical imaging.
Crow (12%) — a micro-framework for web servers. Young, but has already earned trust due to its speed and minimalism. Often chosen for high-load API gateways.

Unexpected results

Beyond the leaders, two trends stood out in the survey:

The Standard Library (STL) as the primary "framework." 67% of respondents stated that STL plus external asynchronous libraries (libuv, libevent) are sufficient for production. This speaks to the maturity of modern C++ (C++17/20).
A decline in the share of heavy frameworks. MFC, WTL, and even some Qt components are giving way to lighter solutions. Developers are increasingly assembling a stack from micro-libraries for specific tasks, rather than dragging in an "all-in-one" solution.

What does this mean for developers?

If you are planning a commercial project in C++, don't try to cover everything. Choose one universal framework (Qt or POCO) and supplement it with targeted libraries. And remember: for production, stability and community support are more important than the number of "stars" on GitHub.

Full survey data and a comparison of framework performance are available in our Telegram channel PythonLib. Subscribe so you don't miss the follow-up.