Cucumber’s Next Chapter: A Community-Driven Future
At SmartBear, we’ve always believed in the power of open source software to drive innovation, transparency, and collaboration. Open source is part of our DNA through Swagger, Pact, and Cucumber, which have become foundational tools for developers worldwide.
Today, we’re announcing an important milestone in Cucumber’s journey: SmartBear is transitioning stewardship of the Cucumber project to the Open Source Collective.
Why this change, and why now?
Cucumber has been a vital part of SmartBear’s open source portfolio. However, as a commercial organization operating under an open-core model, our approach is to pair thriving open source projects with commercial solutions that extend their value. This ensures we can invest deeply in projects while balancing community needs with the business realities of sustainability.
For open core projects like Swagger and Pact, this approach has enabled us to deliver industry-leading commercial extensions of the open source tools that complement and scale open source functionality. Cucumber, on the other hand, is not open core, and is better suited to being governed by an organization like the Open Source Collective because there is no commercial extension of Cucumber. The reality is that without that, the program risked suffering from a lack of investment under a commercial owner. By partnering with them, we’re ensuring that Cucumber can evolve independently, guided by the maintainers and contributors who know it best. This transition aligns with our belief that open source thrives when projects are supported in ways tailored to their communities.
What does this mean for the Cucumber community?
Cucumber will remain freely available and community-driven – just as it’s always been. With the Open Source Collective taking the lead, this marks a new chapter of opportunity.
For the community, this is a chance to play an even bigger role in shaping Cucumber’s future. Whether through code contributions, sharing ideas, or supporting the project via the Open Source Collective, every bit of involvement helps ensure the project continues to thrive.
Our commitment to open source
This move doesn’t change SmartBear’s deep commitment to open source, and open core projects in particular. We will continue to invest in projects that bring value to developers, drive industry standards, and foster innovation. Operating sustainably under the open-core model allows us to make meaningful contributions to open source communities while providing tools that help organizations succeed.
We’re incredibly proud to have been part of Cucumber’s journey to date and look forward to seeing it flourish as a community-first project.
To get involved with Cucumber’s next chapter or learn more about its stewardship under the Open Source Collective, visit https://cucumber.io/sponsors.