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fffaraz/awesome-cpp

Analysis updated 2026-06-20

71,102Audience · developerComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

TLDR

Awesome C++ is a curated reference list of C and C++ libraries, frameworks, and tools organized by category, solving the discoverability problem in an ecosystem with no central package index.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((awesome-cpp))
    What it covers
      Libraries by topic
      Build tools
      Learning resources
    Categories
      AI and ML
      Networking
      GUI and graphics
      JSON and config
    Use cases
      Library discovery
      Project planning
      Learning C++
    Audience
      C++ developers
      Systems programmers
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Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Find a well-regarded JSON or networking library for a C++ project without trawling through unvetted GitHub search results.

USE CASE 2

Discover which GUI, math, or game engine libraries are commonly used in the C++ ecosystem before starting a new project.

USE CASE 3

Browse curated C++ learning resources including books, talks, and community links all in one place.

How does it compare?

fffaraz/awesome-cpphakimel/reveal.jseugeny/tabby
Stars71,10271,13571,031
LanguageJavaScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity1/52/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperops devops

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
No specific license is mentioned in the explanation, it is a reference document following the open 'awesome list' convention on GitHub.

In plain English

Awesome C++ is a curated reference list of C and C++ frameworks, libraries, tools, and resources. The problem it addresses is discoverability in an ecosystem that is vast and older than most modern package registries. C++ has thousands of libraries spread across different sources without a central index, making it difficult to find the right tool for a specific task. This list collects and organizes quality options in one place. The repository is organized as a large Markdown document divided into topic categories including standard libraries, general-purpose frameworks, artificial intelligence, audio, compression, concurrency, configuration, cryptography, database access, game engines, GUI toolkits, graphics, image processing, JSON, logging, machine learning, math, networking, physics, serialization, web frameworks, and many more. In addition to library listings, it includes sections on software tools such as compilers, debuggers, IDEs, build systems, and static analysis tools, as well as curated articles, books, podcasts, talks, and websites for learning C++. Each entry is a link with a brief description and its license type noted. You would use this repository when starting a C++ project and need to find libraries for a specific purpose, when evaluating which networking or JSON library fits your constraints, or when looking for learning resources to deepen your C++ knowledge. It is not executable software, it is a reference document in Markdown format that is part of the "awesome" list convention on GitHub. Because the repository is very large, it is best read online or by searching within the rendered Markdown on GitHub.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I need a header-only C++ JSON library I can drop into my project with no build step. From awesome-cpp, compare nlohmann/json and simdjson, which should I use for a read-heavy config parser?
Prompt 2
I am building a C++ networked game. Find a suitable low-level networking library and a 3D math library from awesome-cpp and compare their trade-offs.
Prompt 3
Which C++ HTTP client library from awesome-cpp supports async requests, works on both Windows and Linux, and has an active maintainer? Compare the top two options.
Prompt 4
I need a fast C++ CSV parsing library from awesome-cpp that handles quoted fields and works without Boost. What are my best options?

Frequently asked questions

What is awesome-cpp?

Awesome C++ is a curated reference list of C and C++ libraries, frameworks, and tools organized by category, solving the discoverability problem in an ecosystem with no central package index.

What license does awesome-cpp use?

No specific license is mentioned in the explanation, it is a reference document following the open 'awesome list' convention on GitHub.

How hard is awesome-cpp to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is awesome-cpp for?

Mainly developer.

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