Code::Blocks
Code::Blocks is a free, open-source, cross-platform IDE for C, C++, and Fortran development, built on a wxWidgets-based plugin architecture and maintained by volunteer contributors for developers across Windows, Linux, and macOS.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Code::Blocks does
Code::Blocks is a free, open-source, cross-platform integrated development environment (IDE) for C, C++, and Fortran development, distributed under the GNU General Public License v3. The product is built and architected around a plugin framework in which compiling, debugging, code completion, and other capabilities are themselves plugins, enabling users to extend or replace virtually any functionality. Built-in features include a custom build system with ultra-fast dependency generation, build queues, and parallel builds; an enhanced debugging subsystem with watches, breakpoints, call stack inspection, disassembly, and memory dumps; the wxSmith visual GUI designer for wxWidgets applications; and a code-completion parser that handles C++ templates, macros, and DoxyBlocks-generated documentation. The IDE supports GCC, MinGW, MSVC, Clang, Intel, SDCC, AVR GCC, and additional toolchains including newer entries such as MinGW64, MSYS2, MSVC17, and TDM, and the 25.03 release added RISC-V support on Linux and C++23/C++26 standards.
The project's primary customer segments are professional and hobbyist software developers writing C/C++ and Fortran applications across Windows, Linux, and macOS, with a secondary segment of embedded systems developers using toolchains such as AVR GCC, SDCC, and ARM compilers. There are no paid tiers, no enterprise edition, and no disclosed revenue; the only financial inflow is voluntary donations routed through SourceForge from individual donors and a small number of corporate supporters, including HighTec EDV-Systeme GmbH and Advanced Downloading Ltd (London, UK).
The project is community-driven, maintained by a distributed group of volunteer contributors, and has no formal corporate ownership, no parent company, no venture funding, and no management team in the conventional sense. Distribution occurs via direct downloads from codeblocks.org, SourceForge-hosted binaries and SVN source repository, nightly builds through the community forum, and community-packaged Linux distributions. Marketing and user acquisition are entirely community-led: the codeblocks.org website, forums.codeblocks.org, and wiki.codeblocks.org serve as the primary top-, mid-, and bottom-of-funnel channels, supplemented by organic word-of-mouth among developers.
Code::Blocks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Code::Blocks
- Legal name
- Code::Blocks
- Website
- https://codeblocks.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Code::Blocks is a free, open-source, cross-platform IDE for C, C++, and Fortran development, built on a wxWidgets-based plugin architecture and maintained by volunteer contributors for developers across Windows, Linux, and macOS.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Code::Blocks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Platform Engineering & Internal Developer Platforms (IDP) (BPAEAKAC)
Keywords
Where Code::Blocks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Code::Blocks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Free Open Source Software: Code::Blocks is completely free and open source under GPL v3 license. There is no revenue model - the project is maintained by community volunteers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free open source IDE |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Code::Blocks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Code::Blocks is a free, open-source, cross-platform Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for C, C++, and Fortran development. It is built around a plugin framework so that any kind of functionality — including compiling and debugging — can be added by installing or coding a plugin. The IDE runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS and provides a consistent look, feel, and operation across platforms.
Product overview
Code::Blocks is a single, unified open-source IDE product that provides a complete C/C++ and Fortran development environment. The offering consists of the core Code::Blocks IDE with a plugin-based architecture, allowing users to extend functionality through community-contributed plugins. The IDE includes built-in features for compiling, debugging, code completion, and project management, with additional capabilities provided by optional plugins.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Code::Blocks IDE A free, open-source, cross-platform C/C++ and Fortran IDE distributed under the GNU General Public License v3. Designed to be very extensible and fully configurable, it is built around a plugin framework that allows any kind of functionality (including compiling and debugging) to be added by installing or coding a plugin. It targets professional and hobbyist software developers working on C, C++, and Fortran projects across Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Companies that use Code::Blocks
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Code::Blocks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Code::Blocks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- HighTec EDV-Systeme GmbHminorHighTec EDV-Systeme GmbH initiated the user manual documentation project and contributed it to the community. They continue supporting the project through donations.
- gd_onminorCommunity contributor who provided French translations for the user manual documentation, making it accessible to French-speaking users.
- SourceForge.netcoreSourceForge provides hosting for Code::Blocks binary downloads, source code repository (SVN), and project donation infrastructure. Key distribution platform.
- Anonymous Individual DonorsminorIndividual donors who support Code::Blocks financially through the SourceForge donation system. Their contributions are acknowledged on the donations page.
- Advanced Downloading Ltd, London, UKminorCorporate donor listed on the donations page supporting the Code::Blocks project financially.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Code::Blocks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NetBeans: Apache NetBeans is an open-source IDE offering C/C++ development support alongside other languages. It is a direct competitor in the free, open-source, multi-language IDE category, with a similar community-driven development model.
- Eclipse CDT: Eclipse with the C/C++ Development Tooling (CDT) is a free, open-source C/C++ IDE with a plugin-based architecture. Directly comparable to Code::Blocks as a community-driven, cross-platform, free C/C++ IDE targeting similar developer personas.
- Geany: Geany is a lightweight, open-source IDE that uses the GTK toolkit and supports C, C++, and many other languages. It is a direct competitor in the lightweight, free, open-source C/C++ IDE space, particularly for Linux users.
- CodeLite: CodeLite is a free, open-source, cross-platform C/C++/PHP/Node.js IDE. It is a direct competitor in the open-source C/C++ IDE space, with similar feature set and target audience.
- Qt Creator: Qt Creator is a cross-platform C/C++ IDE from The Qt Company, supporting multiple compilers and toolchains. It is a direct competitor in the cross-platform C/C++ IDE space, though it is also commercially backed.
- KDevelop: KDevelop is a free, open-source IDE primarily for C/C++ and other languages on Linux/Unix. It is a direct competitor in the open-source C/C++ IDE category with a similar extensibility model.
- Dev-C++: Dev-C++ is a free, open-source C/C++ IDE for Windows originally from Bloodshed Software. It is a direct competitor in the free C/C++ IDE category, targeting beginner and educational users on Windows.
Others
- Emacs: GNU Emacs is a free, open-source, extensible text editor widely used for C/C++ development with plugins. It is an adjacent/competing tool rather than a traditional IDE, popular among developers seeking heavy customization.
Broad incumbents
- CLion: CLion is JetBrains' commercial, subscription-based C/C++ IDE. It is a broader incumbent in the C/C++ IDE market, offering overlapping functionality but with a paid, professionally maintained model.
- Visual Studio Code: VS Code is Microsoft's free, open-source code editor with strong C/C++ extension ecosystem. It is a broad incumbent that has rapidly captured developer mindshare and competes with Code::Blocks by offering modern features, AI integrations, and extensive extensions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Code::Blocks social profiles
Digital presenceCode::Blocks compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Code::Blocks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Code::Blocks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Code::Blocks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Code::Blocks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Code::Blocks
What does Code::Blocks do?
Code::Blocks is a free, open-source, cross-platform Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for C, C++, and Fortran development. It is built around a plugin framework so that any kind of functionality — including compiling and debugging — can be added by installing or coding a plugin. The IDE runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS and provides a consistent look, feel, and operation across platforms.
Is Code::Blocks a public or private company?
Code::Blocks is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Code::Blocks founded?
Code::Blocks was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Code::Blocks based?
Code::Blocks is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Code::Blocks make money?
One revenue line is on record: free Open Source Software.
Who are Code::Blocks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NetBeans, Eclipse CDT, Geany, CodeLite, Qt Creator, KDevelop and Dev-C++. Emacs is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are CLion and Visual Studio Code.
Does Code::Blocks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Code::Blocks.
What industry is Code::Blocks in?
Code::Blocks's product category is Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAKAC, Platform Engineering & Internal Developer Platforms (IDP). Its NAICS code is 541512 and its SIC code is 7372.