What Free Pascal does

Free Pascal (also known as FPC or Free Pascal Compiler) is a mature, open-source Pascal and Object Pascal compiler originally created on June 8, 1993 and maintained continuously for over 25 years by a volunteer community known as the Free Pascal Team. The compiler targets an unusually broad set of processor architectures (Intel x86 16/32-bit, AMD64/x86-64, PowerPC, PowerPC64, SPARC, SPARC64, ARM, AArch64, MIPS, Motorola 68k, AVR, and JVM, plus RISC-V, Xtensa, Z80, and WebAssembly in the development version) and operating systems (Windows including CE and native NT, Linux, macOS and iOS toolchains, FreeBSD and other BSDs, DOS with DPMI, OS/2, AIX, Android, Haiku, Nintendo GBA/DS/Wii, AmigaOS, MorphOS, AROS, Atari TOS, and various embedded platforms). The compiler source itself is written entirely in Pascal (self-hosting) and is released under the GNU General Public License, while packages and the runtime library use a modified LGPL that permits static linking.

The surrounding product ecosystem includes the Free Component Library (FCL) as the Delphi-equivalent component layer, the Run-Time Library (RTL) for cross-platform runtime support, the pas2js Pascal-to-JavaScript transpiler for browser targets, and a suite of developer utilities (H2Pas for C header conversion, FPCMake for build management, PPDep, PPUDump, PPUMove, PtoP, RSTConv, TPLY, Delp). The language offers compatibility with Turbo Pascal 7.0 and most Delphi versions (classes, RTTI, exceptions, ansistrings, widestrings, interfaces), with a separate Mac Pascal mode compatible with Think Pascal and MetroWerks Pascal, plus modern features such as function overloading, operator overloading, and global properties. LLVM bitcode generation is available on select targets in trunk.

The business model is non-commercial: Free Pascal is freely distributed under GPL/LGPL with no pricing tiers, subscriptions, or paid features, and the project operates as a community-led initiative rather than a corporate entity. Distribution occurs through direct downloads from freepascal.org, SourceForge mirrors, and bundling by the Lazarus IDE. Users consist of software developers (educational, professional, embedded), legacy system maintainers relying on Turbo Pascal compatibility, and cross-platform developers leveraging Lazarus and pas2js. The legal entity "Free Pascal Team" is based in the EU (Netherlands implied from hosting), servers are EU-located, and a GDPR privacy statement has been published. There are no funding rounds, no M&A activity, no management team in the traditional sense, and no revenue model.

Name

Free Pascal

Legal name

Free Pascal Team

Website

https://freepascal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Free Pascal is a mature, open-source Pascal compiler maintained by a volunteer community since 1993, supporting numerous CPU architectures and operating systems with full Turbo Pascal and Delphi compatibility. It serves software developers, legacy code maintainers, and cross-platform developers through free GPL/LGPL distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Compiler Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB)

Keywords

• Pascal compiler
• Open source compiler
• Cross-platform compiler
• Object Pascal development
• Legacy code migration

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgium

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Open Source Distribution: Free Pascal is distributed as free and open source software. There is no commercial revenue model. The project operates as a volunteer-driven community project with no products or services sold. The software is available for free download.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Free Pascal (FPC) is a mature, open-source Pascal and Object Pascal compiler that supports cross-compilation to numerous processor architectures (x86, AMD64, PowerPC, ARM, AArch64, MIPS, AVR, JVM, and development support for RISC-V, WebAssembly, LLVM) and operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS, BSD, DOS, OS/2, Android, Nintendo, AmigaOS, and embedded platforms). The compiler itself is written in Pascal and is distributed for free under GPL/LGPL licenses. The ecosystem includes the Free Component Library (FCL), Run-Time Library (RTL), and the pas2js transpiler for compiling Pascal to JavaScript.

Product overview

Free Pascal is an open source compiler ecosystem consisting primarily of the Free Pascal Compiler (FPC), a mature Pascal and Object Pascal compiler targeting numerous processor architectures and operating systems. The ecosystem includes the Free Component Library (FCL) providing component-level functionality, the Run-Time Library (RTL) for core runtime support, and the pas2js transpiler for converting Pascal to JavaScript. Developer tools include H2Pas (C header converter), FPCMake (build utility), and various unit file utilities (PPDep, PPUDump, PPUMove, PtoP, RSTConv, TPLY, Delp). The compiler itself is written in Pascal and licensed under the GNU General Public License, while packages and runtime library use a modified LGPL allowing static library linking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• pas2js: A Pascal to JavaScript transpiler maintained by the Free Pascal team, allowing Pascal code to be compiled to JavaScript for web applications.
• FPC

Products and services

• Free Pascal Compiler (FPC) A mature, versatile open source Pascal compiler supporting Pascal and Object Pascal. It can target many processor architectures including Intel x86, AMD64/x86-64, PowerPC, SPARC, ARM, AArch64, MIPS, AVR, and JVM. The compiler source is written in Pascal itself and released under the GNU General Public License, intended for software developers needing cross-platform Pascal compilation.
• pas2js A Pascal to JavaScript transpiler maintained by the Free Pascal team, enabling Pascal code to be compiled to JavaScript for web applications, intended for developers who want to write browser-side code in Pascal.
• Free Component Library (FCL) A collection of units providing component-level functionality for Free Pascal applications, serving as the equivalent of Delphi's component library for developers building FPC-based applications.
• Run-Time Library (RTL) The run-time library providing core runtime functionality for Free Pascal applications across supported platforms.
• H2Pas A tool for converting C header files to Pascal units, facilitating the use of C libraries in Free Pascal programs.
• FPCMake A utility for building and maintaining Free Pascal packages and projects.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lazarus IDEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 1993Lazarus IDE (lazarus.freepascal.org) is a visual development environment specifically designed for Free Pascal. It provides a RAD (Rapid Application Development) environment with visual form designers and component libraries, enabling rapid desktop application development using Free Pascal as the underlying compiler. The two projects are closely integrated and often discussed together.
• GitLabcoreTechnology or IntegrationAs of August 8, 2021, all SVN repositories were converted to git and moved to GitLab (gitlab.com/freepascal.org). The Mantis bug tracker was also converted to GitLab issues. GitLab provides the version control infrastructure and issue tracking for the project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lazarus IDE: Visual RAD IDE built on top of Free Pascal's compiler, providing form designers and component libraries for cross-platform desktop development. Most directly comparable as the primary integrated environment for FPC and the project's closest distribution partner.
• GNU Pascal (GPC): Pascal compiler front-end for the GCC toolchain. The most direct open-source Pascal-language competitor to Free Pascal, sharing the same target audience (Pascal developers needing free compilers) but distributed via the GCC ecosystem rather than independently.

Emerging players

• Nim: Statically typed, compiled programming language with Pascal-influenced syntax (and explicit acknowledgments to Pascal). Competes for the same niche of developers seeking a Pascal-like systems language with modern features and cross-compilation capabilities.
• FreeBASIC: Open-source BASIC compiler with cross-platform support, targeting a similar community of hobbyist and educational developers who started with structured languages in the 1990s. Comparable as a free, community-maintained, single-language compiler project with comparable target audiences.
• D Programming Language (DMD/LDC/GDC): Systems programming language with multiple compiler front-ends targeting the same kind of cross-platform, systems-level use cases as FPC. Comparable as a niche, multi-architecture compiled language that occupies adjacent mind-share among developers seeking alternatives to C/C++.

Broad incumbents

• Embarcadero Delphi: The commercial Pascal/Object Pascal compiler and IDE from which Free Pascal derives much of its language compatibility. Competes in the same Pascal ecosystem but as a paid, professionally supported product — the canonical proprietary alternative to FPC.
• GCC (GNU Compiler Collection): The dominant open-source compiler suite supporting C, C++, Fortran, Go, and others across a vast set of architectures. Comparable as a free, community-driven, multi-architecture compiler project — the scale benchmark FPC is benchmarked against in the open-source compiler space.
• LLVM / Clang: Open-source compiler infrastructure supporting multiple language front-ends (C/C++/Obj-C via Clang, Swift, Rust) with extensive architecture coverage. Comparable as a community-driven, multi-architecture compiler ecosystem; FPC's LLVM bitcode generation makes LLVM a key integration partner and adjacent competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgitlab.com/freepascal.org/fpc
• Xx.com/freepascaldev

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Free Pascal