C++20 adoption by popular projects

November 10, 2026

C++20 standard (issued December 2020) is long supported by all modern C++ compilers. In particular Microsoft Visual C++ has been steadily adding support for C++20 (and newer standards).

Major and/or popular projects are already adopting C++20 features in their codebases. C++20 codified several features that had been compiler-specific extensions. Some examples:

• GNU Octave
• Boost.UT test framework

One of the biggest discussions about C++20 is modules, which improve compilation times and provide better encapsulation of code compared to traditional header files. The C++ ecosystem from compiler to build system works for C++20 modules with CMake support, but is still maturing.