Skip to main content

Cucumber is back in Community Ownership

Matt Wynne
Matt Wynne
Project Lead of Cucumber

Today is a big day for Cucumber.

6099 days since the project was first started, 4158 days since we formed Cucumber Ltd, and 2004 days since SmartBear acquired Cucumber Ltd we have entered a new and exciting phase: Cucumber is back in community ownership.

What is happening today?​

What this means technically is that the intellectual property assets (the cucumber.io domain where this blog is hosted, the name trademarks and brand etc.) are transitioning from the ownership of SmartBear Software, into the Open Source Collective (OSC).

OSC is a 501(c)(6) non-profit registered in the USA, providing a similar service to open source projects as other foundations like the Apache Software Foundation, Linux Foundation or Software Freedom Conservancy. With control of the name and domain back in the hands of the community, we will be able to move the project forward independently, free from the commercial priorities of any single organisation.

What does this mean for me?​

Since February 2023, when SmartBear and I began exploring new paths for the project, the process introduced a period of uncertainty for those of us closest to it. We worked closely with SmartBear to navigate the legal details surrounding the name, and while that process took time, it also reflected a shared commitment to finding the best outcome for the project and its community.

If you're using one of the many open-source flavours of Cucumber like Cucumber-JVM, Cucumber-JS or Cucumber-Ruby you can now be confident knowing that the core team can focus 100% of their time on evolving those products to meet your needs.

This also means it may be time for you to take a more active role in ensuring the long-term health of the project. Yes, you! Folks like David Goss, Rien Korstanje, and Luke Hill work hard to keep Cucumber going. Here's how you can help them.

  • Get involved in the community: Join our Discord to chat with other users and contributors. Even just supporting other users with their questions is a great way to contribute; it’s how I got started!

  • Sponsor the project: Maintaining a thriving open-source project takes time, effort, and resources. If Cucumber has made a difference for you or your team, consider making a financial contribution through our sponsorship program. Your support will ensure we can keep Cucumber sustainable, growing, and improving for years to come.

Our financials are completely transparent. We try to pay our contributors fairly for their time, and we also need resources for hosting and other operational costs.

A note of thanks​

I want to acknowledge the support that SmartBear has provided over the years, helping Cucumber grow and reach new audiences. It was brave of them to take a chance on us back in 2019 and I'm grateful that their folks have done the work to see this through and transition stewardship back to the community. I think it demonstrates their integrity and appreciation of open source culture.