In Q3 2023, the open source software (OSS) landscape showed significant growth and shifts in various aspects. Here are the key findings:

Overall Growth

The total number of OSS downloads in Q3 was 434 million, marking a 27.6% increase from the previous quarter's 340 million.

The past three quarters demonstrated remarkable increases: Q1 saw a 60% growth (240 million downloads), Q2 had a 61% growth (340 million downloads), and Q3 continued with a 27% growth (434 million downloads).

An interesting aspect of the Q3 data is the distribution of unique endpoint increases. The numbers show that there were increases of 11%, 36%, and 29% in this quarter, which implies that a diverse range of open source projects saw heightened activity.

Fortune 500 Usage

Open source software is also becoming increasingly popular among Fortune 500 companies. In Q3, OSS usage among these giants surged from 74.8% to an impressive 89%. This indicates that big players in the business world are recognizing the value and benefits of open source solutions.

The top 10 downloads in Q3 showcase some significant trends. Notably, Microsoft experienced a 176% increase in the number of different OSS downloads, reflecting their commitment to open source projects. UPS and Intel entered the top 10, while Cigna and FedEx dropped out.

In terms of documentation viewership, Amazon made a striking leap by jumping five spots to claim the number one position. Amazon reviewed the documentation for 88 different open source projects, amassing over 80,000 total views. Salesforce and Nvidia, both newcomers, also made notable strides.

Top 10 OSS Usage Countries

Global OSS adoption remains robust. In Q3, the top 10 countries for OSS usage were Russia (302%), Japan (246%), China (244%), India (210%), Brazil (190%), Switzerland (175%), Belgium (167%), Spain (159%), France (149%), and Ireland (143%).

In the first quarter of 2023, Russia rose to the forefront, becoming the number one country with the largest increase in open source downloads with 220% increase. However, the dynamics of open source adoption are characterized by fluctuations. In the second quarter, Russia experienced a surprising setback, falling from the top 10 spots in OSS downloads. Such changes are not uncommon and are often influenced by various factors. In the third quarter, Russia made a return to the number one position, with a 202% increase.

Some countries, like the USA, the UK, and Canada, did not make the top 10 list. Germany, Sweden, and South Korea experienced declines in open source downloads.

Most OSS Downloads by Country (%)

The United States led in downloads, accounting for 33.9%, followed by Ireland (19.4%), Germany (9%), France (7.6%), the UK (7.4%), Singapore (6.2%), and other countries (16.6%).

Container registry usage was primarily dominated by Github (36.9%), with Docker Hub following closely at 59.7%. Quay had a 2.2% share, while other registries combined made up 1.2%.

Conclusion

Open source continues to experience steady growth. Over the coming months, we will add more data points and share insights with the community. We will do a deep dive into what this means and how open source is evolving after we have published several quarter's worth of data. If you are interested in checking out how your project is doing, you can try Scarf for free or contact us for help with getting started.