Forem: Lukas Kosiński

Low technology stack with Qt framework: Saved money

Lukas Kosiński — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:31:36 +0000

When creating a new software, you want the quality to be the highest, while keeping the costs low and delivery time short. To achieve this, you need to select right technology stack, which will cover your project’s needs. Of course, there is no ideal framework nor technology stack, which will accomplish all of your requirements.

However, it is possible to find set of technologies, that will allow you to reduce cost while providing maximum quality and fast delivery time. Great instance of such technology is Qt. Qt is innovative and stable framework, which is one of the best choices regarding software development. It is powerful technology, which will allow you to save your money.

What is the technology stack?

Technology stack, also known as solutions stack or technologies stack, is a set of technologies and tools, that allows you build your app targeting specific platforms. Technology stack is an essential factor when it comes to develop a stable software, and it should be picked at very beginning of project to decrease costs of its development and maintenance.

How many stack looks like? Let’s see:

Here’s an example of web project technology stack. As you may already know, web projects consist of two components: front-end, which runs on client side, and back-end, running on server side. These components should work properly by their own, but also when cooperating.

Typically the back-end includes:

operating system – the core of the server
webserver – software to manage applications and their instances
database – structure to store information
programming language – to code logic of app and manipulate database basing on requests from client-side
framework – set of extra libraries for a chosen programming language to simplify the development process

The front-end, by contrast, is usually built with one of common JavaScript frameworks. These frameworks combine HTML, CSS, and JavaScript creating responsive UI. However, we are not going to explain all details regarding web app projects – treat it just as an example of technology stack.

Why technology stack should be low?

So we have an example of technology stack based on server and client-side. As you can see, it’s not so complicated – simple list of required components to provide front-end and back-end based solution.

Now let’s take a look at more complicated project example. Let’s say you need to develop and release application targeting these various platforms:

web browser
Android
iOS
Windows
macOS
Linux
embedded system

It’s extreme, but possible case. Your project may grow to this point in the future, and you may need to add new functionalities, or even provide support for new platforms. Anyway, let’s have a look at technology stack of our edge case:

We can agree, that this stack is way more complicated than the one from our previous example. Notice, that every platform needs to be handled using separate technology.

It is a fact, that this approach guarantees highest efficiency, due to usage of native technologies. However it comes at a price. Each of these technologies usually requires to hire additional developers, since it’s hard to find specialists skilled in various native technologies at once. They’re also often more expensive. Moreover, hiring many programmers means you need to provide them right tools to allow them to communicate, and cooperate with each other – this generates additional costs

On top of that software’s life doesn’t end on its release. It still needs to be maintained and developed. When any problem occurs, it needs to be fixed as fast as it’s possible. However it’s harder to achieve, when you have many different technologies to handle – fixing time may differ significantly. More technologies to manage, more time needed to fix bugs. Additionally, your employees will probably search for other job when they deliver final product to you. What if you needed to implement new features? In that case you’ll have to look for new developers losing a lot of your valuable time again. In other words high technology stack resolves in higher production costs. That’s why you should reduce it as much as it’s possible.

How to keep technology stack low? Use cross-platform framework! Cross-platform framework is software development solution, that allows to build app targeting multiple platforms. By doing so, you can decrease number of used technologies to those required by your framework. With that approach you can deliver your software in shorter time and lower price. But, as we said at beginning, there is no framework, which will fit every project, so cross-platform framework is not always the best solution – it highly depends on project type.

How Qt can help you achieve low technology stack?

Now you know that in order to make your software project’s costs low, and maintain its high quality, you need to choose right set of technologies at initial stage of development. Let’s take a closer look at Qt as a cross-platform option. If you want a broader introduction to the Qt framework itself, I covered that in a separate article: "What is Qt framework?".

Qt is a popular framework, that allows to easily develop software applications across many platforms. It’s based on C++, so it assures quality and efficiency of created software. Qt also comes with internal QML language that is used to create layout of application. QML also includes JavaScript, so it’s easy to learn and has wide community support. Combination of C++ and QML allows to create eye-catching UI, with powerful and fast logic.

What distinguishes Qt from other cross-platform frameworks is the fact, that it supports wide range of platforms using one codebase. Using one Qt codebase you can develop:

macOS desktop application
Windows desktop application
Linux desktop application
iOS mobile application
Android mobile application
Software applications for embedded devices
The back-end for web application e.g. REST API using Qt Http Server
Front-end for web application using Qt for WebAssembly

Shocked? But it’s true! All of these apps can be created using same source code. This fact, combined with versatility of C++, and simplicity of QML allows you to develop software, that runs the same on all listed platforms, easily and at low costs.

Qt is also doing well when your project is targeted to fewer platforms. Even then, it helps to reduce costs, and development time. For example, when you create mobile app in Qt, it doesn’t mean, that you can’t release it to desktop later. You can do it with a click of a button! This way you can save money and time, which at other case you would spend on refactoring code to target another platform.

So let’s go back to our technology stack, but this time we are going to build it using Qt:

Now number of applied technologies is significantly reduced, and therefore our technology stack is greatly simplified. Notice, that browser stack wasn’t replaced with Qt for WebAssembly. That’s because, although it is functional, it still needs some improvements to be officially used.

Keep in mind

Let’s summarize this article:

When choosing technologies for software project, factors like time, price and quality should be considered.
Technology stack is set of technologies and tools that are used to build app or the entire product’s environment
Low technology stack allows to reduce costs and delivery time
Qt is a framework, that allows to release apps across wide number of platforms

Qt is powerful tool, that allows to keep technology stack low, but keep in mind it’s not a silver bullet. There are many other frameworks, which will probably suit your requirements more than Qt.

Qt acquires IAR Systems - What does it mean for embedded developers?

Lukas Kosiński — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:29:37 +0000

Qt Group - the Finnish company behind the popular software development framework and other tools for design and software Quality&Assurance, has recently completed the acquisition of Swedish IAR Systems. In my environment, on some forums and even in my own team, I've seen some kind of confusion and misunderstanding about what it really means in the long term.

I've tried my best to make this article as approachable as possible to Qt and IAR Systems users as well as to Qt's stakeholders in case they want to better understand what this deal actually mean.

This article is written from the perspective of a person who has been personally involved in Qt development from 2016. I founded Somco Software - embedded and cross-platform app development company with a strong focus on Qt, C/C++ and particular interest in medical devices and FinTech solutions.

What is Qt Group?

Qt Group, previously known as The Qt Company is a Finnish company recognized mostly for its software development framework - Qt. The framework itself has a rich history dating back to the early 90s which in the world of software development seems like a millennium ago. However, Qt is not outdated. Quite the opposite. It is both mature and modern, which makes it a perfect fit for quality industries such as medical, automotive, robotics and so on.

Actually, I would consider its maturity and the structure (no need for many dependencies) compared to its competitors, as its main advantages. Especially for these regulated industries being even more restricted in the times of cybersecurity.

Historically, Qt was used mostly for desktop app development, but later it became (in my opinion) the most cross-platform framework supporting mobile (iOS, Android) and embedded platforms. Extensive range of embedded hardware and OS platforms.

It is a common misunderstanding that Qt is just a GUI (Graphical User Interface) framework, but in fact it has a lot of features to implement things like databases, advanced connectivity, sensors connections and way more.

Although, the main source of income for Qt Group is the sales of commercial Qt framework licenses (it has both open-source and commercial options), it also invested in its own products like Qt Design Studio. Qt Group recently acquired some other companies in corresponding sectors such as Froglogic GmbH or Axivion GmbH which extended its product portfolio to software Quality&Assurance solutions. These moves also dictated the rebranding from The Qt Company to Qt Group as they literally became a hub of various tools.

From my practical experience I can say that these testing tools and Qt framework really complement each other. Somco Software develops a lot of medical devices where Qt is used for coding and Squish and coco (former Froglogic products) for regulatory-compliant testing. I do not know the sales numbers for Q&A offering only, but my bet is that they're rather satisfying.

What is IAR Systems?

I.A.R. Systems Group is a Swedish company, now fully owned by Qt Group. They develop a set of tools that support development of tiny embedded devices. By that I mean usually microcontrollers. Microcontrollers (MCUs) are little chips with limited resources and no support for a full operating system such as Linux. MCUs either use Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) or do not use operating system at all.

To be more precise, let's give some examples of what devices could be built using IAR platform. It can be a micro-controller that controls radar sensors or airbag system in your car. Or a chip inside a medical device such as patient's vital parameters monitor or infusion pump.

What extra value does IAR platform bring? First of all there is a compiler that heavily optimizes the code to maximize firmware efficiency and binary size. In many desktop, mobile or MPU projects it doesn't matter if app has 50 or 60MB, but in the world of tiny chips, 8-16 kilobytes can make all the difference in the world. For example if you squeeze your app on a cheaper MCU and have a huge volume of devices, then you save a lot of money in the long term.

There are also tools that support debugging, static analysis and safety checks. Using IAR Embedded Workbench makes a lot of sense for those who need reliable solutions. Just like regulated industries.

Where Qt and IAR Systems overlap?

Let's start with an example that will explain both differences and overlaps of Qt and IAR platform. It's a popular architecture that has many variants and I will not make this article longer by going in the details.

Embedded device architecture example

For one of our customers, Somco Software develops a medical device. From outside it looks like a box. Medical staff can see only a touch display and maybe a couple of physical buttons. But inside there is a lot of things going on. Each button, each diode, each sensor, each mechanical part has to be somehow programmed so we can discover and control its state. It's a common pattern that these hardware components are connected to some micro-controller that controls them. In many projects there is more than one MCU.

In the case of our project that microcontroller's firmware was developed using IAR Embedded Workbench. Again, it really helps in the regulated sectors such as medical where you really don't want to hurt or kill someone.

In the past medical devices, just like cars, didn't have displays, but with time both vehicles and medical devices became more sophisticated. There was a need to better visualize something or to connect with the cloud, so that's why such features usually needed more powerful hardware platforms. Either MPU or mini-computer that has more capabilities.

And exactly in this project we have an MPU and Qt app running on it. Qt software is used to store data, manage updates, connect with the cloud and interact with the user over nice GUI. Qt software and C/C++ firmware on MCU communicate with each other over chosen protocol.

Such architecture helps to separate contexts that are for example safety critical and in many cases increases maintainability over time.

Qt and IAR Systems differences

Although Qt has an offering for some MCUs (called Qt for MCUs), there is often no reason to actually use this framework as Qt firmware will never be so compact as pure C/C++ one. Especially if there is no GUI to display with this MCU. You would have to get more expensive hardware and pay for Qt's commercial license.

IAR Systems usually target way more low-level devices. The ones Qt is not competent for running. And that extensive optimization (thanks to IAR C/C++ compiler) is not something available as part of Qt's standard offering.

Qt and IAR systems overlaps

So despite the differences, the example given above perfectly pictures the match between both technologies. They're already used together in many setups within one project.

In fact, it is also possible to combine Qt for MCU with IAR's tools and compilers. So then you can benefit from both Qt's powerful API and enhanced performance. Not to mention all safety checks.

Qt and IAR Systems do not replace each other, but complement each other. Qt Group's motivation is very clear. They aim to provide a comprehensive solution. From silicon to screen.

Why does this deal make sense?

From what I have read, Qt Group paid over 200 mln EUR while I.A.R. Systems Group will add them ~15 mln EUR EBITDA. It means EBITDA to price ratio equal 13.3(3). Qt Group took a huge loan to finance the deal that might seem expensive, but in fact it's not that much compared to what Microsoft invests in AI for purely hypothetical future earnings. IAR Systems Platform is a true asset with a value behind it.

Those who know me know that I am a fan of bold decisions. This decision was certainly so. Does it have the potential to pay off? I've already explained scenarios where Qt and IAR complement each other. There is a huge potential for cross-selling and it doesn't limit to Qt software framework, but also its Q&A tools.
To add a bit of a reality check to this analysis, these are interesting and uncertain times. The automotive industry, where both Qt and IAR have strong positions, is highly unpredictable.

Qt's challenges amid acquisition

Despite cross-selling potential, in my opinion, one of Qt’s biggest challenges will be marketing. As the founder of a Qt consulting company, I stay up to date with many parts of Qt’s offering, yet I repeatedly hear or observe that people are starting to lose track of what Qt actually does and what it doesn’t do. The number of myths around Qt (licensing, the “GUI-only framework” perception, etc.) is huge, and the situation where Qt Group suddenly seems to be doing everything certainly doesn’t help unify or simplify the message.

These opinions keep circulating and tend to fuel competition against Qt in areas such as desktop and even embedded. In the long run, this could translate into lower license sales.

Personally, I believe that information overload can have a serious impact on business. Marketing is simply easier and more effective when it focuses on one clear message. In the short term, Qt may have strong opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling, but in the long term, if this isn’t managed carefully, it may become harder to attract newcomers.

I sincerely hope Qt will be able to bring order to this informational chaos and communicate its value proposition more clearly.

What does it mean to Qt developers and IAR users?

As mentioned earlier, Qt started as typically desktop solution. The march towards embedded is visible for at least 15 years though. Over time, a lot of desktop solutions have migrated to the web to benefit from enhanced cooperation possibilities, cloud storage and no installation. Also, in the realms of desktop development, Qt started to notice a lot of new competitors like Flutter, JS solutions, Kivy, MAUI and many more.

Qt has a lot of pressure in the desktop sector where it used to be no. 1 player on the market, so they focused on embedded. However, embedded is also a wide term and embedded device can be in fact PC-grade MPUs or mini-computers with full Windows or Linux, so you can code software for this platform using these other competitive frameworks.

Despite the fact that many desktop projects, such as KDE, are built on Qt, I’m concerned that the framework may increasingly be pushed toward the embedded space. Unfortunately, embedded is a niche within a niche, and this shift is unlikely to improve Qt’s overall popularity.

My advice to Qt developers is therefore simple: if you want to keep working with Qt - and, like me, you enjoy the framework - you should start learning and exploring the broader embedded programming ecosystem. That’s where Qt will probably be used more and more frequently.

As for users of IAR Systems, I think you should expect further changes in licensing and pricing. The recent move to a subscription-based model was almost certainly influenced by the deal with Qt. When it comes to pricing, I suspect increases are likely. Similar to what happened with Froglogic’s Squish GUI Tester after the acquisition. This may result in smaller customers being priced out of the market.

Overall, this could make the ecosystem less accessible for smaller teams and independent developers.

Summary

Amid the competition and general trends in the software development, I believe that Qt made a good deal here and I keep my fingers crossed for its success. In the world of AI, you have to adapt and offer solutions that are on one hand comprehensive (so you keep the user with you throughout their whole journey) and sophisticated, so it is not a trivial thing to replicate.