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mavlink/MAVSDK

API and library for MAVLink compatible systems written in C++

C++ ◇ ardupilot BSD-3-Clause
★940STARS
⑂648FORKS
!36ISSUES
🏆#4,103GLOBAL RANK
🔥2DAYS TRENDING
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Momentum

+24

STARS · LAST 30 DAYS

1

PER DAY

#313

MOST-STARRED C++

Window7 days30 days90 days
Stars gained+7+24+90
Per day111
Forks gained+3+13+32

MAVSDK gained 24 stars in the last 30 days, about 1 a day, and now has 940. It is about 9 years old and has averaged roughly 104 stars a year. It ranks #313 among C++ repositories and #4,103 across all languages on GitHubRepo.

Trending Record

MAVSDK has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #4268. Below is the 30-day activity profile:

💡 Overview

MAVSDK is an open-source project written in C++: API and library for MAVLink compatible systems written in C++.

Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in ardupilot, cpp, cpp17. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.

⚡ Key Features

1

Optimized execution pipeline written in C++ for predictable speed.

2

Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.

3

Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.

4

Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.

5

Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.

6

Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.

📥 Installation

terminal
$ git clone https://github.com/mavlink/MAVSDK.git
cd MAVSDK

⚙ System Requirements

Platforms

  • • macOS
  • • Linux
  • • Windows

Runtime & Dependencies

C++20 compliant compiler (GCC 11+, Clang 13+, MSVC)

Architecture

x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)

🧠 How It Works

MAVSDK coordinates its core functionality through a modular C++ pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.

🎯 Production Use Cases

Production System Integration

Embed MAVSDK into C++ backend services to handle core application logic.

CI/CD Automated Pipelines

Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.

Developer Tooling & Workflows

Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.

Open Source Extension

Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open BSD-3-Clause license.

🚀 Getting Started

1

Install MAVSDK using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/mavlink/MAVSDK.git`

2

Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for MAVSDK.

3

Import MAVSDK into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.

4

Execute your test suite or run `MAVSDK --help` to verify successful setup.

👍 Strengths

Active community backing with 940 GitHub stars and verified adoption.
Permissive open-source distribution under the BSD-3-Clause license.
Built in C++ for high execution speed and developer familiarity.
Cross-platform compatibility across modern Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Clean modular design allowing flexible configuration and pipeline integration.

⚠️ Considerations

Requires familiarity with C++ and modern CLI workflows.
Ecosystem extensions may require manual configuration depending on environment constraints.
Active development roadmap means breaking API changes may occur across major versions.

⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors

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👥 Who Should Use This

Developers and engineering teams building with C++, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.

🏆 Nearby in the Rankings

mavlink/MAVSDK is currently ranked #4,103 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:

RankRepositoryLanguageStarsAction
#4,097 Hyundai-Kia-Connect/kia_uvo Python ★ 944 Compare ↗
#4,099 huggingface/AnyLanguageModel Swift ★ 943 Compare ↗
#4,099 nixops4/nixops4 Rust ★ 943 Compare ↗
#4,099 operator-framework/java-operator-sdk Java ★ 943 Compare ↗
#4,099 mmangino/facebooker Ruby ★ 943 Compare ↗
#4,103 mavlink/MAVSDK This Project C++ ★ 940
#4,103 pydantic/pydantic-ai-harness Python ★ 940 Compare ↗
#4,103 ejmahler/RustFFT Rust ★ 940 Compare ↗
#4,103 NVIDIA-NeMo/Megatron-Bridge Python ★ 940 Compare ↗
#4,107 Notifiarr/notifiarr Go ★ 939 Compare ↗
#4,107 OpenWAM-Official/OpenWAM Python ★ 939 Compare ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

What does MAVSDK do? +

API and library for MAVLink compatible systems written in C++

What language is MAVSDK written in? +

The primary language is C++. Topics include: ardupilot, cpp, cpp17, mavlink, px4.

Is MAVSDK actively maintained? +

Yes, the last recorded push was on Oct 1, 2026 with 36 open issues being tracked.

How many stars does MAVSDK have? +

MAVSDK has 940 stars and 648 forks on GitHub.

How does MAVSDK rank among GitHub repositories? +

With 940 stars, mavlink/MAVSDK is ranked #4,103 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #313 among C++ projects.

What license is MAVSDK distributed under? +

The repository reports a BSD-3-Clause license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.

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