2026 is off to a fast start for SmartBear Swagger. In just the first stretch of the year, we’ve seen independent validation, product improvements driven by real user needs, and broader recognition across the developer ecosystem. Together, these signals point to something simple: API quality, governance, and lifecycle discipline are becoming non-negotiable – and Swagger is increasingly where teams are turning to get that done.
Here’s a look at what’s already shaping the Swagger story this year.
Swagger delivered quantified value
The commissioned Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study on Swagger API Solutions found that Swagger delivered 227% ROI and $1.1M value over three years for a composite organization based on interviewed customers.
The study took a hard, numbers-driven look at what organizations gain from adopting Swagger across their API lifecycle, from design and governance through testing and collaboration. Rather than focusing on features, the TEI framework examined measurable outcomes: time saved, risk reduced, process improvements, and operational efficiency.
According to the study, Swagger enabled the interviewed organizations to achieve:
- Faster API design and review cycles
- Better cross-team collaboration
- Reduced rework and contract drift
- Stronger governance without slowing delivery
For teams that want evidence – not claims – around API lifecycle investment, this study provides a structured, third-party assessment of Swagger’s impact and return.
Swagger wins a 2026 Devies Award
For the third consecutive year, Swagger was named a 2026 Devies Award winner at DeveloperWeek in the API Management and Support category. The Devies Awards focus on developer technology innovation and adoption, highlighting the platforms and tools developers are relying on to build and ship software more effectively. This recognition reflects peer and industry evaluation.
“Developer tools and platforms are at the core of innovation across the software industry,” said Jonathan Pasky, Executive Producer at DevNetwork, the producers of DeveloperWeek and the DEVIES Awards. “SmartBear’s recognition as a 2026 DEVIES Award winner highlights its leadership, technical excellence, and meaningful contribution to how developers build and scale modern technology stacks.”
Swagger Studio and Portal improve activity visibility
Momentum isn’t just about reports and awards. It also shows up in practical product improvements that remove friction for teams.
We recently introduced a new “Last Active” column in Swagger Studio and Swagger Portal to give organizations clearer visibility into real usage patterns.
Previously, activity signals were available through APIs but were difficult to interpret consistently across teams. This update makes engagement far more transparent and actionable. The Last Active column in the UI tracks both editing and read-only activity, helping teams to understand who is interacting with APIs, measure adoption and engagement, and identify areas where more enablement and support may be needed.
This is a small feature with an outsized operational value. API programs often struggle not with tooling, but with visibility. Knowing what’s active (and what isn’t) helps platform owners support teams more effectively.
Swagger brings practitioners together for hands-on AI workshop
More than 100 attendees from a range of industries and API disciplines joined us for our “AI Builders Workshop: Swagger Your Way to API First” webinar. The interactive session focused on designing, sharing, validating, and testing APIs with Swagger, with participants especially engaged with the AI-assisted capabilities demonstrated.
The workshop featured lively discussion around AI-driven API development and practical MCP tool usage. During the workshop, we discovered that 48% of participants had never used MCP tooling, which sparked a thoughtful debate about whether this reflected slow adoption or, conversely, meaningful early uptake by the remaining 52%. The combination of hands-on guidance, real-time audience participation, and forward-looking discussion around AI and API-first practices made the workshop both practical and thought-provoking.
Keep Swaggering
Taken together, these signals tell a consistent story: Swagger’s momentum isn’t coming from hype; it’s coming from proof, product progress, and practitioner adoption.
Independent ROI findings from Forrester, peer recognition through the Devies Award, targeted usability improvements like enhanced activity visibility, and strong engagement in AI-focused workshops all point in the same direction. Teams are under pressure to deliver APIs faster without sacrificing quality or governance, and they’re choosing tools that make API-first a practical, measurable, and scalable goal.
And there’s more to come. Before long, we’ll be releasing new API catalog functionality in Swagger Studio and enhanced API drift detection support in Swagger Contract Testing.
Watch this space!