  Since the advent of next-generation sequencing in the early 2000s, the volume
of bioinformatics software tools and databases has exploded and continues to
grow rapidly. Documenting this evolution on a global and time-dependent scale
is a challenging task, limited by the scarcity of comprehensive tool
repositories. We collected data from over ~23,000 references classified in the
OMICtools database, spanning the last 26 years of bioinformatics to present a
data-supported snapshot of bioinformatics software tool evolution and the
current status, to shed light on future directions and opportunities in this
field. The present review explores new aspects of computational biology,
including country partnerships, trends in technologies and area of development,
research and development (R&D) investments and coding languages. This is the
most comprehensive systematic overview of the field to date and provides the
community with insights and knowledge on the direction of the development and
evolution of bioinformatics software tools, highlighting the increasing
complexity of analysis.
