There are already some great answers so I just want to add that merging projects to get synergy effects doesn’t work in the open source world.
Many smaller softwares are heart projects of single developers or a very tiny team. Forcing them to merge with a comparable project (btw who should be even able to do this?) would discourage and alienated them. They would reduce efforts or stop complety.

I think the more accurate question is, what should it have become? ;)