What is the difference between the different awk versions?

Question

I am reading through awk here but I am just wondering about the awk versions as I have encountered issues before with different awks. Below is a look at the different version I have. As I understand it there is awk, mawk and gawk. With gawk being the newest/better. Can anyone clarify my assumptions? I s GNU Awk 4.1.1 the newest and best to be using i.e. is it gawk? Any other comments on the different versions?

env1 - cygwin on my pc

$ awk -Wversion 2>/dev/null || awk --version
GNU Awk 4.1.1, API: 1.1 (GNU MPFR 3.1.2, GNU MP 6.0.0)
Copyright (C) 1989, 1991-2014 Free Software Foundation.

env2 - a docker container

$ awk -Wversion 2>/dev/null || awk --version
mawk 1.3.3 Nov 1996, Copyright (C) Michael D. Brennan