InstallShield vs Makeself

Struggling to choose between InstallShield and Makeself? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

InstallShield is a Development solution with tags like setup, installer, deployment, packaging.

It boasts features such as Create installers for Windows, macOS, Linux, Support for MSI, EXE, AppX installers, Wizard-driven interface, Multiple languages support, Custom actions and logic, Version checking capabilities, Integration with build tools, Virtualization support, Patching capabilities, Rollback functionality, Administrative installs and pros including Wide platform and installer format support, Intuitive visual interface, Powerful customization options, Robust patching and upgrading features, Integration with popular build tools, Good technical support.

On the other hand, Makeself is a Os & Utilities product tagged with selfextracting, installer, packaging, unix.

Its standout features include Creates self-extracting shell scripts, Packages software into a single executable file, Works on Unix-like systems, Easy distribution and installation of software, Compression using gzip, bzip2, lzma or xz, MD5 checksum verification, Progress bar during extraction, Customizable messages, prompts and license agreement, and it shines with pros like Simple and easy to use, Good for distributing software, Does not require root access or special permissions, Works across different Unix distributions, Lightweight and efficient.

Feature	InstallShield	Makeself
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Os & Utilities

Product Overview

InstallShield

Description: InstallShield is a software tool used to create installers or setup packages for distributing software to end users. It simplifies the complex process of making installers for Windows and other platforms.

Makeself

Description: Makeself is a small shell script that generates a self-extractable tarball for Unix. It packages software into a single executable file for easy distribution and installation.

Key Features Comparison

InstallShield Features

• Create installers for Windows, macOS, Linux
• Support for MSI, EXE, AppX installers
• Wizard-driven interface
• Multiple languages support
• Custom actions and logic
• Version checking capabilities
• Integration with build tools
• Virtualization support
• Patching capabilities
• Rollback functionality
• Administrative installs

Makeself Features

• Creates self-extracting shell scripts
• Packages software into a single executable file
• Works on Unix-like systems
• Easy distribution and installation of software
• Compression using gzip, bzip2, lzma or xz
• MD5 checksum verification
• Progress bar during extraction
• Customizable messages, prompts and license agreement

Pros & Cons Analysis

InstallShield

Pros

• Wide platform and installer format support
• Intuitive visual interface
• Powerful customization options
• Robust patching and upgrading features
• Integration with popular build tools
• Good technical support

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Complex pricing model
• Limited trial version
• Can be overkill for simple installers

Makeself

Pros

• Simple and easy to use
• Good for distributing software
• Does not require root access or special permissions
• Works across different Unix distributions
• Lightweight and efficient

Cons

• Limited to Unix-like systems
• Not as full-featured as other packaging systems
• No dependency handling
• No uninstall capability
• Lacks some advanced features

Pricing Comparison

InstallShield

• One-time Purchase
• Subscription-Based

Makeself

• Open Source