Makeself vs Inno Setup

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

Makeself is a Os & Utilities solution with tags like selfextracting, installer, packaging, unix.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including 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.

On the other hand, Inno Setup is a Development product tagged with installer, setup, authoring, windows.

Its standout features include Create installers for Windows programs, Multi-language support, Customizable installer UI, Conditional logic, Registry and file manipulation, Scripting using Pascal Script, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Easy to use graphical interface, Powerful scripting capabilities, Wide range of functionality, Active community support.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Makeself

Makeself

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.

Categories:
selfextracting installer packaging unix

Makeself Features

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

Pricing

  • Open Source

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


Inno Setup

Inno Setup

Inno Setup is an open-source installation and setup authoring tool for Windows programs and software packages. It allows developers to easily create installers with basic to advanced functionality, including multi-language support, custom dialogs and screens, conditional logic, and much more.

Categories:
installer setup authoring windows

Inno Setup Features

  1. Create installers for Windows programs
  2. Multi-language support
  3. Customizable installer UI
  4. Conditional logic
  5. Registry and file manipulation
  6. Scripting using Pascal Script

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Easy to use graphical interface

Powerful scripting capabilities

Wide range of functionality

Active community support

Cons

Windows only

Steep learning curve for advanced features

Not as feature rich as some paid tools

Scripting requires Pascal knowledge