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.

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

Product Overview

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.

Inno Setup

Description: 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.

Key Features Comparison

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

Inno Setup Features

• Create installers for Windows programs
• Multi-language support
• Customizable installer UI
• Conditional logic
• Registry and file manipulation
• Scripting using Pascal Script

Pros & Cons Analysis

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

Inno Setup

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

Pricing Comparison

Makeself

• Open Source

Inno Setup

• Open Source