Makeself vs InstallAware

Struggling to choose between Makeself and InstallAware? 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, InstallAware is a Development product tagged with installer, authoring, setup, deployment.

Its standout features include Visual editor for creating installers, Support for advanced installation features like custom actions, prerequisites, runtime variables, etc, Build installers, patches and updates for Windows software, Package files, folders, registry data, shortcuts, etc into installers, Support for silent install, command line install and uninstall, Integrates with Visual Studio and CI/CD pipelines, Build multi-language installers, Digitally sign installers, and it shines with pros like Powerful visual editor makes creating installers easy, Lots of advanced installation features for complex deployments, Good for packaging desktop applications for Windows, Integrates into developer workflows and tools like Visual Studio, Active community support and regular updates.

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


InstallAware

InstallAware

InstallAware is a software installation authoring tool used to build installers, patches, and updates for Windows software. It includes a visual editor and supports advanced installation features like custom actions, install prerequisites, uninstall capabilities, runtime variables, and much more.

Categories:
installer authoring setup deployment

InstallAware Features

  1. Visual editor for creating installers
  2. Support for advanced installation features like custom actions, prerequisites, runtime variables, etc
  3. Build installers, patches and updates for Windows software
  4. Package files, folders, registry data, shortcuts, etc into installers
  5. Support for silent install, command line install and uninstall
  6. Integrates with Visual Studio and CI/CD pipelines
  7. Build multi-language installers
  8. Digitally sign installers

Pricing

  • One-time Purchase
  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Powerful visual editor makes creating installers easy

Lots of advanced installation features for complex deployments

Good for packaging desktop applications for Windows

Integrates into developer workflows and tools like Visual Studio

Active community support and regular updates

Cons

Fairly steep learning curve

Can be overkill for simple installations

Limited platform support beyond Windows

Pricing may be prohibitive for small teams or projects