| Design Features | InstallAware | InstallShield |
|---|---|---|
| macOS Builds with Apple Notarization |  |
|
| Linux Builds with GTK2 and Qt5 | |
|
| Torrent/Magnet Downloads, P2P Setup Hosting | |
|
| Ethereum Cryptocurrency Payments, Blockchain Records | |
|
| MSIX Next Generation Package Format | |
|
| ARM64 Platform (Qualcomm Snapdragon Cellular PC) | |
|
| APPX Universal Windows Platform (Desktop Bridge) | |
|
| 100% Accurate, Visual, Windows Features Configuration | |
|
| 100% Accurate, Visual, Server Roles Configuration | |
|
| InstallTailor MST Creation with Transformer | |
|
| Open Source Desktop Bridge | |
|
| Advanced Service Configuration | |
|
| Configure Service Failure Actions | |
|
| Twitter and Facebook Integration | |
|
| Stand Alone IDE | |
|
| Visual Wizards | |
|
| Setup Capture (Repackaging) | |
|
| Windows 8.0 Start Screen Force Unpin/Pin | |
|
| Windows 8.1 Start Screen Force Pin | |
|
| Windows 10/11 Start Menu Live Tiles Force Unpin/Pin | |
|
| Visual Studio Integration (2022/2019/17/15/13/12/10/08/05/03) | |
|
| Windows 7/8.x/10/11 Taskbar Application Pinning | |
|
| ISO/IEC 19770-2:2009 SWID Tags | |
|
| Force Shortcut to Run as Administrator | |
|
| Automatic Windows Certification Compliancy | |
|
| Dynamic File Linking | |
|
| Dynamic Features | |
|
| Scripting | |
|
| Two-Way Integrated Editing (Visual/Code) | |
|
| One-Click Patching | |
|
| Debugger | |
|
| Service Support | |
|
| Database Support | |
|
| Compiler Directives | |
|
| Manual ICE Validation | |
|
| Automation Interface | |
|
| Web Applications | |
|
| Unlimited Web Updates | |
|
| Update Client Source Code | |
|
| Import MSI/MSM Windows Installer Database | |
|
| Inline Updates | |
|
| Direct Driverless Setup Capture | |
|
| Software Bundles and Automatic Web Updates | |
|
| TFS (2018/17/15/13/12/10)/VSTS/Azure DevOps Services | |
|
| Automated Virtual Machine Testing | |
|
| Build Events | |
|
| Application Runtime Wizard | |
|
| Technology Support | InstallAware | InstallShield |
|---|---|---|
| 64-bit Compression | |
|
| Parallel Build Engine | |
|
| 1.5/2/3/4 GB Compression Dictionaries | |
|
| 30% Faster Single Core Compression Acceleration | |
|
| Assign Build Affinities | |
|
| InstantInstall Acceleration | |
|
| Restart Manager | |
|
| Command Line Variable Locking | |
|
| Extra-Long File Paths | |
|
| Direct Deploy | |
|
| Native Code Setup Engine | |
|
| Hybrid Installation Technology | |
|
| App-V Package Builder | |
|
| App-V Package Viewer | |
|
| 32 bit & 64 bit Hybrid App-V | |
|
| App-V MSI Deployment | |
|
| Try-And-Die DRM for Win32, Win64, .NET | |
|
| Windows 11 Support | |
|
| LZMA/BCJ2 Compression | |
|
| Multi-Core Compression | |
|
| 256 bit AES Encryption | |
|
| Windows Installer | |
|
| Merge Modules | |
|
| Web Media Blocks (Partial Web Deployment/ WebAware Installation) | |
|
| Interactive Flash Billboards | |
|
| Interactive HTML Billboards | |
|
| Maintenance/Repair Installation | |
|
| Scriptable Uninstallation | |
|
| Windows 10/8.x Support | |
|
| One-Click 64-bit Support | |
|
| DIFx 2.1 Support | |
|
| Genuine Scripting for Windows Installer (MSIcode Scripting) | |
|
| Hybrid 32 bit/64 bit Single File Installer | |
|
| System Tray Minimizable Wizards | |
|
| Virtual Machine Detection | |
|
| Extensibility | InstallAware | InstallShield |
|---|---|---|
| EXE | |
|
| Plug-Ins | |
|
| Call Any DLL Function | |
|
| Unified Scripting (Install/Maintain/Uninstall) | |
| International Support | InstallAware | InstallShield |
|---|---|---|
| Supported Languages | 35 | 35 |
| Languages Included in Base Package | 35 | 1 |
| Edit Languages | |
|
| Redistributable Translation Environment | |
| Runtime Dialogs | InstallAware | InstallShield |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-built Setup Themes | 18 | 10 |
| Pre-built Runtime Dialogs | 313 | 83 |
| Dialog Editor | |
|
| Create New Setup Themes | |
|
| Available Dialog Controls | 44 | 25 |
| Automatic Variable Passing to/from Script | |
|
| Alpha Blending and Transparency | |
|
| Mica Material, Dark Mode, Acrylic Material, Aero Glass | |
|
| Fade/Slide Wizard Transition FX | |
| Build and Distribution Media | InstallAware | InstallShield |
|---|---|---|
| CD / DVD Optical Media | |
|
| Self Extracting EXE | |
|
| Light Mode Setups (no setup runtime) | |
|
| Differential Binary Patching | |
|
| Partial Web Deployment with Web Media Blocks (WebAware Installation) | |
|
| Custom Icons in Setup Executables | |
|
| Release Management (multiple builds) | |
|
| Command Line Build Tools | |
|
| Azure Trusted Signing | |
|
| Future-Proof Code Signing Hooks | |
|
| SHA 256 Authenticode Code Signing, EV Certificates | |
|
| Redistributable Build Interface | |
|
| Web Based Automation Interface | |
| Target Platforms | InstallAware | InstallShield |
|---|---|---|
| XP/2003/Vista/2008/7/2008 R2/8/2012/8.1/2012 R2/10/2016/2019/2022/11/2025 | |
|
| .NET Framework | |
|
| Internet Information Services | |
|
| Microsoft SQL Server | |
|
| My SQL | |
|
| Oracle, Oracle Net | |
|
| Pre-install MSI runtime including x64 Editions | |
|
| Pre-install .NET Framework x64 Editions | |
|
| Pre-install of .NET Framework 1.1 with Service Pack 1 | |
|
| Pre-install of .NET Framework 2.0 with Service Pack 2 | |
|
| Pre-install of .NET Framework 3.0 with Service Pack 2 | |
|
| Pre-install of .NET Framework 3.5 with Service Pack 1 | |
|
| Pre-install of .NET Framework 4.0, 4.5.2, 4.6.2, 4.7.2, 4.8.1 | |
|
| Pre-install of .NET 5.0.17, 6.0.36, 7.0.20, 8.0.11, 9.0.0 | |
|
| Pre-install Internet Explorer 6 | |
|
| Pre-install Internet Explorer 7 | |
|
| Pre-install Internet Explorer 8 | |
|
| Pre-install Internet Explorer 9 | |
|
| Pre-install Internet Explorer 10 | |
|
| Pre-install Internet Explorer 11 | |
|
| Pre-install Java Virtual Machine | |
|
| Pre-install Microsoft SQL Server Express 2022 | |