InstallBuilder is a powerful but easy to use tool for building crossplatform installers with a native look and feel on all supported platforms. Unlike Java-based installers, it does not require a Java(tm) runtime, so generated installers are significantly smaller than those created with Java-based tools. InstallBuilder also offers two types of compression (zip and lzma) to further reduce the size of generated installers. In addition, InstallBuilder installers do not require a self-extraction step, so our installers are faster and require less memory than those created with other tools. A more detailed technical comparison is provided in the chart below.
From a customer support perspective, the feedback we receive from former customers of our competitors is that InstallBuilder is easier to learn and use and our support is faster and more responsive to customer issues. At InstallBuilder, we pride ourselves on fast, friendly technical support and believe it sets us apart from the competition. If you haven't already been in contact with our support team, we encourage you to do so.
InstallBuilder's pricing and licensing flexibility also sets it apart from the competition. InstallBuilder is licensed on a per developer basis. Unlike InstallAnywhere, InstallBuilder licenses are not node-locked. That means that a licensed developer can install InstallBuilder on as many machines as necessary for development and testing purposes. InstallBuilder licenses also include one year of access to new releases and email support, so you don't need to purchase those separately as you do with many other solutions.
| InstallAnywhere® Premier | InstallBuilder Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|
| Includes automated update capabilities | (must purchase separately) | |
| Supports platform specific install destinations | - | |
| Does not require self extraction step | - | |
| No external dependencies | - | |
| Installer Overhead | 1.7 MB + JRE (approx. 15 MB) |
1.2-1.5MB |
| LZMA support (up to 30% installer size reduction) | - | |
| Integration with RPM database | (partial) | |
| RPM package generation | - | |
| Debian package generation | - | |
| Installers can be delivered over the Web | ||
| Display message dialogs during installation | ||
| JRE autodetection | ||
| Automatic rollback | Pre/Post installation scripts | Rule-based installer actions for changing permissions, substituting values in files, etc. |
| Silent Installations | ||
| Run installations from a response file | ||
| Windows Registry manipulation | ||
| INI file manipulation | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Windows (8, 7, 2008, Vista, 2003, XP, 2000, Me) | ||
| UNIX Platforms (Linux x86/PPC/Itanium/s390, Solaris Sparc/x86, FreeBSD, AIX, HP-UX, IRIX) | ||
| Mac OS X (Intel and PPC) | ||
| IDE Features | ||
| Native look and feel across all platforms | - | |
| Built-in Debugger | - | |
| Single XML project file for all installers | ||
| IDE runs on multiple platforms | ||
| Quick build functionality | ||
| Command line build tools | ||
| Add advanced functionality without writing custom code | ||
| Group Development Features | ||
| Human-friendly XML project file | - | |
| Supports relative paths, allowing a single project file to be easily moved to multiple systems | ||
| Automatically includes files in installer from Manifest files | ||
| Easily integrates with existing build systems, including Ant | ||
| Included Support | 1 year | 1 year |
| Price | $5,759* | $2,995 |
| * Note that InstallAnywhere pricing includes their Silver Maintenance package, which provides the support and maintenance package that is included with every purchase of an InstallBuilder license. | ||