Windows Installer Authoring Tools - Feature Comparison Chart

See also: Complete list of Windows Installer Authoring Tools

The following table compares some of the most popular Windows Installer authoring tools. It is mainly based on information that is publicly available from the respective companies; not all of it has been validated. Features that are actually provided by the Windows Installer service, not by the authoring tool (such as advertising, repair, rollback etc.) are common to all products and therefore not listed. This table focusses on Windows Installer setups. Some tools can also create Windows setups that don't use MSI, but use a proprietary scripting language.

InstallShield Premier InstallShield Professional InstallShield Express Wise Installation Studio Wise Installation Express Microsoft Visual Studio
Current Version 2008 2008 2008  7.0 7.0 2008
Released May 2007 May  2007 Aug 2007 Dec 2006 Dec 2006 Nov 2007
Design Features IS Premier IS Pro IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
Stand alone IDE + + + + + -
Visual Studio integration + + + + + +
Localized versions of the development environment + + + - - +
Task list + + + + + +
Source Control Integration + + - + + +
MSI and Logo validation + + - + + -
Patch and update validation + + - + + -
Full control of features + + + + + -
Full control of components + + - + + -
Visual Editors for registry settings and shortcuts + + + + + +
Visual Editor to define setup types -
 Note 6		 -
 Note 6		 + + + -
Visual Editors for ODBC drivers and DSNs, INI files, Environment variables + + + + + -
Visual Editor for action sequences and logic + + - - - -
Script-like view and editing of sequences and logic - - - + + -
Optionally drive installation logic using a script (external UI) + + - - - -
Optionally create script driven non-MSI setups + + - + - -
Dynamic file linking + + + + + -
Path variables to make projects portable from one machine to another + + + + + -
MSI Debugger + + - + + -
Repackager + -
Note 1		 -
Note 1		 -
Note 1		 -
Note 1		 -
Import setups created with InstallShield Professional / Wise Installation System +/- +/- -/- + + -
Automation Interface for external project modification + + - + + -
Macro Editor for repetitive tasks - - - + + -
Integrated MSI table editor + + - + + -
Database to store and manage application data + + - + - -
Technology Support IS Premier IS Pro IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
Import VB Projects + + + + + +
Import C# Projects + + + + + +
Import J# Projects + + - + + -
Includes Merge Modules + + + + + +
Wizard to download redistributables + + + + + -
Modify XML files during installation + + - + - -
Add and manage user accounts + + + + + -
Create setups for Web Services and IIS + + + + - +
Create MS SQL Server Databases + + - + + -
Create MySQL Databases + + - - - -
Create Oracle Databases + + - - - -
Visual Editor to Create and Control Services + + - + + -
Device Driver Installation Wizard + + - - - -
Active and Static File Dependency Scanners + + + - - -
Direct support for COM+ + + + + + -
64-bit application support + + - + +  
.NET Support IS Premier IS Pro IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
Import .NET Solution files + + + + + +
COM Interop Support + + + + + +
Global Assembly Cache support + + + + + +
Control of Local Assembly installation properties + + - + + +
.NET Assembly Compile on Installation + + - + + -
Custom Action Support IS Premier IS Pro IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
EXE + + + + + +
.NET Installer Class + + + - - +
DLL with MSI specific prototype + + + + + +
General DLL, incl. Windows APIs + + - + + -
VBScript + + + + + +
Proprietary scritpting language + + - + - -
Full control of custom action sequencing + + (+)
Note 4		 + + -
International Support

IS Premier

IS Pro

 IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
Supported languages (including language packs) 33+
Note 2		 1 / 2
Note 3		 33 26 26 9
Languages included in base package 33 1 / 2 (selectable)
Note 3		 33 6 6 9
Create One Setup Package with Multiple Languages + -
Note 3		 - + + -
Runtime Dialogs

IS Premier

IS Pro

 IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
Customize Dialog Text and Bitmaps + + + + + (+)
Customize Dialog Layout or Add Custom Dialogs + + - + + -
Dialog Editor + + - + + -
Build and Distribution Media

IS Premier

IS Pro

 IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
CD-ROM + + + + + +
Self-extracting EXE + + + + + -
Smart Internet Deployment + + + + + -
Automatic update notification -
Note 11		 -
Note 11		 -
Note 11		 + - -
Mix compressed and uncompressed files + + - + + -
Command Line Build Tools + + + + + +
Standalone Build module to create media on a clean build system (no additional license required) + - - + + -
Release Management - build multiple product variations from a single project + + - + + -
Create Merge Modules + + - + + +
Create Patches + + + + + -
Create Transforms + + - + + -
Create "Multiple Instance Transforms" + + + + - -
Create ClickOnce packages + + - - - +
Create time limited trial version of your application + - - (+)
Note 9		 - -
Target Platforms

IS Premier

IS Pro

 IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000, XP, 2003 + + + + + +
Windows Vista + + + + + -
Note 7
Windows CE, Pocket PC + + + + + -
Microsoft SmartPhone + + + + + -
Palm OS + + + + + -
Pre-install MSI runtime + + + + + +
Pre-install .NET Framework + + + + +  
Pre-install Internet Explorer + + + - - -
Pre-install .NET Compact Framework + + + + - -
Install SQL Server CE + + + - - -
Pricing and Ordering

IS Premier

IS Pro

 IS Express WI Studio WI Express VS
List price base product (US Dollars) $3,499 $1,799 $499 $1,199 $449 $799
 Note 10
List price language pack (US Dollars) included n/a n/a $399 $399 n/a
InstallSite Shop ENGLISH English
GERMAN Deutsch		 ENGLISH English
GERMAN Deutsch		 ENGLISH English
GERMAN Deutsch		      

Notes

1: Available in a different product
2: Custom languages can be added.
3: The English edition supports one language, which can be selected from all available languages. The German edition includes two languages (English plus one selectable) which can be used to build bi-lingual setups.
4: While custom action sequencing in Express is limited compared to the other tools, it is significantly more detailed than in Visual Studio.
5: These numbers should give an idea of the magnitude and relative size of the knowledge base. Due to the nature of a knowledge base the actual number of articles changes frequently.
6: Only in "InstallScript MSI" and "InstallScript" project types.
7: In general, all MSI setups will run on Vista, but this tool doesn't have specific support for Vista, such as Restart Manager support or Vista logo validation.
9: The tool has an interface to a third-party solution for trialware functionality which must be purchased separately. A license to trialware-enable a single product is included.
10: Price for Visual Studio Professional edition.
11: The tool has an interface to an add-on solution for update notification which must be purchased separately.

Errors and omissions excepted. Be sure to check the manufacturer's web site for the latest information.

 

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