• Modern installer interface attracts your customers
  • Modern Wizard-style look and feel
  • High-quality icons (32-bit, alpha-blended)
  • Customizable graphics: embed your own artwork to emphasize your application's identity
• Compact engine is ideal for electronic delivery (reduces download time)
  • Small package size: the minimal installer footprint is about 70 Kb
  • Good compression method: often better than popular ZIP
  • All functionality is built in - no external files required
• Powerful Setup Builder included
  • Edit anything from the GUI; no scripting required
  • Just drag-and-drop new setup files from Windows Explorer
  • Use New Project Wizard to create new setups with a few mouse clicks
  • Import registry keys from .reg files and system registry
  • Create `nightly builds' using command-line /b switch
  • Test your Setup packages on the fly (just hit F5)
• You have full control over installation process
  • Interact with the user to install only required parts of your setup (Read more...)
  • Check the presence of the .NET Framework and download it if needed
  • Install dynamic folders (with content known only at setup time)
  • Use Extended registration actions: Install COM DLLs, Type Libraries, Windows NT Services
• Customize and extend your setups using your favorite language
  • Built-in automation model for extending your setups with scripts (VBScript and JScript)
  • Create .NET Custom Actions (Installer classes) and Win32 Custom Action DLLs
  • Use Built-in and editable installer variables with 'special folders' auto-detection
• Use multi-language support to benefit from international market
  • Support for Multilingual installers
  • Auto-detection of target system language
  • Localizable License and Readme screens
  • Edit language files to customize any installer strings and add new languages.

Included native Java launcher that allows users to install, see and use your Java programs just like regular Windows native executables.
 
Partially restricted
Source: None
Price: $249

Very few software programs uninstall completely from your computer. Among the things left behind are unnecessary folders, obsolete files, and graphics that will never be used. In addition, there are often items placed in the Windows Registry that are not welcome, as well as spyware and other programs that threaten the security of your computer. Advanced Uninstaller PRO can uninstall all of these files, folders, and programs.

Uninstalling a program is as easy as selecting its name from a list, or dragging and dropping a file or a shortcut on the Advanced Uninstaller PRO desktop icon.

Advanced Uninstaller PRO's built-in Startup Manager gives you control over the programs that are automatically started by Windows, and offers you detailed information about each of them, including advice about what the program does and whether you should disable it. Advanced Uninstaller PRO includes a huge knowledge base containing startup program descriptions, giving you the ability to distinguish between essential Windows components that you want to keep, and dangerous spyware programs that you want to remove.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $39

It has several peculiar features such as CRC self-verification and two types of original user interface. Agentix Installer builds installers from a script file that has ini-file format. A script can be created with any text editor. There is a free GUI for creating script files.
 
Fully functional
Source: None
Price: $29.95
Exe-Demo Included

Astrum InstallWizard has a really low learning curve; you can create professional looking installations in a matter of minutes. Even though the basic use is really simple Aiw enables you to create highly customized installations with its conditionals and custom DLL support.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $49

• _addreg.exe - Add entry to Run, RunOnce, RunServices and etc. in Windows95 Registry.
• _Clntmp.exe - Deletes files and subdirectories from any directory.
• _reboot.exe - Reboot Computer.
• _shortcut.exe - Add New shorcuts and program folders.

The product includes a collection of powerful wizards allowing you to create professional, easily distributable installation packages in the shortest time. However, these wizards and the installation scripts associated with them are also fully customizable, providing developers with full scalability and maximum versatility. The importance of creating the highest quality, professional software packages is something that should never be overlooked, due to the fact that first impressions count for a lot, and the installation process if the first experience that users will have of your software.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $169
Exe-Demo Included

dauninst application_name

The application will be uninstalled from your computer.
 
Fully functional
Source: Included

Key features of the setup packages DeployMaster builds:

• Quick, painless deployment for computer novices.
• Advanced Options button for plenty of control and feedback for computer experts.
• Single-exe self-extracting setup, or a collection of 1.44MB files for easy downloading or floppy disks.
• Automatic uninstaller.
• It can add and remove components from a previous setup without requiring an uninstall first.
• Loads instantly and deploys files quickly.

• Fully GUI-driven. No need to learn another scripting language.
• Can build packages from the command line, so you can use it with your make tool.
• If you need more power, build a support DLL in your favorite programming language. C and Pascal sample sources included.
• The interface of the setup package can be completely translated into any language. The language files can be edited by a translator with nothing but a text editor.

The improved Mr. Skinner tool can now “dress up” customized dialogs, creating a more appealing look for your installation. Ghost Installer features one of the fastest and most effective compression methods, providing for a faster installation start and a small installation size.

Ghost Installer's famous convenient user interface makes it easy to create even the most complex installations. If you are new to Ghost Installer and you need a simple yet reliable installation, Ghost Installer’s wide variety of wizards will aid you in the process.

Ghost Installer supports various technologies such as Web-deploying, deploying .Net applications and assemblies, MDAC, Java, BDE, and so on.
 
Partially restricted
Source: None
Price: $299

Free for personal use.
 
Fully functional
Source: N/A

Features:

• Support for all Inno Setup directives.
• Drag and drop. You can drag files from the Windows Explorer and drop them on the wanted directory in the Files section in ISTool.
• Separate script view with syntax coloring.
• Clipboard is fully supported in most sections.
• Preserves script comments.
• Can import Visual Basic .lst files and InstallShield .iwz files.
• Translated to multiple languages.

• Inno Setup 5.1.8 or higher to compile the created scripts.
• A recent version of Microsoft Windows.
• Internet Explorer 4.0 or later.

Key features:

• Support for all 32-bit Windows versions in use today
• Supports creation of a single EXE to install your program for easy online distribution. Disk spanning is also supported.
• Standard wizard interface, including support for the latest Windows 2000 wizard style.
• Complete uninstall capabilities.

Key features:

• Support for all Windows versions in use today -- Windows 95, 98, 2000, Server 2003, XP, Me, NT 4.0, Vista.
• Supports creation of a single EXE to install your program for easy online distribution. Disk spanning is also supported.
• Standard Windows 2000/XP-style wizard interface.
• Customizable setup types, e.g. Full, Minimal, Custom.
• Complete uninstall capabilities.
• Installation of files: Includes integrated support for "deflate", bzip2, and 7-Zip LZMA file compression. The installer has the ability to compare file version info, replace in-use files, use shared file counting, register DLL/OCX's and type libraries, and install fonts.
• Creation of shortcuts anywhere, including in the Start Menu and on the desktop.
• Creation of registry and .INI entries.
• Integrated Pascal scripting engine.
• Silent install and uninstall.
• Unicode filenames support.
• Full source code is available (Borland Delphi 2.0-5.0).

The Inno Setup QuickStart Pack also includes an easy to use option to download and install encryption support.
 
Fully functional
Source: None

Install-us will bring many powerful features, which will give you total control over the installation process of your software.

Basic functions:

• Click-and-Build user interface
• Various project languages
• Installations for 16- and 32-Bit applications.

• Installations for Windows 3.1, 95/98/2000 and NT 4.0
• Diskettes, CD-Rom and Internet download
• Fast-Internet-Expand for fast PreSetup
• CD-Manager
• Comes with language files for international installations.

• Version check
• Shared DLLs
• Font Installation
• Registration of file name extensions
• Registration of ActiveX-servers (OCX).

• Component Uninstall
• Different Configurations (Typical, Minimum, Custom).

• Registry
• Creates shortcuts e.g. on the desktop
• Special options for disks, CD, and Internet.

• Program folders
• Starting programs after installation
• Variables
• Reboot and Re-Login
• Media such as Bitmaps, Audio and Video
• INI file modification
• Password and Expiry date
• User Registration System.

Setup Squeezer offers:

• Simplicity - a very simple wizard interface helps you intelligently unpack and repackage existing setups.
• Cross-Platform Support - the Setup Squeezer runtime supports all modern versions of Windows from Windows 95 to Windows Vista.
• Greater User Control - Unlike with other tools, users can click cancel to abort the extraction process.
• Very Small Footprint - The extraction can be performed with as little as 32MB of physical memory.
• Nested Installation Support - Nested installation packages are recursively scanned, opened, and automatically recompressed.
• Advanced Package Compression - Setup Squeezer performs up to 5x better than ZIP, CAB, RAR, or SITX formats.
• Improved User Experience - Setup Squeezer improves download performance and reduces user frustration with rapid unpacking.
• Rapid Compression - Realize significant time savings when running Setup Squeezer on dual-core and hyper-threaded machines.

• Setup Squeezer's data crunching algorithm ensures that setups are as small as possible.
• The advanced LZMA encoder used in InstallAware uses technologically superior methods of eliminating redundancies across multiple files.
• Setup Squeezer provides BCJ2 filters that pre-process your executables and increase their compressibility.

Setup Squeezer offers:

• Simplicity - a very simple wizard interface helps you intelligently unpack and repackage existing setups.
• Cross-Platform Support - the Setup Squeezer runtime supports all modern versions of Windows from Windows 95 to Windows Vista.
• Greater User Control - Unlike with other tools, users can click cancel to abort the extraction process.
• Very Small Footprint - The extraction can be performed with as little as 32MB of physical memory.
• Nested Installation Support - Nested installation packages are recursively scanned, opened, and automatically recompressed.
• Advanced Package Compression - Setup Squeezer performs up to 5x better than ZIP, CAB, RAR, or SITX formats.
• Improved User Experience - Setup Squeezer improves download performance and reduces user frustration with rapid unpacking.
• Rapid Compression - Realize significant time savings when running Setup Squeezer on dual-core and hyper-threaded machines.

• Setup Squeezer's data crunching algorithm ensures that setups are as small as possible.
• The advanced LZMA encoder used in InstallAware uses technologically superior methods of eliminating redundancies across multiple files.
• Setup Squeezer provides BCJ2 filters that pre-process your executables and increase their compressibility.

All you need is to append list of files which you want to include in the installation, write little script (like a DOS bat-file) to unpacking yours files and assemble this archive. As a result you will get one exe-file with 30% compression.

In new version correct little bug for run application with difficult command string. Thanks for Andrew Hill.
 
Fully functional
Source: None
Exe-Demo Included

Installer/GD offers a wide range of professional features found in other commercial installers, at a fraction of cost, with some unique features not available in any other installer. It is much faster and much more user-friendly than Windows Installer itself, or other similar products.

Installer/GD is aimed at ease of use for both developers and their customers. It employs a custom interface that looks cool and offers unmatched level of convenience.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $39.95

The LizaJet Installer for Delphi Developers lets you create installations without doing any programming at all if you desire. Advanced users can rely upon the Object Pascal Script as well as on the Dialog Editor, the Script Editor, and the built-in debugger. The fully object oriented Object Pascal Scripting Engine supports script based classes as well as inheritance. This gives installations the functionality that only a general-purpose language can provide.

Gone are the limitations that are imposed by using special scripting languages. With the LizaJet Installer for Delphi Developers you can define your own dialogs using built-in templates and edit them with the Dialog Editor. As with Delphi, you can define properties, event handlers, and drop visual components.

The 'Action Designer' lets you control the installation sequence exactly the way you want. Not only do your installations work with all versions of Windows, but they can also handle the network and proxy settings of Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator and Opera. The integrated translation tool can translate dialogs and constants in your Pascal script to different languages. Define environment variables, Registry settings, and even include ActiveX objects.

The fully operational and licensed Free Edition has everything you need to create installations, including Package Wizard, Code Editor, Dialog Editor, Action Designer, Debugger, and comprehensive Installation Library. You can use this astonishing installer for many years to come or upgrade to one of the more powerful editions.

System requirements: LizaJet Installer for Delphi Developers will run under Windows 95, 98, ME, and Windows XP. It also supports Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000. It requires 128MB of RAM and 10 Mb of free hard disk space.
 
Fully functional
Source: None

Mihov NSIS Helper works fine with NSIS version 1.98 and 2.0a.
 
Fully functional
Source: None

Features:

• Built-in ZIP, RAR, and ACE support (unknown extensions will launch the associated program)
• Support for self-extracting exe files
• Install progress: Current file, all files, elapsed time, and estimated time left
• Automatic creation of shortcuts in the Start Menu and on the Desktop
• Uninstall with automatic removal of shortcuts and files
• Association of a screen shot, html file, or any other file type
• Skinable version you can apply your own skins to (with transparernt treeview etc)
• Editor with context sensitive html help
• Encryption
• Unpacking of password protected files
• Music playing by using Bass. Music files supported: mp3, ogg, wav, mod, mo3, xm, s3m, mtm, it
• Icon ripper (can save 256 color icons)
• Can contain more than 100,000 programs/items
• Rar, zip, or ace to self-extracting exe file with install wizard.

Silverpoint MultiInstaller can help you install multiple component packs in a few clicks. Just download the zips and select the destination folder, all the components will be uninstalled from the IDE if they were previously installed, unziped, patched, compiled and installed on the IDE.
 
Fully functional
Source: Included

The Pascal scripting feature (modern Delphi-like Pascal) adds lots of new possibilities to customize your Setup at run-time. Some examples:

• Support for aborting setup startup under custom conditions.
• Support for modifying existing wizard pages and adding new custom wizard pages to Setup at run-time.
• Support for extracting and calling DLL, EXE or other files from the Pascal script before, during or after the installation.
• Support for scripted constants that can do anything the normal constants, the read-from-registry, read-from-ini and read-from-commandline constants can do + more.
• Support for run-time removal of types, components and/or tasks under custom conditions.
• Support for conditional installation of [Files], [Registry], [Run] etc. entries based on custom conditions.
• Lots of support functions to do from the Pascal script just about everything Inno Setup itself does/can do + more.
• An integrated run-time debugger to debug your custom Pascal script is also available.

• Conditionally compile parts of a script.
• Use compile time variables.
• Use built-in functions which for example can read from the registry or INI files at compile time.

An installer is not only the first experience of a user with your product, many software problems can also be solved by providing reliable installation tools. NSIS allows you to create stable, quick and user friendly installers that are capable of installing, uninstalling, setting system settings, extracting files and more. With the NSIS scripting language you can implement any custom logic you want.
 
Fully functional
Source: Included

Package up any document or program files, construct sophisticated Setup routines for your software programs, generate updates and patches, install Delphi components, databases, wrap multimedia presentations or several Windows Installer MSI setups into single .exe files ready for delivery over the Internet...

Create ready-to-deliver packages in minutes, without requiring any additional knowledge, or go further since you may also:

• really customize the entire behavior and look of your packages from A to Z
• create standard or Windows wizard-styled packages and change any detail of your package's design: icon, splash screen, dialogs, billboards, version info... Show your own company advertisement.
• organize your files into components, set destination paths, ask end users for which components to install, add conditions to file extraction
• add custom actions and configure them visually to do what you want: prompt users; detect system configuration; create shortcuts; read/write registry keys and .ini files; modify file properties; work with variables; use If/Then conditionals or goto statements; display dialogs like readme, license agreement, info panel, wait messages, message boxes; execute program or document files; copy or manage files; use plug-ins to add functionality...
• make multi-language packages for international distribution
• password protect files, add integrity checks, digitally sign your packages (code signing) with Microsoft Authenticode to increase the security of your files
• select between three efficient file compression methods: Zip, 7-Zip (LZMA and BCJ2) and Cabinet (LZX, MSZIP)
• include uninstallers to remove changes made by packages
• automate Paquet Builder to customize and create packages silently (command-line builds, directives, daily builds...)
• and much more.

Available in three editions: Freeware, Trial and Registered (shareware).
 
Fully functional
Source: None
Price: $41

SIBuilder (Small Installation program Builder) is a freeware software installation program creator that creates a stand alone executable software installer with little overhead taken up by the installer. This makes the program an ideal development tool for creating a single, self-extracting (sfx) installation programs for distribution over the Internet. The installer is a Windows command line (or console) application. Key features of SIBuilder are that it:

• Has optional uninstaller that is registered with the Control Panel "Add/remove programs" applet.
• Installs files and folders -- can selectively overwrite existing files depending on age or version information.
• Updates registry with new keys and data
• Can be customize installations for different Windows operating systems.
• Can execute other programs -- which makes it simple to extend SIBuilder's functionality.
• Registers COM servers, shared DLLs and applications with Windows.
• Optionally displays a license agreement.
• Can automatically uninstall other installations before proceeding with the installation.
• Uses a wizard style interface to simplify creation of install projects.
• Provides a choice of compression algorithms used to compress the install program and has ability to have new compression systems plugged into program.

SIBuilder no longer requires a copy of Borland Delphi to compile the install programs - it now uses its own built in packaging technology to create them. While the ability to use Delphi, where present, is still available as an option, such use is now deprecated. The facility may be removed from a future version.

An on-line tutorial describing how to use SIBuilder is available on the program's home page. The tutorial walks through the creation of an installation project based on some files provided with SIBuilder.

• Standard setup features like auto-uninstall, DLL registration, auto-backup replaced files, registry and ini entries
• Retrieving values from registry and ini files
• Conditional process with IF/ELSE and jump with GOTO
• Custom Add-in DLL's and sample C and Delphi code
• 2 optional built-in add-in DLL. Standard wizard interface and Web-update wizard. Integrated into script generator wizard
• File extension association wizard
• Set file time-stamps
• Very small, password protected single self extractor executable installs. (47K+Your zip file size).

As rapid application development (RAD) tools have become commonplace, simplifying the development process and reducing project life cycles, the ability to create smooth, efficient applications in less time often means needing to deploy them just as quickly. SetupBuilder 6 is a Rapid Setup Development and Configuration Management tool for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT4 and Windows Me/98/95.

SetupBuilder offers the full set of the features you need to quickly build bulletproof setups and updates for Windows. It is a powerful, flexible, and intuitive script-based Rapid Setup Development installation-authoring and configuration management tool.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $299

As rapid application development (RAD) tools have become commonplace, simplifying the development process and reducing project life cycles, the ability to create smooth, efficient applications in less time often means needing to deploy them just as quickly. SetupBuilder 6 is a Rapid Setup Development and Configuration Management tool for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT4 and Windows Me/98/95.

SetupBuilder offers the full set of the features you need to quickly build bulletproof setups and updates for Windows. It is a powerful, flexible, and intuitive script-based Rapid Setup Development installation-authoring and configuration management tool.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $199

ThunderSetup Professional includes all features of ThunderSetup Standard, but it is script-based. An integrated scripting language and a visual Dialog Designer (creates and edits install/uninstall wizard dialogs) let you customize your installations to a very high degree.

Additionally, ThunderSetup Pro can use a special patch mode for update packages that only saves the differences between two file versions, which results in much smaller packages.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $86

The Standard version includes all common installation features, like file installation (shared files, version and time stamp comparison, in-use files, COM servers, font files), creation of Registry entries and INI entries, extensions (ShellExecute) and an automatic uninstaller. It also contains a redistributable web updating utility and a Language Editor for creating language files for multilingual setups. Setup packages use BZIP2 compression and can be disk-spanning setups or self-extracting setups.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $28

Create setup packages in various languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Brasil) and allow your users to properly remove your application and all its components through an integrated uninstall function.

Z-Up Maker's special features allow the creation of relatively small setup packages. The self-extract option has been designed in order for you to distribute your application through the Internet.

Z-Up Maker is compatible to all current Windows systems (Windows 95/ 98/ NT/ 2000/ Me/ XP) and supports Windows XP themes.
 
Evaluation (time-limit)
Source: None
Price: $29

Free for non-commercial use.
 
Fully functional
Source: N/A
Price: $24