Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

CreateInstall VS Inno Setup

Compare CreateInstall VS Inno Setup and see what are their differences

CreateInstall logo CreateInstall

Professional installer software is an essential component for any software developer.

Inno Setup logo Inno Setup

Inno Setup is a free installer for Windows programs.
  • CreateInstall Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-05
  • Inno Setup Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31

CreateInstall features and specs

  • Customization Flexibility
    CreateInstall offers extensive customization options, allowing developers to tailor installation processes to their specific needs, including custom scripts and dialogs.
  • Multi-language Support
    The software supports multiple languages, enabling developers to create installations for a global audience easily.
  • Ease of Use
    The interface of CreateInstall is user-friendly, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced developers to create installation packages without extensive training.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    CreateInstall includes a wide range of features such as registry modification, file extraction, and shortcut creation, providing all necessary tools for professional installations.
  • Affordability
    Compared to some competitors, CreateInstall is more affordable, making it a good option for small to mid-sized companies with budget constraints.

Possible disadvantages of CreateInstall

  • Limited Integrations
    CreateInstall lacks extensive integration options with third-party software, which may limit its functionality for some users requiring advanced integrations.
  • Windows-only Focus
    The software is primarily designed for Windows installation packages, which might not meet the needs of developers looking for cross-platform solutions.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is user-friendly, mastering advanced features and scripting may require a steep learning curve for some users.
  • Outdated User Interface
    Some users may find the user interface to be outdated compared to more modern installation tools, which could affect user experience.
  • Support Limitations
    CreateInstall's support options may be limited compared to larger companies, potentially affecting response times and the availability of thorough support resources.

Inno Setup features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    Inno Setup is available for free, and its source code is open for developers to modify and customize to suit their needs.
  • Extensive Customization
    It offers extensive customization options, such as custom wizard pages, scripting capabilities via Pascal Script, and the ability to create custom installations.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Inno Setup supports a wide range of features including disk spanning, password protection, uninstall capabilities, and silent installs.
  • Robust Documentation
    The software comes with comprehensive documentation and a detailed help file, making it easier for users to understand and utilize its features.
  • Active Community
    Inno Setup has a large and active community that provides support, contributes to forums, and develops add-ons, enhancing the software's utility.
  • Small Footprint
    The setup packages created with Inno Setup are generally small and lightweight, which is advantageous for faster downloads and installations.

Possible disadvantages of Inno Setup

  • Learning Curve for Scripting
    Although powerful, the scripting language (Pascal Script) can be challenging for beginners to learn and implement effectively.
  • Limited GUI Development Tools
    Compared to some other installer builders, Inno Setup has fewer graphical tools for designing installation interfaces, which may require more manual coding.
  • Windows Only
    Inno Setup is designed specifically for Windows applications, making it less useful for developers needing cross-platform support.
  • Manual Updates and Maintenance
    Keeping the setup script up-to-date and maintaining it over time can require manual effort, which might be burdensome for some projects.
  • Initial Setup Complexity
    Setting up a new installation project may initially be complex and time-consuming due to various configuration options and scripting needs.

Analysis of Inno Setup

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Inno Setup is considered a good choice for creating reliable and efficient Windows installers, especially for those seeking a free, powerful, and customizable setup solution.

Why this product is good

  • Inno Setup is highly regarded due to its robustness, ease of use, and feature-rich capabilities for creating Windows installers. It supports a variety of installation tasks, such as creating shortcuts, managing files, and registry entries, and is known for its flexible scripting options that allow for tailored customizations. Additionally, it's free and open source, which is appealing to both individual developers and companies.

Recommended for

  • Independent developers or small teams looking for a cost-effective installer solution.
  • Software projects where customization and flexibility in the installer process are needed.
  • Developers who prefer or require open-source software.
  • Projects focused on Windows application deployment.

CreateInstall videos

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Inno Setup videos

Using the Inno Setup Wizard

More videos:

  • Review - Setup Nasıl Hazırlanır ? | Inno Setup Detaylı Kullanım

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CreateInstall and Inno Setup)
Website Builder
23 23%
77% 77
Package Builder
23 23%
77% 77
Website Design
15 15%
85% 85
Tool
47 47%
53% 53

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Inno Setup seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 46 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

CreateInstall mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of CreateInstall yet. Tracking of CreateInstall recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Inno Setup mentions (46)

  • [Rant] Your Software Isn't the Only One Our Company Uses FFS
    I’ve had to do this before and it some what sucks but if you do have a look at Inno Setup. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Tauri v1.3 — NSIS installer, security audit & External API Access
    Use Inno Setup. It's comparably sized, VSCode uses it and GOG.com uses customized builds of it (it's open-source but written in Delphi), and it has a much more declarative (though still extensible) approach that does do stuff like uninstall tracking by default. Source: over 3 years ago
  • In the year 2023, what is the best way to deploy/distribute a WPF Application?
    We eventually settled on a combination of InnoSetup with InnoSetuo Dependency Installer and NetSparkle which offered a much cleaner experience and use of AzureAD Authentication for Azure Storage Blobs (for updates) as well as InTune Deployments with proper version detection. Source: over 3 years ago
  • is there like an application etiquette or something?
    You don't typically make these things yourself from scratch, you use a tool that does it for you. E.g. InnoSetup: https://jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php. Source: over 3 years ago
  • [Windows] Looking for open source program made to install other archived programs and create uninstaller for them
    The two most popular such installers are Inno Setup and NSIS. Inno is much easier to use (and will handle most tasks automatically), while NSIS creates somewhat smaller installers (but requires you to basically micromanage everything). Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing CreateInstall and Inno Setup, you can also consider the following products

Setup Factory - Setup Factory Software Installer Builder for Windows.

Advanced Installer - Advanced Installer is a Windows installer authoring tool for installing, updating, and configuring your products safely, securely, and reliably.

Debreate - Debreate is a utility to aid in building Debian packages (.deb).

NSIS - NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) is a professional open source system to create Windows...

Packin - Packin is a graphical Linux package creator wizard which compiles packages in the popular debian...

IzPack - IzPack is a one-stop solution for packaging, distributing and deploying applications.