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Microsoft App-V VS EtherApps Forge

Compare Microsoft App-V VS EtherApps Forge and see what are their differences

Microsoft App-V

Getting Started with App-V for Windows 10

Rating
0 reviews
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Alternatives Is it good?
EtherApps Forge

AI-ready Windows app packaging, with local AI options. Forge captures apps where they run, even with no installer, into signed MSIX, MSI, Intune and App Attach. GitHub Copilot can drive it via MCP.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Paid Free trial £895 / Annually (Per admin user)
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Alternatives Is it good?
Sugarbug
Connect your tools into a living knowledge graph. Sugarbug captures every signal to deliver compounding insights and unified context. sponsored
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Microsoft App-V seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 3 times since March 2021.

social mentions
3 vs 0
Application Packaging popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
7 vs 9

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Microsoft App-V
EtherApps Forge
Website docs.microsoft.com etherapps.ai
Pricing —
Paid Free trial £895 / Annually (Per admin user) Official pricing
Platforms —
Windows Windows XP Server 2008R2
Company — 1 - 9 employees
Listed in
Application Packaging Application Deployment Package Builder Application Repackaging +1
Virtualization App Deployment Endpoint Management Virtualization Platform Developer Tools MCP & AI Agent Tooling MSIX AI +5

About Microsoft App-V and EtherApps Forge

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Microsoft App-V
EtherApps Forge

No description of Microsoft App-V yet.

EtherApps Forge captures Windows applications on the machines they already run on, even when the installer is lost, and turns them into signed MSIX, MSI, Intune Win32 and App Attach packages. Package the apps holding up your move to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Intune, including the...

Read more about EtherApps Forge

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Microsoft App-V 5 features
EtherApps Forge 12 features
  • Centralized Management
    Microsoft App-V allows for centralized management of applications, making it easier for IT administrators to deploy, update, and manage software across the organization from a single console.
  • Reduced Conflicts
    By virtualizing applications, App-V reduces the likelihood of conflicts between different software packages since each application runs in its own isolated environment.
  • Improved Security
    App-V helps in enhanced security through its isolation model, reducing the attack surface by sandboxing applications from the underlying operating system and each other.
  • Flexibility
    App-V provides users with the flexibility to access applications from any device within the network without the need for local installations, enhancing the ease of access and mobility.
  • Fast Deployment
    Applications can be deployed quickly to users without the need to physically install software on each device, which accelerates the deployment process.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complexity
    Setting up and managing App-V can be complex, requiring specific expertise and understanding of virtualization which might not be readily available in all IT teams.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running applications in a virtualized environment can be more resource-intensive, potentially requiring more powerful infrastructure to deliver the same performance as locally-installed applications.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Not all applications are well-suited for virtualization, and there may be compatibility issues with certain software, hindering their performance or functionality when run through App-V.
  • Licensing Costs
    Using App-V may involve additional licensing costs on top of existing Microsoft licensing, which could be a concern for organizations with tight IT budgets.
  • Dependency on Network
    Since applications are virtualized and delivered over the network, any network issues can directly impact the usability and reliability of the applications for end-users.
  • AI agent integration (MCP)
    The Forge MCP server lets GitHub Copilot and other MCP clients drive Forge in plain English, one real tool call at a time
  • Local AI (Forge AI Controller)
    Private preview: runs packaging as an agent in your own infrastructure, with local AI models, Microsoft Foundry in your subscription or OpenAI services
  • Capture without the installer
    Capture apps on the machine they run on, from Windows XP SP3 to Windows 11 and Server 2008 R2 to 2025
  • App-V conversion
    App-V 5 packages to MSIX or MSI without resequencing
  • Output formats
    Signed MSIX, MSI, Intune Win32 and App Attach (VHD, VHDX, CIM)
  • Package testing
    Sign, validate and smoke test each package
  • MSIX editing
    Edit a built MSIX without rebuilding it
  • Automation
    Batch capture, forge_msix command line and PowerShell module
  • Deployment targets
    Microsoft Intune, Configuration Manager, Azure Virtual Desktop App Attach, Citrix, Omnissa App Volumes
  • Data control
    Runs on your own machines; packages and signing keys stay with you
  • Free trial
    7 days at etherapps.ai, 25 captures, no card
  • Training
    Free MSIX training and certification with a work email

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Microsoft App-V
EtherApps Forge

Overall verdict

  • Microsoft App-V was a solid, mature application virtualization solution that effectively solved application conflicts and simplified deployment for enterprise Windows environments, though it has reached its end of support and organizations should now consider Microsoft's modern alternatives like MSIX App Attach.

Why this product is good

  • Enables applications to run in isolated, virtualized environments without traditional installation, preventing conflicts between applications
  • Simplifies application deployment and updates across large enterprise environments through centralized management
  • Reduces application-to-application compatibility issues by sandboxing each app's runtime environment
  • Integrates well with System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) for streamlined enterprise software distribution
  • Allows applications to be delivered on-demand and streamed to client devices, reducing local storage needs
  • Well-documented with extensive Microsoft support resources and established best practices from years of enterprise use
  • Supports legacy application compatibility, helping organizations run older apps on newer Windows versions

Recommended for

  • Enterprise IT administrators managing large Windows desktop deployments
  • Organizations needing to isolate conflicting applications on shared endpoints
  • Companies running legacy or older applications that need compatibility layers
  • Environments already invested in Microsoft's SCCM and System Center ecosystem
  • IT teams needing centralized control over application lifecycle management
  • Organizations in transition planning who need to understand legacy virtualization before migrating to MSIX App Attach or other modern solutions

No analysis of EtherApps Forge yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Microsoft App-V 1 video + Add
EtherApps Forge 8 videos + Add

Microsoft App-V: how to create and use

Agentic App Packaging with EtherApps Forge: Ask in Plain English

More videos

  • - EtherApps Forge: The complete walkthrough
  • - EtherApps Forge in 48 Seconds: Legacy Apps Ready for Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop
  • - Forge AI Controller (private preview): Unattended packaging in your own tenant
  • - App-V to MSIX Without Resequencing
  • - The App Nobody Can Reinstall: Capture It as MSIX
  • - Forge Capture: Live capture from any Windows machine
  • - Forge MSIX: Scripted MSIX packaging from your build pipeline

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Microsoft App-V
EtherApps Forge
100% 100%
Application Packaging
0% 0%
0% 0%
Developer Tools
100% 100%
100% 100%
Application Deployment
0% 0%
0% 0%
Virtualization Platform
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Microsoft App-V and EtherApps Forge.

What makes your product unique?

EtherApps Forge's answer:

EtherApps Forge packages Windows apps with AI doing the busywork. Through the Forge MCP server, GitHub Copilot and other AI clients drive Forge in plain English, one real tool call at a time, and nothing ships until your team approves it. For teams that cannot send data to a shared AI service, Forge AI Controller (private preview) runs in your own infrastructure with local AI models, so what it learns stays in your environment. Underneath, Forge captures apps on the machine they already run on, even when the installer is lost, from Windows XP SP3 to Windows 11 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to 2025. One capture gives signed MSIX, MSI, Intune Win32 and App Attach packages, and App-V 5 packages convert to MSIX or MSI without resequencing.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

EtherApps Forge's answer:

Most packaging tools need the original installer and a clean machine. Forge captures the app where it already runs, so the apps nobody can reinstall still get packaged. It converts App-V without resequencing, builds every format (MSIX, MSI, Intune Win32, App Attach) from one capture, and signs, validates and smoke tests each package. GitHub Copilot can drive the whole process through the Forge MCP server. Forge runs on your own machines, so packages and signing keys stay with you. In our study, MSIX at Scale (2026), Forge built an MSIX for 90.68% of 3,261 Windows application cases.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

EtherApps Forge's answer:

Application packagers, endpoint and Microsoft Intune engineers, and the teams moving apps to Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop. Managed service providers (MSPs) use Forge to run packaging as a service across many customers.

What's the story behind your product?

EtherApps Forge's answer:

Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop projects kept stalling on the same thing: old Windows apps with lost installers, App-V packages and apps nobody could reinstall. EfficientEther built Forge to clear that app blocker by capturing each app where it still runs and turning it into modern packages. As AI coding assistants arrived, Forge added the Forge MCP server so GitHub Copilot can drive packaging in plain English, and Forge AI Controller (private preview) to run the lifecycle as an agent in your own tenant.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

EtherApps Forge's answer:

Forge is a Windows application built around MSIX, Windows Installer (MSI), App-V, Intune Win32 and App Attach (VHD, VHDX, CIM) packaging. It exposes its tools through a command line (forge_msix), a PowerShell module and a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for GitHub Copilot and other AI clients. Forge AI Controller (private preview) works with Microsoft Foundry, OpenAI services or local models.

User comments

Share your experience with using Microsoft App-V and EtherApps Forge. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Microsoft App-V 3 mentions
EtherApps Forge 0 mentions
  • block office applications from injecting code into other processes rule triggering recently
    I had a quick chat with the researchers working on this ASR rule. There have not been any changes to the Office Injection ASR rule recently, but there is a known issue where if you have Application Virtualization enabled (App-V,... Source: about 4 years ago
  • The biggest thing holding virtualization back is graphics
    For App-V you might have better luck https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/application-management/app-v/appv-getting-started. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Running Sysprep after imaging
    Depending on your needs app-v could be useful, I'm not sure how it works with physical tags though. Note it does require Win10 Enterprise. Source: over 4 years ago

Tracking EtherApps Forge since Nov 2026.

Alternatives to Microsoft App-V and EtherApps Forge

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