Compared InstallAware and Wise/Symantec Products Side-By-Side
InstallAware is no longer considering Wise products as a major competition and you will have hard time finding any charts showing information about the differences. I have managed to recover some old charts, but they are mostly applicable today and you might find it useful.
Note. InnoSetup features are specified based on some experience I have had with it and might not be complete. Please let me know if something should be corrected.
| Design Features | InstallAware (MSI) |
InstallShield (MSI) |
Wise 7 Studio (MSI) |
Wise 9 Pro (non-MSI) |
InnoSetup (non-MSI) |
| Stand Alone IDE |  | | | | |
| Visual Wizards | | | | | |
| Setup Capture | | — | — | | — |
| Automatic Logo Compliancy | | | | — | — |
| Automatic Vista Certification Compliancy | | — | | — | — |
| Dynamic File Linking | | | | | |
| Dynamic Features | | — | — | — | — |
| Scripting | | | | | |
| Two-Way Integrated Editing (Visual/Code) | | — | — | | — |
| One-Click Patching | | — | — | — | — |
| Debugger | | | | | — |
| Service Support | | | | | |
| Database Support | | | | | — |
| Compiler Directives | | | — | | — |
| Manual ICE Validation | | | | — | — |
| Automation Interface | | | | — | — |
| Web Applications | | | | — | — |
| Unlimited Web Updates | | — | | | — |
| Update Client Source Code | | — | — | — | — |
| Technology Support | InstallAware (MSI) |
InstallShield (MSI) |
Wise 7 Studio (MSI) |
Wise 9 Pro (non-MSI) |
InnoSetup (non-MSI) |
| Compression | LZMA/BCJ2 |
— |
CAB |
ZIP |
LZMA/BZIP2 |
| Muli-Core Compression | | — | — | — | — |
| 256 bit AES Encryption | | — | — | — | — |
| Windows Installer | | | | — | — |
| Merge Modules | | | | — | — |
| Web Media Blocks | | — | | | — |
| Interactive Flash Billboards | | — | — | — | — |
| Interactive HTML Billboards | | — | — | — | — |
| Maintenance/Repair Installation | | | | — | — |
| Scriptable Uninstallation | | | — | — | — |
| DIFx 2.01 Support | | | — | — | — |
| Genuine Scripting for Windows Installer | | — | — | — | — |
| Hybrid 32 bit/64 bit Single File Installer | | — | | — | |
| System Tray Minimizable Wizards | | — | — | | |
| Virtual Machine Detection | | — | | — | — |
| Extensibility | InstallAware (MSI) |
InstallShield (MSI) |
Wise 7 Studio (MSI) |
Wise 9 Pro (non-MSI) |
InnoSetup (non-MSI) |
| EXE | | | | | |
| Plug-Ins | | | — | — | |
| Call Any DLL Function | | | | | |
| Unified Scripting (Install/Maintain/Uninstall) | | — | — | — | — |
| International Support | InstallAware (MSI) |
InstallShield (MSI) |
Wise 7 Studio (MSI) |
Wise 9 Pro (non-MSI) |
InnoSetup (non-MSI) |
| Supported Languages | 34 | 33 | 20 | 5 | 20 |
| Languages Included in Base Package | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 20 |
| Edit Languages | | | | | — |
| Redistributable Translation Environment | | — | — | — | — |
| Runtime Dialogs | InstallAware (MSI) |
InstallShield (MSI) |
Wise 7 Studio (MSI) |
Wise 9 Pro (non-MSI) |
InnoSetup (non-MSI) |
| Pre-built Setup Themes | 15 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Pre-built Runtime Dialogs | 265 | 66 | 56 | 9 | — |
| Dialog Editor | | | | | — |
| Create New Setup Themes | | — | | — | — |
| Available Dialog Controls | 38 | 23 | ?? | 12 | — |
| Automatic Variable Passing to/from Script | | — | | | — |
| Alpha Blending and Transparency | | — | — | — | — |
| Vista Glass | | — | — | — | — |
| Build and Distribution Media | InstallAware (MSI) |
InstallShield (MSI) |
Wise 7 Studio (MSI) |
Wise 9 Pro (non-MSI) |
InnoSetup (non-MSI) |
| CD-ROM/DVD Optical Media | | | | | |
| Self-Extracting EXE | | | | | |
| Light Mode Setups (no setup runtime) | | — | — | — | — |
| Differential Binary Patching | | | | | — |
| Partial Web Deployment with Web Media Blocks (WebAware Installation) | | — | | — | — |
| Custom Icons in Setup Executables | | — | — | | |
| Release Management (multiple builds) | | | | — | — |
| Command Line Build Tools | | | | | |
| Authenticode Code Signing | | | | | — |
| Redistributable Build Interface | | — | — | — | — |
| Web Based Automation Interface | | | | — | — |
| Target Platforms | InstallAware (MSI) |
InstallShield (MSI) |
Wise 7 Studio (MSI) |
Wise 9 Pro (non-MSI) |
InnoSetup (non-MSI) |
| Windows 95/98/Me/NT4/2000/XP/2003/Vista | | | | | |
| .NET Framework | | | | — | — |
| Internet Information Services | | | | — | — |
| Microsoft SQL Server | | | | — | — |
| MySQL | | | — | — | — |
| Oracle, Oracle Net | | | — | — | — |
| Pre-install MSI runtime | | | | — | — |
| Pre-install .NET Framework | | | | — | — |
| Pre-install .NET Framework 1.1 with SP 1 | | — | — | — | — |
| Pre-install .NET Framework 2.0 | | | — | — | — |
| Pre-install .NET Framework 3.0 | | | — | — | — |
| Pre-install .NET Framework 3.5 | | — | — | — | — |
| Pre-install Internet Explorer 6 | | | — | — | — |
| Pre-install Internet Explorer 7 | | — | — | — | — |
| Pre-install Java Virtual Machine | | | — | — | — |
| Pre-install Microsoft SQL Server Express with Service Pack 2 | | — | — | — | — |
| Pricing | InstallAware (MSI) |
InstallShield (MSI) |
Wise 7 Studio (MSI) |
Wise 9 Pro (non-MSI) |
InnoSetup (non-MSI) |
| List price base product (US Dollars) | $1199 |
Included in WIS |
Free |
