What InstallAware Software does

InstallAware Software is a privately held, bootstrapped independent software vendor founded in 2003 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company develops Windows installation and deployment tools, with a core product line of four perpetual-license editions (InstallAware Express, Developer, Studio, and Studio Admin) priced from $329, plus optional maintenance, floating licenses, consulting, and training. Its flagship technical differentiator is Hybrid Installation Technology, which combines a Windows Installer engine with a Native Code setup engine, enabling installations to succeed even when the Windows Installer service is corrupted and delivering substantially faster install times. Supporting capabilities include superior LZMA/BCJ2 compression, an MSIX Editor IDE (the only third-party IDE for Microsoft's MSIX format), App-V packaging, WebAware partial web deployment, and a patented transparent disk compression product (DiskZIP, U.S. Patent 10,911,065).

The company sells primarily through a direct online store with instant digital delivery, supplemented by authorized resellers, an affiliate program, and a free Visual Studio Extension that serves as a top-of-funnel acquisition channel. Its 2025 product wave materially expanded the addressable surface: InstallAware 2026 Multi-Platform (released under GNU AGPL v3 on GitHub) brings native macOS and Linux installer targets, an Application Porting Toolkit enables Windows apps to run on Linux/macOS via Wine without source changes, and InstallAware X18 introduced Solana blockchain payment processing. Named enterprise customers include Microsoft, IBM, HP, Abbott, Borland, and Crytek, and the company was recognized as a Leader of the Software Development Industry by SD Times in 2012 and 2013. The company has 11-50 employees and has not disclosed revenue or external funding.

Name

InstallAware Software

Legal name

InstallAware Software

Website

https://installaware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

InstallAware Software is a bootstrapped San Francisco-based ISV that builds Windows installer and deployment tools (MSI, MSIX, App-V), serving software developers and enterprise IT departments with four perpetual-license editions and a multi-platform product spanning Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Software Installation and Deployment Tools

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (51321)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Software Development (Programming, Frameworks, Dev Tools) (EDABAFAA)

Keywords

• Windows installer development
• MSI packaging tools
• MSIX package creation
• Software deployment solutions
• Installer compression technology

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses (Perpetual): InstallAware sells perpetual software licenses for its installer products in multiple editions (Express, Developer, Studio, Studio Admin). Paid editions start at $329. The company offers instant discounts up to 50% for upgrading from older versions or competitive products.
2. Maintenance and Support: Optional maintenance packages provide unlimited version upgrades for 1-2 years, available at time of purchase. Gold support provides priority technical support access.
3. Floating Licenses: License sharing capabilities allowing multiple developers to use InstallAware licenses across an organization.
4. Consulting Services: Certified InstallAware consulting professionals available for hire to assist with implementation and project jump-starts.
5. Training: Remote training programs delivered by global faculty with years of practical industry experience, with 5 hours for the price of 4 promotional pricing available.
6. Solana Transaction Fees: Software sales processed through the Solana blockchain incur a 1% transaction fee, providing a payment processing revenue stream for software purchases.
7. DiskZIP Product: Separate product line for disk compression and security software, available for purchase with free trial.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

InstallAware Software develops and sells a suite of Windows installer development and deployment tools, including four main IDE editions (Express, Developer, Studio, Studio Admin) that produce MSI, MSIX, APPX, App-V, and Native Code installers with hybrid installation technology. The portfolio extends to a true multi-platform installer (InstallAware 2026) targeting Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus specialized add-on products such as App-V Builder/Viewer, MSIX Editor, DiskZIP disk compression, Application Virtualization, and a Solana blockchain-based payment system. The tools are primarily used by software developers and enterprise IT departments to build, package, and deploy Windows software applications.

Product overview

InstallAware Software provides a comprehensive suite of Windows installation and deployment solutions, positioned as a Cloud Infrastructure Company focused on software installations and enterprise deployments. The core offering consists of four main Windows Installer IDE editions (Express, Developer, Studio, and Studio Admin), all supporting MSI, Native Code, MSIX, APPX, and App-V packaging formats. The portfolio extends to InstallAware 2026, a true multi-platform installer supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux with native toolchains and Apple Notarization. Specialized tools include App-V Package Builder/Viewer for Microsoft virtualization, MSIX Editor for next-generation MSIX packaging, DiskZIP for transparent disk compression, Application Virtualization for portable executables, and a Solana cryptocurrency payment system for blockchain-based software distribution. The products share hybrid installation technology with InstantInstall Acceleration for order-of-magnitude faster installations, WebAware Installation technology for partial web deployment with automatic resume, and superior LZMA/BCJ2 compression outperforming Microsoft's own distributions. InstallAware differentiates through native Visual Studio integration, Azure Trusted Signing code signing, 35-language localization, and multi-platform deployment from a single source.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• InstallAware Express: Entry-level installer solution for building sophisticated installations without programming or scripting skills.
• InstallAware Developer
• InstallAware Studio
• InstallAware Studio Admin
• InstallAware Multi Platform
• InstallAware MSIX Editor
• InstallAware DiskZIP
• InstallAware Virtualization
• App-V Builder
• App-V Viewer

Products and services

• InstallAware Express Entry-level installer solution for building sophisticated Windows installations without programming or scripting skills. Includes wizards, templates, pre-built themes, and one-click technology preinstalls for runtimes like .NET and SQL Server. Targeted at software developers and IT professionals who need to create Windows installers quickly without coding.
• InstallAware Developer Powerful Windows Installer solution with MSIcode scripting for rapid setup development. Offers hybrid installation technology, MSIX Builder, App-V Builder, automated virtual machine testing, and advanced customization without requiring computer science degrees. Targeted at professional software developers and development teams.
• InstallAware Studio Advanced Windows Installer IDE providing the latest features and technology support including Dialog Designer with Mica/Acrylic/Glass support, visual debugging, conditional compilation, build events, and integrated product configuration management. Targeted at advanced developers and development teams requiring full-featured installer authoring.
• InstallAware Studio Admin Premier Windows Installer solution providing industry-fastest setup capture using direct driverless technology, InstallTailor MST Transform Creator for customizing MSI packages, and full automation interface to programmatically emit projects. Targeted at enterprise IT departments and repackaging specialists.
• InstallAware 2026 (Multi-Platform) Multi-platform setup builder for Windows, macOS, and Linux deployments. Native toolchains include CodeGen IDE, Dialog Designer, Integrated Debugger, and Build Automation. Supports Apple Notarization, GTK2/Qt5 Linux builds, and includes Wine application runtime for cross-platform compatibility. Targeted at developers needing true cross-platform installer authoring from a single source.
• App-V Package Builder Instantly compiles any InstallAware setup project as a Microsoft App-V Application Virtualization Package. Creates hybrid 32-bit and 64-bit App-V packages in a single binary and generates MSI files for Active Directory deployment. Targeted at enterprise IT departments and developers needing application virtualization.
• App-V Package Viewer Inspect the contents of any Microsoft App-V Virtualized package including files, registry keys, application entry points, virtual services, and environment variables. Supports packages built with any authoring tool. Targeted at IT administrators and developers working with App-V virtualized applications.
• InstallAware MSIX Editor First and only third-party full-featured IDE for Microsoft's MSIX package format. Instantly loads any existing MSIX package, browses contents, edits files/registry, and saves as MSIX or MSIX Modification Package without requiring original source code. Targeted at software developers and IT professionals working with modern Windows packaging.
• InstallAware DiskZIP Patented transparent disk compression technology (U.S. 10,911,065) that secures data against malware, frees up disk space, and maintains unaffected disk write speeds. Works on x86, AMD64, and ARM64 devices across modern Windows versions. Targeted at individual users and enterprises needing disk compression and security.
• InstallAware Application Virtualization (PackageAware) Converts full-fledged applications into single self-sustaining executable files that run without installation or pre-extraction. Eliminates administrator rights requirements and deployment conflicts, enabling truly portable applications on USB drives. Targeted at software developers and IT professionals needing portable application deployment.
• InstallAware Solana Payment System Cryptocurrency payment integration enabling software sales via Solana blockchain. Features 1% transaction fee, 3-second processing time, live currency exchange, unlimited reactivations, and blockchain transaction recording. Targeted at software vendors and end-user customers wishing to purchase software using cryptocurrency.
• InstallAware Application Porting Toolkit Enables Windows applications to run on GNU/Linux and macOS devices without source code changes. The toolkit utilizes Setup Virtualization technology and Wine application runtime to facilitate seamless app migration across platforms. Targeted at software developers and enterprises needing to port Windows applications to Linux and macOS.

Quantifiable outcome

• Installs 50% faster than InstallShield and 17% faster than WiX
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationInstallAware integrates deeply with Microsoft ecosystems including Visual Studio (extensions for VS 2003-2026), Azure Trusted Signing, Azure DevOps/Team Foundation Server, Windows Installer technology, MSIX/MSIX packaging, App-V virtualization, Windows 11 Mica Material/Dark Mode, and .NET Framework support.
• ApplecoreTechnology or IntegrationInstallAware 2026 builds native macOS installers with Apple Silicon (Apple GPT/ARM64) support, Apple Notarization compliance, and GTK2/Qt5 GUI toolkits for macOS deployment.
• SolanacoreTechnology or IntegrationInstallAware X18 integrates Solana blockchain for cryptocurrency payment processing, enabling software purchases via Solana wallets with 3-second transaction processing and blockchain transaction recording.
• Wine ProjectcoreTechnology or IntegrationInstallAware 2026 includes Wine application runtime for Linux and macOS, enabling Windows applications to run on non-Windows platforms through Wine compatibility layer.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Chocolatey:
• Squirrel.Windows (Squirrel Electron): Squirrel is an open-source installation and update framework primarily used for Windows desktop apps built on Electron. It targets a narrower segment (modern cross-platform desktop apps) but represents an emerging alternative to traditional MSI-based installers in the developer community InstallAware serves.

Direct peers

• NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System): NSIS is a widely-used open-source Windows installer system with scriptable setup creation. InstallAware explicitly lists NSIS among the legacy tools supported in its migration converters, making it a directly comparable peer for Windows-focused installation/deployment use cases.
• Inno Setup: Inno Setup is a long-standing free Windows installer authored in Pascal scripting. It is one of the legacy installer formats InstallAware explicitly supports migrating from via its project converters and is a directly comparable free/lightweight alternative for Windows setup authoring.
• InstallShield (Flexera): InstallShield is the legacy market leader in Windows installer authoring, now owned by Flexera. It is the primary competitor InstallAware benchmarks itself against (50% faster, 174% smaller packages) and is the most directly comparable product in MSI/setup authoring for enterprise software developers.
• SetupBuilder (Lindgren Productions): SetupBuilder is a commercial Windows installer development tool with scripting capabilities and cross-platform support. It targets the same developer and enterprise IT personas as InstallAware with comparable MSI/Installer authoring features.
• WiX Toolset (Microsoft): WiX is Microsoft's open-source toolkit for building Windows Installer packages. It is the second named competitor in InstallAware's benchmarks (17% faster, 224% smaller) and is the most relevant free, developer-direct alternative for MSI/Windows Installer authoring.
• Advanced Installer (Caphyon): Advanced Installer is a commercial Windows Installer authoring tool with a freemium model, GUI-based packaging, and enterprise deployment features. It competes head-to-head with InstallAware in the same Express/Developer/Studio-style tiered edition structure targeting software developers and IT departments.

Broad incumbents

• Flexera (parent of InstallShield, InstallAnywhere): Flexera is a larger software asset management and installation vendor offering InstallShield, InstallAnywhere, and broader IT asset/compliance products. It overlaps with InstallAware's enterprise installer/repackaging use cases as part of a much wider product portfolio rather than specializing in the installer-only niche.
• Microsoft (MSIX / App-V SDK and Visual Studio Installer projects): Microsoft provides the MSIX Packaging SDK, App-V tooling, and Visual Studio Installer project support as part of the broader Windows developer platform. As the owner of the underlying packaging formats and a broader enterprise developer portfolio, Microsoft is both a deep integration partner and a broad incumbent competitor to InstallAware's commercial packaging layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/installaware
• Facebookfacebook.com/installaware
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/installaware-software

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about InstallAware Software