BitRock
BitRock (operating as InstallBuilder under Backstaff Software S.L.) develops a cross-platform installer creation tool that generates native, non-Java installers for Windows, Linux, macOS, and Unix variants from one XML project file, serving software developers, ISVs, and enterprise IT organizations worldwide via perpetual per-developer licenses sold direct online.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What BitRock does
BitRock, now operating as InstallBuilder under Backstaff Software S.L., develops and sells a cross-platform installer creation tool used by software developers, ISVs, and enterprise IT organizations. The product generates native, non-Java-based installers for Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, AIX, and HP-UX from a single XML project file, with capabilities including a built-in interactive debugger, auto-update functionality, LZMA/LZHAM compression, multiple installation modes (GUI, text, silent), native desktop integration via Qt and GTK, DMG creation, and Java autodetection with Liberica bundle support. The company is privately held with primary legal incorporation as Backstaff Software S.L. in Sevilla, Spain and a US office in San Francisco, California; it was acquired from VMware in December 2022 by the original BitRock team.
The business sells perpetual per-developer licenses priced between $995 (single-platform) and $2,995 (Enterprise), with site licenses up to $9,995, floating licenses by quote, and annual support/maintenance renewals at 50% of the then-current license price. Distribution is primarily direct via the installbuilder.com e-commerce storefront (processed through FastSpring), supplemented by quote-based enterprise sales, free open-source licenses for qualifying projects, and academic and small-business discount programs. Marketing relies on developer-focused content (blog, documentation portal), conference presence, and customer testimonials.
The customer base spans thousands of accounts globally, including large enterprise names such as Intel, Cisco, GE, Atlassian, NVIDIA, Splunk, Chevron, McAfee, MySQL, as well as government and education users including the U.S. Air Force, Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, and Harvard Medical School. The product is also used by open-source projects such as Alfresco, EnterpriseDB, Pentaho, SugarCRM, and Openbravo. Annual product releases continue (latest: 24.11.1 in December 2024), focused on platform support updates, notarization tooling, and bug fixes; there are no disclosed venture funding rounds, no quantified revenue, and only an 11-50 employee headcount, indicating a small, bootstrapped, profitable-niche operator.
BitRock firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BitRock
- Legal name
- Backstaff Software S.L.
- Website
- https://installbuilder.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BitRock (operating as InstallBuilder under Backstaff Software S.L.) develops a cross-platform installer creation tool that generates native, non-Java installers for Windows, Linux, macOS, and Unix variants from one XML project file, serving software developers, ISVs, and enterprise IT organizations worldwide via perpetual per-developer licenses sold direct online.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BitRock industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cross-Platform Installer Development Tools
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Release Engineering & Environment Management (BPAEAKAH)
Keywords
Where BitRock is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
BitRock business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Perpetual Software Licenses: InstallBuilder is sold as perpetual licenses on a per-named developer basis. Licenses include 1 year of support and access to all new releases for 12 months. Platform-specific editions (Enterprise, Professional, Linux, Windows, Mac OS X) are priced from $995 to $2,995.
- Support and Maintenance Renewals: Support and update access may be renewed yearly for 50% of the then-current license price within the renewal period. Provides ongoing access to new releases and technical support.
- Site Licenses: Site licenses for up to 5 developers at a single location are available at premium pricing, offering cost savings for teams.
- Special License Programs: Special licenses available for academic institutions, open source projects (often free), and small businesses with fewer than 5 employees at discounted rates.
- Floating Licenses: Floating licenses available for customers with large developer bases that require simultaneous usage across the organization, typically quote-based pricing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | InstallBuilder Enterprise - Full cross-platform support |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | InstallBuilder Professional - Core platforms |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | InstallBuilder for Linux - Single platform |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | InstallBuilder for Windows - Single platform |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | InstallBuilder for Mac OS X - Single platform |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Enterprise Site License - Up to 5 developers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Professional Site License - Up to 5 developers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | InstallBuilder for Qt - Qt-themed installers |
| Other | Annual | Small Business / Academic Discounts |
| Freemium | Annual | Open Source Project Licenses |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
BitRock product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BitRock develops and sells InstallBuilder, a cross-platform installer creation tool that generates native installers for Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, AIX, and HP-UX from a single XML-based project file. The tool supports multiple installation modes (GUI, text, silent/unattended), automatic update delivery, DMG creation, and Java application packaging, and is sold via perpetual per-developer licenses with optional annual support renewals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- InstallBuilder Cross-platform installer creation tool that generates native installers for Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, AIX, and HP-UX from a single XML project file. Targeted at software developers, ISVs, and enterprise IT organizations needing consistent installation experiences across multiple operating systems.
- InstallBuilder for Qt Qt-themed edition of InstallBuilder that produces installers with native KDE look-and-feel for Qt application developers. Sold as Professional, site, and platform-specific licenses.
- Liberica OpenJDK Bundles Bundled Java runtimes (Liberica) used with InstallBuilder's Java autodetection actions to create fully contained installers for Java applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Build/test capital needs reduced by 75% (Splunk case study)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use BitRock
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BitRock technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
BitRock partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, former, historical and minor.
- Backstaff SoftwarecoreBackstaff Software S.L. acquired InstallBuilder from VMware in December 2022. Backstaff took on ongoing development and maintenance, continuing to provide technical support to existing and future customers. Existing licenses remain valid.
- VMwareformerVMware previously owned InstallBuilder after acquiring it. In December 2022, VMware sold InstallBuilder back to Backstaff Software, the original BitRock team.
- BitNamihistoricalBitNami was launched as a spin-off from BitRock in 2008, providing easy-to-install open source application stacks. BitRock Web Stacks were made available on BitNami.org. Both companies shared roots but operated independently.
- FastSpringcoreFastSpring provides the secure online store and payment processing for InstallBuilder license purchases. All online transactions are processed through FastSpring's platform.
- FiveRunsminorPartnership with FiveRuns to design, promote and distribute the RubyStack product. FiveRuns distributed RubyStack under the name RM-Install on their website.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
BitRock competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- InstallAnywhere (Revenera): Closest direct competitor to InstallBuilder — Revenera (the new brand for Flexera's software monetization and installation business) sells InstallAnywhere, a multi-platform installer generation tool. InstallBuilder's own website has a dedicated comparison page highlighting ease-of-use and no-Java advantages over InstallAnywhere.
- InstallShield (Flexera): Long-standing market leader in commercial Windows and cross-platform installer authoring, owned by Flexera. Targets enterprise ISVs shipping complex installations — same buyer and use case as InstallBuilder, but typically at higher price points and with deeper Windows/MSI heritage.
- Advanced Installer (Caphyon): Commercial Windows installer authoring tool from Caphyon covering MSI, App-V, MSIX, and some cross-platform scenarios. Competes head-to-head with InstallBuilder for developer-facing, perpetual-license installer tools, particularly for Windows-heavy and mixed-platform deployments.
Emerging players
- WiX Toolset: Open source toolkit for authoring Windows installers (MSI/MSIX) maintained by Microsoft volunteers. Frequently chosen as a free alternative to commercial products like InstallBuilder and InstallShield, particularly by .NET developers — directly competes in the same developer-tool workflow.
- Inno Setup: Free, open source Windows installer creator that has been the default choice for many independent developers and small ISVs for decades. Competes with InstallBuilder's Windows edition and is a common reason small developers don't pay for commercial tools.
- NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System): Open source, scriptable Windows installer system originally by Nullsoft (Winamp). It is a long-standing, free alternative used by countless open source projects — including many of the same ones that BitRock packages — directly pressuring the value of paid installer tools.
- electron-builder: Modern packaging/distribution tool for Electron applications that produces installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux from a single project. Represents the modern, OSS-native generation of cross-platform installation tooling targeting the same developer audience as InstallBuilder.
- Pkg (Vercel): Open source tool from Vercel that packages Node.js applications into executable installers across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Targets modern web/Native framework developers — an emerging alternative that overlaps with InstallBuilder's "single source, multi-platform" value proposition for a younger generation of developers.
Others
- Bitnami (now part of VMware Tanzu Application Catalog): Originally spun out of BitRock in 2008, Bitnami pioneered click-to-install open source application stacks and was later acquired by VMware. Historically shared technology roots and customer base with InstallBuilder and is the most natural thematic / spinoff-related adjacent player.
- Docker: Container-based packaging platform that represents the architectural alternative to traditional installers for server-side and cloud-native applications. Where InstallBuilder is a release/packaging tool of choice for traditional ISVs, Docker increasingly competes for the share-of-wallet of teams choosing their deployment paradigm.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BitRock financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BitRock leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
BitRock funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BitRock M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BitRock
What does BitRock do?
BitRock develops and sells InstallBuilder, a cross-platform installer creation tool that generates native installers for Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, AIX, and HP-UX from a single XML-based project file. The tool supports multiple installation modes (GUI, text, silent/unattended), automatic update delivery, DMG creation, and Java application packaging, and is sold via perpetual per-developer licenses with optional annual support renewals.
Is BitRock a public or private company?
BitRock is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BitRock founded?
BitRock was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BitRock based?
BitRock is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does BitRock make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Perpetual Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are support and Maintenance Renewals, site Licenses, special License Programs and floating Licenses.
Who are BitRock's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are InstallAnywhere (Revenera), InstallShield (Flexera) and Advanced Installer (Caphyon). Emerging players are WiX Toolset, Inno Setup, NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System), electron-builder and Pkg (Vercel). Others are Bitnami (now part of VMware Tanzu Application Catalog) and Docker.
Does BitRock have an API?
No public API is recorded for BitRock.
What industry is BitRock in?
BitRock's product category is Cross-Platform Installer Development Tools. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAKAH, Release Engineering & Environment Management. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7371.