Electron Forge vs Inno Setup

Electron Forge8.7Visit Inno Setup8.5Visit

Higher score Electron Forge #5 in Software Packaging Tools 8.7/10 Open source ✓ 3 of 5 features Visit Electron Forge

vs

Inno Setup #7 in Software Packaging Tools 8.5/10 Open source ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Inno Setup

• Electron Forge fits best

  Electron teams needing packaging and publishing

• Inno Setup fits best

  Mature free Windows EXE installers

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Side by side

Feature	Electron Forge 8.7/10 Visit ↗	Inno Setup 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.5
Ranking	#5 in Software Packaging Tools	#7 in Software Packaging Tools
Best for	Electron teams needing packaging and publishing	Mature free Windows EXE installers
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Open source	Free
Free plan	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Support	Docs, Community	Community
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Electron Forge 3/5 · Inno Setup 4/5
Command-line packaging	✓	✓
Silent installation	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Auto-update support	✓	✓
Delta updates	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
CI/CD integration	✓	✓
Specs
Target platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Output formats	Squirrel.Windows, ZIP, DEB, RPM, DMG, AppX, Flatpak	EXE installer
Our review
Pros	Packages Windows, macOS, and Linux applications Supports signing, macOS notarization, publishing, and updates Open-source CLI with makers, hooks, plugins, and CI integrations	Builds single-EXE installers for Windows x64 and Arm64 applications Combines IDE, command-line builds, scripting and silent installation modes Supports compression, signing, encryption, multilingual installs and uninstallers
Cons	Centered on Electron rather than general desktop packaging Automatic updates require application-level configuration macOS automatic updates require a signed application	Focused on Windows rather than cross-platform packaging Advanced customization depends on Pascal scripting and preprocessor knowledge Commercial plans separate licensing and update terms by organization type
Our verdict	Electron Forge is an open-source development tool for creating, packaging, signing, publishing, and updating Electron applications. It is designed for developers and teams distributing desktop software across Windows, macOS, and Linux.… Read the review →	Inno Setup is an open-source Windows installation builder for developers and organizations distributing applications to end users. It creates EXE installers for 32-bit, 64-bit and Arm64 applications, with administrative and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Electron Forge — where it wins

  • Packages Windows, macOS, and Linux applications
  • Supports signing, macOS notarization, publishing, and updates
  • Open-source CLI with makers, hooks, plugins, and CI integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Centered on Electron rather than general desktop packaging
  • Automatic updates require application-level configuration
  • macOS automatic updates require a signed application

• Inno Setup — where it wins

  • Builds single-EXE installers for Windows x64 and Arm64 applications
  • Combines IDE, command-line builds, scripting and silent installation modes
  • Supports compression, signing, encryption, multilingual installs and uninstallers

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on Windows rather than cross-platform packaging
  • Advanced customization depends on Pascal scripting and preprocessor knowledge
  • Commercial plans separate licensing and update terms by organization type

• Electron Forge8.7/10 · Open source

  A capable Electron-focused pipeline for building, signing, publishing, and updating desktop apps.

  Visit Electron ForgeFull verdict →
• Inno Setup8.5/10 · Open source

  A mature choice for scripted, compressed and silent Windows EXE installers.

  Visit Inno SetupFull verdict →