Application
The classic flow: Setup EXE, Portable, B4J Portable, MSI and Bundle from the same FSS where compatible.
Build normal Windows applications — and specialized Office Add-in or QGIS Plugin installers — from the same deployment workspace.
InstallerLab v3 extends the visual + FSS model beyond generic desktop applications. Define the project once, let InstallerLab identify its ProjectType, validate it, and expose only the build targets that make sense.
ApplicationOffice Add-inQGIS PluginSetup EXEMSIBundlePortableCLISBOM
Three project types, project-aware outputs
Office Add-in
Specialized VBA add-ins for Excel, Word and PowerPoint. MSI is the installation authority; Bundle wraps the same MSI.
QGIS Plugin
Folder/ZIP Python plugins with stable PluginId, user profile resolution and specialized MSI/Bundle lifecycle.
Smart Build Targets
The Ribbon, menu and handlers use the project type to disable invalid formats instead of letting the user discover incompatibility after build starts.
CLI + SBOM + signing
Analyze/build/SBOM workflows can run headlessly; CycloneDX/SPDX and Authenticode signing are integrated into the artifact workflow.
FSS Analyzer + ISS import
Validate projects before packaging and migrate supported Inno Setup sections into the editable InstallerLab model.
Build-target matrix
| Project type | EXE | Portable | B4J Portable | MSI | Bundle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Office Add-in | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| QGIS Plugin | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
FSS is durable; staging is disposable
The permanent project remains a small text file suitable for backup and version control. ZERO-TRASH build staging keeps generated MSI/Bundle/Portable work under controlled temporary locations and cleans it when the build finishes.
Visual for speed
Use panels and specialized importers for project metadata, files, shortcuts, registry, Office add-ins, QGIS plugins and release options.
Text + CLI for control
Open the FSS directly, version it, analyze it, or drive supported build operations from InstallerLab --cli.
Choose the output for the actual project
| Need | InstallerLab v3 path |
|---|---|
| Normal end-user Application installation | Setup EXE |
| Windows Installer / managed deployment | MSI |
| Prerequisites + main MSI in one executable | WiX Burn Bundle |
| No traditional installation for a compatible Application | Portable |
| Office VBA add-in | MSI or Bundle |
| QGIS Python plugin | MSI or Bundle |
InstallerLab v3 FAQ
Can InstallerLab build EXE, MSI and Bundle from the same Application project?
Yes. The FSS remains the project definition while each backend handles its own output.
What happens with an Office or QGIS FSS?
InstallerLab recognizes the specialized project type and disables irrelevant EXE/Portable targets, leaving MSI and Bundle.
Can builds be automated?
v3 includes a headless CLI for analyze, build and SBOM workflows.
Where is the product comparison?
The comparison now has its own dedicated page rather than an anchor buried inside Documentation.
InstallerLab v3.0.0 is available now.
Download the official Setup EXE, Bundle EXE, Portable EXE or MSI and use the same v3 workspace for your deployment projects.