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ExeTup

Advanced Installer alternative for a plain Setup.exe

What Advanced Installer is built for, what most small apps actually need, and how to get a professional Windows installer online, without a licence, a Windows machine or a project file.

Updated October 31, 2026 · 3 min read

Advanced Installer is a capable product. It builds MSI, EXE and MSIX packages from a visual editor, repackages legacy installers, handles prerequisites and updates, and integrates with signing services. Enterprises and ISVs with complex deployments get their money's worth. If you've searched for an alternative, it's probably because your app needs none of that: a wizard, a folder, shortcuts and an uninstaller, and you'd rather not pay a yearly licence or keep a Windows machine around to run the editor. This page compares the two honestly.

What Advanced Installer does well

  • A full visual editor for every part of a package: files, registry, services, custom actions, dialogs.
  • MSI and MSIX output, which matter for Group Policy and the Microsoft Store.
  • Prerequisites (runtimes, redistributables) chained into one setup.
  • An updater framework, repackaging of other installers, and trusted-signing integration.
  • A free edition with the basics, and paid editions from a few hundred dollars a year upwards.

It runs on Windows only, and projects live in its own .aip format.

When something simpler fits

ExeTup takes an app folder and a form, and builds a standard NSIS Setup.exe in the cloud. It fits when:

  • the installer should do the conventional thing: welcome, licence, folder, progress, finish;
  • you want shortcuts, an uninstaller in Windows Settings, per-machine or per-user installs, and silent mode, without configuring each;
  • you build on a Mac or Linux, or in a locked-down environment with no room for a Windows GUI tool;
  • you ship a few releases a year and prefer pay-per-build to a subscription.

It doesn't fit when you need MSI or MSIX output, chained prerequisites, custom dialogs, services, or an auto-updater. Those are Advanced Installer's territory, and WiX's for people who prefer code.

Side by side

Advanced Installer ExeTup
Output MSI, EXE, MSIX EXE (NSIS)
How you build Visual editor, Windows only Form in the browser, any OS
Pricing Free edition; paid editions yearly Free first builds, then per build
Wizard Fully customisable dialogs Standard Modern UI wizard
Scope Per machine, per user, dual Per machine or per user
Prerequisites Chained No
Updater Built in No (ship a new installer)
Silent install MSI switches / /exenoui /S
Languages Many 15
Signing Integrated Sign the downloaded file yourself

Moving a simple project over

If your Advanced Installer project is just files, shortcuts and an uninstall entry:

  1. Take the folder you add under Files and Folders; that is the zip you upload.
  2. Product name, version, publisher and licence go in the details form.
  3. Application Folder under Program Files means "all users"; a per-user folder means "current user".
  4. The Start Menu and Desktop shortcuts become checkboxes.
  5. "Launch after install" replaces a finish-dialog action.

Custom actions, prerequisites and updater settings have no equivalent; keep Advanced Installer if they are essential.

FAQ

Is ExeTup free?

The first builds are free, then it is pay per build with no subscription. The pricing section shows the current price.

Can ExeTup make an MSI?

No, it builds a Setup.exe. For MSI, Advanced Installer or WiX are the tools. See MSI vs EXE for when the format matters.

Is an NSIS installer less professional than an MSI?

No. NSIS installers ship with VLC, 7-Zip and many Electron apps. Windows users see the same wizard, the same Settings entry and the same uninstall experience.

Does it run on a Mac?

Yes, in the browser. The build happens in the cloud; see creating a Windows installer on a Mac.

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