Side by side

appimagetool vs Electron Forge

Both stand on software packaging tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

appimagetool

Free plan Linux

appimagetool provides command-line control over AppImage packaging, signing, and update information. It is best considered when a low-level tool fits the workflow and an AppDir is ready.

Visit appimagetool

Choose Electron Forge if you are building an Electron app and want templates and a pipeline for packaging and publishing across desktop platforms. Check the packaging requirements if your dependencies use symlinks or Yarn Plug'n'Play, and plan to sign a macOS app to use auto updates.

Visit Electron Forge

The facts

	appimagetool	Electron Forge
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux	Linux, Mac, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	electronforge.io
On software packaging tools	#7 of 29	#3 of 29

appimagetool: what it does well

Creates AppImages from existing AppDirs.
Supports GPG signing options.
Can generate zsync files with update information and zsyncmake.
Build instructions cover four architectures.
Update information can be guessed from CI environment variables.

What to know first

An AppDir is required as input.
ARCH must be set when the tool cannot identify the binaries’ architecture.
The project recommends higher-level tools for most users.

Electron Forge: what it does well

Open-source and listed as free.
Provides templates for Webpack, Vite and TypeScript combinations.
Generates distributables for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Plugins, Makers and Publishers provide extension points for custom workflows.
Documents publishing to GitHub Releases and GitHub Enterprise.

What to know first

Getting started requires Node.js 16.4.0 or later, Git and a JavaScript package manager.
Packaging requires node_modules on disk.
Module resolution does not account for symlinked dependencies or Yarn Plug'n'Play.
macOS auto updates require a signed application.

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