Crinkler vs MPRESS

Crinkler is a compressing linker for producing very small 32-bit Windows executables, particularly demoscene intros in 1k, 4k, and 8k sizes. It combines linking and compression; the resulting executable decompresses into memory when run. By default, context modelling compresses code, optional text data, and general data as separate parts. Crinkler can replace the Visual Studio linker and supports its basic options, with configuration through project settings. Its data compressor is also available as a separate library for estimating compressed data size. Crinkler is free and distributed under the zlib license, which permits commercial use subject to its conditions. Version 3.0 requires Windows 10 or later and SSE4.2, including for the executables it produces, although those executables can target older Windows versions. Uncompressed input is limited to 64k per part. The manual warns that tiny-header mode can make decompression prohibitively slow for files significantly larger than 1 KB. The project directs users to GitHub Releases for downloads and links a manual for usage and version history.

MPRESS is an executable packer for compressing programs and libraries on Windows and macOS. It supports PE32, PE32+,.NET, and MAC-DARWIN executable formats, using the LZMAT compression library with optional LZMA compression. It can compress code, data, and resources, and strip relocation, debug information, exceptions, and other information. For.NET executables it supports Framework targets 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 without requiring the.NET Framework to be installed. A command-line interface can be used from batch files or make files. The README describes in-place decompression and says it has no memory overhead or other drawbacks; it also says compressed programs run without runtime performance penalties and may start faster from slow removable media or a network. MPRESS's compatibility list names Windows 9x, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, and Windows 8, along with mac-darwin-i386, mac-darwin-x86_64, mac-darwin-ub, and Mac OS 10.3 and 10.4. The listed plan costs nothing.