Crinkler vs TinyLoad
Crinkler
github.comTinyLoad
iamsopotatoe-coder.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Crinkler | TinyLoad |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Executable Packers | 8.3 (#3) | 6.8 (#22) |
| Build requirements | Building requires Visual Studio 2022 or later, and nasm.exe on the executable path for custom assembly build rules. | The maker says to build from source with MinGW g++ or the included build.bat file, and describes the project as a single C++ source file with no external dependencies. |
| Downloads | The README directs users to the GitHub Releases page to download the latest version. | The maker links to GitHub Releases for precompiled binaries and also offers source code in the repository. |
| How it works | Crinkler combines linking and compression, producing an executable that decompresses into memory when run. | It appends a payload to a copy of itself, then extracts, decrypts, and executes the payload in memory without writing the original to disk. |
| License | Crinkler is distributed under the Zlib license. | TinyLoad is licensed under MIT. |
| Purpose | Crinkler is a compressing linker for Windows executables that are only a few kilobytes in size, mainly for small demoscene productions. | TinyLoad v7.4 is a PE packer for Windows. |
| Support | The README directs users to the Pouët.net forum for general discussion, questions and comments. | The maker invites users to open an issue if TinyLoad breaks on their file and to submit suggestions or feature ideas through issues. |
Plans
In their own words
Crinkler
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.
TinyLoad
TinyLoad has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.