EMCO MSI Package Builder vs fpm
EMCO MSI Package Builder
emcosoftware.comfpm
fpm.readthedocs.ioSide by side
| Figure | EMCO MSI Package Builder | fpm |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Spec score · Software Packaging Tools | 7.9 (#9) | 7.8 (#13) |
| Purpose | The product creates Windows Installer packages and repackages existing installations into MSI, MSIX, and IntuneWin formats. | fpm is a command-line tool for creating packages for existing package systems with less effort. |
| Support | EMCO says free technical support is available by email to customers and trial users. | The documentation invites users to report problems through the project issue tracker. |
Plans
EMCO MSI Package Builder
- Professional Edition — Single User$899, paid once
- Enterprise Edition — Single User$1,349, paid once
- Architect Edition — Single User$1,865, paid once
- Professional Edition — Unlimited Users$2,149, paid once
- Enterprise Edition — Unlimited Users$3,229, paid once
- Architect Edition — Unlimited Users$4,495, paid once
In their own words
EMCO MSI Package Builder
EMCO MSI Package Builder has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
fpm
fpm is a free, open-source command-line tool for creating packages for existing package systems. It accepts sources such as local directories, npm packages, CPAN modules, Python packages, Ruby gems, and existing RPM or Debian packages. Outputs include Debian, RPM, FreeBSD, macOS, Arch Linux, Alpine, Solaris, Snap, tar, zip, shell archive, and other listed formats. fpm can convert an RPM package to Debian, remove files, change metadata or dependencies, and strip pre, post, or maintainer scripts. It is written in Ruby and installed with `gem install fpm`; Ruby must be installed first, and some formats need additional system tools. Docker is documented as a way to run fpm without installing those tools locally. Building an osxpkg package requires macOS. The tool supports Linux, macOS, and self-hosted use. Documentation is described as a work in progress and not extensive. The listed release is version 1.18.0, released August 26, 2026. The license is identified as MIT-like.