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Package Builder

Build macOS installer packages easily.

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Version 1 — $25 — Requires macOS 13 or Later

Your time is worth more than DIY.

Build macOS installer packages in minutes.

Apple has left macOS installer package building to the realm of command line wizards, with little and unclear documentation, making it take hours to even understand how to build an installer correctly. — Package Builder makes it super easy to build installer packages by simplifying the process: Simply drag and drop your files, set a few settings, and click "Build". Done. Headache-free.

The internet is full of posts from people trying to create a macOS installer package correctly, which is a testament to how confusing and time consuming it can be. Your time is worth more. — Package Builder makes it super easy to build installer packages by simplifying the process: Simply drag and drop your files, set a few settings, and click "Build". Done.

Flow
Build Mac .pkg file

Create an Installer Package:

  1. Set your installer's name.
  2. Drag and drop the files you want installed.
  3. Specify where they should be installed into.
  4. Click Build. That's it!

For more customization, you can:

  • Change the background image
  • Add localized text to guide the user.
  • Set requirements for OS version, architecture, disk space
  • Add pre- or post-install scripts for advanced uses.

Create Mac Installers For…

…Applications, Fonts, Screensavers, Automator workflows, Shortcuts, Extensions, Device Component Plugins, Sounds, Preference Panes, Input Managers, Color Pickers, Desktop Pictures, and anything else.

Mac .pkg file install
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Background Image

Set a background image. Package Builder helps you attain the "typical look" that users expect.

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Localized Text

The install application supports an Introduction and Read Me before the installation, and a Summary after the installation.

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License Agreements

By adding a license agreement (localized in multiple languages), you can require the user agree before installing continues.

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Install Scripts

Run custom Pre- and Post-Install shell scripts that you write, to perform any advanced use cases like handling existing files or restarting running services.

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Install Requirements

Make sure your user recognizes their system supports or doesn't support your product by requiring macOS versions, architectures (Intel or Apple Silicon), or free space.

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Detailed Build Log

Package Builder's build log shows you everything it's doing so when there's a problem, you know exactly where in the process it encountered a problem and why.

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Multiple Choices

Need to offer multiple install choices? No problem. Add multiple packages to your installer containing different files, where each package becomes its own "choice" the user can choose to install.

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Code Signing

Ensure your users (and macOS itself) know that the installer is safe and unmodified with secure code signing.

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Notarization

Have Package Builder go the extra step, by having Apple notarize your installer, checking it for any malware.

Localized license agreements
  • Set a background Image
  • Set Introduction, Read Me, and Summary localized text in Plain Text, RTF, and HTML
  • Add License Agreements
  • Run Pre- and Post-Install Scripts
  • OS Version Requirements
  • Device Hardware and Storage Space Requirements
  • Code Signing
  • Notarization
  • Full Detailed Build Log
  • Add Multiple Packages for Multiple "Choices"

DMG Canvas Integration

One click: PKG in DMG, Code Signed and Notarized.

Just like Apple does, when shipping your .pkg file, you may want to place it in a disk image .dmg with a beautiful background and perhaps a license agreement as well. Package Builder integrates with DMG Canvas which is the perfect tool for building your disk image. With this integration, building your disk image in DMG Canvas will now automatically build your installer in Package Builder, and place the .pkg file into your disk image, code signed, notarized, and ready to go.

Check Out DMG Canvas
DMG Canvas integration to build Mac .pkg installer file

Work Like a Pro

Package Builder's significance is in not requiring the command line to build an installer package, but of course you can absolutely automate it as part of your own build process using the pkgbuilder command-line tool, it's a trivial single call that Just Works.

By using the pkgbuilder tool, you can integrate building your pkg files into your normal build workflow, such as building an application in Xcode. Using the pkgbuilder tool is as simple as passing it the '.pkgbuilder' and the path to save your '.pkg' file to. That's it.

pkgbuilder command line tool