The short answer. create-dmg is the script that produces a good-looking disk image: a background, an icon layout, a symlink to Applications, and a build step you can run in CI. DMG Maker is the same job with a GUI and CLI support. Rilmazafone is the WYSIWYG version — you draw the installer window and it builds exactly that, with no script. Suspicious Package is the other direction: it inspects an installer before anyone runs it, which is the tool you want when the package came from someone else. The dividing question is whether you are shipping a build or checking one, because the same file format is a deliverable in one case and an untrusted input in the other.

This guide covers 4 macos installer builders for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment.

Quick comparison

App What it is Pricing Licence Version
create-dmg developer utility Open source MIT 8.1.0
DMG Maker developer utility Open source not published 1.0.3
Rilmazafone developer tool Open source MIT 1.1
Suspicious Package security tool Free not published 4.8

What actually decides this

  • Build or inspect. A builder produces a DMG or a package. An inspector reads one. They share a file format and nothing else, and a team usually needs the second before it trusts the first.
  • Whether it is scriptable. An installer that is built by hand cannot be rebuilt by CI. A command-line path with a configuration file is the difference between a release process and a ritual.
  • What the window looks like. Background image, icon positions, window size and the Applications symlink are the parts a user sees. A tool that controls them produces an installer that looks like software rather than an archive.
  • Whether the result is signed and notarised. A DMG is not automatically trusted. Signing and notarisation are separate steps, and a builder that fits into a signing pipeline is worth more than one with a nicer background.
  • What it does about the first launch. Gatekeeper, quarantine and the “unidentified developer” dialog are the failure modes after the download. The installer cannot fix them; the build pipeline has to, and the tool has to leave room for it.
  • Whether the build is reproducible on another machine. An installer assembled by hand from a folder is a one-off. One produced by a script from a versioned configuration can be rebuilt after a laptop dies, which is the property that matters when the release is late.

Our picks

  • create-dmg — Its record describes creating a good-looking DMG in seconds, which is the scriptable case. Choose it when the build runs in CI and the DMG has to be reproducible.
  • DMG Maker — Its record describes DMG creation with polished visuals and CLI support, which is the hybrid case. Choose it when you want a GUI with a CLI path.
  • Rilmazafone — Its record describes designing DMG installers on a WYSIWYG canvas with no scripts, which is the visual case. Choose it when you want to draw the installer window and build exactly that.
  • Suspicious Package — Its record describes inspecting macOS installer packages, which is the inspection case. Choose it when the installer came from someone else.

The apps

create-dmg

create-dmg is a developer utility for macOS. Create a good-looking DMG for your macOS app in seconds. It is released under MIT.

What it does. Create a good-looking DMG for your macOS app in seconds.

create-dmg is listed with current version 8.1.0.

Full profile and verified facts for create-dmg →

DMG Maker

DMG Maker is a developer utility for macOS. DMG creation tool with polished visuals and CLI support. It is open source.

What it does. Live Mesh Gradients: Professional backgrounds rendered on-the-fly using SwiftUI. Glassmorphic UI: Instruction area with native macOS “frosted glass” effects. Retina Ready: All assets and backgrounds are rendered at 2x scale for sharp displays. No-Halo” Applications Link: Uses specialized naming tricks to prevent ugly dashed boxes in Finder.

DMG Maker is listed with current version 1.0.3.

Full profile and verified facts for DMG Maker →

Rilmazafone

Rilmazafone is a developer tool for macOS. Design DMG installers on a WYSIWYG canvas and build exactly what you drew, no scripts. It is released under MIT.

What it does. Design your DMG on a canvas that shows exactly what users will see, then build a signed, production-ready disk image in one click. Open source.

Rilmazafone is listed with current version 1.1.

Full profile and verified facts for Rilmazafone →

Suspicious Package

Suspicious Package is a security tool for macOS. An application for inspecting macOS installer packages. It is free.

Suspicious Package is listed with current version 4.8.

Full profile and verified facts for Suspicious Package →

How to choose

Open source: create-dmg, DMG Maker and Rilmazafone (3 of 4).

Common mistakes

  • Building the DMG by hand for every release and calling it a process.
  • Shipping an unsigned image and blaming Gatekeeper for the dialog.
  • Running an installer from an unknown source without inspecting it first.
  • Changing the background image and forgetting that the icon layout is what users actually follow.
  • Building the image on one machine and having no way to rebuild it on another.
  • Skipping the Applications symlink and leaving users to drag the app out of the disk image themselves.

How this guide was put together

Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.

A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.

The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose between these macos installer builders?

There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 4 macos installer builders: create-dmg, DMG Maker, Rilmazafone and Suspicious Package. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.

Are these macos installer builders free?

Pricing across this group: open source (create-dmg, DMG Maker and Rilmazafone) and free (Suspicious Package). We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.

Which of these macos installer builders are open source?

create-dmg (MIT), DMG Maker (not published) and Rilmazafone (MIT) are open source.

Do these macos installer builders support Apple Silicon?

Our data does not carry an explicit Apple Silicon statement for any app in this group, so we do not claim one. The absence of a statement is not the same as the absence of support.

How do I choose between them?

Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.