Paquet Builder 2026 — What's New
We’re pleased to announce that our Windows installer and Self-Extracting archive creator Paquet Builder 2026 is out. Here's a rundown of the additions available in this major release:
AI Assistant & MCP Server
The IDE now includes an AI assistant that accepts natural language instructions — configure settings, add files, set registry entries, all without navigating through dialogs manually. Compatible with OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini providers. Or local providers such as LM Studio...
For automation scenarios, a standalone MCP server ships alongside the IDE. It exposes 20+ commands that let AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) interact with your installer projects directly. Useful for teams integrating installer builds into larger automated workflows.
ARM64 Native Installers
You can now generate native ARM64 installers in addition to x86 and x64. With Snapdragon-based Windows devices becoming more common, this ensures your installer runs natively without relying on emulation.
Installation Scope System
Five predefined modes replace manual per-user / all-users configuration: Current User, All Users, User Choice, Automatic, and None. File paths, shortcuts, and registry targets adjust automatically based on the selected scope:
WebView2 Installer Dialogs
Installer screens can now use Microsoft's WebView2 engine for full HTML/CSS rendering — custom fonts, responsive layouts, modern styling. A built-in fallback handles systems where WebView2 isn't available.
JSign Code Signing
A vendor-neutral code signing option via JSign. Works with PFX files, hardware tokens, and cloud key vaults. Useful if you need signing flexibility beyond the standard Windows SDK tools.
New Project Format (.pbpx)
Projects are now stored as directory structures instead of compressed archives. This means proper diffs in version control, faster saves, and easier collaboration through Git or any VCS.
Compiler & Pipeline Improvements
- Structured JSON compiler output
- LZMA SDK updated to 26.00
- File path support extended to 2,048 characters
- Standardized exit codes for CI/CD integration
Quality of Life
- Undo/redo support in custom action editor
- In-app auto-updates
- Drag-and-drop folder import
- Modernized compilation log
- Full documentation rewrite
Download Paquet Builder 2026 | Full announcement on the blog | Complete changelog