FireDaemon Pro Feature Comparison: Pro 4 vs Pro 5 vs Pro 6
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
FireDaemon Pro converts any Windows application into a Windows service - ensuring applications, programs and scripts start at boot, restart on failure, and run without user login. Three major versions exist: FireDaemon Pro 4, Pro 5, and Pro 6. Only FireDaemon Pro 6 receives active development and support.
This guide compares all three versions across architecture, security, scheduling, automation, and enterprise capabilities to help you understand how FireDaemon Pro's feature set has evolved.
Version Support Status
Version | Development Status | Support Status | Last Major Release |
Pro 4 | End of Life | Unsupported | November 2022 |
Pro 5 | End of Development | Active until April 2026 | March 2025 |
Pro 6 | Active Development | Full support | February 2026 |
Pro 4 and Pro 5 receive no updates, patches, or technical support. Pro 6 is the only version under active development.
Quick Comparison
Category | Pro 4 | Pro 5 | Pro 6 |
Max Windows Server | 2019 | 2022 | 2025 |
Fusion Compatibility | 6 only | 7 only | 8 only |
Architecture | 32/64-bit | 64-bit only | 64-bit only |
Code Signing | Standard | Hardware-based | Hardware-based |
Advanced Scheduling | No | Limited | Full calendar logic |
Preconditions Engine | No | Basic | Full |
Service Auditing | Minimal | ETW logging | Full SACL visibility |
DACL Management via CLI | No | No | Yes |
Bulk Password Management | No | No | Yes |
Run UI as Standard User | No | Limited | Yes |
Per-User Service Templates | No | No | Yes (editable) |
P/E Core Selection | No | No | Yes |
Architecture
Pro 4 - Legacy
FireDaemon Pro 4 shipped in both 32-bit and 64-bit builds with standard code signing and basic CLI functionality. It used a legacy service management engine and required Fusion 6 for centralised management. Development ended November 2022.
Pro 5 - Modern Rebuild
Pro 5 was a ground-up rebuild. It dropped 32-bit support entirely, adopted hardware-based code signing (EV certificate on HSM), and introduced a substantially expanded CLI for automation. New capabilities included live resource monitoring, ETW-based diagnostics, a security ACL editor, and service tagging for organisational grouping. Pro 5 requires Fusion 7. Development ended March 2025.
Pro 6 - Current Platform
Pro 6 extends the Pro 5 foundation with enterprise-grade features: a preconditions engine for dependency-aware service starts, calendar-based scheduling with visual preview, full service auditing via SACL visibility, extended CLI with DACL management and bulk password operations, per-user service templates, and P-core/E-core CPU selection for Intel hybrid architectures. The UI and CLI can run without elevation (standard user mode). Pro 6 requires Fusion 8 and supports Windows Server 2025 including dMSA (delegated Managed Service Accounts).
Download FireDaemon Pro 6 Free Trial — full feature access, no restrictions.
Detailed Feature Comparison
Security and Access Control
Feature | Pro 4 | Pro 5 | Pro 6 |
Architecture | 32/64-bit | 64-bit only | 64-bit only |
Code Signing | Standard | Hardware-based (EV/HSM) | Hardware-based (EV/HSM) |
Service SID Management | Basic | Improved | Advanced |
gMSA Support | Limited | Yes | Yes |
dMSA Support (Server 2025) | No | No | Yes |
Security ACL Editor | No | Yes | Enhanced |
CLI DACL Visibility | No | No | Yes |
Service Auditing | Minimal | ETW logging | Full SACL visibility |
System-Wide Audit Monitor | No | No | Yes |
Run UI as Standard User | No | Limited | Yes |
Per-User Service Templates | No | No | Yes (editable) |
Bulk Password Management | No | No | Yes (GUI and CLI) |
Service Scheduling and Lifecycle
Feature | Pro 4 | Pro 5 | Pro 6 |
Crash Restart | Yes | Yes | Enhanced logic |
Freeze Detection | Basic | Improved | Matured diagnostics |
Flap Detection | Limited | Yes | Enhanced logic |
Interval-Based Restarts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Monthly Restart Schedules | No | No | Yes |
Halt Schedules | No | No | Yes |
Calendar-Based Scheduling | No | Limited | Yes (dates, day-of-week) |
Granular Start Times | No | Limited | Yes (e.g. 12:03 AM) |
Schedule Preview | No | No | Yes (visual calendar) |
Process and Resource Control
Feature | Pro 4 | Pro 5 | Pro 6 |
Job Groups (Process Trees) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
CPU Affinity | Basic | Improved | Advanced (direct core selection) |
Efficiency Class Selection | No | No | Yes (P-cores vs E-cores) |
NUMA Node Selection | Limited | Yes | Extended with topology info |
Live Resource Monitoring | No | Introduced | Multiple monitors, improved |
Live Event Log per Service | No | Basic | Yes |
Shared Cache Awareness | No | No | Yes |
Preconditions and Dependencies
Feature | Pro 4 | Pro 5 | Pro 6 |
User Session Detection | Limited | Yes | Enhanced |
Network Availability | No | Basic | Full (with DNS resolution) |
Host Pingable (ICMPv4/v6) | No | Limited | Yes (non-blocking resolution) |
Endpoint Availability | No | Limited | Yes (host/port/protocol checks) |
Precondition Chaining | No | Limited | Yes (AND logic, dependencies) |
DNS TTL Re-Resolution | No | No | Yes |
Power Event Suspend/Resume | No | No | Yes |
Preconditions prevent failed service starts. When a service depends on a database, API endpoint, or network resource, the preconditions engine delays the service start until those dependencies are confirmed reachable. This eliminates the common post-reboot failure pattern where services start before their dependencies are ready.
Command Line and Automation
Feature | Pro 4 | Pro 5 | Pro 6 |
CLI Coverage | Basic | Major expansion | Extended (DACL, passwords) |
Export/Import Configs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Service Control | Basic | Notification-based | Enhanced |
Bulk Password Updates | No | No | Yes (GUI and CLI) |
Graceful Reload | Limited | Yes | Enhanced |
DACL Management | No | No | Yes (via CLI) |
FireDaemon Fusion Compatibility
Pro Version | Required Fusion Version | Status |
Pro 4 | Fusion 6 | End of Life |
Pro 5 | Fusion 7 | End of Development |
Pro 6 | Fusion 8 | Active Development |
Pro and Fusion versions must align. Upgrading Pro without upgrading Fusion breaks centralised management.
Learn more about FireDaemon Fusion - centralised multi-server service management.
Windows Server Compatibility
Pro Version | Maximum Supported Windows Server |
Pro 4 | Windows Server 2019 |
Pro 5 | Windows Server 2022 |
Pro 6 | Windows Server 2025 |
Windows Server 2025 requires Pro 6. There is no alternative.
Enterprise Scenarios
Database-Dependent Services
A custom application service connects to SQL Server on startup. With Pro 4 or Pro 5, the service starts immediately after boot — if SQL Server is not yet ready, the connection fails and the application crashes, requiring manual intervention. Pro 6 uses a precondition to verify the SQL Server endpoint (host:port) is reachable before starting the service, eliminating failed starts entirely.
Monthly Maintenance Restarts
Application services require a monthly restart on the first Sunday at 2:00 AM. Pro 4 and Pro 5 only support interval-based scheduling, which cannot express calendar logic — restarts must be handled manually or via external task scheduler scripts. Pro 6 supports calendar-based scheduling natively: configure "restart first Sunday of each month at 2:00 AM" directly, confirm via the visual schedule preview, and the cycle is fully automated.
Multi-Server Credential Rotation
Twenty servers run identical application services. Security policy mandates quarterly password rotation. With Pro 4 or Pro 5, each server requires a manual password update - time-consuming and error-prone at scale. Pro 6 provides bulk password update via CLI, enabling a single script to rotate credentials across all services in one operation.
Compliance Auditing
The security team requires audit trails for all service access and control actions. Pro 4 and Pro 5 offer limited auditing with no visibility into who controlled services or when. Pro 6 provides full service auditing with SACL visibility and a system-wide audit monitor, delivering the traceability required for compliance reporting.
Service Configuration Compatibility
Service definitions created in Pro 4 or Pro 5 are generally compatible with Pro 6. New features such as preconditions and calendar scheduling require separate configuration after upgrade — they are additive and do not alter existing service behaviour.
Before upgrading in production:
Export all service configurations.
Test the upgrade in a staging environment.
Verify Fusion version alignment if using centralised management.
Validate any custom CLI scripts for compatibility.
Document service dependencies and precondition requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does FireDaemon still support Pro 4 or Pro 5?
Pro 4 is no longer supported. Pro 5 is supported until April 2026. They receive no updates, patches, or bug fixes. Only Pro 6 is actively maintained.
What changed between Pro 4 and Pro 5?
Pro 5 was an architectural rebuild: 64-bit only, hardware-based EV code signing, a major CLI expansion, live resource monitoring, ETW diagnostic logging, a security ACL editor, and service tagging. It was a significant platform modernisation.
What does Pro 6 add over Pro 5?
Pro 6 introduces a preconditions engine, calendar-based scheduling with visual preview, full service auditing with SACL visibility, extended CLI with DACL and password management, per-user service templates, P-core/E-core selection for Intel hybrid CPUs, dMSA support for Windows Server 2025, and the ability to run the UI and CLI as a standard user.
Can I run the same applications as services across all versions?
Yes. All three versions convert applications into Windows services. The core service wrapping capability is consistent. Pro 6 adds features that improve reliability (preconditions), scheduling (calendar logic), security (auditing, DACL management), and automation (extended CLI).
Do I need to upgrade Fusion when upgrading Pro?
Yes. Pro 4 requires Fusion 6, Pro 5 requires Fusion 7, and Pro 6 requires Fusion 8. Mismatched versions break centralised management.
Can I upgrade directly from Pro 4 to Pro 6?
Yes. Service configurations are generally forward-compatible. Test in a staging environment before deploying to production.
Does upgrading change existing service configurations?
No. Existing service definitions are preserved. New features (preconditions, advanced scheduling) are opt-in and require explicit configuration.
How does Pro 6 improve service reliability?
Through the preconditions engine. Services only start when their dependencies are confirmed available — network connectivity, database endpoints, DNS resolution, user sessions. This eliminates the class of failures caused by services starting before their dependencies are ready after a reboot.
How does Pro 6 scheduling differ from earlier versions?
Pro 4 and Pro 5 support interval-based restarts only. Pro 6 adds calendar-based scheduling (specific dates, day-of-week patterns such as "first Monday of month"), monthly restart schedules, halt schedules, granular start times, and a visual schedule preview.
Can I automate service management with Pro 6?
Yes. The Pro 6 CLI supports bulk password updates, DACL management, configuration export/import, and graceful configuration reloads. It is designed for scripting, DevOps pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code workflows.
Summary
FireDaemon Pro spans three architectural generations:
Generation | Description | Status |
Pro 4 | Legacy foundation (32/64-bit) | End of Life - unsupported |
Pro 5 | Modern rebuild (64-bit only) | End of Development - supported until April 2026 |
Pro 6 | Enterprise platform | Active development - full support |
Only Pro 6 receives support and updates. Only Pro 6 supports Windows Server 2025. Only Pro 6 provides preconditions, calendar scheduling, full service auditing, and extended CLI automation.
Next Steps
Download Free Trial - full feature access
View Pricing - perpetual licensing, optional maintenance subscription
Contact Sales - enterprise volume pricing
Documentation - installation and configuration guides
How to Upgrade - upgrade instructions
Related Resources
How to Run an Application as a Windows Service - complete installation guide
FireDaemon Pro Features - detailed feature overview
FireDaemon Fusion Centralised Management - multi-server service control
