LiteView2 FAQ

LiteView2 is a commercial WebView2 ActiveX/COM control. It wraps Microsoft's WebView2 (Chromium) browser engine in an OCX file that any COM-capable host can use — VBA (Excel, Access, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Visio, Project), VB6, VB.NET, C#, C++, Delphi, Python (pywin32), PowerShell, AutoIt, and more. It exposes 270+ methods, 59 events, and a standalone JSON engine.

WebView2 is Microsoft's browser engine (Chromium-based). LiteView2 is an ActiveX/COM control built on top of WebView2 that exposes it to VBA and other COM hosts. Microsoft's WebView2 SDK targets C++, .NET, and WinRT — it has no ActiveX or VBA surface. Microsoft has publicly declined to ship an ActiveX wrapper for WebView2 (GitHub #1392 closed "not planned"). LiteView2 fills that gap.

Microsoft's Edge Browser Control applies to Access for Microsoft 365 and Access 2024 only. Its documented VBA surface is four methods, one event, and no DOM access. LiteView2 exposes 270+ methods, 59 events, full DOM helpers, a JSON engine, and a bidirectional JavaScript-to-VBA bridge — and works in Excel, Word, Outlook, VB6, .NET, Python, and every other COM host. See the full comparison table.

CefSharp is an excellent .NET Chromium binding — no ActiveX, no VBA story. CEF4Delphi is the leading Delphi/Lazarus binding — no COM exposure. WebKitX focuses on VB6/MFC/Win32 and uses the WebKit engine. LiteView2 is the only commercially supported ActiveX/COM control with Chromium WebView2 inside, that works across VBA (all Office hosts), VB6, .NET, C++, Delphi, Python, and PowerShell — registered or registration-free. We politely concede: if you are building a .NET WPF/WinForms app with no VBA requirement, CefSharp is excellent. LiteView2 is for COM hosts.

LiteView2 works with Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Microsoft 365, in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions. Both the registered OCX and the registration-free (reg-free) mode work across all supported Office versions.

Yes. LiteView2 works in Excel VBA in both Registered Mode (drop the control on a UserForm) and Reg-Free Mode (embed at runtime using IBrowserPool). The same OCX, the same API, the same code patterns as Access. See the quickstart guide.

Yes. LiteView2 ships a 32-bit x86 OCX (LiteView2_x86.ocx) that works in VB6. Both Registered Mode and Reg-Free Mode are supported. Microsoft has confirmed there is "no official support of VB6 for WebView2 from Microsoft" — LiteView2 provides a fully supported commercial alternative.

Yes. Any host that consumes COM objects can use LiteView2, including Python via pywin32. Call LiteView2_ActivateManifest to load the OCX, then win32com.client.Dispatch('LiteView2.BrowserPool') to get the pool object. You call the same IBrowserPool methods as VBA developers — same API, different language syntax.

WebView2 Runtime is pre-installed on Windows 10 version 1809+ and Windows 11 via Windows Update, and is bundled with Microsoft 365. On older systems without the runtime, LiteView2 displays a one-time prompt to download it. The runtime installer does not require admin rights on most configurations. You can also bundle the standalone WebView2 runtime installer with your deployment package.

Yes. LiteView2 has no telemetry, no auto-update, and no internet dependency at runtime. WebView2 Runtime (pre-installed on Windows 10/11) is the only dependency. Fully offline-capable — suitable for government, SCADA/HMI, and restricted-network environments.

Yes. LiteView2 supports registration-free deployment. Copy the OCX files next to your .accdb or .xlsm, paste the modLV2Pool bootstrap module once, and the browser runs on any machine — no regsvr32, no administrator elevation, no registry entries. See the full reg-free deployment guide.

Registration-free deployment uses Windows Side-by-Side (SxS) activation context: the OCX file travels alongside your database file. Windows loads it directly without writing to the registry. No registry entries are made, and no administrator rights are required. When you copy the files to another PC, it works immediately.

Yes. Because no registry writes are required, LiteView2 reg-free mode works on machines where the user account has no administrator rights and where IT policy blocks COM registration. The only files needed are the OCX files alongside the .accdb — files, not registry entries.

Microsoft's support article states: "ActiveX controls are disabled by default in Microsoft 365 and Office 2024." LiteView2's registration-free mode uses SxS activation rather than traditional ActiveX registration — it is not affected by this policy change. For Registered Mode, the standard Office ActiveX trust settings apply.

The trial includes full functionality for 30 days: all 270+ methods, all 59 events, the JSON engine, both registered and reg-free modes, and commercial use. No feature is locked and there is no watermark during the trial period. After 30 days the control stops initializing until a license key is activated.

Permanent license — the software never stops working. Each license includes 1 year of updates and support. After year 1, an optional $79/year Annual Support plan covers new releases, bug fixes, and continued email support. Skipping it does not affect your license — your existing version keeps working with no restrictions.

Developer — $99 Early Bird (regular price $199, limited time) — one named developer, unlimited end-user redistribution. Site — $699 — unlimited developers at one company location. Enterprise — $1,299 — unlimited developers across all company locations worldwide. All tiers include royalty-free redistribution, the same full API, and 1 year of updates & support. See the full pricing page.

Yes. All licenses include royalty-free redistribution to unlimited end users. The license covers the developer seat(s), not the deployment count. Ship the OCX files with your application to as many PCs as needed at no extra cost.

We do not offer post-purchase refunds. The 30-day free trial is your evaluation period — all 270+ methods, all 59 events, and all features are available with no limitations. Download the trial, test thoroughly, then purchase when you are satisfied.

Yes. The trial is commercially usable for 30 days with no restrictions. This lets you evaluate LiteView2 in a real production or staging environment before purchasing.