Everyone needs the best photo viewer since people tend to photograph and post everything happening in their life, so we need a reliable method to review the images. Usually, the built-in programs don’t have enough features or mat lag. That’s why, I've compiled the list of top 10 image viewers to replace your default program.
If you want to view and edit your images, an image viewer will definitely come in handy. Each option listed below has different features and capabilities. Some programs are extendable with the help of additional plug-ins.
Whether you are going to improve your shots, perform batch photo editing or work with various file formats, you will find the best image viewer that will meet all your requirements in this post.
Those who have been using Windows since the times of the XP version might know Windows Photo Viewer. Previously, it was called Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, but later, the developers renamed it to Windows Photo Viewer.
With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft didn’t pre-install this software and provided users with other options for viewing and editing images. Windows Photo Viewer is replaced with Windows 10 Photos. However, Microsoft didn’t completely remove this program and you can activate it using the register key.
Photo Viewer allows you to view and rotate images as well as display a slideshow. Also, it is possible to share pictures using printing options, send the images via email or burn them to a disc. The program works with such image formats as BMP, JPEG, JPEG XR, PNG, ICO, GIF and TIFF.
The only drawback of Windows Photo Viewer is that it reduces the file size during photo editing.
With ACDSee Free, you can easily view your images and quickly access the necessary functions to edit them. It is possible to use a mouse or keyboard controls to scroll through the pictures, rotate and zoom them in and out. Also, this program simplifies the printing process and setting an image as the desktop wallpaper.
It is rather convenient to use a mouse scroll wheel to navigate in a folder. However, it is a bit sensitive and you may skip some files without even noticing it.
The distinguishing feature of ACDSee Free that makes it the best Windows photo viewer is that it allows you to view files inside ZIP archives without extracting them. In addition, you can use ACDSee to perform basic picture editing. It is possible to correct exposure, colors, contrast and even fix red-eye effect to enhance the overall look of an image. Sometimes photo viewers can work a bit slowly, but ACDSee allows you to quickly browse and edit your pictures.
If you are looking for the best photo viewer with the capabilities of image comparison software, pay attention to FastStone. This program is very user-oriented and you will be amazed by its interface in a full-screen mode. Once you move a mouse to any side of the workspace, there will appear a hidden toolbar. Move the mouse away to make the pop-up panel disappear.
Another great feature of FastStone is batch photo editing. In addition, the latest release of the program can boast several useful functions. Now it is possible to work with curves, levels, lighting as well as use Unsharp Mask and Clone & Heal tools. FastStone supports different file formats including RAW.
In general, I am impressed with the numerous functions FastStone Image Viewer includes in a simple package. This program will be suitable for those, who are looking for user-friendly but an effective photo editor.
Among numerous image viewers available on the market, Movavi Photo Manager deserves special attention. Being fast and reliable, it is an excellent alternative to the built-in programs on Windows and Mac OS. Movavi works with numerous image formats, including RAW, JPEG, and PNG. With this image management software, it is easy to organize and enhance your photos. You can even view geotagged images with a single click.
Movavi photo manager software allows you to significantly speed up your workflow. Now you can forget about sitting in front of the computer for hours and arranging your pictures. Don't waste your time searching through numerous folders to find the necessary file. The program allows you to divide your work based on subject, client, or model using tags. With Movavi, you can also crop, flip and rotate multiple images or work with each photo individually.
Apowersoft is a Hong Kong-based software company that produces utilities for Windows. Apowersoft Photo Viewer is not only a universal and easy-to-use program, but it also has a comprehensible interface. The menu bar is hidden.
To activate it, you need to hover the mouse over the side and bottom part of the workspace. With Apowersoft, you can quickly create slideshows. It is possible to set the speed and size of the pictures as well as pause the slideshow at any time to manually zoom in the image if you need to show some details.
Being rather efficient, Apowersoft is considered to be not only the best photo viewer for Windows but a universal image editing tool. You can perform basic photo editing, add text to your images, use a drawing tool and apply various filters. Also, the program features a useful screenshot tool.
Apowersoft has very basic photo editing features. It is very similar to Microsoft Paint but Apowersoft comes with several additional functions. Nevertheless, there is an image format conversion option within the program which is rather convenient.
123 Photo Viewer definitely deserves to be on my best images viewer list. It is a fast and user-friendly program that works with different image formats and has powerful features. You can easily manage photos on your computer.
It is very convenient to look through the images using a mouse wheel. Just move a mouse pointer on the image and scroll the wheel to zoom in and out. If you want to view the next or previous file, move the mouse to the sides of an image. Also, the program offers an immediate magnification option. Just click on the photo and magnify it; click on the image again to come back to its original size.
123 Photo Viewer supports batch operations for many purposes. For example, you can convert files format, change the size of the multiple images and even rename them.
123 Photo Viewer works with animated file types such as WebP, APNG, and GIF, etc. You can switch to the full-screen mode, pause and continue displaying animation as well as go backward and forward frame by frame. It is also possible to save animation frames as individual files.
With WidsMob PhotoVault you can open JPEG, PNG, BMP and other photo formats, 50 different types of RAW files and GIF files. Users can group photos into albums, export them to email or hard drive. Besides, PhotoVault has a wide range of photo editing features.
The main feature of WidsMob PhotoVault is the availability of different levels of security for encrypting and hiding photos. No additional technology or storage space is required for keeping hidden photos. They will be moved to a personal database. No person or program can find encrypted photos in the original destination folder.
IrfanView (named after its creator Irfan Skiljan) is a well-designed image viewer software. It has been available on the market for over 15 years and still remains one of the most useful programs you can install on your computer. It would be wrong to call it just a photo viewing software because it is capable of a lot more.
IrfanView allows you to quickly look through the pictures on your computer or create a slideshow. The program also offers a well-featured image editor, batch file conversion function and a scanner interface. If you feel like you need more features, you can expand the software with plug-ins.
It is easy to learn all IrfanView features, as the program has a bit outdated but still practical interface. You can use various keyboard shortcuts to speed up your workflow. In addition, the directory view makes it easy to navigate through folders and find the necessary file.
IrfanView is more than just a basic photo viewer. It is considered to be the perfect tool for managing and editing media files. If you need a RAW file converter or organizer, IrfanView will help you effectively handle these tasks.
Advanced face recognition
I was able to test Tonfotos for my very own private project, to help me organize my huge family photo collection. I could easily go through thousands of travel and event photos and find whatever I wanted quite easily, it didn't matter when these pictures were taken nor where. The most superb thing was the facial recognition feature which identified and collocated all photos.
The other thing that Tonfotos does quite well is supplying the view about family history in full. With it, I have been able to build a very rich and interrelated family tree, since it allows genealogical integration with much detailed annotation for every person.
Flexibility in storage options is another major advantage. Many other organizing software would tie you to a few core cloud services, but Tonfotos lets you store your photos through a host of platforms and systems—be it PC, external HDDs, or even NAS.
Honeyview is a very fast, and convenient photo viewer that works with numerous popular image formats. It provides the ability to view files within ZIP or RAR folders without having to unzip them. Also, the program features a user-oriented and sleek interface. Photo management becomes a breeze using Honeyview. It allows you to quickly copy or move photos to the necessary folder. If your pictures contain geotags, you can view the location on Google Maps just clicking on the toolbar button. There are other no less useful features like display filters and effects, EXIF info overlay, customizable interface, optional context menu integration, etc.
Honeyview will be the best photo viewer for those, who want to view images and slightly enhance them. It should be noted that the program doesn’t feature some basic image editing functions as adjusting contrast, hue and saturation. It doesn’t include the crop tool as well.
ImageGlass is easy-to-use photo viewing software that is designed as a decent alternative to Windows Photo Viewer. However, the program can manage the files better as it includes additional options. Moreover, there are various extensions you can add to the software to broaden its capabilities.
ImageGlass has an uncluttered and intuitive interface, so even a total newbie can learn it. Apart from being lightweight and universal, this program supports a variety of file formats and has enough features for effective image management.
The main feature that makes ImageGlass stand out from other photo viewers is the ability to display important file information. The title bar displays not only the name of the picture but also its file path, resolution, size, scale, time, etc.
It is possible to switch between full-screen and slideshow modes. It should be noted that these modes work separately. Although the developers missed some things, ImageGlass is still worth paying attention to. This open-source program works really well. I recommend installing this software if you want to quickly view and organize images.
XnView allows you to quickly browse through images, view them in full-screen and slideshow modes and sort them out using various options. The program has basic picture editing features such as image rotating, cropping and resizing.
You can also enhance brightness and color, apply different filters, create a web page, etc. Moreover, it is possible to perform the majority of these operations in a photo batch processing mode.
With XnView, you can work with multiple images simultaneously, having more than one instance of the program opened. XnView features an array of options to customize the settings. It also offers a drag-and-drop function and color management. Besides, you can tag photos, install extra plug-ins and choose between 45+ languages.
Regardless of what you need your images for, you can be sure that XnView free image viewer includes all the necessary features.
