Top programs for viewing photos

PhotoGallery

Free program for viewing photos and images from the Russian company Amssoft. It supports most modern image formats, is fully translated into Russian, and is well optimized for use on older computers.

Among other features of the program, it is worth noting:

• the ability to perform basic image enhancements (brightness, cropping, alignment) directly from the built-in editor;
• viewing images in both manual and automatic mode as a slider with a specified transition time;
• support for files in PDF, BMP, JPEG, PNG, GIF, PSD, RAW, etc. formats;
• PhotoGallery takes up no more than 100 MB on the hard disk, and only 50 MB is required for the paging file, allowing it to be run even on old laptops.

The developers constantly support PhotoGallery and adapt the program to new operating systems. The minimum supported system version is Windows XP. According to the developer's website, the program works without any problems on the new Windows 11.

IrfanView

A simple photo viewer utility developed by a single person in 1996. It is still supported and has clients for both older 32-bit and more modern 64-bit operating systems. Due to its small size of about 6-10 MB, it can be stored and run from portable USB devices.

In addition to viewing images of all major formats (JPEG, PNG, BMP, RAW, etc.), IrfanView supports audio and video playback. For some formats, third-party codecs may be required for proper playback.

The main features of IrfanView include Slideshow mode, rotation, effects overlay, image selection and copying/cutting, and much more. As a versatile solution, IrfanView is one of the best in this selection due to its small size, resource efficiency, and comprehensive set of standard functions for viewing photos.

XnView

A cross-platform program for working with images. It supports opening over 400 file formats, converting to more than 50 formats, and works on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. XnView can be downloaded for free from our portal or the official website of the developer for non-commercial use. For commercial use, there is a separate version called XnView Deluxe.

Specific advantages of XnView include:

• the ability to open and work with animated images;
• adding and displaying information in the EXIF metadata of a photo;
• slideshow mode, zooming, and rotation support;
• viewing video files when the necessary codecs are present in the system.

XnView provides a full set of basic functions: selection, cropping, moving, rotation, color transformation, palette manipulation, size changes, etc. Essentially, XnView is an alternative to IrfanView if, for some reason, the latter program is not suitable.

FastStone

A program for viewing images on Windows-based devices. It successfully combines several functions: viewing, editing, file management, and database. Starting from FastStone 3.5, it can be used for free on home PCs, but for commercial use, a temporary license is required, costing $19.95 and up.

FastStone supports all major raster file formats, including GIF, TIFF, ICO, PSD, and allows working with raw formats such as CR2, RAF, ORF, DNG, etc. Additional features include opening MPEG and AVI video files.

The key features of FastStone include:

1. Full-screen mode with the ability to zoom in on photos and images.
2. Edit with resizing, rotation, cropping, sharpness or blur adjustment, adding lighting effects, color adjustments, and much more.
3. Special effects such as shadows, color overlays, and graphic filters.
4. Support for EXIF metadata.
5. Printing and working with scanned images in PDF, TIFF, PNG, etc. formats.

FastStone is constantly being updated, and at the time of writing, version 7.7 is available. The full list of added features and updates can be found in the corresponding section on the "FastStone.org" website.

Google Photos

An online service from the eponymous company launched in 2015. It used to work based on the Google+ social network but then separated from it and became a full-fledged service accessible from desktop systems, Android, and iOS.

The amount of uploaded images depends on the size of the Google Drive, which can be expanded to 100, 200, or 2000 GB for real money. When uploading images, Google Photos compresses the files using its algorithms, while preserving almost the same quality. It is also possible to upload in the original quality.

On mobile devices, you can set up automatic uploading of photos from the device's camera. To do this, go to the "Google Photos" app, log in, go to the profile, select the "Settings" section, then "Backup & sync," and activate the function.

ACDSee Photo Studio

Conditionally free software for working with photos on Windows and macOS devices. For home use, the Photo Studio Home version with a limited set of features is provided, and for commercial use, the Photo Studio Ultimate version is available for $95.95. New users are eligible for a 30-day money-back guarantee if ACDSee Photo Studio does not meet their requirements.

Among the features of ACDSee Photo Studio are:

• working with RAW images;
• accelerated catalog browsing;
• support for native formats from Nikon, Canon, Olympus, etc. cameras;
• support for ICC and ICM color profiles;
• batch editing of photos;
• applying watermarks and other markings to indicate copyright;
• editing specific areas of an image;
• working with metadata and HTML albums;
• availability of online storage in the paid version of the program.

ACDSee Photo Studio is a very powerful software, especially when working with a large number of files. The developer regularly conducts and publishes seminar recordings in English, where they talk about the capabilities of the program and its new features. The program's website has all the necessary educational materials in text format.

PhotoMaster

A photo editor from the domestic studio Amssoft. The ability to view photos and other images is a basic function of the editor, allowing for all permissible manipulations with the uploaded files. It is distributed for free but has an extended version with additional functionality for working with RAW files, printing, and batch editing.

Nevertheless, the free version is sufficient for home use, especially if only basic editing of selected photos is required. The free version also allows retouching of portrait photos, quick color correction of close-ups and nature shots, creation of galleries, and photo cataloging.

In addition, you can add text to images, perform distortion correction, edit specific areas of an image, crop, etc.

STDU Viewer

A program for viewing images. It supports opening more than 400 file formats, converting to more than 50 formats, and works on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. XnView can be downloaded for free from our website or the official developer's website for non-commercial use. For commercial use, a separate version called XnView Deluxe exists.

Specific advantages of XnView include:

• the ability to open and work with animated images;
• adding and displaying information in the EXIF metadata of a photo;
• slideshow mode, zooming, and rotation support;
• viewing video files when the necessary codecs are installed in the system.

XnView provides a full set of basic functions: selection, cropping, moving, rotation, color transformation, palette manipulation, resizing, etc. Essentially, XnView is an alternative to IrfanView if, for some reason, the latter program is not suitable.

PhotoGallery

A free program for viewing photos and images by the Russian company Amssoft. Supports most modern image formats, completely translated into Russian, and well optimized for old computers.

Among other features of the program, the following should be highlighted:

• ability to perform basic image enhancements (brightness, cropping, alignment) directly from the built-in editor;
• viewing images in both manual and automatic modes as a slideshow with a specified transition time;
• support for file formats such as PDF, BMP, JPEG, PNG, GIF, PSD, RAW, etc.;
• PhotoGallery takes up no more than 100MB of hard drive space, and only 50MB is required for the paging file, allowing it to be run even on older laptops.

Developers constantly support PhotoGallery and adapt the program's functionality to new operating systems. The minimum supported system version is Windows XP. According to the developer's website, the program works without any problems on the new Windows 11.

IrfanView

A simple mini-utility for viewing photos, developed by one person in 1996. It is still supported and has a client for both old 32-bit and more modern 64-bit operating systems. Due to its small size of about 6-10MB, it can be stored and run from portable USB devices.

In addition to viewing images in all major formats (JPEG, PNG, BMP, RAW, etc.), IrfanView also supports audio and video playback. For some formats, third-party codecs may need to be installed for proper playback.

Among the main features of IrfanView are slideshow mode, rotation, applying effects, selecting and copying/cutting parts of an image, and more. As a versatile solution, IrfanView is one of the best choices in this selection due to its small size, low resource requirements, and full set of standard photo viewing functions.

XnView

A cross-platform program for working with images. It supports opening over 400 file formats, converting into more than 50 formats, and works on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. XnView can be downloaded for free from our portal or the official developer's website for non-commercial use. For commercial purposes, there is a separate version called XnView Deluxe.

Among the specific advantages of XnView are:

• ability to open and work with animated images;
• adding and displaying information in EXIF photo metadata;
• slideshow mode, zooming, and rotation support;
• viewing video files if the system has the corresponding codecs.

XnView provides a full set of basic functions: selection, cropping, moving, rotation, color conversion, palette manipulation, resizing, etc. Essentially, XnView is an alternative to IrfanView if, for some reason, the latter program does not meet your needs.

FastStone

A program for viewing images on Windows-based devices. It successfully combines several functions: viewing, editing, file management, and database. Starting from FastStone 3.5, it can be used for free on home PCs, and a temporary license starting at $19.95 is required for commercial use.

FastStone supports all major raster file formats, including GIF, TIFF, ICO, and PSD, and also allows working with raw formats such as CR2, RAF, ORF, DNG, etc. Additional features include opening MPEG and AVI video files.

Key features of FastStone include:

1. Full-screen mode with the ability to zoom in and out of photos and images.
2. Editing with resizing, rotation, cropping, sharpness or blurring adjustment, adding lighting effects, color adjustments, and much more.
3. Special effects such as shadows, color overlays, and graphic filters.
4. Support for EXIF metadata.
5. Printing and working with images from a scanner in PDF, TIFF, PNG, etc. formats.

FastStone is constantly updated, and as of the time of writing, version 7.7 is available. The complete list of added features and updates can be found in the corresponding section on the FastStone.org website.

Google Photos

An internet service from the eponymous company, launched in 2015. It used to operate based on the Google+ social network but separated from it and became a full-fledged service accessible from both desktop systems and Android and iOS devices.

The amount of uploaded images depends on the size of the Google Drive, which can be expanded to 100, 200, or 2000 GB for a fee. When uploading images, Google Photo compresses the files using its own algorithms, with little to no loss in quality. Uploading in the original quality is also possible.

On mobile devices, automatic uploading of photos from the device's camera can be set up. To do this, you need to open the "Google Photos" app, log in, go to the profile, select the "Settings" section, then "Back up & sync," and activate the function.

ACDSee Photo Studio

Conditionally free software for working with photos on Windows and macOS devices. The Home version with a limited set of features is provided for home use, and the Ultimate version for commercial use costs $95.95. New users have a 30-day money-back guarantee if ACDSee Photo Studio does not meet their needs.

ACDSee Photo Studio supports all major raster file formats and allows working with native formats from Nikon, Canon, Olympus cameras, etc. It also supports ICC and ICM color profiles and allows for batch editing of photos, applying watermarks and other copyright indicators, editing specific areas of an image, working with metadata and HTML albums, and has an online storage option in the paid version of the program.

ACDSee Photo Studio is a very powerful software, especially when you need to work with a large number of files. The developer regularly holds and posts seminar recordings in English, where they talk about the program's capabilities and its new features. The program's website has all the necessary educational materials in text format.

PhotoMaster

A photo editor from the domestic studio Amssoft. Viewing photos and other images is the basic function of the editor, allowing you to perform all permissible manipulations with the uploaded files. It is distributed for free but has an extended version with additional functionality for working with RAW files, printing, and batch editing.

However, the free version is sufficient for home use, especially if only basic editing of selected photos is required. The free version also allows for retouching of portrait photos, quick color correction of close-ups and nature shots, creating galleries and photo catalogs.

In addition, you can add text to images, correct distortions, edit specific parts of an image, crop, and more.

STDU Viewer

A small utility for viewing photos, PDF documents, DjVu, FB2, ePub, TXT files, etc. STDU Viewer is free, but a license must be purchased from the official website for commercial use. Bulk discounts are available.

STDU Viewer has a classic Windows XP style, with a familiar multi-document interface, toolbar, and other elements for users of programs for this operating system.

The program can rotate images by 90 degrees and supports direct printing. A significant advantage of STDU Viewer is its small size after installation (7MB) and its low system resource requirements. Among the significant drawbacks, a clear focus on working with text can be noted, but if you only need to view and print images, STDU Viewer can be used regularly.

Light Image Resizer

A program for viewing, resizing, converting, and basic editing of images. Like many programs in our selection, it is free for non-commercial use, and a $20 license is required for business use.

Among the features of the Light Image Resizer editor, the following should be noted:

1. Conversion of images to JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, and other formats.
2. Adjustment of image compression level.
3. Built-in presets for files intended for use on iPod, HDTV, portable consoles, and gadgets.
4. Direct import of files from memory cards.

Light Image Resizer has a set of filters and effects, as well as the ability to batch add watermarks. The program's interface is similar to the classic Windows software design, simple and intuitive.

Movavi Photo Manager

A conditionally free program for viewing and editing images by the Russian company Movavi, which is engaged in the development of software for working with video and photos. Movavi Photo Manager is a powerful tool with a wide range of features, designed for both industry professionals and ordinary users.

In addition to viewing images in most popular formats, Photo Manager allows for professional color correction, noise removal, image sharpening, retouching, object removal based on neural network algorithms, background replacement, and more.

In recent versions, Movavi Photo Manager has added presets for the most commonly used settings, automatic retouching, color restoration, and exporting files to Google Drive. Movavi's photo editor is an excellent solution when you have the opportunity to purchase the program and use its features as you gain skills in photo editing.