Often we need to view photos or other images on a computer. It can be a home photo album, or various materials for professional activities. When choosing a particular program for viewing images, each user relies on his personal needs and preferences.
Let's take a look at the pros and cons of various graphic file viewers to see which one is best for you.
One of the most popular digital imaging software is Faststone Image Viewer. It gained popularity due to its versatility and support for a large number of formats. In this application, you can not only view photos, but also edit them. There is a built-in file manager. Faststone Image Viewer is absolutely free for non-commercial use.
Of the shortcomings, one should single out the relatively large size of the program, and a certain complexity in management. But these disadvantages are incomparable with the advantages of the product.
XnView
The XnView image viewer is very similar in its capabilities to the above application. But, unlike it, it can work not only on computers with the Windows operating system, but also on other platforms. This program has an extended ability to support plugins. In addition, XnView allows you to not only view images, but also play audio and video formats.
The application has few drawbacks. These include a large number of functions that are not needed by the average user, and a lot of weight.
IrfanView
Irfan View differs from previous programs in that this application, having almost the same features, weighs very little.
True, not every user will like a rather ascetic interface design. In addition, for the Russification of IrfanView, you will need to make additional efforts by installing the plugin.
Imagine
A distinctive feature of the Image program is its extremely small weight (less than 1 MB). At the same time, all the main functions that are present in image viewers and editors are available in it.
But, it is worth noting that some of the features that more "heavy" programs have are not available in Imagine. This product works on Windows, including Windows 10, but does not work on other platforms.
picasa
The cross-platform Picasa application, in addition to functions for viewing and editing images, has extensive social opportunities for sharing photos between users. This viewer has a unique feature that allows you to recognize the faces of people in pictures.
The main drawback of the program is that Google, which is its developer, has announced the termination of support for Pikas, that is, the project is currently closed.
ACDSee
ASDS has broader functionality than the above programs. It has additional features for working with cameras, and also uses advanced integration in the explorer menu.
At the same time, there is no Russification in the official version of ACDSee. In addition, unlike the above applications, the full version is paid.
FastPictureViewer
The main feature of FastPictureViewer is the ability to use hardware acceleration and other advanced technologies for faster processing of "heavy" photos. In addition, the program has advanced color reproduction capabilities, making it one of the best for viewing high-definition images.
At the same time, the developers, focusing on the quality of playback, abandoned the additional functionality. In particular, FastPictureViewer cannot do even light editing of pictures. The period of free use of the program is limited.
Zoner Photo Studio
Zoner Photo Studio has a completely different focus. This is a real combine for working with digital images. In addition to viewing photos, the application has advanced options for editing, processing and organizing them. The program supports work with non-graphic multimedia formats.
Among the shortcomings should be called a rather complicated control, especially for beginners. You can use it for free only for 1 month.
Ashampoo Photo Commander
Ashampoo Photo Commander is another photo processing tool with a fairly large set of photo processing features. Unlike Zoner Photo Studio, the operation of this product is more intuitive for the average user.
Among the shortcomings, the very large size of the program should be highlighted. The application has a limited period of free use.
Universal Viewer
A feature of the Universal Viewer is support for playing various file formats, not just graphics (video, audio, text, etc.). The application has a fairly simple control.
But, the file playback capabilities of this universal program are still more limited than those of specialized solutions.
PSD Viewer
PSD Viewer differs from other viewers in that it supports the display of PSD files, which most similar products cannot do.
However, unlike Universal Viewer, PSD Viewer supports viewing a very limited number of graphic formats. In addition to images in PSD, and some other graphic formats created specifically for Adobe Photoshop, this program cannot reproduce other images. PSD Viewer does not have a Russian interface.
We have reviewed the most popular photo viewers. As you can see, they are quite diverse, which allows the user to choose one of the applications that best suits his tastes and tasks.
Now let's see what to use to view images on a computer, we will choose the best photo viewers for Windows. The best photo viewer is a subjective concept, so in this article I will offer several applications with which you can open popular image formats for viewing and processing images.
Any user, when working on a computer, inevitably encounters pictures, images, photographs. In any case, graphic format files will end up on your computer, so you need a program to open and view them. Therefore, a photo viewer is required on a computer to conveniently view digital images.
Windows 10 has a built-in Photos app that lets you open a picture file, create an album, make any necessary edits to a photo, and more. Previous versions of Windows used the Windows Picture Viewer app. The user can install Windows Picture Viewer in Windows 10, in addition to the Photos program.
There is a free Photo Gallery app included with the core components of Windows Live. The photo album supports opening and editing photos. The program must be installed on a computer (it is not included in the OS).
In addition to applications produced by Microsoft, a large number of third-party programs for viewing and editing images have been created. In this article, we will look at the best free image viewers that have many additional built-in tools for working with graphic file formats.
Third-party photo viewers (viewers) can be used on your computer as an alternative to standard Windows tools. As the best free image viewers, I recommend the following programs: FastStone Image Viewer, XnView, IrfanView, Ashampoo Photo Commander Free, Honeyview. These programs work in Russian in the Windows operating system.
These applications, in addition to basic functions, have tools for editing images. For more serious image editing, you need another program - an image editor (photo).
The best photo viewers, in addition to the viewing function, have additional features that are necessary for working with images on a computer. The programs have built-in tools for performing various operations with digital photographs or any other images: rotate, resize, remove red-eye, image, color correction, convert to other formats, send to print, etc.
The free Picasa program (which would have been included in this review) was left out of this review, due to the fact that Google stopped developing and supporting the application in 2016.
FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone Image Viewer is a powerful free image viewer and editor with a simple, intuitive interface. Built-in tools will help the user solve certain problems with photography: remove red-eye, resize images, apply color correction, convert files, etc.
A regular version of FastStone Image Viewer or a portable (portable) version of the program is offered for download, which does not require installation on a computer.
Key Features of FastStone Image Viewer:
- Opening graphic files of the main formats
- Editing digital photos and graphics files
- A large number of built-in tools for working with images
- Batch File Processing
- Batch conversion to another format
- Create slideshows with transitions and effects
- Preview function
XnView
XnView is a free program (for non-commercial use) for viewing images, multimedia files, for converting files to other formats. This is a high-quality program for managing photos on a computer. Thanks to the support of a large number of formats, in XnView, in addition to working with graphic files, for example, you can watch movies or listen to music.
The program has a simple interface, a large number of built-in tools, XnView will perfectly cope with the processing and editing of photos on a computer.
The user can download the regular or portable version of the application to the computer from the XnView official website.
Features of the XnView program:
- Support for over 500 formats
- Photo editing
- Apply filters and effects
- Screen capture
- batch conversion
- Editing metadata
- Convert files to 70 file formats
- Support for viewing video and audio files, archives, documents
- Create a slide show
- Plugins are supported to expand the program's capabilities
IrfanView
IrfanView is a fast free image viewer that consumes minimal computer resources. The program is one of the leaders in the number of downloads in the world for programs of this class. This indirect information tells us about the quality of the application, which is rated by users.
Honeyview is a free image viewer with a simple and intuitive interface. The program quickly opens graphic files, the application has photo editing tools.
You can download it from the official website of the developer, as an installation file or as a portable version.
Features of the program Honeyview:
- Support for a large number of graphic formats
- RAW format support
- Viewing images in archives
- Viewing photos in a slideshow
- Bookmark for favorite photos
- Support GPS data on photo
Conclusion
The user can choose the best Windows photo viewer for their computer. Freeware: FastStone Image Viewer, XnView, IrfanView, Ashampoo Photo Commander Free, Honeyview are among the best image viewers in this class of software.
What is the best program for editing photos? If you ask such a question to any relatively advanced user, then in response we will hear that this is Adobe Photoshop. Of course, we can say that this is the first program among all, except for two cons that are noticeable to ordinary users: Adobe Photoshop is paid and quite complicated. For professionals, of course, this is not an obstacle, but I would like to talk about programs for, so to speak, ordinary people. After all, most often for home photo processing you need not so many functions. Therefore, in this article we will focus on other programs, even if they are less popular, but at the same time, in terms of a set of tools, they are practically not inferior to Adobe Photoshop.
Paid photo editors
CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is one of the most popular paid photo editors.CorelDRAW- one of the most popular graphic editors. This editor is actively used by both professionals and amateurs. This is explained by the fact that CorelDRAW has a user-friendly interface, a large set of tools for editing graphic images, creating new ones, and also makes it possible to obtain high-quality images.
Possibilities This editor allows you to work with both color and image shape: stretching, shrinking, resizing, etc. When working in CorelDRAW, you can easily combine images with different captions. Therefore, CorelDRAW computer graphics are more suitable for creating emblems, logos, book and advertising layout than for photo editing. With the advent of the Corel Photo-Paint editor in the coreldraw package, the possibilities have expanded significantly, now more attention can be paid to the processing of graphic images.
Recently, a program has been developed to create Corel R.A.V.E animations. Now the most valuable programs are those that can combine the functions of various graphic editors, which allow you to implement complex design solutions. Such a program can be fully considered CorelDRAW Graphics Suite . It includes coreldraw, thanks to which you can embody various creative ideas. But it is worth noting that this product is not free, such as the cheapest version CorelDRAW Home & Student Suite X7 costs 6387 rubles in the online store.
In addition to this editor, there are also many others. Such as:
ACDSee
ACDSee this is a complete set of all possible actions for processing, converting, viewing photos of many well-known formats. The only downside to this app might be the price that starts from 1200 rub.
Fotoslate 4
Fotoslate 4 is a tool designed to design and print digital photos. A feature of this editor is the ability to print under the guise of photo albums, standard notebooks, like calendars or postcards, and even logos for T-shirts. Templates can be customized manually. BMP, JPG, TIFF and PDF formats are supported. But such a pleasure is worth about 30 dollars USA.
PortraitPro ideal for "dummies", as it allows you to enjoy the automatic processing of selected areas. But worth about 40 dollars USA.
PHOTOSHOW PRO 7.0 is another example of an editor that lets you create cute slideshows and even animated photo presentations. Among the tools are about 150 effects, various animations, titles, screensavers and collages. The cost of this beauty about 1400 rub.
Photo ID Pro 8.0– an ideal find for editing documents. It is quite suitable for use at home, although it is used even in salons. Among the functions are ready-made photo formats, changing the background, clothes. Evaluate the program at 1650 rubles.
Photo instrument 7.4- This program is designed to enhance and retouch images. Thanks to such tools, you can eliminate minor imperfections and even perform a virtual makeover. In addition, you can rejuvenate yourself well. But you have to pay for such a toy about 50 dollars. USA.
If you are a fan of templates, then you need PhotoShine 4.9, which has over 680 templates divided into categories, for example: children, love, holidays. Easy to use but cost about 40 dollars USA.
Free photo editing software
Among the free tools, you can find something much more interesting.
So, first consider the program that is on almost all computers, Microsoft Office Picture Manager. The program has flexible management options, allows you to add shortcuts to frequently used images, share multiple images. Picture Manager has the minimum necessary set of functions for image processing: changing color, brightness and contrast, cropping, rotating and flipping, red-eye correction, and you can also resize a picture.
After editing a picture, you can save it both in the original file and create a new one. Sometimes you need to compress your images to a certain size in order to send them, a feature also available in the Picture Manager.
XnView
In addition to it, you can use for example:
An excellent analogue of the popular ACDSee is a program xnView. The developers have done their best and put a lot of features into it that are worth trying for yourself.
Hornil StylePix
We also recommend using the find of Korean programmers Hornil Style Pix. The program contains fifty filters, retouching, photo correction, working with layers, graduations and fills, selection of areas, red-eye removal. Working with her is a pleasure.
LightBox Free Image Editor
Another find for beginners can be LightBox Free Image Editor. Which, in addition to the standard editing functions, also offers its own zest - Remove Color Casts, which improves the overall effect of the photo by eliminating the gray shades of the face.
GIMP
Many consider this program to be a free analogue Adobe Photoshop, although the developers themselves do not like this wording. GIMP is a free software and high quality application for photo retouching and creating original images. The program supports more than thirty image formats. GIMP has a wide variety of photo editing features, such as color correction, color balancing, brightness, contrast, saturation, and desaturation.
The program also allows using various masks, filters, layers with different overlay types and blending modes to perform the following operations: crop photos, correct perspective, remove distortions, simulate the use of various color filters, restore lost detail, and much more. Also, GIMP has a user-friendly interface, and it will be quite easy to learn how to work with it.
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In our review, we decided to consider free applications for viewing digital images with high-quality functionality, rich editing options and good performance. A selection of the best photo viewers will help you learn more about viewers and choose the one that will meet your requirements.
Rating of programs for viewing photos on a computer
| Programs | Russian language | License | Seal | Rating | launchSlide show |
| Yes | Free | Yes | 10 | Yes | |
| Yes | Free | Yes | 10 | Yes | |
| Yes | Free | Yes | 10 | Yes | |
| Yes | Free | Yes | 7 | No | |
| Yes | Trial | Yes | 10 | Yes | |
| Yes | Free | Yes | 10 | Yes | |
| Yes | Free | Yes | 6 | No | |
| Yes | Free | Yes | 8 | Yes | |
| Yes | Trial | Yes | 10 | No |
Free Image Viewers
A high-quality utility with editing functions for more than 100 graphic formats and conversion to convenient formats. Allows you to print images, create photo albums, burn photos to disk, protect photos in a directory with a password, batch rename and apply a large set of effects and tools.
The viewer is convenient and functional, has all the options for easy viewing and high-quality processing. The user has access to sepia settings, blurring of corners, rotation, resaving, reduction, increase, etc. Edited pictures can be saved, sent to print or burned to discs. Slideshow, cataloging, hot key settings and adjustment of the position of the material on the sheet are available. The only drawbacks of the editor are the English-language menu and a sufficient load on system resources.
The software allows you to conveniently view and edit images with high quality. Supports popular graphics formats, converts, has RGB settings and batch processing. In the application, the user can create a business card and manage the image by applying a variety of effects.
Features include auto color enhancement, watermarking, red-eye removal, and slideshows with over 100 transitions, music, and effects. When editing a picture, you can change its name and size, remove fragments, correct or change color, use a magnifying glass, remove a shadow. Also available are histogram plotting, tag processing, drag-and-drop file transfer, and commenting on JPEG files.
The options of this multifunctional utility allow you to view and edit images, import various files, convert objects to graphics formats and print the finished work. The user has more than 80 viewer actions, the use of high-quality tools and effects, import in hundreds of formats and conversion to various graphics formats.
The user can scan and print the material without quality loss, customize the desired look of the resulting image, organize a slide show, screen image, create a web page and use the search. The program can be integrated into the Total Commander shell using special plugins.
This Google utility is designed to edit, organize and process images available on a PC. Picasa has tools for editing photos in comparison, using retouching and other tools to improve pictures.
With the help of a photo organizer, you can quickly find, view, enhance and print material, create collages and slide shows with adjustments and effects. The photo editor scans a certain area of the system or hard drive, indexes found video files and images for further sorting into visual albums sorted by date. In addition, you can send photos and clips to Google+.
Multifunctional image viewers
A handy application for structuring and organizing images according to various parameters, applying filters and effects, removing duplicates and downloading GPS tracks.
The viewer catalogs images according to the selected parameters (location, photo creation date, unsorted, marked, etc.), so the user can view the material in chronological order, distribute the image by geotags and create his own travel map. Sharing to social networks and smart search are available in Karambis.
The software works with images of most known formats and has functions for editing and converting. It is able to quickly open a file in different viewing modes, recognize audio and video content and expand its capabilities by adding plugins.
The user has access to the built-in editor options, opening little-known video and audio, batch conversion, inserting text, resizing a picture, extracting an image from an icon, and more. You can work in the utility through the keyboard, turn on the thumbnail preview and create screenshots.
The utility converts graphic images to the required format and size, supports popular and RAW digital camera formats, integrates into Windows and has a batch mode.
The converter allows you to quickly resize photos, compress files, manage and process images, publish to the Web, send by mail, change extension and compression, import from memory cards, set up renaming templates and apply watermarks. There are versions for 32 and 64 different operating systems.
Developed by Nero for playback, burning to discs or searching for files in the media directory. Allows you to edit pictures, create images in ISO and NRG formats, play Blu-Ray and HD movies, and burn mp3 files.
Nero Quick Media works with most well-known formats and provides the ability to share material on social networks and video hosting sites. In the utility, the user can create a video presentation and slide show, as well as use the face recognition algorithm.
The multifunctional application allows you to view, organize and edit your pictures. It has batch processing, an advanced editor, synchronizes photos with the android version of the program, uploads material to online galleries and social networks.
What is the best photo viewer? The built-in Windows tool is not an option if you've tried anything a little more interesting. But among the numerous alternatives, it is difficult to choose the ideal one for yourself, unless, of course, you spend time testing everything in a row. Therefore, we offer you a description of the best programs for viewing photos.
We basically decided to consider only free software. The proposed programs, of course, are not ideal, but commercial ones too. All considered applications have general set of benefits:
- Compatible with Windows 10 and other current versions up to Windows 7
- A richer set of features than the standard "pee" offers
- Individual "superpower" for each decision
FastStone Image Viewer
At the end of the 2010s, this program can only be compared in popularity with ACDSee at the beginning of the 2000s. The difference is that post-Soviet users' ACDSee was mostly hacked, while there is no need to hack FastStone. Based on user reviews and the positive/negative ratio, FastStone is the best photo viewer these days.
The program works quickly, has a built-in editor, can convert photos in batch mode. Note the unusual design of the interface: in full-screen mode, just move the cursor over the edge of the display to access the various sections of the menu.
FastStone supports many image formats from mainstream to professional. The only thing missing is built-in support for .webp, but soon this format, invented by Google programmers, will be supported in Windows at the system level. 
Advantages:
- Worthy Russification
- Contains a built-in editor with a large set of features
Flaws:
- Unusual editor logic
- Minor bugs in the batch conversion function
Another super hit on the free photo viewer market. Already from the beginning of the installation, a rich history is visible: in the list of plugins that are proposed to be installed, there is even a plugin for burning pictures to disk in Nero (who remembers this dinosaur?)
In terms of interface, the program resembles the classic approach of ACDSee or the same FastStone: a browser with photo thumbnails, a more detailed view of the selected image in the same window, and full-screen - by double-clicking. 
However, there is an interesting feature - working with tabs. On each tab, you can open a separate folder or photo and switch between them.
Advantages:
- small size
- Fast work
- Support for a large number of formats
- Good Russification
Flaws:
- Slightly outdated style
- Inconvenient keyboard control
A classic program that the Bosnian developer Irfan Skilyan created back in 1996 and named after himself. The program is in demand even more than two decades after its creation. 32-bit and 64-bit installers are available separately. This way you can choose the one that best suits your system. 
The program is loved for the fact that there is nothing superfluous in it - only viewing and elementary photo editing. For other needs, a photo can be sent to third-party editors directly from the full-screen view.
Advantages:
- Support for multiple image formats
- Required Editing Capabilities
- Integration with external editors
- Support for Adobe BF8 plugins
- Ability to create panoramic photos
- batch converter
Flaws:
- No native file manager
- Outdated interface (for example, it is not possible to download an additional language pack through the program itself)
A relatively unknown player in the market, DIMIN View has its own trump cards. Probably the most interesting feature in comparison with analogues is the ability to create playlists from photos, a kind of simplified analogue of presentations. The playlist can be ordered, made up of pictures in different folders, and played in a slide show. 
DIMIN View is a kind of attempt to bring the logic of the iTunes library into the photo viewer. You do not need to transfer picture files to organize them into a group: just put them in a special playlist.
Advantages:
- Supports plugins
- Allows you to create photo collections that can be viewed like a music playlist
Flaws:
- Unusual interface logic
- Incorrect Russification (there is a translation, but we have not seen such problems with the display of Cyrillic since the days of Windows XP, so English is better, pliz!)
By the standards of unpretentious and small analogues, this program is a corrugated giant. WildBit has a wild appetite and requires over 100MB to install. However, these megabytes are not spent in vain: the program has something to show. 
Advantages:
- Many formats supported
- Great slideshow with a variety of effects
- Separate implementation for 32- and 64-bit systems
- Working with multiple monitors at the same time
- Built-in powerful editor
Flaws:
- Big size
- Redundancy of functions if you just need a view
The program with the sweetest name suggests that viewing photos through it is like eating honey - you stick and don't come off. Indeed, the developers turned out to be a good product, which rightfully took its place on the list.
One of the most interesting features of HoneyView that its competitors don't have is the integration with Google Maps. If the EXIF data of the photo contains the coordinates of the place where it was taken, then you can go to this place on Google Maps with one click, see the street panorama (if available) and use all other functions of the service. 
Just click on the "GPS" button, and the program opens the coordinates from these photos using the web version of Google Maps.
Among other things, it is a simple and easy photo viewer on a computer. Easy keyboard navigation, built-in thumbnail browser, basic editing and converting functions - this is probably the best choice for travel lovers.
Advantages:
- Easily view EXIF data and integrate it with Google Maps
- Support for rare formats (like .webp)
- Successful integration into the Windows context menu
- Menu in Russian
Flaws:
- Somewhat overloaded interface
An absolute masterpiece of minimalism. The program does not need to be installed and is distributed as a single executable file xlideit.exe. When launched, the application is built into the system automatically and generates configuration files, so it's best to immediately create a separate folder for it.
Since installation is not necessary, the program can be kept on a flash drive. This is convenient in many respects: for example, it allows you to view photos without launching the main program on a PC (you never know what the owner looked with it last time). 
For a file smaller than 3MB, Xlideit's capabilities are amazing. Opens different file formats, contains a built-in file manager and a set of tools for elementary processing - what more could you want from such a midget?
Advantages:
- Minimum size
- Works from anywhere on your computer, including removable media
- Rich Options
Flaws:
- Interface in English only
- Slows down when opening uncompressed photos
- Sometimes works unstable
Which viewer of the proposed ones is considered the best is a matter of taste. Each is different in some kind of “chip” - perhaps you will find a place on your computer for two or three at once. Thus, the author of the review believes that FastStone (as a universal viewer and editor) and HoneyView (as a tool for working with metadata) will make a good combination. On a flash drive with photos there is always a place for Xlideit. However, each user has different needs, so you can choose a different program or a set of them.
