- January 02, 2020
- 30 min to read
With smartphones increasing in popularity, nowadays everyone (even a professional photographer) needs a tool that will help them to manage and organize their photos. After all, you do not want the risk of running out of storage space be the reason that do not capture every special moment? And with thousands of photos on your hard drive, you will for sure need a tool to help you track down a specific photo or remove those annoying duplicate photos.
When you first open the Photoshop Express image editor, you can load an image from your computer or take a new one directly from your webcam. Once a photo is open in Photoshop Express, the menus on the left make it really easy to access all the one-click options like filters, crop tools, image corrections, the red eye remover tool, and more. Verdict: FastStone Image Viewer is one of the best photo viewers for Mac and Windows, that can be used as a browser, converter, and image editor. FastStone is supplied with a plethora of photo editing tools.
Plus, let’s face it, hard drives do fail (and usually the day before you planned to make backups). Therefore, it is a very good idea to invest in a photo management software solution that lets you upload your pics to the cloud.
Though, the right photo management tool will offer you so much more than simply an organized storage space for your shots. Some tools will even let you add metadata about things like the camera model that was used, the dimensions, aperture value etc. The majority of these software solutions will also offer you a couple of standard editing tools such as color filters and cropping.
So, which features should you look for in a photo management tool? Here are 18 of the best photo management software solutions, in no particular order, that are currently available on the market. These will give you a good idea of what the current standard is.
1. Adobe Bridge
If you use the popular Adobe Creative Cloud software package, you will most likely already be very familiar with Adobe Bridge CC. It is a photo and digital asset management software solution that is compatible with both Windows as well as Mac OS.
With this free tool, you can access all the resources and files that you require for your specific project. It boasts several useful features that include on-demand metadata generation, batch photo editing, organizing general and individual files, watermarks, centralized color settings and much more.
To help you organize your different photo folders, you can use its metadata tools, tagging or rating features. Plus, you can also rename and organize a bunch of images at the same time.
It is also very simple to import pics or videos from your card reader, smartphone, tablet or digital camera, thanks to its picture upload feature. All things considered, it is one of the best solutions for professionals and can help them to streamline their workflow significantly. Though, it might be a bridge too far if you are looking for a tool that will help you to sort only your own (personal) photos.
2. Luminar 4
Luminar 4 boasts really great photo management features! The beauty of Luminar 4 is that it makes it easy to navigate your library with the help of shortcuts. For example, if you select “All Photos”, you can sort your photos either by their date of capture or the date on which the files were created. Another popular and easy-to-use shortcut is marking it as a Favourite. This way you can even add a star rating to all of your top photos.
You can also use folders to organize your photos. What makes this feature so convenient is that Luminar’s folders actually connect directly to your hard drive’s folders. This means that you can organize the folders of your hard drive via Luminar and the other way round. What’s more, you can then also group your photos together in Luminar by using albums without changing the location of the images on your actual hard drive! All in all, this is one of the best photo editing software solutions available on the market.
3. XnView
With the help of XnView, you can look at more than 400 photo formats and save as many as 50 different file formats. It is available free of charge for educational or non-commercial use and is compatible with Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems.
This multimedia viewer, photo converter and browser is powerful and boasts all the fundamental features, yet remains very simple to use and sleek. Some of its most popular features include lossless JPEG conversion, adjusting images automatically, a duplicate file finder, batch processing and a built-in picture editor. You can also use it to get info about all your images, making it one of the most popular tools for organizing your photos.
4. Nomacs
While Nomacs might be small, speed is for sure not something that you have to worry about as this free open-source image viewer is built for speed. After all, dynamite comes in small packages, right?
It is efficient and can be used with all of the most popular file formats which include PSD and RAW. Just like with XnView, you will get all the info about your pictures that you need.
One of its best features is that you can use it to synchronise different viewers who use the same local network or computer. It is also a great tool if you need to compare photos in order to identify differences. Some of its other useful features include a built-in graphics editor and automatic photo adjustment. It can be used with Mac OS, Linux and Windows platforms.
5. Google Photos
Google Photos is one of the best free photo management solutions that you can use for your videos and photos. Everything that you have come to expect, Google Photos can offer.
It is very simple to upload a photo. You can either use the button (that is somewhat difficult to spot) or the drag-and-drop feature which is much easier. As your videos and photos get uploaded and sorted to cloud storage automatically, it is a really convenient tool to add to your arsenal. It will sort out and display your panoramic photos and high dynamic range (HDR) ones in no time at all. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to sort out your albums and make suggestions regarding which images you should archive. What is more, you can also search for a specific photo or video at once, after it has been uploaded.
Some of its most popular features include creating metadata and drafts on request and photo batch processing. It also boasts a couple of basic photo editing tools that include color filters and cropping. Then, last but not least, all you have to do is select the pics that you want to share and either post it on social media, create a link or include it in one of your shared albums.
All things considered, Google Photos is the complete opposite of a tool like Adobe Bridge CC, making it the perfect tool if you are simply searching for a way to share those special moments with your friends and family members. And, thanks to the unlimited backup storage that is available if you choose not to upload it in full resolution, you do not have to make plans for when you run out of space. All things considered, with millions of users already who upload over a billion photos every single day, surely Google Photos is doing more than a couple of things right.
6. XnViewMP
If you like XnView, then you will really like XnViewMP which is an enhanced version of the first-mentioned. It is the ideal tool if you have to sort file formats that are not as common as it supports over 500 different image file formats. Unfortunately it does not arrange your photos for you automatically. However, it does offer a feature that you can use to edit the metadata and tags of your photos via a convenient batch mode. Thanks to this tool, you can issue those tags at the speed of light.
That being said, XnViewMP is more than just a basic photo management tool. You can also use it to create a graphic presentation, screenshot, slideshow or multipage animated file. Just like, XnView, XnViewMP is also compatible with Linux, Mac OS and Windows operating systems
7. Pictorial
If you are familiar with using Lightroom, you will find Picktorial quite similar. Though, Picktorial is more convenient as you do not have to create a directory or folder in Picktorial as you can work directly from your PC’s file system. What’s more, you can also modify its interface so that it suits all your specific tasks. Some of its other useful features and tools include color correction and image retouching. All things considered, it is a very practical photo editor that will help you to sort out your photos and even possibly edit them. Sadly, it is only compatible with Mac operating systems.
8. JetPhoto Studio
JetPhoto Studio is compatible with Windows and Mac OS and boasts almost all the tools you will need to sort out and edit your photos. This free photo management software solution boasts powerful photo batch processing, geo-tagging and tags. Although it does not offer cloud storage, you can use it to share your photos with others by making a Google Map gallery or using the JetPhoto Server or Flickr. And, if you use a browser that supports Flash, you can use JetPhoto Studio to create a Flash gallery in a flash.
9. Apowersoft Photo Viewer
If you are searching for a software solution that is really user-friendly, be sure to check out Apowersoft Photo Viewer. Its interface is very easy to use and understand! If you want to view one of your photos, all you have to do is click on it and it will be displayed instantly. Plus, with Apowersoft you can also view detailed info about your different images.
Compatible with Linux, Mac OS as well as Windows, it supports a wide range of file formats, which includes PDF. If you use Windows, you can even view your High Efficiency Image File Formats (HEIF or also called HEIC) directly.
Some of its other features include a built-in graphics editor, the ability to take screenshots and edit photos. That being said, its biggest perk is most likely the fact that it is very fast. Thanks to the use of advanced technology, you will be able to work at the speed of light. All in all, Apowersoft is truly a powerful software just as the name suggests!
10. StudioLine Photo Basic
If you use Windows and are searching for basic photo editing tools as well as a tool that can help you to manage your photos, you will like what StudioLine Photo Basic has to offer. With this free software solution, you can rotate, crop, correct red eyes and resize your photos. It also lets you add tags and descriptions to your photos. Then, after you are done editing and organizing your photos, be sure to use the online gallery to publish and share your images with your friends and family members. Or, even better yet, why not use it to create a slideshow of all your best memories?
11. FastStone Image Viewer
Video Editors For Mac
FastStone Image Viewer is another great free photo management software solution for Windows users that supports all the big file formats. In addition to its wide selection of features that will help you to manage your photo memories, it also boasts several photo editing tools that you can use to tweak and manipulate your images. Some of its most popular features include EXIF data viewing, resizing, image viewing, red-eye removal, cropping and tagging.
Although it is very easy to use, it sadly does not offer cloud storage and you cannot use it to upload your “share-worthy” pics to social media sites. So, if you are happy just to store your photos on your laptop, FastStone Image Viewer is one of the best programmes for Windows.
12. digiKam Photo Manager
With digiKam Photo Manager, you can organize your photos by means of albums, tags or folders quickly. What’s more, you can also view and edit your metadata and it boasts a built-in graphics editor and RAW support too. All things considered, its intuitive interface makes this advanced app one of the most popular picks amongst Mac OS and Windows users.
Free Photo Management Software
13. MAGIX Photo Manager
This is one of the magic tools for Windows users (and the MAGIX Photo Manager Deluxe version offers great value for your money too). With this free tool, you can sort out your images effortlessly and quickly, locate specific videos, see detailed info about your images, share your best pics and make the most effective use of your library.
Its clean interface is easy to understand and use and, what’s more, it also offers a couple of tools that you can use to correct your images. If you simply want to use it to sort out your photos, you can use it to arrange your photos according to tags, date or the actual name of the file.
14. Flickr
Flickr is one of the best-known tools for organizing and managing your pics. It offers impressive storage space and lets you set your own privacy settings which is very useful.
It is also very easy to upload and edit your photos. With its built-in photo editing tool, you do a couple of basic tasks like cropping, adjusting the color and applying a blur effect. It also has a batch feature that makes it easy to edit multiple photos.
And, if you are worried that your edited version will not look better than the original, you can simply save it as a copy instead. Then, when you are done playing around with different frames, filters and brushes, remember to use Flickr to share your creations on social media or use the link and embed it on your blog.
15. Phototheca
Phototheca is one of the top photo management software solutions that are compatible with Windows. With the help of this free tool, you can view, arrange and share your videos and images effortlessly. Just like most of the other tools mentioned already, it also shares detailed info about your individual pics. All you have to do is upload your digital images to its database and then you can arrange them according to date or event or even organize them by creating a specific album. If you can look past its dated interface, this tool is one to add to your list.
16. SmugMug
You have got to love the name of this program! This software solution has actually been on the market for over a decade already and can be used by both pros as well as amateurs.
Similar to Flickr (it actually obtained Flickr), it offers great privacy and security features. While it does offer editing tools, it only has the basics like color effects and cropping. Though, what it might lack in the editing department, it makes up for when it comes to layout. The default layout is easy to use and understand, but you can also select other color schemes or themes. It is also super simple to organize your photos manually thanks to its drag-and-drop feature.
All things considered, it is this intuitive experience and smart features like the upload progress bar that make it one of the top tools.
17. PicaJet Digital Photo Management
With PicaJet, you can view your photos by date, rating or keyword and automatically sort out your photos at the speed of light. It also boasts a host of other features that include image sharing, automatic photo enhancement, a photo search engine, direct import and basic editing tools. And, if you want to get more creative than simple cropping or red-eye removal, you will love its slideshow feature.
18. 500px
One of the most attractive features of 500px is that it is suitable for professionals as well as amateurs. In fact, it has a very nice marketplace feature that pros can use to connect with their customers and generate some extra money. Even though you will not be able to upload a whole folder in one go, it is pretty straightforward to upload your photos one for one. Plus, you will also be able to include metadata, while it will add recommended tags automatically.
That being said, there are some glaring areas that need improvement. For starters, the interface is not that modern and sleek as you have come to expect and also not that intuitive. Another feature that it lacks, which most of the other programs mentioned in this list offer, is a couple of photo editing tools. While 500x allows you to edit the metadata, users are unable to edit their actual pics.
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.
10 Best Photo Viewers
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.
1. Windows Photo Viewer
Best photo viewer for Windows
- Intuitive interface
- Works with GIF images
- Supports different file formats
- Reduces file size
Basic Image Editor For Mac
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.
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2. ACDSee Ultimate
View photos inside ZIPs without extracting them
- Excellent photo editing capabilities
- Fast performance
- The ability to zoom in
- Mouse wheel is too sensitive
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.
- Check out this ACDSee Review.
3. FastStone Image Viewer
Perfect program for comparing and sorting multiple images
- Different tools for basic picture editing
- Excellent keyboard controls
- Rather fast
- Some operations may cause lags
- Lack of photo rating
If you are looking for the best photos viewer, 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.
4. Movavi Photo Viewer
Best image manager
- Supports 60 file formats
- Fast and reliable software
- Batch resize photos
- Easy to navigate
- Can lag working with large images
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.
- Check out this Movavi Photo Editor Review.
5. Apowersoft Photo Viewer
Provides batch image edit
- Supports numerous image formats
- Works as a PDF reader
- Has a built-in photo editor
- User-oriented interface
- Doesn’t include a photo management feature
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.
6. 123 Photo Viewer
Fast magnification feature
- Easy navigation
- Includes various filters and effects
- Batch image format conversion
- Fast magnification
- Unappealing interface
- Sometimes may lag
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.
7. IrfanView
Packed with features
- Batch image editing
- Opens almost all image formats
- Numerous plug-ins
- Super-fast
- Works only on Windows
- The interface may seem confusing
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 to organize, convert and retouch photos, IrfanView will help you effectively handle these tasks.
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8. HoneyView
Best interface
- Amazingly fast
- Supports different image formats
- Slideshow supports numerous transition effects
- Sleek and uncluttered interface
- Few editing options
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.
9. ImageGlass
Conveniently displays image information
- Lightweight
- Clean and user-friendly interface
- Different color profiles
- Zooming is not smooth
- Doesn’t include basic image editing tools
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.
10. XnView
Supports over 500 image formats
- Compatible with Linux, Windows and Mac OS
- Photo rating feature
- Basic picture editing tools
- The ability to tag photos
- The batch image processing features could work better
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.
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Ann Young
Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more