FastStone Image Viewer vs IrfanView

FastStone Image Viewer9.1Visit IrfanView9.0Visit

Higher score FastStone Image Viewer #2 in Photo Viewer Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit FastStone

vs

IrfanView #3 in Photo Viewer Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit IrfanView

• FastStone Image Viewer fits best

  Windows users wanting a free all-round viewer

• IrfanView fits best

  Windows users needing batch image operations

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Side by side

Feature	FastStone Image Viewer 9.1/10 Visit ↗	IrfanView 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	9.0
Ranking	#2 in Photo Viewer Software	#3 in Photo Viewer Software
Best for	Windows users wanting a free all-round viewer	Windows users needing batch image operations
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$18/device one-time
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features FastStone Image Viewer 5/5 · IrfanView 0/5
RAW image support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Side-by-side compare	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Contact sheets	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Color management	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Metadata viewer	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Windows	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports camera RAW formats and EXIF metadata viewing Compares up to four images and creates configurable contact sheets Adds batch conversion, renaming, scanning, editing, slideshows, and portability	Free private use includes viewing, RAW support, and batch tools Batch conversion, renaming, resizing, and lossless JPEG operations Plugins and command-line options extend format and workflow support
Cons	Commercial use requires a paid lifetime license Available for Windows rather than multiple desktop platforms Its broad toolset may be more than casual viewers need	Commercial use requires a perpetual license Available only on Windows Batch automation is manual rather than fully automated
Our verdict	FastStone Image Viewer is a Windows desktop application for browsing, viewing, organizing, comparing, editing, converting, and presenting digital images. It suits Windows users who want more than a basic viewer, particularly photographers… Read the review →	IrfanView is a lightweight Windows desktop image viewer for beginners and professionals who need more than basic file viewing. It combines image viewing with conversion, optimization, scanning, printing, slideshows, and batch processing.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• FastStone Image Viewer — where it wins

  • Supports camera RAW formats and EXIF metadata viewing
  • Compares up to four images and creates configurable contact sheets
  • Adds batch conversion, renaming, scanning, editing, slideshows, and portability

  Where it doesn't

  • Commercial use requires a paid lifetime license
  • Available for Windows rather than multiple desktop platforms
  • Its broad toolset may be more than casual viewers need

• IrfanView — where it wins

  • Free private use includes viewing, RAW support, and batch tools
  • Batch conversion, renaming, resizing, and lossless JPEG operations
  • Plugins and command-line options extend format and workflow support

  Where it doesn't

  • Commercial use requires a perpetual license
  • Available only on Windows
  • Batch automation is manual rather than fully automated

• FastStone Image Viewer9.1/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows viewer with RAW support, comparison, batch tools, editing, and scanning.

  Visit FastStoneFull verdict →
• IrfanView9.0/10 · Free plan

  A practical Windows viewer for batch conversion, resizing, renaming, and RAW support.

  Visit IrfanViewFull verdict →