FastStone Image Viewer vs Loupe

FastStone Image Viewer9.1Visit Loupe8.2Visit

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

vs

Loupe #8 in Photo Viewer Software 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Loupe

• FastStone Image Viewer fits best

  Windows users wanting a free all-round viewer

• Loupe fits best

  Linux users wanting a simple modern viewer

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Side by side

Feature	FastStone Image Viewer 9.1/10 Visit ↗	Loupe 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.2
Ranking	#2 in Photo Viewer Software	#8 in Photo Viewer Software
Best for	Windows users wanting a free all-round viewer	Linux users wanting a simple modern viewer
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Linux
Support	Email, Docs	Docs, Community
Built for	Solo, Small business, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features FastStone Image Viewer 5/5 · Loupe 2/5
RAW image support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Side-by-side compare	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Contact sheets	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Color management	✓	✓
Metadata viewer	✓	✓
Specs
Supported platforms	Windows	linux
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 and open-source with file chooser, file manager, and drag-and-drop workflows Shows image properties and embedded EXIF metadata Includes crop, rotate, flip, zoom, trash, copy, and send actions
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	Available on Linux rather than across multiple desktop platforms Basic editing tools do not replace a full image editor Format support can vary by system, with RAW support not established as standard
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 →	Loupe, also presented as GNOME Image Viewer, is a desktop application for opening, browsing, and viewing images on Linux. It suits users who want a simple viewer that can open files from a chooser, file manager, or drag-and-drop action,… 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

• Loupe — where it wins

  • Free and open-source with file chooser, file manager, and drag-and-drop workflows
  • Shows image properties and embedded EXIF metadata
  • Includes crop, rotate, flip, zoom, trash, copy, and send actions

  Where it doesn't

  • Available on Linux rather than across multiple desktop platforms
  • Basic editing tools do not replace a full image editor
  • Format support can vary by system, with RAW support not established as standard

• FastStone Image Viewer9.1/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit FastStoneFull verdict →
• Loupe8.2/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source Linux viewer for straightforward browsing, metadata, and basic image edits.

  Visit LoupeFull verdict →