IrfanView vs gThumb

IrfanView4.8Visit GgThumb—Visit

Higher score IrfanView #3 in Photo Viewer Software 4.8/10 Free plan · paid from $18 Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit IrfanView

vs

G gThumb #6 in Photo Viewer Software —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit gThumb

• IrfanView fits best

  Windows users needing batch image operations

• gThumb fits best

  Linux users wanting an organizer and editor

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Side by side

Feature	IrfanView 4.8/10 Visit ↗	GgThumb —/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	4.8	—
Ranking	#3 in Photo Viewer Software	#6 in Photo Viewer Software
Best for	Windows users needing batch image operations	Linux users wanting an organizer and editor
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Linux
Support	Email, Docs	Community
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features IrfanView 0/5 · gThumb 3/5
RAW image support	Not published	✓ (best)
Side-by-side compare	Not published	Not published
Contact sheets	Not published	Not published
Color management	Not published	✓ (best)
Metadata viewer	Not published	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Not published	Linux
Our review
Pros	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	Supports common formats plus RAW, HEIF, AVIF, SVG, and JPEG XL Combines metadata editing, file management, catalogs, and search Free, open-source desktop software with camera import and slideshows
Cons	Commercial use requires a perpetual license Available only on Windows Batch automation is manual rather than fully automated	Available for Linux distributions rather than multiple desktop platforms Editing tools focus on basic adjustments such as crop, rotation, and color controls Designed for GNOME workflows, which may not suit every desktop environment
Our verdict	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 →	gThumb is a desktop photo viewer, browser, editor, and organizer for Linux, with a focus on GNOME environments. It covers a wide range of image formats, including PNG, JPEG, WebP, SVG, JPEG XL, HEIF, AVIF, TIFF, GIF, and RAW. That makes it… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• 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

• gThumb — where it wins

  • Supports common formats plus RAW, HEIF, AVIF, SVG, and JPEG XL
  • Combines metadata editing, file management, catalogs, and search
  • Free, open-source desktop software with camera import and slideshows

  Where it doesn't

  • Available for Linux distributions rather than multiple desktop platforms
  • Editing tools focus on basic adjustments such as crop, rotation, and color controls
  • Designed for GNOME workflows, which may not suit every desktop environment

• IrfanView4.8/10 · Free plan · paid from $18

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

  Visit IrfanViewFull verdict →
• GgThumb—/10 · Free plan

  A broad Linux photo viewer with RAW support, metadata tools, catalogs, and conversion.

  Visit gThumbFull verdict →