IrfanView vs Gwenview

IrfanView9.0Visit Gwenview8.4Visit

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

vs

Gwenview #7 in Photo Viewer Software 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit KDE

• IrfanView fits best

  Windows users needing batch image operations

• Gwenview fits best

  Linux users wanting viewing and annotation

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	IrfanView 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Gwenview 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.4
Ranking	#3 in Photo Viewer Software	#7 in Photo Viewer Software
Best for	Windows users needing batch image operations	Linux users wanting viewing and annotation
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	$18/device one-time	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Linux
Support	Email, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features IrfanView 0/5 · Gwenview 3/5
RAW image support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Side-by-side compare	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Contact sheets	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Color management	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Metadata viewer	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	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	Side-by-side viewing, thumbnails, filtering, and full-screen slideshows Annotations include arrows, shapes, text boxes, and stamps Color-profile handling plus JPEG EXIF comment viewing and editing
Cons	Commercial use requires a perpetual license Available only on Windows Batch automation is manual rather than fully automated	Available for Linux rather than multiple desktop platforms Editing tools focus on basic crop, rotate, resize, mirror, and flip actions Metadata editing is limited to JPEG comments
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 →	Gwenview is KDE’s desktop image and video viewer for Linux, built for browsing and displaying image collections. Its Browse and View modes support thumbnail navigation, folder-based discovery, filtering by filename, date, tag, or rating,… 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

• Gwenview — where it wins

  • Side-by-side viewing, thumbnails, filtering, and full-screen slideshows
  • Annotations include arrows, shapes, text boxes, and stamps
  • Color-profile handling plus JPEG EXIF comment viewing and editing

  Where it doesn't

  • Available for Linux rather than multiple desktop platforms
  • Editing tools focus on basic crop, rotate, resize, mirror, and flip actions
  • Metadata editing is limited to JPEG comments

• IrfanView9.0/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit IrfanViewFull verdict →
• Gwenview8.4/10 · Free plan

  A capable open-source Linux viewer with annotation, comparison, and collection tools.

  Visit KDEFull verdict →