XnView MP vs Loupe

XnView MP9.3Visit Loupe8.2Visit

Higher score XnView MP #1 in Photo Viewer Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit XnView MP

vs

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

• XnView MP fits best

  Cross-platform power users and photo managers

• Loupe fits best

  Linux users wanting a simple modern viewer

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	XnView MP 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Loupe 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.2
Ranking	#1 in Photo Viewer Software	#8 in Photo Viewer Software
Best for	Cross-platform power users and photo managers	Linux users wanting a simple modern viewer
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	€3.90/unit one-time	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Linux
Support	Docs	Docs, Community
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business
Features XnView MP 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, macOS, Linux	linux
Our review
Pros	Opens more than 500 formats, including camera RAW files Compares up to four images side by side Combines catalog search, metadata editing, and batch tools	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 company use requires a paid license Per-license pricing may complicate larger deployments Feature depth may exceed the needs of simple viewers	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	XnView MP is a desktop photo viewer and organizer for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is suited to photographers, photo managers, and cross-platform power users who need more than basic image opening. The software handles more than 500 image… 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

• XnView MP — where it wins

  • Opens more than 500 formats, including camera RAW files
  • Compares up to four images side by side
  • Combines catalog search, metadata editing, and batch tools

  Where it doesn't

  • Commercial company use requires a paid license
  • Per-license pricing may complicate larger deployments
  • Feature depth may exceed the needs of simple viewers

• 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

• XnView MP9.3/10 · Free plan

  A format-rich desktop viewer with serious cataloging, metadata, and batch tools.

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

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

  Visit LoupeFull verdict →