Best photo viewers for PC in 2026

Windows can open a picture on its own, but a dedicated viewer helps when you handle RAW files, animated WebP, or folders with hundreds of images. This page covers five free photo viewers for PC: XnView MP, Honeyview, ImageGlass, FastStone Image Viewer and nomacs. They are listed in catalog order, and none is placed above the others.

The installers range from 7.7 MB (Honeyview) to 65.9 MB (XnView MP). Licences differ too, and update dates vary, which matters if you want a viewer that is still maintained. Each entry below describes what the app does, what it lacks, and who it suits.

Compare at a glance

Comparison table: Best photo viewers for PC in 2026
App	Price	Size
XnView MPOfficial file	Free	65.9 MB
HoneyviewOfficial file	Free	7.7 MB
ImageGlassOfficial file	Free	44.3 MB
FastStone Image ViewerOfficial file	Free	11.9 MB
nomacsOfficial file	Free	45.3 MB

XnView MP: best for large format coverage and photo management

65.9 MB Official file

XnView MP, from Pierre-e Gougelet, combines an image viewer with photo management and a resizer. Its format list is long: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, WEBP, PSD, JPEG2000, JPEG-XL, OpenEXR, camera RAW, HEIF, HEIC, AVIF, PDF, DNG and CR2.

Version 1.12.2.0 was updated on October 12, 2026. It is free, uses a proprietary licence, and takes 65.9 MB, the largest download of the five.

The developer positions it for beginners and professionals alike.

Pros

Very long list of supported formats, including HEIC, AVIF and camera RAW
Updated October 12, 2026
Free, with built-in photo management and resizing

Cons

Largest installer of the group at 65.9 MB
Proprietary licence, so the source is not open

Open XnView MP

Honeyview: best for a small, quick viewer with batch conversion

7.7 MB Official file

Honeyview from Bandisoft is the smallest download here at 7.7 MB. It is freeware, and the current version is 5.53.

It reads EXIF data in JPEG files, including GPS information, and plays animated GIF and WebP files. It can also convert images in batches with resizing, and open images inside zipped files without extracting them. Supported formats include BMP, JPG, PNG, PSD, DDS, TGA, TIFF and BPG, plus raw formats.

The last update was on June 21, 2024, much older than the others. That is worth weighing if you open newer file types.

Pros

Only 7.7 MB
Reads images inside zip files without extracting them
Batch conversion with resizing

Cons

Last updated June 21, 2024, the oldest of the five
Freeware licence, not open source

Open Honeyview

ImageGlass: best for an open source viewer with over 80 formats

44.3 MB Official file

ImageGlass is by Duong Dieu Phap and is released under GPL-3.0. Version 10.0.906.0 was updated on September 5, 2026, and the installer is 44.3 MB.

The developer describes it as a lightweight viewer with a clean interface. It supports over 80 image formats, among them WEBP, GIF, SVG, PNG, JXL and HEIC. The developer also mentions extra functions for designers.

It is free. For people who prefer open source tools and a recent release, it is a straightforward pick.

Pros

Over 80 supported formats, including SVG, JXL and HEIC
Open source under GPL-3.0
Updated September 5, 2026

Cons

The advanced features are not itemized
44.3 MB is larger than Honeyview or FastStone

Open ImageGlass

FastStone Image Viewer: best for light editing in a small package

11.9 MB Official file

FastStone Image Viewer, from FastStone Corporation, is both a browser and a basic editor. Its tools cover comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping, retouching and color adjustments.

The full-screen mode uses hidden toolbars that appear when the mouse touches the screen edge. They give quick access to EXIF information, a thumbnail browser and the main functions.

Version 8.5 was updated on June 24, 2026, and the installer is 11.9 MB. It is free under a proprietary licence. Check your file types before relying on it.

Pros

Includes red-eye removal, cropping and color adjustments
Full-screen mode with EXIF and thumbnails on hover
Compact at 11.9 MB

Cons

No published format list
Proprietary licence

Open FastStone Image Viewer

nomacs: best for metadata, histograms and browsing zip archives

45.3 MB Official file

nomacs comes from TU Wien. It is free and open source under GPL-3.0, and it runs on multiple platforms. Version 3.22.4 was updated on October 1, 2026, and the download is 45.3 MB.

It opens common image formats, including RAW and PSD. Semi-transparent widgets show thumbnails, metadata or a histogram over the picture. It can browse images in zip or MS Office files, and you can add notes to an image.

That mix suits people who care about the data attached to photos, not only the picture itself.

Pros

Shows metadata and histogram in overlay widgets
Browses zip and MS Office files
Open source and updated October 1, 2026

Cons

45.3 MB installer
No specific format names beyond RAW and PSD

Open nomacs

How we picked

This list rests on catalog data only: price, licence, version, update date, installer size and the features each developer describes. Google Play ratings and install counts have no meaning for these Windows programs, so none are used here. We did not try the apps ourselves, so there are no claims about speed or stability in daily use. The order follows our catalog data and is not a ranking of quality.

Questions and answers

Are these photo viewers free?

Yes. All five are free. Licences vary: XnView MP and FastStone are proprietary, Honeyview is freeware, and ImageGlass and nomacs use GPL-3.0.

Which viewer has the smallest download?

Honeyview, at 7.7 MB. FastStone Image Viewer follows at 11.9 MB. XnView MP is the largest at 65.9 MB.

Which ones were updated most recently?

XnView MP, updated October 12, 2026, and nomacs, updated October 1, 2026. Honeyview has the oldest update, June 21, 2024.

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