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FastStone Image Viewer vs Microsoft Paint

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

FastStone Image Viewer icon
FastStone Image Viewer
Microsoft Paint icon
Microsoft Paint

FastStone Image Viewer vs Microsoft Paint: The Verdict

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature FastStone Image Viewer Microsoft Paint
Sugggest Score
Category Photos & Graphics Photos & Graphics

Product Overview

FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone Image Viewer

Description: FastStone Image Viewer is a free, lightweight image viewing and organizing program. It has an intuitive interface and supports a wide range of image formats like JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP as well as raw formats from major DSLRs. Useful features include batch editing tools, screen capture, color schemes, and the ability to view images in full screen slideshows.

Type: software

Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Paint

Description: Microsoft Paint is a simple raster graphics editor that comes pre-installed with Microsoft Windows. It allows users to draw simple images, crop and resize images, and apply basic edits like rotating images and changing color palettes. Common uses are making simple diagrams, editing screenshots, and basic image manipulation.

Type: software

Key Features Comparison

FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone Image Viewer Features
  • Supports all major image formats (JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, BMP, PCX, TGA, WMF, ICO, etc)
  • Powerful image viewing features (zooming, panning, rotating, scrolling, drag-and-drop, etc)
  • Many image processing tools (resize, crop, color adjustments, add text/watermark, etc)
  • Batch conversion tools for converting images between formats, resizing, renaming, etc
  • Screen capture tool
  • Slideshow function
  • Basic image editing (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc)
  • Support for RAW files
  • Thumbnail preview pane
  • EXIF and IPTC metadata viewer
Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Paint Features
  • Basic drawing tools (brush, pencil, eraser, etc)
  • Basic shape tools (rectangle, ellipse, etc)
  • Simple image editing tools (crop, resize, rotate, flip, etc)
  • Basic text insertion
  • Basic color palette editing
  • Saving images in common formats like JPEG, PNG, GIF
  • Opening and editing image files
  • Copy and paste images or parts of images

Pros & Cons Analysis

FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone Image Viewer
Pros
  • Free and open source
  • Intuitive and easy to use interface
  • Fast and lightweight
  • Supports many image formats
  • Lots of useful viewing, editing and organizing features
Cons
  • Lacks some advanced editing features of paid software
  • No cloud sync or storage features
  • No mobile app version
  • Limited batch editing capabilities compared to Lightroom
Microsoft Paint
Microsoft Paint
Pros
  • Simple and easy to use
  • Comes pre-installed on Windows
  • Good for basic image editing and drawing
  • Intuitive interface
  • Lightweight and fast
Cons
  • Very limited features compared to advanced editors
  • Lack of layers makes complex image editing difficult
  • Few advanced image manipulation tools
  • Can only edit flat images, no 3D or vector graphics
  • Saving can degrade image quality compared to source formats

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