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FastStone Image Viewer vs Windows Photo Viewer

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

FastStone Image Viewer icon
FastStone Image Viewer
Windows Photo Viewer icon
Windows Photo Viewer

FastStone Image Viewer vs Windows Photo Viewer: The Verdict

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature FastStone Image Viewer Windows Photo Viewer
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

Windows Photo Viewer
Windows Photo Viewer

Description: Windows Photo Viewer is the default image viewer included with Windows operating systems. It provides basic photo viewing functionality like zooming, rotating, and basic editing.

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
Windows Photo Viewer
Windows Photo Viewer Features
  • View photos and images
  • Zoom in and out
  • Rotate images
  • Perform basic image editing like cropping, red eye removal, color correction
  • Set image as desktop background
  • Print photos
  • Slideshow viewer

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
Windows Photo Viewer
Windows Photo Viewer
Pros
  • Simple and easy to use
  • Fast and lightweight
  • Comes pre-installed with Windows
  • Supports common image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF
  • Allows basic editing
Cons
  • Limited editing capabilities
  • No batch processing or automation
  • Lacks advanced features of dedicated photo editors
  • Discontinued after Windows 10

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