TechRadar Verdict

With tools to view, manage and edit pictures individually or in batches, plus Photoshop plug-in support, XnView might be the only photo software you need.

Pros

+
Clear interface
+
Powerful editor and viewer
+
Photoshop plugin support

Cons

-
Installer is a little confusing

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XnView was conceived as an image viewer, but over the years it's developed into much more. As well as providing you with countless way to display browse through your photo collection – including slideshows – XnView also features image editing tools to help you make the most of your photos.

XnView

Where to download: http://www.xnview.com/

Type: Photo editor

Developer: XnSoft

Operating system: Windows

Version: 2.4

There's so much to like about XnView, but the real joy comes from realizing how well thought out it is. Just about every eventuality has been catered for, and there's endless scope for getting the program to work the way you want. Want to preview images in the Windows context menu? No problem. Want to convert between formats or batch process a load of photos with a watermark? Ditto.

There's also TWAIN support for capturing scans of photos, a screen capture tool, and much more. You'll quickly discover that XnView is more of an image toolkit than a viewer.

User experience

XnView works like a cross between Windows Explorer and a web browser, with a tabbed interface that makes it easy to work with multiple files and tools. The first tab is home to the browser, which you used to navigate through folders of images. Previews are displayed to the right by default (though you can change this using the View menu), and any image you select is opened in a new tab.

When viewing a single picture, XnView switches to editor mode where you can crop, rotate and otherwise tinker with your image. Automated tools like red-eye correction and auto-levels make basic corrections straightforward, and for more dramatic changes there's a huge choice of effects and filters. There's even support for Photoshop plugins, enabling you to extend it to your heart's content. XnView may not be a full replacement for Adobe's heavy-duty editor, but for everyday tweaking – and a bit beyond – it is more than up to the job.

Getting the most out of XnView requires delving through the menu system, but this is hardly an arduous task. With support for a huge range of image formats and an impressive selection of tools, it could be the only photo management and editing tool you need.

Latest updates

The latest version of XnView includes bug fixes and updates, including improvements to color profiles and export options. For full details, see the official release notes.

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.

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