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IrfanView

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IrfanView User Reviews

Popular in Graphics and Photo

5 stars		28
4 stars		6
3 stars		1
2 stars		2
1 star		0
Based on 37 reviews

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Based on 37 user reviews
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Have used for long time and now on windows11

by thesurfguru62 Nov 19, 2021

Probably the best editor and viewer ever made as freeware! has so much packed into a little program would recommend to everyone TheSurfGuru

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Multi-featured graphics viewer and more

by TerryP May 15, 2015 (Read all my 87 reviews)

An easy-to-use, but very capable Swiss-knife graphics viewer for viewing and converting a wide variety of graphic files and metadata. Also works with many audio and video media file formats using additional plugins. Has a ton of features to handle nearly any task short of advanced editing. Very quick and stable operation and a surprisingly small download considering everything this program can do.

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Perfect!

by darkocean May 28, 2014 (Read all my 36 reviews)

Oh this is NICE! I did find a very useful program to easily convert all my image files to another image format. It's a snap to use I consider this very user friendly. However watch out as it will try and set Google chrome as your home page and try and get you to download the Google toolbar, very annoying. To stop this check off the "set home page" option first, then the the toolbar one. And download the program. I really appreciate this program. If you've ever tried using those annoying image converters online that have a file size limit and or a file type limit you know what a hassle it is just convert one blasted picture. It'll speed up your work dramatically. Click on batch convert have the program open up the folder where your images are and drag the images into the white box. Choose what file type you want them all to be, click browse for where you want them to go and click start batch, and your done, easy. Found a gem in my search so keeping this one! If you make images do not pass this up its very handy. Update: the blue is so fine that it acts like a smooth it will not over blur your image like other editors i have found . Thank you for replying to my email Irfan! :)

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My all time favorite ...

by PogMoHon Mar 09, 2014 (Read all my 22 reviews)

... since it came into existence in the mid-nineties. I'm not saying it can't use a few improvements, but I am saying that e.g. Microsoft, all these years, hasn't been able te convince me of any other, better, platform-specific image-viewer/handler. Works on any Windows system (don't know though if IrfanView is ready for Windows mobile devices as I don't use those).

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Great!

by Raverx Aug 21, 2011 (Read all my 13 reviews)

Yay! Finally, some software that will quickly and easily create .ico files. Now I can change those boring stock manilla-folder Windows XP directory icons to those of my own choosing. Why didn't Microsoft think of this?

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Must have

by Keysmith May 05, 2011 (Read all my 4 reviews)

For quick view and basic editing i cannot thing of a better option. Simple, fast and able to open and manipulate numerous formats. Excellent for batch jobs (scans, resizes, watermark adding). One needs two programs for image editing. Irfanview is the first. The other would be perhaps photoshop for more advanced editing. Must have also for web developers due to extremely fast and efficient crops, resizes, rotates and other basic editing. PS. Remember to install plug-ins package for more features.

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Very good, but many shortcomings

by FlatTop Dec 07, 2010 (Read all my 2 reviews)

This popular viewer is small and fast, and can do many useful things. However, the separate browser/viewer design can be distracting to some users. To randomly view a large number of photos, you have to constantly shuttle between the 2 windows, since there is no preview function in the browser, and the 2 windows cannot be synchronized. Although thumbnail size is selectable, the selection is limited to fixed square layout; and there is a lot of wasted space between thumbnails. If you want to preview a large number of photos, try XnView. XnView has an excellent preview function, allows you to set thumbnail size in any way, is infinitely configurable. If you have a dual-monitor, you can even fill one screen entirely with thumbnails and instantly view a picture in the other!

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Best image viewer. Opens all image files

by dgadga Nov 14, 2010

I have been using Irfanview from its early days. It is the simple image viewer with basic image editing capabilities. Using Irfanview you can view almost all image file types. Setting File associations and removing file associations is easy. After installing the main program I recommend you to download and and install the Irfanview plugins too. As far as opening and viewing image files Irfanview is the best. Be sure to review the installation messages because some other software is combined with this installer.

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Not bad at all!

by JamJar May 01, 2010 (Read all my 27 reviews)

I've used this program off and on for ages, usually to resize images and make the odd adjustments. Although I think it's just a basic editor and there's many other programs that do better job in that regard that's not what the program is about. It also has the ability to support Photoshop plug- ins which give it more ooomph!!!

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Basic

by boofby Oct 25, 2009 (Read all my 14 reviews)

The program still looks the same as it did years ago. Is light and fast, and a lot of options but still basic enough for novices. I would have given it a 5 but for the toolbar install; anything that makes you opt-out of a third party software offering you didn't ask for automatically gets a -1.

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The best

by desertjon Jul 04, 2009 (Read all my 18 reviews)

Wouldn't be without it..Irfanview is the best on the market

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Irfanview user since 1996

by Yapper44 Apr 05, 2009 (Read all my 3 reviews)

Best little graphic editorial program out there! I was introduced to Irfanview in 1996. Tried other picture viewers/graphic editors along the way, but always came back to Irfanview. The interface can be a little intimidating to a newbie, but load a picture and play around with it. You'll get the hang of it and will definitely wanna keep it. Did I mention it's free? There's lots of features and endless possibilities. I have tons of compatible filters/plugins installed (converted to 8bf format using plugin commander) and the sky's the limit on what you can do with one picture, not to mention the effects already built into Irfanview itself. I might also note that I have sent the author several questions over the years and he has answered each and every one of them in a short time. Also, Irfanview does not contain sypware/adware. A definite must-have for me. Stopped using other programs. They just don't do what this one does.

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There are certain things..

by Ericks Oct 09, 2008 (Read all my 10 reviews)

There are certain things in life you take for granted. You can't do without and don't even realize how much you depend on. One of these things is IrfanView. I have been using this little gem for years, almost on a daily basis. It was the first freeware I ever downloaded. In the mean time it grew, many features were added and that I actually don't use. But it's one of those programs that will also be on my computer.

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Mind boggle for beginners

by gimpguy Sep 04, 2008 (Read all my 1159 reviews)

Sure those of us who are used to IrfanView can safely say, it's great, but I think for beginners this may have too many features. I remember using it for the first time and my eyes hurt. It's an excellent free all around handler but sometimes I feel it's too much in some respects. I have a few separate apps for what I need to accomplish without the whirl pool of features that's IrfanView. That said, I think it's simply a matter of taste more than anything. I can't really say it's bad because it's far from that, just not what I look for I guess. Still a great software though, can't deny that.

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Light on resources yet powerful

by Rustyboy Jun 29, 2008 (Read all my 33 reviews)

One meg download, uses little ram compared to a lot of the others, has an impressive range of features (and many extensions via plugins). The only downside for me is the way the thumbnail window displays separately. An integrated one would have been better. Brilliant for creating a slide show or converting/resizing/altering/renaming a heap of image files at once. I have been using Irfanview for about a squillion years. Well, almost.

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Not as pretty as some, but better than most

by BENDECHO Apr 29, 2008 (Read all my 5 reviews)

This program does it all, the viewing is not as good as paid for thumbnail based proggies, however the extra possibilities make this proggie a MUST HAVE ! Batch conversion, utilizing multiple possibilities for resizing, quality and compression. Awesome. It views as good as every format you should encounter in images and is just a simple MUST HAVE on your PC.

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The number one freeware image viewer

by Toscana Dec 25, 2007 (Read all my 5 reviews)

Considering that this image and photo viewer is free, it has a truly impressive set of features. Furthermore, much of what is missing from the base package, such as viewing video clips can be added by downloading and installing plugins. Now even a plugin for some image editing is available, although keeping all the modules up to date naturally takes some effort. Extra bonus: What I need and like is that Irfan also includes command line processing. That is very handy say for creating a set of thumbnails at one go. And the author has been very helpful. Thanks! What I would still like to have to make Irfan near perfect would be a much better red-eye correction. To be useful, the relevant area selection should optionally be circular, not just rectangular.

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The best free image viewer and editor

by cbcs777 Dec 24, 2007

I use this program more than any.

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This program is amazing

by llsee46 Oct 03, 2007 (Read all my 4 reviews)

It seems like I have been using IrfanView for ever. Even though I own (purchased) 2 heavy duty image editors, and have tried most of the freeware full blown editors, this little program still meets 85% of my editing needs. For resizing, orientation, color correction, format conversion and effects, this little piece of freeware beats the big boys. It is frequently updated, has a small footprint and plenty of plugins to expand its usability. Unless you are a professional photographer (or aspire to be one) this program should meet your needs. And even if you are a pro, this program allows you to get rid of that awful Windows Image viewer!! Oh, and did I mention it's free??

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Best all-round image viewer and converter

by Sianlover Aug 14, 2007 (Read all my 6 reviews)

There are many, many graphics viewers and converters. Some do certain things better than Irfanview, as well as certain things that Irfanview can not do at all. However, this being said, those programs that are noticeably better than Irfanview tend to be very much larger, and do not offer such all-round ease of use.

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The best. bar none

by jackfrost May 13, 2007 (Read all my 35 reviews)

I have used this for about 10 years. it is the first thing i put on any pc after the o.s. and patches. i use it frequently all through out the day from movie viewing, mp3 listening and advanced photo editing. i do not give a rats ass about thumbnails, in fact, i hate them and find them incredibly annoying, so i could care less about that particular area of the program. it is incredibly easy to just go to Irfans website and get the plugins. there is nothing hard about that. it is easy as going to any other website, like this one for example. i always keep my plugins folder backed up so i can just copy-paste when building a new rig, and all one has to do is tell the program where the Photoshop filters are and you can use them too. it is indispensable, so much in fact i will never consider another image viewer, not ever (unless Irfan goes bonkers and screws the code up bad... in which case, i'll just use one of the many older versions i have archived). hey, it works portably also!

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Simply the best . . .

by JMMannion Jan 30, 2007 (Read all my 25 reviews)

I have been using IrfanView since 1997. I have tried dozens of others along the way and this remains my favorite. It is a program that has about everything I need for serious image viewing. No nonsense and straight forward. It has been my default viewer since I first installed it. It is really my right arm and I strongly recommend this wonderful program. JMM

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My default image viewer

by Pomtidom Dec 15, 2006 (Read all my 2 reviews)

I love this little program. I have been using it for many years now and I use it everyday for all kind of things. Touching up my pictures, editing screenshots or converting between formats. Irfan does it all with much ease which makes it the most versatile picture viewer around. It's my default viewer anyway. Whenever I install a computer I, one of the first things I add to it is this little gem. Of course it does not replace the real photo retouching software like photoshop or photoimpact. But it has the advantage of being much, much more quicker and above all: its free!

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Great viewer and tons of options

by DirectInfo Dec 14, 2006 (Read all my 8 reviews)

This is a complete freeware program. Easy to use. It gets my highest recommendation. For more detailed editing I also recommend Photo Filtre.

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The best for image viewing, basic touch-up.

by richderuiter Dec 08, 2006 (Read all my 2 reviews)

I've been using IrfanView for a long time and simply haven't found anything easier for viewing images in a large directory, for touching them up, simple editing and almost anything I want to do with my images. For serious "Photoshop"-type editing, this is not a program for you. For simple things like adjusting the brightness and color (Shift-g), cropping (select, CTRL-y), size (CTRL-r), compression and format (CTRL-s), name (F6), etc., there is nothing on the same level. Sure there are a lot of settings, but that's just a function of it's power and customizability. It's just the best little image view around. Take 10 minutes to learn it and you'll be glad you did. I work with hundred of images and find Picasa to be great at finding images through multiple, large directories, but Irfanview is better at previewing them and doing minor touch-up. It'll even do batch renaming, or color/gamma-shifting, if you want!

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Swiss-army knife

by pepoluan Sep 25, 2006 (Read all my 23 reviews)

It supports virtually all formats in the world (except .mbm, sadly). It can convert any picture file into wallpaper. It can resize/resample. It can change bit depths. It can crop. It can set brightness/contrast/gamma. On top of it, it can do all this in batches (i.e. multiple files in one operation). Ultimately, it's free!

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Irreplaceable

by sundog_279 Jun 19, 2006 (Read all my 6 reviews)

A brilliant irreplaceable part of my image processing suit. On a low budget I use a variety of out-of-date, barely adequate software to develop images for the websites I create. Irfanview allows me to process images, cross-platform and older file types in moments. It allows to produce cutting edge final images from shambolic software. I would be lost without it. One negative, it is complex and can make your head spin when you first get into learning all the features!

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Use irfanview extensively

by rosiebug May 29, 2006

I've used Irfanview for several years,and recommend it to everyone. I've had questions about the behavior of the program a few times, and when I write to the author, he will reply within 24 hours, sometimes less. I especially like the Thumbnails option. This is, in my opinion, the best little graphics viewer/editor out there, unless you want to buy/learn Photoshop. It's great!

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Many features -- great price -- free!

by PoppaCas Mar 29, 2006 (Read all my 2 reviews)

This product is easy to use, feature rich, it does what it should - allows you to view pictures individually up close - and an excellent slide show option. Good addition to your tool box...

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This thing is garbage!!

by tomcat Mar 04, 2006 (Read all my 16 reviews)

Way too many options and configurability. It gets confusing quick and your head starts to hurt. Especially when you just want to do something simple like adjust the brightness. It gives you a thumbnail view of the pic before the adjustment and after, but the thumbnail preview is soooo small that you really can't tell the change on the fly. Please go and get Picasa by google as it is the best for most needs and easy as pie for the beginners as well. I tried to email a pic with Irfan and it said to get the plugin and then after i got the plugin, it told me to configure my smtp!?! What? Most people don't even know what SMTP is let alone know how to adjust it. And yes for the record I do know how to setup my smtp, but why should I? I just wanted to email a picture, not make a full days event out of it!!! Seriously, this thing is ugly and way too busy and you would do much better trying Picasa.

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Simple the best image viewer

by Gorky2 Oct 15, 2005 (Read all my 3 reviews)

Simply the best image viewer: extrem fast and robust

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So many features!

by catmaster Sep 16, 2005 (Read all my 18 reviews)

If you like to view lots of images, Irfanview is one item that's a must. It does have a unusual double window view of things - one window for thumbnails, another for individual images. However, it does so many things, some things even expensive software doesn't do. Create screensavers, get screen captures, extract a range of frames from a video you specify, and more. Copy, move files, it generates contact sheets, and excellent, simple web pages with thumbs -- giving you full control how it is done. It's also got a host of image/color modifying tools. With the plug-ins, you can even have added image filters. I've used it for a long time and it's very solid. Try it, you won't be sorry!

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Simply the best

by jcharth Sep 14, 2005 (Read all my 16 reviews)

I use IrfanView everyday. It supports many formats and it does many things. It is a very small and useful tool.

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There is better

by MiCKinCanada Aug 23, 2005 (Read all my 4 reviews)

I have tried Irfanview on many occasions and have always kept looking for better. I have to say the the numerous windows and the lack a one solid interface is a real downer. The one I have tried and now stick with for image viewing and basic touching up is XnView...I highly recommend XnView over Irfanview...Image processing and creation use The Gimp.

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Keeps getting better

by autocart Aug 04, 2005 (Read all my 6 reviews)

IrfanView is one of the very rare freeware-programs that was already very good at the beginning and also keeps getting better through the years. It has very many plug-ins (is supported by many programmers of other programs). It's fast, small, easy to install and uninstall. The only negative point is that you have to get used to some ways of handling the program but show me a prog where you don't have to get used to some ways of how it works. So, overall, I think it is really the best image viewer there is. If you want to use it for general everyday-work with pictures, then get it. It's worth at least the try. A fan.

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Irfanview. yes!

by guy9663 Aug 02, 2005 (Read all my 7 reviews)

Once I had a proper look at it, this is easily the best image viewer available (freeware or paid for). Download and install all the plug-ins and it just gets better. Take time to learn what it can do and you are on a winner. Great stuff!

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The one for power users

by robinbk Jul 22, 2005 (Read all my 8 reviews)

IrfanView must be the number one image viewer for PC, though the extensive other functions - batch conversion, thumbnailing, renaming, etc. are maybe not as well implemented as the viewing interface. IView also has issues with .MOV files which can crash it (might be my codecs), and the mpeg/avi viewing system is a bit clunky. That said, I use it all the time as a sort of browser conduit between image folders and pro editing software; the crop, rotate and zoom functions, all with keyboard shortcuts, give it the edge over other freeware and a lot of paid-for apps. If you have any picture files at all you should get it, no question.

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