XnView is an image viewer, editor, and organizer that also provides file management capabilities. It reads more than 500 image formats, writes more than 70, and supports batch processing, including renaming, conversion, and metadata editing.
XnView is available in two editions: XnView MP, a cross-platform rewrite available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and XnView Classic, the original Windows-only version, which continues to receive maintenance updates. Both editions are distributed as installer packages and as portable, no-install archives.
It is licensed as freeware for private, educational, and non-profit use, and as commercial software for other uses.
History
Origins Development began around 1990 on Atari systems, where Pierre-Emmanuel Gougelet wrote the initial code for an image-processing library that later formed the basis of XnView, XnView Pocket, NConvert, and the GFL SDK. The command-line tools NView and NConvert were subsequently ported to Silicon Graphics workstations. In 1995, NView was given a graphical interface using the Motif toolkit.
XnView (Classic) Following its initial Windows release in 1997, XnView was ported to multiple platforms, including Linux, macOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, HP-UX, AIX, IRIX, and PocketPC. In parallel, the command-line tools NView and NConvert, based on the same GFL processing engine, were adapted for additional systems such as Atari, OS/2, and BeOS.
During the 2000s, development of non-Windows versions of XnView was gradually discontinued, and the Windows version became the primary maintained platform. Cross-platform support was later reintroduced with XnView MP.
XnView Deluxe Around 2002, an extended commercial edition named XnView Deluxe was developed for Xzeos Software. The Deluxe edition expanded the freeware XnView package with additional multimedia and image-management capabilities, including PDF and HTML viewing, archive browsing, slideshow export to video and executable formats, audio playback, FTP and email integration, advanced search functions, and enhanced web gallery generation.
Development, distribution, and sales of XnView Deluxe were discontinued on 1 January 2006. Gougelet stated that the product had been discontinued because it was unable to secure a significant market share amid competition from established commercial photo-management software. Several features introduced in XnView Deluxe were later incorporated into the standard freeware versions of XnView.
XnView MP In 2008, a new Multi-Platform (MP) version of the software was introduced, while the original application became known as XnView Classic.
XnView MP was rewritten in C++ using the Qt framework and released for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The new architecture introduced full Unicode support, improved multi-core processor utilization, and native 64-bit support. Many image formats and editing functions that previously required external plugins in XnView Classic were integrated directly into the core application, although external 64-bit plugins remained supported.
XnView Classic continues to be maintained for Windows and primarily receives maintenance updates, while XnView MP remains the actively developed branch of the software.
Features XnView Classic and XnView MP share a largely similar core feature set, although several advanced capabilities are exclusive to XnView MP due to its more modern architecture (marked with an asterisk).
Format support Reading: supports over 500 image formats Support for vector graphics (EPS, PS, PDF) can be integrated with Ghostscript. However, SVG support in the Classic version requires a commercial CAD plugin. Supports audio and video file formats
Writing: supports exporting to over 70 image formats
Viewing and navigation Thumbnail, fullscreen, and filmstrip image browsing Slideshow creation with transition effects Side-by-side comparison of up to four* images Duplicate file finder Advanced file search
Image editing Image transformation: resizing, rotation, and cropping, including Lossless JPEG transformation Color adjustment: brightness, contrast, gamma, auto-levels/contrast, and color depth/palette modification Image filters and effects Drawing tool for adding lines, circles, arrows, speech bubbles, and watermarks
Cataloging and Metadata support Metadata and Thumbnails caching EXIF, IPTC and XMP* metadata support Embedded ICC color profile support Albums* and Keyword Sets* Face detection*
Batch processing Batch renaming Batch conversion Batch timestamp modification
Creation tools and Utilities Contact sheet, image strip, and video thumbnail gallery generation File listing and archives creation Screen capture Printing and TWAIN scanner support
Plugins support .8bf Photoshop plugins, eg Harry's Filters, G'MIC
Reception
XnView Classic The original version was widely praised for its lightweight design, fast startup times, and extensive image format support, often being described as a versatile image-management utility.
Due to its legacy architecture, the Classic version lacks native Unicode support, which can cause issues when handling non-Latin file paths. It also lacks out-of-the-box support for newer image formats like AVIF and JPEG XL, while HEIC support requires an external plugin.
XnView MP The multi-platform successor expanded the capabilities of the Classic version to macOS and Linux while introducing Unicode support, 64-bit compatibility, and multi-core processing. Reviewers highlighted improvements across nearly all aspects of the application, including UI/UX refinement, metadata handling, batch processing, and additional functionality.
However, the extensive and highly detailed settings can still present a significant learning curve for beginner users.
Usage and development XnView's development relies closely on community feedback, with the official forum serving as the primary hub for reporting bugs and proposing new features. The application's creator actively participates in these discussions, tracking and documenting resolved issues and implemented features in an official development log and changelog hosted via MantisBT.
The software has also been referenced in academic research involving DICOM image handling and digital watermarking techniques. In 2006, Sveriges Television (SVT) recommended it in their High Definition Multi Format Test Set.
Related software
The author has published various other products using the classic or the multi-platform XnView code base. Some examples include:
Software Description Platforms Development status NConvert CLI batch convert tool Windows, Linux, macOS Active XnConvert GUI batch convert tool Windows, Linux, macOS Active XnShell File Explorer shell extension Windows Active XnResize Image resizer Windows, Linux, macOS Active XnRetro Used to assign vintage or instant effects to images Windows, Linux, macOS Maintenance XnSketch Transforms images into cartoon or sketch renderings Windows, Linux, macOS Maintenance Xn (Mobile) Mobile apps including Hypocam, ResizeMe!, XnConvert, Coleka, etc. iOS, Android Active GFL-SDK Free developer library used in tools by third parties Windows, Linux, Mac OS X Discontinued NView CLI predecessor of XnView DOS Discontinued
See also Comparison of image viewers Comparison of raster graphics editors
References
External links