List of the Top 19 Photo Viewers for Linux in 2025

digiKam is a powerful, open-source program specifically crafted for the management of digital photographs, functioning seamlessly across Linux, Windows, and macOS operating systems. This versatile application provides a comprehensive suite of tools for importing, organizing, editing, and sharing images as well as raw files. Users can easily transfer photographs, raw image formats, and videos directly from their cameras or external media such as SD cards and USB drives through digiKam's intuitive import feature. The software also permits the personalization of import settings and rules, which facilitates the automatic sorting and processing of files as they are imported. In addition to sorting photos and videos into personalized albums, digiKam offers robust tagging functionalities that allow users to assign tags, ratings, and labels, streamlining the management process. The filtering capabilities are excellent for quickly finding specific items based on user-defined criteria, making it a highly effective organization tool. Moreover, the application is equipped with sophisticated search options, enabling users to navigate their photo libraries by various parameters, thus significantly improving the efficiency of managing large collections. Ultimately, this makes digiKam an invaluable resource for photographers seeking to maintain order in their digital archives.

Nomacs serves as a free and open-source image viewer compatible with multiple platforms. It supports an extensive array of image formats, such as RAW and PSD files, allowing users to explore diverse types of images. The application features semi-transparent widgets that display useful information, including thumbnails, metadata, and histograms. Users can conveniently access images stored in zip files or Microsoft Office documents and easily extract them to a designated folder. Additionally, the viewer showcases embedded metadata and permits users to add their own notes to images for better organization. It also includes a thumbnail preview of the current directory alongside a file explorer panel, simplifying navigation between different folders. Within any directory, users can implement filters that show only images that conform to specific filename patterns or criteria. Moreover, by utilizing the cache feature, users can transition smoothly between images, which significantly improves the user experience. This comprehensive functionality positions Nomacs as a highly adaptable tool suitable for both casual and professional users. Ultimately, its user-friendly design and robust features make it a valuable asset for anyone working with images.

Focusing on space efficiency and a minimalist approach, qView removes toolbars and distractions, enabling users to concentrate exclusively on their imagery. Since its launch, the software has been designed to offer a clean, visually appealing experience, displaying only the image alongside a title bar. Users enjoy rapid access to their pictures, as qView starts up almost instantaneously, and switching between images is quick while keeping memory and CPU usage to a minimum. Moreover, qView provides an extensive array of customizable settings to suit various user preferences, thereby enhancing the viewing experience. It supports all major image formats, including bmp, gif, jpg, png, tiff, and webp, which adds to its versatility for different applications. No matter the operating system, qView is crafted to deliver a native and smooth performance. Being entirely free and open-source and built on Qt5, it can be easily found on GitHub under the GPLv3 license. The software also includes localization features, with many translations contributed by the user community. Furthermore, when zooming in beyond a specific limit, images revert to their original resolution, ensuring that clarity is maintained and blurriness is avoided during close-ups. This intentional design not only enhances user satisfaction but also promotes efficiency in the image viewing process, making it a standout choice for avid photographers and casual users alike. Ultimately, qView embodies a commitment to simplicity and functionality in digital image management.

Introducing a web-based digital image organizer that emphasizes your privacy by allowing you to browse local files without the necessity of uploading personal photographs to any cloud services, thereby keeping large corporations from accessing your private images. This innovative tool features non-destructive editing, ensuring that your original files remain intact unless you opt to permanently delete them. It accommodates a broad spectrum of photo formats, including JPG, PNG, TIF, WebP, and HEIC/HEIF, and is capable of reading various raw formats from many camera brands, a feature that is, however, available only for Mac and Linux users. You can effortlessly search through your photo library by date, taking advantage of detailed views equipped with zoom capabilities. Furthermore, it enables you to access EXIF data, assign tags, highlight favorite images, and execute basic editing functions such as rotating, tilting, cropping, or removing photos, providing a thorough solution for all your photo management necessities. In addition to these features, the platform also ensures a user-friendly experience, making it easy to maintain and organize your photo collection while prioritizing the security of your personal information. This tool stands out not only for its functionality but also for its commitment to user privacy and data protection.

Ristretto Image Viewer is a multifaceted tool that facilitates the easy viewing and exploration of images. Users can create engaging slideshows, launch images in external editing software, or even designate an image as their desktop wallpaper. It is compatible with numerous image formats via the gdk-pixbuf library, which includes popular file types such as JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. To extend the variety of formats supported by Ristretto, users may need to manually install additional libraries like libwmf, libopenraw, libavif, libheif, libjxl, librsvg, and webp-pixbuf-loader. These optional installations allow for the inclusion of even more image formats, enhancing the application's versatility. The forthcoming section offers insights on how to make the most of Ristretto and tailor it to meet your individual needs, ensuring a superior user experience. Furthermore, exploring these functionalities will significantly improve your capabilities in managing and viewing images effectively.

This software is crafted to efficiently pre-load image files and display them on the screen utilizing OpenGL technology. Users will notice a considerably enhanced image browsing experience relative to earlier iterations. Additionally, it features a 2 Page Spread viewing option, which enables the concurrent display of two images, making it particularly suited for digital comics and books. To select images, users can navigate through the main menu to open a dialog box for folder selection or effortlessly drag and drop a folder filled with image files straight from Windows Explorer into the application window for rapid access. This versatility not only improves usability but also simplifies the process of viewing multiple images at once. Moreover, the application is designed to cater to both casual users and professional artists, ensuring that everyone can enjoy a seamless experience.

PhotoQt is an image viewing software that features a sleek and user-friendly interface, while simultaneously providing a multitude of functionalities hidden beneath its surface. Users can easily set an image as their wallpaper directly from the application, and it also supports the display of Exif data, including a capability for tagging faces. Additionally, the existing list of features remains open-ended, as the developers welcome user suggestions for further improvements. With its blend of simplicity and robust features, PhotoQt ensures a delightful experience for users who value both ease of use and functionality. This combination makes it an appealing choice for anyone looking to enhance their image viewing experience.

Viewnior is crafted with a focus on simplicity and sophistication, offering a streamlined interface that optimally utilizes screen space for displaying images. The application draws its inspiration from prominent projects such as Eye of Gnome, celebrated for its user-friendly features, and GPicView, which is favored for its lightweight and straightforward design. As a result, Viewnior stands out as a compact and agile software solution, delivering high-quality performance without compromises. Furthermore, it is designed to enhance integration by following the Gnome HIG2 guidelines, ensuring a smooth and cohesive user experience. This meticulous attention to design principles not only makes Viewnior an exceptional option for viewing images but also highlights its commitment to user satisfaction. Ultimately, Viewnior successfully combines functionality and aesthetics, making it a preferred tool for many users.

Ephoto functions as an image viewer and editor, leveraging the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL) to provide an intuitive interface that prioritizes both simplicity and efficiency. This software benefits from the swift performance and low resource usage of EFL, which was first developed in the 1990s by Carsten "Rasterman" Haitzler as a basic Window Manager (WM) for X11. Over time, EFL has undergone significant advancements, growing to approximately one million lines of C code and supporting a diverse range of applications. The vibrant community centered around Enlightenment is active and involved, with a multitude of developers and users contributing to and utilizing the software daily. Ephoto offers various editing features, including cropping, automatic enhancements, blurring, sharpening, and fine-tuning options for brightness, contrast, gamma, hue, saturation, and color levels. Users can also apply artistic filters, such as black and white or vintage effects, to elevate their images. Featuring an intuitive grid view, Ephoto simplifies navigation through the filesystem and effectively displays images, thereby enhancing the overall user experience. In summary, Ephoto not only integrates powerful editing capabilities but also presents a streamlined interface, making it an essential tool for anyone engaged in image manipulation and enhancement. Furthermore, this software continues to evolve, reflecting the ongoing commitment of its community to innovation and improvement.

Photivo is an open-source photo editing application available for free under the GPL3 license, accommodating both RAW and bitmap file types such as TIFF, JPEG, BMP, and PNG, while utilizing a non-destructive 16-bit processing pipeline that integrates effortlessly with GIMP and includes batch processing features. The software aims to implement the most advanced algorithms, which may result in some redundancy, but it focuses on providing highly adaptable and effective methods for denoising, sharpening, and simulating HDR-like local contrast within the open-source community. While mastering Photivo may pose challenges, users who find other options insufficient are encouraged to participate in its ongoing development; nevertheless, achieving the best outcomes can be a demanding journey. It is built to complement other applications like digiKam, F-Spot, Shotwell, and GIMP, rather than acting as a standalone solution. Additionally, Photivo demands a powerful computer setup and is tailored more towards seasoned users, making it vital for those committed to serious photo processing endeavors. In summary, Photivo stands as a formidable choice for individuals aiming to elevate their photography projects through the use of advanced editing tools. Furthermore, its community-driven nature encourages collaboration and continual improvement, enhancing its capabilities over time.

XnView MP/Classic is a free image viewer that enables users to easily access and edit their photo files. It supports a wide array of popular image formats such as JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, WEBP, PSD, JPEG2000, OpenEXR, camera RAW, HEIC, PDF, DNG, and CR2. In addition to its extensive format compatibility, XnView MP provides features like color adjustments, image resizing, cropping, screen capturing, and editing of IPTC and XMP metadata. Its intuitive, explorer-like interface allows for swift image viewing while also streamlining image management tasks. Users benefit from options like batch renaming, batch conversion, duplicate image detection, and image comparison, making it easier to organize their collections. They can even create contact sheets and slideshows to present their work in an engaging format. Overall, XnView MP stands out as a robust option for anyone seeking to effectively manage and enhance their image library while enjoying a seamless user experience. Furthermore, its versatility and comprehensive toolset make it suitable for both amateur and professional photographers alike.

Easily analyze and alter comments and Exif information with this software, which accommodates multiple metadata formats such as Exif, IPTC, and XMP. It offers rapid previews for a variety of raw image formats, among others. Although Geeqie is equipped with outstanding default configurations, it also provides a high degree of customization available via the Preferences menu. Furthermore, it integrates effortlessly with other applications, allowing you to launch images in your favorite editing programs without any complications. This adaptability enhances its utility, making it an invaluable resource for both casual users and seasoned professionals. The combination of user-friendly features and powerful capabilities truly sets it apart in the realm of image management.

Gwenview, a creation of KDE, acts as a fast and intuitive image viewer that is ideal for browsing and displaying different types of images. It offers simple editing capabilities, allowing users to easily rotate, mirror, invert, and resize their photos. Furthermore, it facilitates basic file management tasks such as copying, moving, and deleting files, along with a range of additional features. Users have the option to run it independently or integrate it smoothly with the Konqueror web browser, enhancing its usability. This versatility makes Gwenview a superb option for those seeking an effective tool for image management and viewing, whether for personal or professional use. Its user-friendly design caters to both novice and experienced users alike.

The software is designed to support a wide variety of image formats, including BMP, Dr. Halo CUT, DDS, EXR, Raw Fax G3, GIF, HDR, ICO, IFF, JBIG, JNG, JPEG/JIF, JPEG-2000, JPEG-XR, KOALA, Kodak PhotoCD, MNG, PCX, PBM/PGM/PPM, PFM, PNG, Macintosh PICT, Photoshop PSD, RAW camera formats, Sun RAS, SGI, TARGA, TIFF, WBMP, WebP, XBM, and XPM, as well as more recent formats like PFM, SVG, AVIF, and HEIC. It also accommodates a range of video formats, including MPEG4, AVI, MKV, WebP, Y4M, AV1, QuickTime, and AVCHD, while featuring DXVA2 acceleration for improved playback performance. Users have the convenience of opening DMG files and can easily move RegardsViewer to their Applications folder. A notable enhancement is the introduction of a feature that enables users to link to external applications for video and image editing, which addresses previous challenges such as crashes occurring when the space bar was held down after selecting a video thumbnail. Moreover, it resolves issues related to disappearing scrollbars on thumbnail videos and effects, ensuring a smoother user experience. This latest update significantly improves the editing workflow, making it more efficient and user-friendly. Additionally, user feedback has been integrated to further refine the software's functionality.

Darktable is a free and open-source software tailored for photography workflows and raw image processing. Functioning as both a virtual lighttable and a darkroom, it allows photographers to efficiently manage their digital negatives through an extensive database, complete with a zoomable viewing interface. Users can develop and enhance raw images, benefiting from the expertise of its developers, many of whom are avid photographers familiar with the typical challenges faced in the industry. A key feature of darktable is its non-destructive editing capability, which safeguards original images throughout the entire processing workflow. With advanced color management tools, darktable ensures precise color accuracy for prints, and its GPU-accelerated processing streamlines the workflow by utilizing the power of your graphics card. The darktable community welcomes contributions from everyone, regardless of coding experience; you can share your feedback on the mailing list or engage in discussions on the forum. Moreover, those interested in demonstrating darktable's features might consider adding their work to its Flickr page to inspire fellow photographers. This collaborative environment not only enhances the skills of photographers at any level but also provides them with a robust set of tools for their creative endeavors. In essence, darktable represents a unique blend of functionality and community spirit that enriches the photography experience.

Shotwell supports a wide range of image formats such as JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, WebP, and various RAW files. Nevertheless, its handling of RAW formats is limited; when you attempt to view a RAW image, it actually displays a JPEG version that is generated from the original RAW file rather than the RAW data itself. Moreover, the editing features for RAW images do not fully utilize 16-bit depth, which restricts the output to 8-bit formats. Users have the flexibility to export numerous supported formats, including JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and BMP. The Basic Information pane, located at the bottom of the sidebar, provides a brief summary of the selected images, and in the absence of selected photos, it displays an overview of the entire collection. The visibility of this pane can easily be toggled using the information command. Additionally, the map pane is included within the Basic Information section, offering a visual representation of the chosen photos; if no specific images are selected, it presents a summary of the whole collection. This feature significantly enhances user interaction by facilitating swift navigation and improved organization of photographs. Overall, Shotwell's design prioritizes efficiency and user-friendliness, making it a valuable tool for photo management.

Eye of GNOME is a flexible image viewer that can handle a wide range of image formats with ease. This application enables users to effectively manage large collections of images and includes a slideshow feature for showcasing images in a sequence. Users can also perform basic photo editing tasks, such as rotating, flipping, and converting images into different file formats. Normally, double-clicking an image file within the file manager will trigger the Image Viewer to open automatically; however, if it does not, you may need to designate it as your default viewer. Furthermore, the application incorporates zoom functions, allowing users to see either the entire image or focus on intricate details as needed. It smartly selects the appropriate file format for saving images based on the extension provided, thus streamlining the saving process. If you come across an unknown file extension, simply clicking on Supported Image Files in the Save Image dialog will display a list of formats that the application can work with. This capability guarantees that users can easily select the right file type without any uncertainty. By using Eye of GNOME, image management and viewing become more convenient, significantly improving the overall user experience while offering a variety of practical features. Overall, it stands out as an excellent tool for anyone looking to efficiently organize and view their images.

Feh serves as a minimalist image viewer tailored for X11, catering to those who favor command-line interactions over elaborate graphical interfaces. It presents images in a straightforward manner, allowing users to navigate using customizable keyboard shortcuts or mouse controls. With the option to start a slideshow that scrolls through all images located within a chosen directory, users can choose to advance manually or have it progress automatically at predetermined intervals. Moreover, feh enjoys broad availability on various Linux and BSD distributions, including Arch Linux, Debian, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Ubuntu, making it a highly regarded option for individuals who value its unembellished design. This widespread support enhances its appeal, as it provides users with a dependable means to view images without the clutter of unnecessary features. As a result, feh remains a preferred choice for those seeking efficiency and simplicity in their image viewing experience.

Having a large assortment of images saved on your hard drive can make it difficult to remember the details surrounding each image or the people within them. To address this issue, KPhotoAlbum was created to help you organize and annotate your photos, enabling quick and efficient searches throughout your extensive collection. Thanks to its powerful tagging system, KPhotoAlbum allows you to find any specific image in less than five seconds, whether you're searching for a picture of a certain individual, a snapshot taken at a specific venue, or a mix of both criteria. Adding tags is a seamless experience with KPhotoAlbum, allowing you to label images swiftly, and with a bit of practice, you can easily tag hundreds of images in a short period. This system not only improves your ability to retrieve images in the future but also significantly enhances your experience in managing your photo library. Consequently, KPhotoAlbum proves to be an invaluable tool for anyone looking to maintain an organized and accessible photo collection.