What image formats and editing features does FastStone Image Viewer support?

Updated

FastStone Image Viewer is a free-for-personal-use image browser, converter, and editor for Windows. According to FastStone.org, it supports all major graphic formats — including BMP, JPEG, HEIC, WEBP, GIF, PNG, PCX, PDF, PSD, TIFF, WMF, ICO, TGA, and camera raw files — and combines viewing and management with editing tools such as red-eye removal, resizing, cropping, and color adjustments. The current release listed on the site is version 8.5, dated 2026-06-24.

Supported image formats

The official product description groups support into two categories:

Category Formats
Standard graphic formats BMP, JPEG, HEIC, WEBP, GIF, PNG, PCX, PDF, PSD, TIFF, WMF, ICO, TGA
Camera raw Camera raw files (supported as a category; specific camera models are not enumerated on the page)

A few practical notes on this list:

  • HEIC and WEBP are included, which matters if you import photos from recent phones or download images from the web.
  • PDF and PSD appear alongside ordinary image formats, so the viewer can open files that are not strictly photos.
  • Camera raw is listed without a model list, so if you shoot raw, verify your specific camera's files open correctly before relying on it as your only browser.

Viewing and management features

The description positions the program as an image browser first, with these capabilities named:

  • Viewing images
  • Managing image collections
  • Comparing images
  • Emailing images
  • Musical slideshow playback

The comparison and slideshow features are the ones most likely to shape how you work: comparison helps when choosing between near-identical shots, and the musical slideshow turns a folder into a presentable sequence without extra software.

Editing features

The editing tools listed in the product description are:

  • Red-eye removal
  • Resizing
  • Cropping
  • Color adjustments

These are corrective and preparatory edits — fixing a photo, preparing it for a specific size or crop, or adjusting its color — rather than layered, non-destructive editing. If your work depends on layers, masks, or advanced retouching, this toolset will not replace a full editor.

What this means for choosing it

FastStone Image Viewer fits a straightforward workflow: browse a large folder of mixed formats, compare similar shots, make quick corrections, and export or send the result. It is described as built for speed, simplicity, and reliability, and it is listed as free for personal use.

Two conditions to check against your own needs:

  • Operating system: the product is described as a Windows tool, so it is not an option on macOS or Linux.
  • Licensing: the page states "free for personal use." Commercial or organizational use is not addressed in the material reviewed here, so confirm licensing terms on the site before deploying it at work.

If your needs are narrower — batch converting and renaming files, or capturing the screen — FastStone offers separate products (Photo Resizer and Capture) aimed at those tasks rather than the viewer.