Apple’s native preview application works well as an image viewer on macOS. However, it still has its fair share of shortcomings. For starters, it doesn’t provide a GIF playback option. As a Mac user, this led me to look for preview alternatives for my MacBook Air. I am looking for light, fast and simple options as there are the 5 best alternatives to the Photos app in Windows 10.
For experienced Mac users, preview is the default option, but for new Windows converts, they often feel suffocated and frustrated. With this in mind, I aim to strike a balance with the preselected apps. Also, I wouldn’t recommend those who annoy you with the “Buy Plan Pro” prompts as soon as you launch the app. If this annoys me, I can only imagine how much you would mind. So let’s see the options.
To use one of the options as the default viewer, you will need to select different image files (PNG, JPG, BMP and others). Right click on it and select Get Info. In the Info window, you must click on the drop-down menu below Open with and choose a relevant application from the list. After that click on Change All to apply the changes to the relevant files on the system.
So let’s take a look at the best Image Viewer apps for Mac.
1. Xee
Xee is a fairly simple replacement for Preview. Despite the similarities, Xee is moving forward with a few unique features. As expected, the Preview and Next buttons to browse the images are placed in the upper left corner. The other options appear neatly placed next to them at the top.
The Xee status bar displays additional details about the image, such as its dimensions, file type, file size, color details, etc. The only thing I found strange that Xee didn’t get the Dark Them from my macOS. I had to navigate to Preferences> Xee Style, then choose Black.
Xee is simply an image viewer. This means that if you’re looking for an image viewer with editing options, you’re out of luck here. This application is streamlined, fast and very responsive.
Unfortunately, Xee is not free and you will have to pay $ 3.99 to purchase it from the App Store on your Mac.
2. XnView MP
The XnView is more than an image viewer. It is a popular multi-platform multimedia management software, and Windows users love it so much that many want to set XnView as the default image viewer on Windows 10. With support for over 500 formats ‘image, the developers lock a bunch of practical features behind the paywall. However, the app allows you to customize the layout of the app.
When the application is open, go to View> Layout and select Free from the next menu. After that, you can click on the x-shaped icon of irrelevant windows. In short, you get enough viewing and sorting modes that you can keep changing between them to suit your needs. The application performance setting allows you to get the most out of your integrated GPU chip. This means that processing and caching will be faster on enhanced MacBook Pros.
3. Phiewer
The free version of Phiewer allows you to view one image at a time. When you open a photo, it displays the main image with a collection of thumbnails on the left side. While being one of the fastest image viewers to open a photo, Phiewer displays thumbnails on the left with an option to start a slideshow directly. However, the blurring effect providing a backdrop might just steal your attention a bit.
Phiewer stands out by clearly displaying the basic details of a photo on its interface. Besides photos, it also supports a variety of multimedia formats. This will become obvious as soon as you synchronize your multimedia files with the application. You could take advantage of the bouquet of ready-made options, such as different effects, to try on the photos. You can pay for the Pro version to unlock alignment, cropping controls, applying filters, adjusting granular aspects, etc.
You can call it a simpler version of XnView MP and use it accordingly.
4. Lyn
Lyn is like a good replacement for the Photos app with the capabilities of the built-in image viewer. The Lyn app interface is familiar enough to make you feel out of place at all. When you first launch it, you’ll notice the basic setting options at the top – they’ll remind you of Preview.
Besides viewing options, you can also link other cloud based services like Flickr, Facebook, Dropbox, etc. The i-shaped button is the hidden information panel that will show you image details ranging from resolution to measurement mode. If you’re checking the photos you’ve clicked on using your digital camera, DSLR, or Mirrorless, Lyn is an appropriate image viewing application. Of course, you can always customize the layout from preferences for quick access to frequently used folders. Lyn supports a variety of image formats and you can quickly share photos with your friends via email, Flickr or even Smugmug. The base version comes with a 15-day trial, which is decent enough to try it out. Otherwise, you will have to shell out $ 20 in single payment to get rid of the limitation of the trial period.
5. qView
If you’re looking for an unadorned image viewer for all your photos and screenshots, this is the best option. Without mincing words, qView is one of the minimalist photo viewers that looks amazing with the dark theme on macOS.
qView is also available on Windows, making it a perfect cross-platform tool to use for viewing photos on both platforms. It works best as an unadorned photo viewer on your Mac. Of course, it does not offer editing or modification options.
Bonus recommendation: ApolloOne
The ApolloOne is one of the few applications to use the graphics and hardware features of Core Image such as multi-threading to provide the best photo gallery and the best organizational experience.
It can also manage RAW photos and support more than 1,000 digital cameras. In addition, it allows you to tinker with EXIF details. You can always try his slideshow to see a series of photos. This feature-rich image viewer can be purchased to unlock support and other useful settings.
Change is good
While Apple’s preview does the basic job, it leaves much to be desired. Specifically for people leaving or using macOS with Windows 10. My favorite is ApolloOne because it supports a variety of cameras to import images directly, and I often use qView only to browse photos on my Mac. So which one will you choose?
Then:
Wondering which photo backup service to use with iPhone? Check out our list of 5 best iCloud Photo backup alternatives for iPhone.
Last updated March 3, 2020
