ix42 is a fast, modern image and media viewer designed around a simple idea: your files should open immediately, without workarounds and without forcing you to switch between different apps.

Most image viewers handle JPEGs and PNGs well enough. The problem starts when a folder contains RAW files from your camera, HEIC photos from your iPhone, a video clip, an audio recording, and a few animated GIFs, all mixed together. Pix42 opens all of them, in the same window, without requiring codec packs, plugins, or additional software.

Browsing that keeps up with you

The filmstrip panel loads thumbnails in the background, so you can start browsing immediately without waiting for the entire folder to process. Images use two-pass progressive loading. For large folders, Pix42 supports recursive mode to browse entire folder trees.

The grid view lets you see your library at a glance, while the filmstrip gives you fast sequential navigation. Both views support range and multi-selection, so moving or copying a batch of files to a destination folder takes seconds.

Format support without compromise

Pix42 opens virtually any file type without requiring external tools. Static images include JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, WebP, ICO, GIF, PSD, FITS, SVG, HEIC/HEIF, AVIF, JPEG XL, OpenEXR, JPEG 2000 and JPEG XR. RAW camera formats cover Canon (CR2/CR3), Nikon (NEF/NRW), Sony (ARW/SRF), Fujifilm (RAF), Olympus (ORF), Panasonic (RW2), Pentax (PEF), Ricoh (DNG), Hasselblad (3FR) and more.

Video formats include MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, WMV, WebM, FLV and MPEG, with built-in playback and no need for a separate media player. Audio formats include MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, OGG, M4A and OPUS, displayed with cover art and full tag metadata. Animated GIF, WebP, APNG, AVIF, HEIC and JPEG XL all play back directly in the viewer with frame-accurate timing.

For astronomers and scientific users, FITS files open with automatic stretch to make the image immediately visible. For VFX and HDR workflows, OpenEXR is supported natively. ICC color profiles are respected across all supported formats.

Archives as folders

ZIP, RAR, CBZ, CBR and 7-Zip archives appear in the file browser as if they were ordinary folders. Navigate into them, browse the contents, and press Back to return to the folder that contains the archive. No extraction, no temporary files. This makes Pix42 particularly useful for comic book collections stored in CBZ or CBR format.

Tools for real work

Pix42 goes beyond viewing. The duplicate finder identifies exact and perceptual duplicate files across a folder tree, with results saved persistently. Side-by-side comparison lets you evaluate two images simultaneously, with synchronized zoom and pan, and assign pick or reject flags that are saved between sessions.

The map view displays geotagged photos on an interactive map, letting you browse by location. Quick image adjustments — brightness, contrast, gamma, saturation and color balance — apply in real-time with a live RGB/Luma histogram. The print module supports single images and contact sheets with configurable rows, columns, headers and filename captions.

Inline rename with F2, folder management via right-click, always-visible search that filters thumbnails instantly, metadata editing, and copy/move to destination folders all work without leaving the application.

Session restore and protected folders

Pix42 remembers exactly where you left off — folder, image, window size, panel layout, splitter positions — and restores everything on the next launch. Specific folders can be locked behind a PIN, highlighted in the interface, and excluded from session restore for privacy.

Pro license

A one-time Pro license ($29.90) unlocks non-destructive editing, Smart Denoise, batch image conversion to modern formats, panorama stitching, and unlimited map markers.

Platform and installation

Pix42 is available for Windows 10 and 11 and macOS Apple Silicon. The Windows installer is digitally signed. The macOS build is signed and notarized.

No account required. No subscription. Free to download and use.