2Dex Plain comparisons of image and design tools

Icaros vs XnView MP in 2026

Compare Icaros, XnView MP, and SageThumbs 2K for Windows thumbnail and preview needs.

By 2Dex ·

2Dex is published by the makers of SageThumbs 2K, RēDesign and VectorMagik, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Icaros adds Windows Explorer thumbnails for video formats supported by FFmpeg. [1] XnView MP is an image viewer, photo management, and image resizer tool. [2] SageThumbs 2K adds File Explorer thumbnails, previews from design and CAD files, and image actions from the right-click menu. [3] [3] [3]

OptionOwn feeCard fee
Icarosnot publishednot published
XnView MPnot publishednot published
SageThumbs 2KFree for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. [3] Commercial use needs US$2.99 a month or US$49 once for a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates. [3]not published

The short answer

Icaros gives Explorer thumbnails for video formats FFmpeg supports, plus extra file details for listed media types. [1] [1] XnView MP is an image viewer, photo management and resizer. [2] SageThumbs 2K adds File Explorer thumbnails for file types Windows cannot render natively, including camera RAW, Photoshop PSD, HEIC/AVIF, and video. [3]

What Icaros and XnView MP are built for

Icaros also shows file details in Explorer for the media filetypes its page lists. [1] Icaros can provide Windows Explorer thumbnails for essentially any video media format supported by FFmpeg. [1] Icaros works on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11. [1] XnView MP is described as a free image viewer, photo management, and image resizer software. [2] XnView MP includes a duplicate file finder. [2] XnView MP's page lists batch renaming [2] and IPTC and XMP metadata editing, which covers photo caption and credit information. [2]

What SageThumbs 2K is built for

SageThumbs 2K is made by the team that publishes this site. SageThumbs 2K adds File Explorer thumbnails for 363 file types that Windows cannot render natively, including camera RAW, Photoshop PSD, HEIC/AVIF, and video. [3] It pulls an embedded preview directly out of design and CAD files such as Photoshop, Affinity, AutoCAD DWG, and CorelDRAW with no rendering needed. [3] Thumbnails also work in OneDrive and Synology Drive folders, and it never downloads online-only files just to draw a thumbnail. [3] A QuickLook-style instant previewer is on by default unless another Space-bar previewer is present. [3] From the right-click menu, designers can convert images, resize them, rotate or flip them losslessly, and combine images into a PDF or CBZ. [3]

Pricing and fees

Icaros and XnView MP source facts provided for this comparison do not state a price. SageThumbs 2K is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. [3] Commercial use needs a per-installation licence of US$2.99 a month, or US$49 once for a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates. [3] A designer choosing between these tools should check the current licence terms that apply to the intended use.

Getting started and everyday use

Its page also says the settings window, IcarosConfig, requires .NET Framework 4. [1] XnView MP is an image viewer, photo management and resizer. [2] XnView MP's page also names macOS and Linux support. [2] SageThumbs 2K runs on Windows 11, with separate installers for standard PCs (x64) and ARM PCs (ARM64). [3] It can also be used through a portable zip that needs no admin rights. [3] Multi-file jobs such as resize, rotate, strip and combine-to-PDF are spread across every CPU core. [3]

Things to check before you choose

A designer should check which file types need thumbnails and previews before choosing a tool. It is also useful to check whether the main need is Explorer previews, image management, or image actions. The licence terms should match personal or commercial use. A workflow that depends on color accuracy, metadata, batch tasks, or cloud folders should be checked against the stated features of each option.

How to choose

Choose Icaros when the needed feature is Windows Explorer thumbnails for video media formats supported by FFmpeg. [1] Choose XnView MP when the needed features include image viewing, photo management, resizing, or a duplicate file finder. [2] [2] Choose SageThumbs 2K when the needed features include Windows File Explorer thumbnails for unsupported file types, embedded previews from design and CAD files, cloud folder thumbnails, or right-click image actions. [3] [3] [3] [3]

Frequently asked questions

Does Icaros add video thumbnails to Windows Explorer?

Icaros is described as a collection of lightweight, high quality add-ons for Windows. [1] It can provide Windows Explorer thumbnails for essentially any video media format supported by FFmpeg. [1] Its page says it works on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11. [1]

Can XnView MP help manage image files?

XnView MP is described as a free image viewer, photo management, and image resizer software. [2] Its listed features include a duplicate file finder. [2] Its page lists IPTC and XMP metadata editing. [2] It supports Windows 10 and Windows 11, plus macOS and Linux. [2]

Does SageThumbs 2K show design file previews in Explorer?

SageThumbs 2K pulls an embedded preview directly out of design and CAD files such as Photoshop, Affinity, AutoCAD DWG, and CorelDRAW with no rendering needed. [3] It also adds File Explorer thumbnails for file types Windows cannot render natively. [3] Thumbnails also work in OneDrive and Synology Drive folders. [3]

Which tool should a designer check for color profile support?

XnView MP's page says it supports embedded color profiles. [2] SageThumbs 2K converts images with a built-in color profile, or a wide-color tag such as Display P3 or Adobe RGB, to the standard sRGB colors before display. [3] The right choice depends on the color workflow being checked.

Is SageThumbs 2K free for personal use?

SageThumbs 2K is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. [3] Commercial use needs a per-installation licence of US$2.99 a month, or US$49 once for a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates. [3] Business installs get a 7-day evaluation with every feature, after which thumbnails and previews stop until a licence key is entered. [3]

It is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. [3]

Try SageThumbs 2K

Sources

  1. Icaros, github.com/Xanashi/Icaros, read 2026-10-07
  2. XnView MP, xnview.com/en/xnviewmp, read 2026-10-07
  3. SageThumbs 2K's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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