Microsoft PowerToys vs QuickLook in 2026
Microsoft PowerToys vs QuickLook for designers: what each does, what the sources say about price and install, and how SageThumbs 2K compares.
2Dex is published by the makers of SageThumbs 2K, RēDesign and VectorMagik, which are compared here alongside other tools.
PowerToys includes over 30 utilities for customizing and optimizing Windows. [1] QuickLook provides instant file previews by pressing Space. [2] SageThumbs 2K adds File Explorer thumbnails for 363 file types that Windows can't render natively, including camera RAW, Photoshop PSD, HEIC/AVIF and video. [3]
| Option | Price | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft PowerToys | not published | MIT license [1] |
| QuickLook | not published | not published |
| SageThumbs 2K | Free for personal use [3]; commercial use needs a per-installation licence: US$2.99 a month, or US$49 once for a perpetual licence with 12 months of updates [3] | PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0 [3] |
The short answer
For a designer, these tools do different jobs. QuickLook shows a preview of a file when you press Space. [2] SageThumbs 2K puts thumbnails in File Explorer for file types Windows can't draw by itself. [3]
If you want previews when you press Space, QuickLook says it provides instant file previews. [2] If you want thumbnails for camera RAW, PSD, HEIC/AVIF and video, SageThumbs 2K says it covers them. [3]
What PowerToys and QuickLook are built for
PowerToys is licensed under the MIT license. [1] Its page says it includes over 30 utilities for customizing and optimizing Windows. [1] Check its page for design file previews before relying on it for that.
QuickLook's tagline is "Instant File Previews, Just Press Space". [2] It claims instant previews with zero lag. [2] It uses hardware-accelerated rendering. [2]
On formats, QuickLook says it supports more than 100. [2] For images, it names JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP and RAW. [2] For video, it names MP4, AVI, MKV and MOV. [2]
What SageThumbs 2K is built for
SageThumbs 2K is made by the team that publishes this site. It adds File Explorer thumbnails for 363 file types that Windows can't render natively, including camera RAW, Photoshop PSD, HEIC/AVIF and video. [3]
For design and CAD files such as Photoshop, Affinity, AutoCAD DWG and CorelDRAW, it pulls out the preview already stored in the file. [3] Thumbnails also work in OneDrive and Synology Drive folders, and it never downloads online-only files just to draw a thumbnail. [3]
From the right-click menu you can convert images, resize them, rotate or flip them losslessly, and combine images into a PDF or CBZ. [3] Multi-file jobs such as resize, rotate, strip and combine-to-PDF are spread across every CPU core. [3] Images carrying an embedded ICC profile or wide-gamut tag (Display P3 / Adobe RGB) are converted into sRGB before display. [3] It also has a Space-bar instant previewer in the style of QuickLook, on by default unless another Space-bar previewer is present. [3]
Pricing and fees
It is licensed under the MIT license. [1] A price for PowerToys is not published in the facts here, so check its page. QuickLook's price is not published in the facts available here either, so check its page.
SageThumbs 2K is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. [3] Commercial use needs a per-installation licence: 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] The licence is source-available, which means the code can be read but the noncommercial terms still apply. [3]
Getting started and everyday use
It can be installed from the Microsoft Store. [1]
QuickLook's facts describe daily use only: press Space on a file to preview it. [2] Its sources here do not describe an install route, so check its page.
It runs on Windows 11, with separate installers for x64 and ARM64. [3] You can use a portable zip that needs no admin rights.[3] It adds image dimensions, EXIF camera details and audio tags to Explorer's Details pane, hover tooltips, and sortable columns for formats Windows can't read itself. [3] You can tick or untick right-click menu items, drag rows to reorder them and drag divider rows to regroup the menu. [3]
Things to check before you choose
Ask these of any of the three tools.
- Does it show thumbnails in the folder, or only a preview when you select a file?
- Are your own formats named, such as PSD, DWG, CorelDRAW or Affinity files?
- Does it keep colours true for images made in wider colour ranges such as Display P3 or Adobe RGB?
- What happens when a file is corrupt?
- Does it download files that are stored only in the cloud, and not on your computer, just to show a thumbnail?
- Is the licence suitable for paid client work, and is a price published?
- Does it match your Windows version and the kind of computer you use, standard or ARM?
- Does it collect diagnostic data?
How to choose
If you want a Space-bar preview for JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP and RAW images, QuickLook says it covers those. [2]
If you want Explorer thumbnails for camera RAW, PSD and HEIC/AVIF, SageThumbs 2K says it adds them. [3] If you work with CAD or design files, it says it pulls the embedded preview from formats such as DWG and CorelDRAW. [3] From the right-click menu you can convert images, resize them, rotate or flip them losslessly, and combine images into a PDF or CBZ. [3]
Frequently asked questions
Is QuickLook the same as PowerToys?
QuickLook provides instant file previews by pressing Space. [2] PowerToys includes over 30 utilities for customizing Windows. [1] Check each page for the exact features you need before installing either one.
What file types does QuickLook preview?
QuickLook's page says it supports images, videos, documents, code, 3D models, archives and fonts. [2] It names JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP and RAW images. [2] Named video types include MP4, AVI, MKV and MOV. [2] Check that your own design formats are covered.
How do you install Microsoft PowerToys?
PowerToys can be installed from the Microsoft Store. [1] Check its page for which route matches your device and Windows setup.
Is SageThumbs 2K free?
It is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. [3] Commercial use needs a per-installation licence: 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 first. [3]
Can SageThumbs 2K show thumbnails for RAW and PSD files?
It says it adds File Explorer thumbnails for 363 file types that Windows can't render natively, including camera RAW, Photoshop PSD, HEIC/AVIF and video. [3] For Photoshop, Affinity, AutoCAD DWG and CorelDRAW files it pulls out the embedded preview. [3]
It is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. [3]
Try SageThumbs 2KSources
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