--- {"title": "Microsoft PowerToys vs Seer in 2026", "description": "Microsoft PowerToys vs Seer for designers who want file previews in Windows, with pricing, setup and questions to ask, plus SageThumbs 2K as a third option.", "url": "https://2dex.com/microsoft-powertoys-vs-seer/", "date": "2026-10-10"} --- Microsoft PowerToys vs Seer for designers who want file previews in Windows, with pricing, setup and questions to ask, plus SageThumbs 2K as a third option. Seer previews PDFs, images, code, video, archives and Markdown. [^1] PowerToys can be installed from the Microsoft Store. [^2] SageThumbs 2K adds File Explorer thumbnails for 363 file types that Windows can't render natively. [^3] Match the tool to the job you need done. | Option | Own price | Licence | Install routes | |---|---|---|---| | Microsoft PowerToys | not published | MIT license [^2] | Microsoft Store [^2] | | Seer | not published | not published | not published | | SageThumbs 2K | Free for personal use [^3]; commercial US$2.99 a month or US$49 once [^3] | The licence is the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0, and it is source-available. [^3] | Portable zip, no admin rights [^3] | ## The short answer PowerToys can be installed from the Microsoft Store. [^2] Seer says it has built-in preview support for PDFs, images, code, video, archives, Markdown, and plugins. [^1] SageThumbs 2K 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] ## What each tool does **Microsoft PowerToys.** It can be installed from the Microsoft Store. [^2] It is licensed under the MIT license. [^2] **Seer.** It has built-in support for PDFs, images, code, video, archives, Markdown, and plugins. [^1] ## 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] 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] 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] Images carrying an embedded ICC profile or wide-gamut tag (Display P3 / Adobe RGB) are converted into sRGB before display. [^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] ## Pricing and fees **Microsoft PowerToys.** It is licensed under the MIT license. [^2] The sources give no price for PowerToys. **Seer.** The sources give no price for Seer. **SageThumbs 2K.** 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 with every feature, after which thumbnails and previews stop until a licence key is entered. [^3] ## Getting started and everyday use **Microsoft PowerToys.** It can be installed from the Microsoft Store. [^2] **Seer.** Its page lists built-in preview support for PDFs, images, code, video, archives, Markdown, and plugins. [^1] Seer's installation steps are not published here, so check its own page. **SageThumbs 2K.** 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] A QuickLook-style instant previewer is on by default unless another Space-bar previewer is present. [^3] The right-click menu can be trimmed, reordered and regrouped by dragging. [^3] ## Things to check before you choose - Does it show thumbnails or previews for the exact file types you work with, such as PSD, Affinity, DWG or RAW? - Does it show them inside File Explorer, or in a separate previewer window? - Is your use personal or commercial, and what does the licence say about it? - Does it handle files in cloud-synced folders without downloading them? - Does it manage colour profiles when showing images? - What data does the tool collect or send, and where does its own page say so? - Does it work on your Windows version and processor type? ## How to choose If you want to install from the Microsoft Store, PowerToys offers that route. [^2] If you want built-in previews for PDFs, images, code, video, archives and Markdown, Seer's page lists them. [^1] If you want Explorer thumbnails for camera RAW, PSD, HEIC/AVIF and video, SageThumbs 2K says it adds them. [^3] If you work with Photoshop, Affinity, DWG or CorelDRAW files, SageThumbs 2K pulls an embedded preview from them. [^3] If you want to run thumbnails, conversions and batch jobs by typed commands, SageThumbs 2K says it includes a tool for that, which AI assistant apps can also call. [^3] ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Microsoft PowerToys free? PowerToys is licensed under the MIT license. [^2] The sources give no price, so check its page for current terms before you rely on it for paid work. ### How is Microsoft PowerToys installed? It can be installed from the Microsoft Store. [^2] ### What file types can Seer preview? Seer says it has built-in support for PDFs, images, code, video, archives, Markdown, and plugins. [^1] Seer's installation and price are not published, so check its own page for those, and try a sample of your own design files before you choose. ### Is SageThumbs 2K free for commercial use? 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] It is free only for personal, noncommercial use. [^3] ### Does SageThumbs 2K show thumbnails for Photoshop and RAW files? 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] It also pulls an embedded preview directly out of design and CAD files such as Photoshop, Affinity, AutoCAD DWG, and CorelDRAW. [^3] It is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. [^3] - [Visit SageThumbs 2K](/go/microsoft-powertoys-vs-seer) ## Sources [^1]: Seer, 1218.io, read 2026-10-07 (https://www.1218.io/) [^2]: Microsoft PowerToys, github.com/microsoft/PowerToys, read 2026-10-07 (https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys) [^3]: SageThumbs 2K's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/microsoft-powertoys-vs-seer)