QuickLook alternatives in 2026

Five QuickLook alternatives for Windows compared by what each one does: Seer, Icaros, XnView MP, PowerToys and SageThumbs 2K, with a table.

By 2Dex · 2026-10-09

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

QuickLook provides instant file previews by pressing Space. ^[1] SageThumbs 2K adds File Explorer thumbnails for 363 file types, including camera RAW and Photoshop PSD. ^[2] Seer has built-in preview support for PDFs, images, code, video, archives, Markdown and plugins. ^[3] Icaros can provide Windows Explorer thumbnails for essentially any video media format supported by FFmpeg. ^[4] XnView is described as a free image viewer, photo management and image resizer. ^[5]

Option	What its source says it does	Windows versions named
QuickLook	Instant file previews by pressing Space ^[1]	not published
Seer	Built-in preview for PDFs, images, code, video, archives, Markdown and plugins ^[3]	not published
Icaros	Explorer thumbnails for video formats FFmpeg supports ^[4]	Vista, 7, 8/8.1, 10 and 11 ^[4]
XnView MP	Batch conversion ^[5]	Windows 10 and Windows 11, 64-bit version ^[5]
SageThumbs 2K	Explorer thumbnails for 363 file types, including design, RAW and video ^[2]	Windows 11 ^[2]

Why designers look past QuickLook

You press Space on a file and get an instant preview. ^[1]

Its page says it supports more than 100 file formats. ^[1] It also names ZIP, RAR, 7Z and TAR archives. ^[1]

The facts here describe a previewer. A designer may also want something different, such as thumbnails in the file list, batch conversion, or a viewer with its own tools. The facts above are silent on those, so check them before you rule QuickLook in or out.

Seer: built-in previews for many file kinds

Seer has built-in preview support for PDFs, images, code, video, archives, Markdown and plugins. ^[3]

It was first released on September 28, 2015 and has been updated continuously since. ^[3]

The facts here do not cover thumbnails in Explorer or file conversion, so check those if you need them.

Icaros: video thumbnails and properties in Explorer

Icaros can provide Windows Explorer thumbnails for essentially any video format that FFmpeg supports. ^[4]

XnView MP: an image viewer with batch tools

XnView is described as a free image viewer, photo management and image resizer. ^[5]

It supports Windows 10 and Windows 11. ^[5]

Microsoft PowerToys: a bundle of Windows utilities

PowerToys includes over 30 utilities for customizing and optimizing Windows. ^[6] It is licensed under the MIT license. ^[6]

The facts here do not say which of its utilities preview files, so check its utility list for that.

SageThumbs 2K: Explorer thumbnails plus a Space-bar preview

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. ^[2] It shows the preview already saved inside design and CAD files such as Photoshop, Affinity, AutoCAD DWG and CorelDRAW. ^[2]

A QuickLook-style instant previewer is on by default unless another Space-bar previewer is present. ^[2] Images carrying an embedded ICC profile or wide-gamut tag (Display P3 / Adobe RGB) are converted into sRGB before display. ^[2] Thumbnails also work in OneDrive and Synology Drive folders, and it never downloads online-only files just to draw a thumbnail. ^[2]

From the right-click menu you can convert images, resize them, rotate or flip them losslessly, and combine images into a PDF or CBZ. ^[2] SageThumbs 2K says a damaged file cannot crash Explorer. ^[2]

It is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. ^[2] 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. ^[2] It runs on Windows 11, with separate installers for x64 and ARM64. ^[2]

How to pick the right QuickLook alternative

If your files are Photoshop, Affinity, DWG, CorelDRAW or camera RAW and you want to see them in the Explorer file list, SageThumbs 2K lists those formats. ^[2] ^[2] It also lists a Space-bar preview, so one tool can cover both. ^[2]

If you only want a Space-bar previewer, Seer lists PDFs, images, code, video and archives. ^[3]

If video thumbnails are the gap, Icaros covers video formats that FFmpeg supports. ^[4]

If you want an image viewer, XnView is described as a free image viewer, photo management and image resizer. ^[5]

If you work on a business machine, note that SageThumbs 2K business installs get a 7-day evaluation with every feature, after which thumbnails and previews stop until a licence key is entered. ^[2] If you cannot install software on your computer, SageThumbs 2K has a portable zip that needs no admin rights. ^[2]

Frequently asked questions

What does QuickLook do on Windows?

QuickLook provides instant file previews by pressing Space. ^[1] Its page names MP4, AVI, MKV and MOV videos among the files it supports. ^[1]

Is there a QuickLook alternative that adds thumbnails in File Explorer?

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. ^[2] Icaros provides Explorer thumbnails for video formats that FFmpeg supports. ^[4] Check each tool's format list against your own files.

Is SageThumbs 2K free to use?

Does SageThumbs 2K have a Space-bar preview like QuickLook?

A QuickLook-style instant previewer is on by default unless another Space-bar previewer is present. ^[2] If you already run QuickLook or Seer, check which previewer answers the Space bar. Seer is a separate previewer that covers PDFs, images, code, video and archives. ^[3]

Which Windows versions do QuickLook alternatives support?

SageThumbs 2K runs on Windows 11, with separate installers for x64 and ARM64. ^[2] XnView supports Windows 10 and Windows 11. ^[5] The facts here do not list versions for Seer or QuickLook, so check their pages.

It is free for personal, noncommercial use under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. ^[2]

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