5 Best HEIC Viewer Software You Should Not Miss on Windows 10/8/7

September 09, 2021Ashley Mae

There are oceans of image formats, but only a few of them, such as JPG and PNG, are frequently used. Recent years, HEIC has become increasingly popular among iPhone and iPad users as the native image format on iOS 11 and later. It is able generate small file size while does not damage the quality. The only downside is the compatibility issue. It makes sense that Windows users complained they cannot open HEIC files directly. Therefore, this post lists top 5 HEIC viewers.

HEIC Viewer

Part 1: Top 5 HEIC Viewers for PCs

Top 1: HEIF Utility

HEIF Utility

Platform: Windows 10/8/7

As its name indicated, HEIF Utility is a HEIC viewer solution for PC. Since it is an open-source project, everyone can download the software from the official website for free. Moreover, the clear interface makes you viewing HEIC images on Windows with ease.

Pros

  • Totally free to use.
  • View HEIC images along with EXIF data.
  • Batch convert HEIC to JPEG quickly.
  • No ads, watermark or other limit.

Cons

  • It is only available in English and Chinese.
  • The latest update was released in 2018.

Top 2: XnView

XnView

Platform: Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista

XnView is both a HEIC viewer and an image converter. It can meet your basic need about opening and viewing HEIC images on Windows. More importantly, all features are free to use without any payment or registration requirement.

Pros

  • Open HEIC images in thumbnail.
  • Provide multiple viewing modes.
  • Edit HEIC images, like rotate, flip, etc.
  • Convert HEIC to JPG, PNG, TIFF, or PDF.

Cons

  • To view HEIC, you have to install an external plugin.
  • The interface looks outdated.

Top 3: Google Photos

Google Photos

Platform: All Windows with a browser

Google Photos is a cloud-based picture solution. Many iPhone users prefer to back up HEIC on iPhone. Google gives each account 15 free storage. You can subscribe a plan if the storage is not enough. The web version enables you to view HEIC online.

Pros

  • View HEIC images without installing software.
  • Edit and manage HEIC on PCs.
  • Share HEIC photos online quickly.
  • Available to a wide range of systems.

Cons

  • It cannot transcode HEIC to other formats.

Top 4: Fast Photos Opener

Fast Photos Opener

Platform: Windows 10 and Xbox

Fast Photos Opener is widely used HEIC viewer and converter for PC. If you have updated you PC to Windows 10, it can open your HEIC images and display them one by one similar to other popular photo formats.

Pros

  • View HEIC in full resolution.
  • Control image viewing easily.
  • Print HEIC image directly.
  • Save HEIC to JPG, PNG, or other formats.

Cons

  • Not all features are free of charge.
  • It is only available to the latest PCs.

Top 5: MS Photos App on Windows 10

MS Photos App on Windows 10

Platform: Windows 10

Since April 2018 Update, Windows 10 has built-in the HEIF codec. It means that you can use the Photos app as the default HEIC viewer. Besides, the app provides bonus functionalities, like image editing and more.

Pros

  • Open HEIC on Windows 10 2018 Update or later.
  • View HEIC in thumbnail and full screen.
  • Zoom in and out images.
  • Edit HEIC images, like crop, rotate and more.

Cons

  • It can only HEIC images shot on iPhone.

Part 2: Convert HEIC for Viewing Everywhere

There are only a few of photo viewers support HEIC. If you want to view HEIC images everywhere, HEIC converting is another choice. Aiseesoft HEIC Converter is one of the best HEIC converter for viewing HEIC images on Windows, Android and other systems. Moreover, it lets you customize the output easily.

HEIC Converter

Downloads

Aiseesoft HEIC Converter – Best HEIC Converter

  • Convert HEIC images to JPG, PNG, etc. for viewing everywhere.
  • Batch process multiple HEIC images per time.
  • Keep EXIF data while converting HEIC photos.
  • Produce high quality output using advanced technology.
Free DownloadFor Windows

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Free DownloadFor macOS

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

How to Convert HEIC in Batch

Step 1:
Add HEIC images

Run the best HEIC converter for viewing HEIC everywhere after installing. Click the Add HEIC button and choose Add HEIC File(s) or Add HEIC Folder to open the images that you want to change.

Add HEIC
Step 2:
Set output format

Go to the right panel after photo loading, pull down the Format option and choose JPG/JPEG or PNG. Modify the quality in Quality field. Tick the checkbox next to Keep Exif Data if you intend to protect the metadata.

Choose Format
Step 3:
Convert HEIC

Hit the Open Folder button and set a specific directory to save the output. Finally, click the Convert button to begin converting HEIC for viewing on any platforms.

Convert

Recommend: Best Online HEIC Converter

Interface

Some people just need to convert HEIC images occasionally. Aiseesoft Free Online HEIC Converter is a good choice. It is free of charge and does not require you to install any software.

HEIC Converter

Downloads

Aiseesoft Free Online HEIC Converter – Best Online HEIC Converter

  • Convert HEIC for viewing on PC for free.
  • Completely work online.
  • Handle up to 10 HEIC images per day.
  • Available to most web browsers.
Free DownloadFor Windows

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Free DownloadFor macOS

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Part 3: FAQs about HEIC Viewer

Is HEIC high quality?

Yes, HEIC is better than the JPG file format on quality. Not only is the file size half that of a standard JPG, but the image quality is better too.

Can Windows 10 open HEIC photos?

Since April 2018 Update, Windows 10 can open HEIC photos captured by iPhone and iPad. For earlier versions, there is a free HEIF Image Extension in MS Store. Read on How to Open and View HEIC Files to learn more details.

Which is better HEIC or JPEG?

The HEIC format produces better quality and smaller file size than JPG, but the latter performs better on compatibility.

Conclusion

This article has shared top 5 best HEIC viewers for Windows 10 and earlier. They can open the HEIC images and provide some useful features, like management and converting. Another solution to view HEIC on Windows is Aiseesoft HEIC Converter, which can re-encode HEIC to JPG or PNG. More questions? Please contact us by leaving a message below this post.

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Aiseesoft HEIC Converter is the professional software to convert iPhone/iPad/iPod photos from HEIC to JPG/PNG on Windows/Mac without compressing image quality.

Free DownloadFor Windows

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Free DownloadFor macOS

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