# IrfanView

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/irfanview/

11 people recommended IrfanView in Hacker News comments and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 12 months, in 8 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it as a fast, long-standing Windows picture viewer and converter that is free to use. Several people want a Linux or other-platform port.

Summary written by Claude from 10 comments. It was written before the November 2026 recount, and 9 of those comments still count.

## Why people recommend it

- Fast, simple Windows image viewing (1 comment in the sample): "had to install Irfanview to get a usable picture viewer" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46351872))

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "IrfanView", https://hackerapproved.com/p/irfanview/ (11 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.