FastStone Image Viewer vs Polaris Viewer Plus

FastStone Image Viewer is a Windows image browser, converter, and editor for individual images and collections. Editing tools include resizing, rotation, cropping, color adjustment, sharpening, blur, Clone Stamp, and Healing Brush. It supports major graphic formats and popular camera RAW formats, including HEIC, WEBP, PDF, SVG, and JPEG XL. The Compare Images feature displays up to four pictures side by side, while batch tools convert and rename collections. Slideshows offer more than 150 transition effects and music. The program can acquire images from scanners and batch scan to PDF, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG. Users can launch external editors from within Image Viewer, and a portable version can run from removable storage. FastStone lists personal and educational use as free and a commercial lifetime license at $34.95 as a one-time purchase, with upgrades free. Another plan listing gives a price of $34.95 a month, so the commercial license terms should be confirmed before purchase. The product is listed for Windows, and FastStone provides technical support by email.

Polaris Viewer Plus is a document viewer for viewing and annotating original files across Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. It offers pen-writing tools and tabbed viewing for keeping several documents open and switching between them. Listed formats include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, HWP, and PNG; additional template, macro, image, CSV, and text formats are supported for viewing only. The product lists Excel filters, slide notes, and bookmarks, and Palm Rejection separates pen from touch input. Its product page says document data is managed in volatile memory to prevent leakage. Viewer Plus is installed on the client and does not require an extra conversion server. It is described as compatible with groupware, electronic document management systems, and DRM solutions. Storage integration and logo insertion are available for workspace customization. Mobile requirements are iOS 15.0 or later and Android 10 or later. The page directs prospective customers to contact sales; no price is listed.