Resizing 500 photos for a Shopify store. Shrinking a client folder to fit an email. Making thumbnails from a folder of raw exports. A dedicated batch image resizer applies the same size, format, and quality settings to every file in one pass, preserves EXIF, and does not force you into a subscription. Seven picks below across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What to look for in a batch resizer
The right pick depends on the job’s scale and precision. Weigh:
- EXIF preservation. Camera date, GPS, lens info. Some tools strip it silently; that matters for archives.
- Format coverage. JPG and PNG are universal. WebP, AVIF, HEIC, and RAW handling separate the useful tools from the toys.
- Watermarking. A text or image watermark applied per image in the same pass.
- Naming rules. Prefix, suffix, sequence, or template based on filename or metadata.
- Command line. A CLI turns the tool into part of a script or CI pipeline.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free | Format count | CLI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nomacs | Cross-platform open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | 40+ | Limited |
| PowerToys Image Resizer | Zero-friction on Windows | Windows | Yes | JPG, PNG, TIFF, WebP | No |
| XnConvert | Deep format and metadata control | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | 500+ | Yes |
| IrfanView | Windows fast batch classic | Windows | Yes | 100+ | Yes |
| FastStone Photo Resizer | Windows photographer’s kit | Windows | Yes | 20+ | No |
| ImageMagick | Scripts, servers, pipelines | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | 200+ | Yes |
| BIMP | GIMP users | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Whatever GIMP supports | No |
1. nomacs, best cross-platform open source
nomacs is an open-source image viewer with a batch processing panel built in. Drag a folder onto it, pick “Batch”, set resize, format, and rename rules, hit run. It handles WebP, AVIF, HEIC, and camera RAW formats out of the box on all three OSes.
The reason to pick it is that it is the only cross-platform open-source viewer with a batch flow that actually works well in 2026, and the same install viewer covers your regular image-viewing needs.
Where it falls short: Batch UI is less discoverable than in dedicated batch tools. Watermarking is basic.
Pricing: Free and open source (GPLv3).
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: nomacs.org · GitHub
Bottom line: The default open-source pick when you want one tool on every OS.
2. PowerToys Image Resizer, best zero-install Windows
Microsoft’s Image Resizer in PowerToys adds a “Resize pictures” entry to the right-click menu in File Explorer. Select files, right-click, pick a preset (Small, Medium, Large, Phone, Custom), and go. Output overwrites in place or saves next to the originals with a suffix.
The reason to pick it is that if you already run PowerToys, no additional install is needed. Presets are editable and cover the common cases.
Where it falls short: Windows only. No watermark, no rename beyond a suffix, no format conversion beyond a handful.
Pricing: Free (MIT).
Platforms: Windows 10, Windows 11.
Download: Microsoft Store · GitHub
Bottom line: The default on Windows for one-off jobs. Move to a dedicated tool when the job repeats.
3. XnConvert, best free metadata and format control
XnConvert by XnSoft is a free batch image processor with three tabs (Input, Actions, Output) and 80+ stackable actions: resize, crop, rotate, watermark, sharpen, EXIF edit. It reads 500+ formats and writes 70+, including WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL.
The reason to pick it is depth. For anything more than “just resize”, XnConvert covers it in one pass without opening a full image editor.
Where it falls short: Free for personal and educational use only. Commercial licenses required otherwise. Interface is dense.
Pricing: Free for personal use. Commercial license via XnSoft.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: xnview.com/en/xnconvert
Bottom line: The best free pick for complex batch pipelines.
4. IrfanView, best Windows fast classic
IrfanView has been the Windows image viewer of choice since the late nineties, and its batch dialog (File, Batch Conversion/Rename) still holds up. It converts formats, resizes, rotates, adds text or image watermarks, and applies EXIF-based renames in one dialog.
The reason to pick it is speed. IrfanView opens instantly and processes thousands of images faster than any modern rival.
Where it falls short: Windows only. UI is a museum piece.
Pricing: Free for personal use. Commercial license via the author.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: irfanview.com
Bottom line: The pick when speed is the constraint and you are on Windows.
5. FastStone Photo Resizer, best photographer’s Windows kit
FastStone Photo Resizer is a batch-first tool with a clean two-pane interface: source files on the left, output preview on the right. It supports resize, rename, format conversion, watermark, colour depth, DPI, canvas resize, and border addition in one pass.
The reason to pick it is that unlike XnConvert or IrfanView, everything you need is one click into the interface, not seven checkboxes deep.
Where it falls short: Windows only. Free for personal use; commercial requires a license.
Pricing: Free for personal and educational use. Paid license for commercial.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: faststone.org
Bottom line: The pick when you want a clean Windows-only batch tool with almost no learning curve.
6. ImageMagick, best for scripting and CI
ImageMagick is a suite of command-line tools (magick, convert, mogrify) that resize, convert, watermark, and composite images from a shell script or CI pipeline. A one-line magick mogrify -resize 1200x -quality 82 *.jpg shrinks every JPG in a folder.
The reason to pick it is that once you write a shell script, batch image work becomes part of your build pipeline. Websites, e-commerce catalogues, and CI-driven asset generation all run on ImageMagick.
Where it falls short: No GUI. Users who do not scripting will find it painful. Security caveats over the years mean the default policy blocks some formats; check policy.xml.
Pricing: Free and open source (Apache 2.0).
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: imagemagick.org · GitHub
Bottom line: The right pick when the batch job lives inside a script or CI.
7. BIMP, best inside a GIMP workflow
BIMP (Batch Image Manipulation Plugin) is a GIMP plugin that batches GIMP’s own transforms across a folder: resize, sharpen, rename, watermark, apply a GIMP script-fu. It uses whatever formats GIMP supports on your install.
The reason to pick it is if you already run GIMP for editing and want to apply the same colour correction across a batch.
Where it falls short: Only useful if GIMP is your editor. Plugin can lag behind GIMP major releases.
Pricing: Free (GPLv3).
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (via GIMP).
Download: alessandrofrancesconi.it/projects/bimp · GitHub
Bottom line: The pick when GIMP is already the editor.
How to pick
- Cross-platform free: nomacs or XnConvert.
- Windows, occasional job: PowerToys Image Resizer.
- Windows, repeated work: FastStone Photo Resizer or IrfanView.
- Complex pipelines (watermark, rename, EXIF): XnConvert.
- CI or scripts: ImageMagick.
- Already use GIMP: BIMP.
FAQ
Do these tools preserve EXIF?
Most do by default. XnConvert, FastStone, IrfanView, and ImageMagick all give you a “keep EXIF” checkbox. PowerToys Image Resizer preserves EXIF. Strip metadata explicitly if you plan to share photos publicly.
What resize quality setting should I use for web?
JPEG quality 80 to 85 is the sweet spot for web images. AVIF quality 60 to 70 produces smaller files at similar visual quality. All tools in this list expose a quality slider.
Can I resize HEIC photos from an iPhone on Windows?
Yes, if the tool supports HEIC. nomacs, XnConvert, and IrfanView (with plugin) all read HEIC. PowerToys Image Resizer needs the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store first.
How do I resize thousands of images without running out of memory?
Use ImageMagick’s mogrify (in-place) or XnConvert with a small parallelism setting. Do not open all files in a viewer first.
Is upscaling with these tools any good?
No. These are downsize/format tools. For AI-based upscaling, look at Topaz Gigapixel, Upscayl (open source), or Real-ESRGAN.
