The increasingly powerful cameras integrated into our smartphones , but also reflex or mirrorless cameras at increasingly low cost, have made it easier than ever to take lots of photos. But where do all these images end up and, above all, how are they managed? In fact, a greater quantity of photos need to be stored in libraries to be able to access them quickly and easily
And here comes the programs to organize photos , that is those software that will help you archive, search and even edit your favorite photos to simplify your work and put your shots in order. Thanks to their intuitive interface, you can view the thumbnails of the images, mark them using search keys, filter the results and, thanks to artificial intelligence, be able to scan the photos to be able to organize them automatically, perhaps by event or people, thanks to a recognition algorithm. In addition, some of these programs will also show you on a map where you took the photographs.
So, without hesitating a second longer, take a few minutes of free time and read very carefully what I have to tell you on the subject: at the end of this reading, I’m sure you will find the right solution. Are you ready to get started? Very good! I wish you, then, a good read!
Index
- Free programs for organizing photos
- Photo (Windows/macOS)
- XnView MP (Windows/macOS/Linux)
- Other free programs to organize photos
- Professional programs for organizing photos
- Adobe Lightroom (Windows/macOS)
- Other professional programs for organizing photos
- Program to organize double photos
- Pixiple (Windows)
- Gemini 2 (macOS)
Free programs for organizing photos
Whether you are a professional photographer who has to archive entire days of work or, simply, you are looking for something that allows you to keep in order the many photographs taken, with family and friends, with your mobile phone, then here are some of the best free programs to organize photo .
Photo (Windows/macOS)
Before showing you some of the best programs to organize third-party photos, it seems fair to give you some indications on the predefined solutions of Windows and macOS .
In fact, on both operating systems, two image organizers are installed as standard, as well as graphic editors, which can be right for you: Microsoft Photos , on Windows 10 and Windows 11 , and Photos on macOS .
With Microsoft Photos (also available on the Microsoft Store ) you can organize your photo gallery by album, folder or date taken. You can also use tags to recognize photos either manually or automatically, thanks to the program’s artificial intelligence, which will tag images for different subjects or events.
The Windows home software also integrates a good editor with which you can edit your photographs with tools for cropping, resizing, automatic improvement of brightness, hue and contrast (with the possibility of comparing the improved image with the original) and the possibility of using filters similar to those present in photographic social networks such as Instagram .
In addition to the ability to organize your photos into folders, Photos also allows you to automatically create albums to browse as presentations and, perhaps, later share via OneDrive . From 2023 there is also integration with the iCloud Photos library
In principle , Apple Photos integrates the same functions as Windows Photos seen before: you can import your photos from the Mac itself (by dragging them into the program), from a connected camera or even from the iPhone, either by connecting the iPhone to the Mac , either by using the iCloud Photos service .
Once you have imported your photos, you can organize them by folders, add them to your favorites, or get help from the automatic scan of the software that will quickly recognize people, objects and scenes to which you can assign a name and search for them later using the search field.
Also, depending on the number of photos you import, Photos will scan your library to create a souvenir video based on the location, time, and people in those photos.
Finally, Photo integrates an excellent graphic editor thanks to which you can automatically (or manually) improve your images, through a series of very effective adjustments and filters.
XnView MP (Windows/macOS/Linux)
XnView MP is a powerful program for organizing photos and searching for images via a browser -like viewing system with the photos open in separate tabs. An editor with basic editing functions such as cropping and color and tonal correction is also integrated. XnView MP is totally free for personal use, while to use it in a business environment it is necessary to purchase a license (starting from 29 euros ). It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
To download it to your computer, connect to its official website and click on the button for the operating system you use (eg Setup Win 64bit if you use Windows 64bit or OSX DMG 64bit if you use a Mac).
To proceed with the installation of XnView MP on Windows , then start the .exe file obtained, click on the Yes and OK buttons , check the I accept the agreement box and click on the Next button four consecutive times, finally on Install and Finish .
If you are using a Mac , instead, start the .dmg file you downloaded, drag the program icon to the Applications folder .
When the program starts, regardless of the operating system used, click OK in the Startup Wizard window and go to the left column, Folders , to select the folder where your photos are contained. In the central Cataloger window you will see your photos appear: clicking on each of them you will see, in the lower left pane, the Information , the Properties of the image, the Histogram and the EXIF data .
Within the Cataloger , by clicking with the right mouse button on each photograph, you can perform a series of operations such as moving a photo to another folder, copying it, deleting it, converting it into another format or assigning it a rating, a label or catalog it in one of the groups or subgroups present in the Categories window below .
By clicking on the Slide Show icon , instead, you can create a slideshow by manually adding photos or folders directly, also choosing a timer for transitions, the rotation order and other useful settings.
In case you want to edit a photograph, double-click on it and, in another tab, the integrated graphic editor will open with which you can rotate the image, resize it, adjust brightness, contrast and hue or even add shape or written.
Other free programs to organize photos
Here, however, are other free programs to organize photos that deserve to be taken into consideration and downloaded.
- IrfanView( Windows ) – is a program to organize photos from the PC with functions of viewer, organizer, converter and image editor intuitive and fast. IrfanView allows you to quickly view photos on your PC and create presentations, plus there are numerous plug-ins available to get more functionality. Despite the somewhat outdated interface, IrfanView is, still today, perfect for both beginners and professionals. The software is free .
- FastStone Image Viewer( Windows ) – is one of the most popular image viewing and archiving software and converter between different formats. Its strength is the countless basic and advanced photo retouching tools. FastStone Image Viewer supports the ability to add tags, view EXIF data and other parameters to sort images. The program is free and updates are constantly being released.
- digiKam( Windows / macOS / Linux ) – is a free and open source software capable of managing your photos by sorting them by folders and albums thanks to the help of tags. digiKam processes RAW files and supports many social networks, making it an ideal tool for quick image sharing and publishing. It also includes a good advanced photo retouching editor.
Professional programs for organizing photos
If the solutions that I recommended in my previous paragraph are not for you, as you have different needs, continuing to read you will find described some of the best professional programs to organize photos that can do for you.
Adobe Lightroom (Windows/macOS)
Adobe is one of the leading companies in the production of software for video and graphics products, so it is not surprising that its Adobe Lightroom is one of the best professional photo organization programs for both Windows and macOS operating systems.
It is a very powerful photo management suite: once you have imported your photos into the Lightroom catalog, you can manage them, moving them or copying them in folders to be sorted later in the best possible way.
Adobe Lightroom also has precise tools to index photos, rate them and search them. You can also edit the metadata for each individual photo, in case you have numerous images to catalog for years. You can also add keywords, colored labels, star rating filters to quickly find the photos you may wish to export or edit.
Finally, thanks to artificial intelligence, it will be possible to create virtual collections in which all the photographs will be inserted and grouped by specific theme.
To use Lightroom you need to subscribe to one of the Adobe Creative Cloud plans with prices starting from 12.19 euros / month , but you can try it for free through a 7-day trial . For more information on how it works, you can read my specific guide on how to use Lightroom .
Other professional programs for organizing photos
Did the program suggested in the previous paragraph not convince you in a particular way and, therefore, would you like me to suggest some alternatives? Here is a list of other professional programs for organizing photos .
- Corel PaintShop Pro( Windows ) – is an image organizer and editor suitable for professional, creative photographers and anyone who needs a tool that simplifies their work. The management system is cloud-based and is ideal for working in even large teams that manage a large number of photographs. The interface is simple to use with an immediate and intuitive image search and classification system. PaintShop Pro does not have a subscription but you can purchase the full version at a cost of 99 euros .
- ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate( Windows ) – is one of the best tools to organize and manage photos thanks to its convenient and precise system of ratings, tags, categories and colored labels. The photo import system is particularly advanced and integrates batch editing tools such as resizing, brightness and contrast adjustments, rotation etc. Navigating through the folders is simple and convenient. ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate costs 95 euros with the possibility to try the full version for 30 days for free.
- Movavi Photo Manager( Windows / macOS ) – is an ideal tool for managing entire photo collections even with different formats such as .raw , .png and .jpg . With Movavi you will be able to automatically sort your photos based on the shooting date and GPS coordinates. It is also capable of recognizing faces and cataloging photos based on each person. Movavi Photo Manager also has a basic graphics editor as well as the ability to remove duplicate photos to save hard disk space. The cost of the software is 95 euros , alternatively you can purchase the license for one year at a cost of 33.95 euros .
Program to organize double photos
Sometimes it happens to find ourselves with many photos taken, often identical to each other. In order to recover space on your hard drive it is important to delete them and that is why you need to rely on a program to organize double photos that can do the job quickly for you.
Pixiple (Windows)
Pixiple is a free tool to automate the search process for duplicate or similar images either within the same folder or across the entire hard drive. Pixiple is a simple portable program, therefore it works without installation. Its execution, in fact, can also be carried out from a pendrive.
To download Pixiple, visit the dedicated page on Github and in the Assets table , click on the .exe file relating to the architecture of the CPU mounted on your PC (usually the first or second file) to start the download.
When the download is complete, open the .exe file obtained and start the program by clicking on Run . At this point, select the folder to be analyzed (or subfolders) in the box that appears. Alternatively, you can have the whole computer examined by clicking on This PC or even a different storage drive. Click OK to start searching for similar or duplicate images.
After a few seconds (it depends on the quantity of photos to be analyzed), the software will show the similar photos coupled with the possibility of removing one of the two images, by clicking on the Delete file button located at the top of the photos, or scrolling through the subsequent duplicated images using the button. Next pair . It is possible to carry out a new analysis by clicking on the File> New Scan … menu at the top.
Gemini 2 (macOS)
Gemini 2 is among the best photo organizer applications that will help you find duplicate photos on your Mac. But Gemini is not limited to photos only, in fact, the search is extended to all those duplicate files that unnecessarily take up space on your computer.
The application is paid, at a cost of 19.95 euros / year (with different subscription plans if used on multiple Macs), but it is also included in Setapp , a subscription service that allows you to access many paid applications for macOS in exchange for a small monthly / annual fee (with a small surcharge it also includes apps for iOS / iPadOS). The first 14 days are free with no renewal obligation. For more information, feel free to check out my guide on how Setapp works .
That said, finding and organizing double images with Gemini is very simple: once opened, drag the folder to be analyzed inside the main screen of the program. Alternatively, click the + button in the center and choose the path or folder to scan. Press the green Search Duplicates button to start the search.
Authorize the program to access all required areas of the system (eg the Documents , Desktop or Downloads folder ) and the scan will be completed quickly. In the circle-shaped box on the left you will see the number of duplicate MBs found and on the right, by clicking on Check for duplicates, you can check the files to be scanned before being removed.
In fact, on the next screen, you will find both identical and similar files. By clicking on the folders on the left you will be able to see the duplicates and select them in case you intend to delete them. Once you click on the checkbox located near the photos to remove and press Remove at the bottom right. At the end, you will receive a Cleaning Complete message! with the number of MBs released.