Selekt vs XnView MP
XnView MP is a powerful free image viewer that many photographers use for culling. Selekt is purpose-built for the culling workflow specifically. Both can help you sort through photos — the question is how fast you need to go.
Why photographers love XnView MP
XnView MP: the Swiss Army knife
XnView MP has been around since the early 2000s and has a devoted following. It reads 500+ image formats, supports batch operations, converts files, and handles basic metadata editing. Best of all: it's completely free for personal use. Many photographers use it as their primary culling tool because it's fast, configurable, and doesn't cost anything.
- Free for personal and educational use
- Reads virtually any image format
- Powerful batch operations and scripting
The trade-off: general purpose vs specialized
XnView MP can cull photos, but it wasn't designed for it. No scene-based grouping. No auto-advance when you rate. No mobile apps. The UI is functional but dated — it looks like software from 2010 because, well, it is. You can make it work, but you're fighting the tool instead of flowing with it.
- No scene-based grouping for bursts
- No auto-advance after rating
- Dated UI requires significant customization
Key differences
Workflow vs toolbox
XnView MP gives you tools; Selekt gives you a workflow. The difference: tools require you to assemble a process. A workflow moves you forward automatically. Rate an image in Selekt and you're already looking at the next one.
Free vs purpose-built
XnView MP is free and incredibly capable for general image work. Selekt costs money but is designed specifically for the culling bottleneck. If time is money, the math might favor Selekt — but if budget is tight, XnView MP is genuinely useful.
Desktop now, mobile soon
XnView MP is desktop-only (Windows, Mac, Linux). Selekt runs on macOS and Windows today, with iOS and Android apps coming soon. Cull on your laptop now; soon you'll review on your iPad during lunch and pick finals on your phone.
Culling workflow: a real comparison
XnView MP workflow
- Open folder in browser view
- Double-click to view full screen
- Press number key (1-5) to rate
- Press arrow key to move to next image
- Repeat 2,000 times
- Filter by rating to see picks
- Copy/move files manually or via batch
Each step is manual. With practice you can get fast, but the tool doesn't help you flow.
Selekt workflow
- Import shoot (auto-detects scenes)
- Work through scenes one at a time
- Compare similar frames side by side
- Press P/M/X — auto-advances
- Picks sync to mobile for client review (coming soon)
- Export XMP sidecars to Lightroom
The tool anticipates your next action. Scene grouping means you're never comparing unrelated images.
Who each tool is really for
Choose Selekt if you:
- Shoot professionally and need to cull fast
- Work with bursts and need scene grouping
- Want your culling decisions in Lightroom automatically
- Want to review photos on iPad or phone between shoots (coming soon)
- Value your time more than a software cost
Keep using XnView MP if you:
- Need a free solution and have time to optimize it
- Already have a customized XnView workflow dialed in
- Need batch operations, format conversion, or scripting
- Work on Linux
- Don't shoot high volumes or need mobile sync
Pricing
Selekt
- Free tier: Unlimited culling, full workflow
- Pro: $8/month ($12 AUD) — AI tagging, cloud features, priority support
XnView MP
- Personal use: Free
- Commercial/business: License required (pricing varies)
- Donations: Encouraged to support development
If you're a hobbyist or student, XnView MP's free license is hard to beat. If you're a working photographer, calculate how many hours you spend culling per month — Selekt's $8/month often pays for itself in time savings.
Feature comparison
| FEATURE | SELEKT | XNVIEW MP |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose-built for photo culling | yes | no |
| Scene-based grouping | yes | no |
| Side-by-side comparison | yes | partial |
| Keyboard-first culling | yes | yes |
| Auto-advance on rate | yes | no |
| Full offline workflow | yes | yes |
| Mobile apps (iPad/iPhone/Android) | partial | no |
| Lightroom XMP export | yes | no |
| Batch file operations | partial | yes |
| Format conversion | no | yes |
| RAW preview support | yes | yes |
| Free for personal use | partial | yes |
| Modern native UI | yes | no |
| macOS support | yes | yes |
| Linux support | no | yes |
Bottom line
XnView MP is a genuinely excellent piece of free software. If you're a hobbyist, a student, or someone who shoots occasionally, it can absolutely handle your culling needs. Many professional photographers swear by their customized XnView workflows.
But there's a reason those workflows are "customized" — you have to build them yourself. XnView gives you the parts; you assemble the machine. If you enjoy that kind of tinkering, great. If you'd rather just cull photos, Selekt is the machine already built.
The real question: is your time worth $8/month? For a working photographer doing 50+ shoots annually, faster culling probably pays for itself in the first month. For someone shooting occasionally, XnView MP is a solid choice that costs nothing.