Design Previewer vs Ardfry PSD CodecA modern alternative to the Ardfry PSD Codec
The PSD Codec was last updated in 2015. Design Previewer is updated today, costs less, and shows four families of design file the codec does not list.
No account, no card · Everything unlocked · Windows 10 and 11
New versions arrive through the app itself, and they are free.
One install covers the files the rest of your team sends you.
The codec shows only PDFs that were saved with an XMP thumbnail.
Design Previewer vs Ardfry PSD Codec, line by line
Price, licence and every design format, with nothing left out.
| Compared | Design Previewer | PSD Codec |
|---|---|---|
| Price and updates | ||
| Lifetime licence | $15, once | US$19.95 |
| Yearly plan | $7 a year | Not listed |
| Latest version | Updated in 2026 | 1.6.1, June 2015 |
| Free trial | 15 days, everything unlocked | 15 days |
| Design formats | ||
| Photoshop (PSD, PSB) | Yes | Yes |
| Illustrator (AI) | Yes | Most AI files |
| InDesign (INDD) | Yes | CS2 and later |
| Every PDF, first page drawn | Only with an XMP thumbnail | |
| CorelDRAW (CDR, CMX) | Yes | Not listed |
| Sketch | Yes | Not listed |
| Adobe XD | Yes | Not listed |
| Affinity | Yes | Not listed |
| Day to day | ||
| Preview pane | Large preview with Alt+P | See its website |
| Help when a file will not preview | Help desk, answered by a person | See its website |
Details for Ardfry PSD Codec are as published on its own website in October 2026 and may have changed since. “Not listed” means it does not appear there. Ardfry PSD Codec belongs to its respective owner and is not connected with Design Previewer.
Four reasons designers choose Design Previewer
Still being developed
The codec’s latest version is from June 2015. Design Previewer was updated this year, and new versions install from inside the app.
Four more families of file
CorelDRAW from version 3 onwards, Sketch, Adobe XD and every Affinity format show thumbnails too.
Every PDF, not some
The first page is drawn for you with the PDF engine built into Windows, so a PDF needs nothing special saved inside it.
Costs less
A lifetime licence is a lower one-time price, with a cheaper yearly plan beside it.
Switching from Ardfry PSD Codec
Weighing another tool?
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Stop opening five files to find one
Install it in two minutes and see every design file in the folder. Everything is unlocked while you try it.
- No account, no card
- Never changes your files
- Clean uninstall