Antivirus Software provides solid protection against the latest viruses & threats, but sometimes at the cost of system performance. While we were researching and curating the list of top computer security solutions to use in 2023, we found that a few antivirus programs are causing system slowdowns. This especially came into notice when users started playing high-end video games or rendering heavy video footage with processor-intensive software.
Out of all the antivirus programs we tested, the lightest one is T9 Antivirus. During virus scans, we noticed only 10% of CPU/Memory consumption and it also enhanced the performance a bit. T9 Antivirus is also one of our picks for preventing Backdoor Attacks.
Does lightweight antivirus mean a better & faster detection rate?
No! Being lightweight doesn’t mean improved detection rates, rather it is a small installation agent that occupies only a few megabytes of your hard drive. Moreover, a lightweight antivirus tool is one that has low RAM consumption during virus scans & ensures uninterrupted operations.
Here’s what gives lightweight antivirus an edge over traditional antivirus programs:
- Takes less storage space on your hard drive.
- Occupied less memory and takes less processor time to complete scans.
- Low CPU usage & causes no conflicts with existing security software.
Also, if you are still keen on using older computers, installing a low-resource antivirus is a must.
Most Lightweight Antivirus For Windows 11/10 & Older Versions (2023)
All these below-mentioned Antivirus software are reliable, have a good reputation & don’t eat a lot of your system’s resources.
1. T9 Antivirus – Feature-Rich Antivirus (Expert’s Recommendation)
USP: “ Real-Time Protection with multiple tools to keep PC safe and optimized for user “
Price: $39.95/Year
T9 Antivirus is one of the best lightweight antiviruses for Windows. It is only 33 MB in file size which can be easily squeezed in when your computer is low on storage space. Along with that, it comes with a great number of features to help your computer work at its optimal speed and best performance. It helps in keeping your PC safe from malware threats and runs scheduled scans.
T9 Antivirus runs on Real-time protection and comes with – Web, Exploit, and Malware protection to keep the viruses at bay at all times. You can run a custom scan and get a detailed report on the infection found and removed or quarantined. It gets the database regularly updated to safeguard your PC from harmful threats. Additionally, you get a Startup Manager to remove any malicious programs from delaying the boot time for your PC. Plus, you get a PC Optimizer to clean junk and free up space and Software Updater to keep the programs running on the latest version. Get all of this and more, download the free trial version on your computer now.
Download Now To Get 30-day free trial!
- Easy to use & simple UI.
- An excellent way to improve overall boot time.
- Automatic scheduler to run malware scanning.
- 30-Days free trial & 60-day money-back guarantee.
- The built-in VPN & Password Manager needs to be purchased as standalone apps.
2. AVG AntiVirus – Complete Suite of Security Tools
USP: Provides six power layers of protection to safeguard devices against viruses, spyware, malware & ransomware.
Price: Free Version (Basic Protection), $31.08 (Full Internet Security)
It is the best lightweight antivirus for Windows 10 with real-time security updates, scans malware, improves performance, and even finds out malicious downloads before they are on the run on the PC.
At the same time, you can remain free from the stress of virus intrusion as it blocks unsafe links, downloads, and email attachments properly. No heavy scans, so you can sit back and relax with this lightest antivirus tool!
- Boot-time scan removes persistent malware.
- Enhanced firewall.
- Blocks about 90% of threatening links.
- Good phone & chat support.
- Initial scan is certainly slower.
- Fixing performance-related issues needs an upgrade.
3. Avast Free Antivirus – Top Rated Free Antimalware Tool
USP: Find intruders & security weaknesses in your network
Price: Free, Premium Plan – $39.99/Year, Individual/Family Plan – $29.88/Year
Avast is known for the largest threat-detection network, to begin with. The reasons why it is known as top lightweight antivirus includes real-time analysis of unknown files, interactive interface and extra care for gamers and movie buffs.
An interesting concept is being on the run with Avast. It keeps an eye on the behavior of the PC to find that if the behavior is suddenly going rogue. It is capable of blocking spyware, ransomware, phishing, etc. with smart analytics. Also, the smart scanning system sends suspicious files to the cloud for further analysis and push for a cure.
- Easy to download, setup & use.
- Powerful network security inspector.
- On-demand malware scan.
- Multi-platform antivirus utility.
- Big business plans are costly.
Website: Avast
Also Read: 10 Best Free Anti-Malware Software For Windows 10, 8, 7
4. 360 Total Security – Reliable Solution To Clean, Speed Up & Protect PC
USP: Multiple-Engine protection with cleaning and speed-up modules.
Price: Free, Premium – $17.66/Year
This lightweight antivirus software is a fantastic tool that requires less RAM and memory at the same time. From essential antivirus protection to shield all the major incoming threats to intelligent behavior monitoring for any document hijack, 360 Total Security is always good to go product.
Secure your online shopping or give yourself privacy protection when internet, Wi-Fi security, and privacy cleaner work at the same time. Along with being the lightest antivirus, the computer also speeds up by removing junk files away and making some more space back in the system.
- Highly effective cleaning & security scan.
- Straightforward & intuitive UI.
- Real-time cloud-based protection.
- Tons of tune-up utilities & decryption tools.
- Get ready for a constant ad flow.
- Requires some tweaking for optimized security.
Website: 360 Total Security
5. Avira – Perfect Blend Of Privacy & Performance
USP: Real-time updates via the cloud that detects emerging & never-seen-before attacks.
Price: Free, Prime – $59.99/Year, Internet Security – $34.99/Year
Everything you do on your Windows computer, an excellent lightweight antivirus must always protect from invasion. And thanks to Avira for doing the same for you. It not only protects your system from virus threats but blocks infected websites, browser trackers and intrusive ads. Get all the available networks to check for any vulnerabilities and fix them with Avira!
If you sign in anywhere with your passwords, Avira keeps it private for you. With this, your system also speeds up the boot time by cleaning the junk files and reducing lags.
- Intuitive user interface.
- Has an integrated VPN service.
- Comes with useful browser extensions.
- Has plenty of mobile features.
- Poor customer support.
- Free version lacks web protection features.
Website: Avira
Also Read: 10 Best Lightweight Browsers For Windows 10
6. Bitdefender Antivirus – Advanced & Highly Effective
USP: Customizable virus scans detect every threat without hampering performance.
Price: Free, Total Security – $28.50/Year, Internet Security – $25.50/Year, Antivirus Plus – $17.99
When Artificial Intelligence and other revolutionary technologies come together to find with the latest threats like malware or virus intrusion, you would certainly be calling it the best lightweight antivirus software for Windows 10. This tool is most suitable when you want to place multilayer security that prevents you from losing any data or money.
In-built password manager, webcam protection and no system slowdowns make sure that your privacy and performance of the system remain updated. A good lightweight antivirus, indeed.
- Detects & deletes malware that captures keystrokes.
- Anti-Phishing/Web Protection.
- Lots of system optimization tools.
- Turns on built-in VPN protection.
- Continually asks you to upgrade your plans.
- Take a generous amount of time to complete the scan.
* You need to uninstall all other security software installed on your PC to get started with Bitdefender Antivirus. Without removing them you cannot proceed. *
Website: BitDefender
7. Kaspersky – Robust Real-Time Protection
USP: Provides solid online payment protection & performance optimization.
Price: Free, Standard – $16.99/Year, Plus – $18.99/Year
When the best lightweight antivirus tool is loaded with extra features of protection, you surely want to have it more. And so is the reason Kaspersky is running in the list. It provides real-time scanning, email scanning for phishing attempts and gives you protection from spyware.
Where Kaspersky is reliable, more features could be enjoyed with Kaspersky Security Cloud, which is capable of providing password management, security alerts, core protection, and account check without a single penny from your end.
- Its Ransomware Protection is much appreciated.
- Full-scale phone & live chat options.
- Run a dedicated scan for privacy & performance.
- Multi-platform antivirus software
- Unremarkable features in higher-priced plans.
* During antivirus installation, Kaspersky also installs its Password Manager and VPN programs as well. *
Website: Kaspersky
Also Read: 10 Free Antivirus That Won’t Burn Holes In Your Wallet
8. Panda security – Cloud Scanner
USP: Play or watch multimedia content without disturbance & remaining completely secure.
Price: Free, Essential – $35.99/Year, Advanced – $42.74/Year, Complete – $64.49/Year, Premium – $100.49/Year
A cloud-managed software is capable of scanning, working and processing in the cloud, hence saving your space and keeping things lightweight on the Windows system. You can be sure of having regular updates by Panda Security without disturbing you in between.
Easy to install and real-time protection are few things you cannot let go unnoticeable. Moreover, it also scans the pen-drive by itself as soon as its plugin is detected. It is indeed, perfect to use for personal purposes.
- Attractive user interface.
- Includes a VPN service.
- Scans light on resources.
- Several ‘Tech support’ options.
- Mixed, sparse lab results.
Website: Panda Security
9. Adaware – Award-Winning Security Software
USP: Schedule daily scans, get real-time security & eliminate suspicious activities.
Price: Free, Pro – $29.99/Year, Total – $39.99/Year
Forget about all the malicious threats and focus on enjoying your life; this is what has been promoted by Adaware. All forms of viruses and malware are being stopped when you keep this lightweight antivirus stocked up.
It is effortless to use with absolutely navigable instructions that even a newbie would be compatible with it. Just like AVG, it also keeps an eye on new downloads to find any malicious content.
- Offers multiple layers of protection.
- Real-time advanced protection.
- Includes parental controls.
- Has effective email protection.
- No protection against fraudulent URLs.
Website: Adaware
10. Comodo – Host-Based Intrusion Prevention System
USP: Cutting-edge Firewall protection against buffer overflow attacks.
Price: Free, Complete – $29.99/Year/1 Device, $39.99/Year/3 Devices
Today’s threats have become so diverse that they are not so easy to be handled. But Comodo is the best lightweight free antivirus which can host intrusion prevention, can sandbox unknown software and lets you browse any website safely. Keep this software in your PC to stay away from any considerable threat ever!
- Solid protection against unknown & suspicious programs.
- Uses behavior-based malware detection method.
- One-demand malware scanning.
- Feature-rich free version.
- App looks and feels outdated.
- Sometimes incorrectly marks legitimate files as malware.
Website: Comodo
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. What is the most lightweight antivirus?
T9 Antivirus is undoubtedly one of the best and most lightweight security packages you should consider using in 2023. It offers solid firewall, malware & exploit protection against malicious codes.
Q2. Which antivirus uses the least RAM?
Systweak Antivirus is one such antivirus software with low resource utilization in 2023. It detects and terminates all existing and new viruses and malicious infections.
Q3. Which antivirus uses the least CPU?
Besides T9 Antivirus & Systweak Antivirus, AVG uses the least CPU to safeguard your PC and shield it against potential malware threats, adware, spyware, and other vulnerabilities.
Q4. Which antivirus is best for a 4GB RAM laptop?
Bitdefender Antivirus is a top solution for low specs PCs. Despite being a rich-security solution, it uses minimal resources from your computer.
Virus-Free!
We hope you have found the best solutions for lightweight antivirus as well as a way to protect your PC from viruses ever again. We would like to know which one was your pick amongst the above. With that, also check: