The 5 Best Lightweight Antivirus for Your PC or Laptop [October 2020]

When it comes to protecting your computer, a good antivirus is a must-have, no matter whether you’re running Windows 10 or MacOS. Though both operating systems have really stepped up their security in recent years, neither are able to protect you from all outside threats. If there’s one thing you need to know about your computer, it’s that you can’t do too little to help protect your PC. You’ve probably heard of countless antivirus solutions, like Kapersky Antivirus or Nod32. Like most security suites, they protect your system from invading forces and harmful intruders, keeping your data from getting corrupted. If you don’t secure your system, well, you’re prone to attacks that can cause you a lot of trouble.

These antivirus programs are reliable and have a good reputation, but they also eat up a lot of your system’s resources. This can hamper your device’s performance, eat up your RAM, and cause everything to run slower. On top of everything else, they can often cost a pretty penny. If you already shelled out to get a new PC, you probably don’t want to drop another $100 on protecting it.

Luckily, there are various reputable antivirus programs that are much lighter. Most of them are completely free and good enough to keep your home or small business network completely secured. This article will list the top five antivirus programs that will protect your computer without slowing it down.

Our Recommendation

AVG Antivirus

Download Now

AVG is a free antivirus program that provides all the necessary solutions for your personal devices. You can install it on your personal computer, and there is a smartphone version as well. If you want to secure a larger group of computers such as a business network, you will have to buy a premium version.

This program will provide all the essential protection in its free version. It protects from viruses, malware, and spyware. It will check your downloads and warn you if any file is corrupted or infected with malicious software. If you try to visit any unsafe link, AVG will block it and notify you about the risks. You can also perform a thorough computer scan at any time.

The best thing about this antivirus is that the updates are regular and automatic. So, once you activate it and install it, you won’t have to worry about the outdated definition database. It is so lightweight that you won’t notice it while working on the computer.

Runner Up

Avira

Download Now

When talking about system performance, Avira is one of the best. The free version of this software resembles the previous two on this list. You get essential protection that prevents all the threats and suspicious files from infecting your system. You can also secure your passwords and browser and block suspicious links and downloads.

What is different from other programs is the Tune-up option. Not only is Avira lightweight and resource-saving but it also helps boost your system’s performance thanks to the built-in system acceleration tool. This feature alone makes it one of the best lightweight antivirus programs around.

Everyone Else

Panda Security

Download Now

Panda Security has a free lightweight version. As with most light antivirus programs today, the bulk of the work is done in the cloud, so it will not take up a lot of your system’s memory. It will provide great virus protection with frequent automatic updates performed quietly in the background.

You can schedule scans whenever you want. If you have resting time when you don’t use your device as much, you can schedule a thorough scan and feel safer. The built-in ‘Multimedia mode’ feature will disable all the notifications and pop-ups. Therefore, it will not interrupt you while gaming, listening to music, or streaming a video in full screen.

For home-based security, Panda offers everything you need. It is light, unnoticeable, and dependable.

ClamAV

Download Now

Let’s get this out of the way—ClamAV won’t be for everyone, especially considering the app is still continuing to grow as it’s added to this list. Still, if you’re looking for a lightweight antivirus, ClamAV offers just what you’re looking for in an open-source package.

Available for MacOS, Windows, and Linux, ClamAV is built from the ground up to be a safe and secure way to keep your computer protected without having to deal with the extra bloat and price included by the big names in antivirus software. It holds a number of features, including command-line scanners, access to a virus database updated multiple times per day, and support for file types like document formats and archived files, helping to keep your PC safe one day at a time.

Of course, because of its open-source nature, everything you might expect to be bad about the service appears here. The app is primarily focused on scanning documents and incoming mail formats, which might not be enough for many users. Likewise, the interface is about on par with most other open-source apps—that is to say, not good. Also, there’s limited support options if something breaks. Still, it’s worth a look depending on your needs; in face, for some users, it might be just what the doctor ordered.

Bitdefender

Download Now

Bitdefender has over 500 million users worldwide and while it isn’t perfect, it’s often looked at as one of the lighter programs you can grab today. The free version comes with all the necessary features to fully protect your home-based network and system. It will scan your active apps around the clock and remove anything malicious right away.

It offers great web-browsing security. When you browse, you will not have to worry about phishing websites because Bitdefender blocks them by default. Also, the system will detect all scam websites and will alert you about any possible fraud.

You can run a scan of your device in the background and not even notice it while you are doing your usual thing. It doesn’t crowd you with ads or scare you with sudden notifications and pop-ups. It is silent, light, and reliable.