Best lightweight antivirus for old computers

When choosing an antivirus for your old computer, you want to strike a balance between having sufficient protection from threats and still enjoying optimal performance. Not every antivirus is suitable, however. If you don’t want to contend with slower system startup and shutdown, application lag, and increased load times, then you need lightweight antivirus software.

A lightweight antivirus has minimal impact on your system’s performance while still protecting against viruses and malware. In this post, we’ll explore the top lightweight antivirus software for older computers and how we selected them. Check out our shortlist of the top providers below, or read on to explore our mini reviews.

The best lightweight antivirus for old computers:

1. McAfee Total Protection: Best lightweight antivirus software for old computers. Strong performance scores, real-time monitoring, and includes a password manager.
2. Surfshark: Best value lightweight antivirus. Lightweight app and has high protection scores. Its antivirus comes bundled with its top-rated VPN service.
3. Avast One: Tests well for performance and protection. Offers an excellent free plan. Paid plans include an unlimited data VPN as well as data breach monitoring.
4. Norton 360: Powerful anti-malware engine yet doesn’t slow down your computer. Lots of subscription tiers to choose from. Extras include cloud backup and a password manager.
5. AVG Internet Security: Beginner-friendly app coupled with lightweight performance. Very good scores in independent testing. Offers ransomware protection and a firewall.
6. Bitdefender Internet Security: Real-time protection from a variety of threats. Lots of interesting extras such as a file shredder and microphone monitor. Limited data VPN.
7. Panda: Easy-to-use app that doesn’t put a strain on older computers. Scores well for protection. Paid features include parental controls and a password manager.

Criteria for the top lightweight antivirus software for old computers

We choose the best lightweight antivirus software for old computers based on a range of criteria to ensure sufficient protection without significant slowdown. Here’s what we looked for:

• Minimal impact on performance
• Effective detection and removal
• Compatible with older systems
• Beginner-friendly user interface
• Regular updates

Top lightweight antivirus software for old computers

Here’s our list of the best lightweight antivirus programs for old computers:

McAfee Total Protection earned a 92.5 performance score in our testing. It was among the top performers in recent AV-Comparatives tests and earned a perfect performance score from AV-Test. It’s the best option if you want a lightweight antivirus for your old computer. You can expect 24/7 monitoring and alerts, ensuring your computer is always protected.

There are three McAfee Total Protection plans to choose from: Basic, Essential, and Advanced. All include identity monitoring, a VPN, and a password manager, giving you thorough protection from threats. Paid plans also include 24/7 customer support. You can choose to secure one or five devices. Unlimited licenses are no longer offered, which is a shame for those who wish to share antivirus protection with others at home.

McAfee Total Protection provides apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

BEST LIGHTWEIGHT ANTIVIRUS:McAfee Total Protection provides comprehensive protection from threats while offering unrivaled performance. Lots of value-adding extras including a password manager and VPN. You can try it risk-free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full McAfee Antivirus review.

Surfshark Antivirus scored well across the board when we tested its protection, performance, transparency, and false positives. It comes as part of Surfshark One, a comprehensive cybersecurity package that includes its top-rated VPN service, a private search tool, and identity monitoring. Considering its performance and numerous included features, it offers excellent value for money, particularly compared to more traditional and better-known antivirus providers.

This is a very lightweight app, and the clean, clutter-free interface makes it one of the best options for first-time antivirus users. It supports up to five devices per account while the VPN allows unlimited simultaneous connections. Another advantage of using Surfshark Antivirus is Surfshark’s excellent customer support. This is available 24 hours a day via live chat and email. However, it’s still lacking more advanced features for power users.

You can use Surfshark Antivirus on desktop (Windows and macOS) and mobile (Android).

BEST BUDGET ANTIVIRUS:Surfshark Antivirus had an excellent protection score in our testing and includes one of the best VPNs on the market. Very easy to use and lightweight app. Also provides 24/7 live chat support. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark Antivirus review.

Avast One stands out for its perfect protection and performance scores in our testing. This is further corroborated by both AV-Test and AV-Comparatives and their respective testing results. Although Avast is known for its excellent free antivirus, you have three paid tiers to choose from: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. These provide a great deal of flexibility in that you can protect as little as three devices to as many as 30. Of course, this makes it highly suitable for families.

The free version of Avast One has an impressive number of features but upgrading to a paid subscription means you’ll get access to an unlimited data VPN, data breach monitoring, and system optimization tools. The highest tier has a whole host of identity protection features. Despite its many features, Avast One doesn’t offer a password manager. We also found that it made canceling our subscription particularly complicated.

Avast One has apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

IMPRESSIVE TESTING SCORES:Avast One passed our performance and protection tests with flying colors. This highly affordable antivirus has one of the best free plans and also offers individual and family paid plans. Includes a VPN. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Avast Antivirus review.

Norton 360 has a reputation for having a powerful anti-malware engine yet still offers impressive performance. It scored 92.5 for performance in our testing and had a perfect score from AV-Test in the same category. There’s plenty of flexibility when it comes to subscription plans with Plus, Standard, Deluxe, and Select plans for you to choose from. Plus covers just one device and Select allows you to protect 10 devices at the same time.

All Norton 360 plans include cloud backup (albeit with varying data allowances) and a password manager. With the exception of Plus, all plans also offer a VPN and dark web monitoring. The key difference is that the Select plan includes LifeLock identity theft protection.

Norton 360 has an intuitive user interface. We found its quick scans to have minimal impact on system resources. Live chat support is offered around the clock should you need any help. Norton 360 can be used on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

PACKED WITH FEATURES:Norton 360 is one of the better performers for old computers. Individual and family plans with lots of features including a password manager, VPN, and even identity theft protection. 24/7 live chat support. 60-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Norton Antivirus review.

AVG Internet Security provides a lightweight desktop app which makes it easy to identify when any issues require your attention. Separated into key categories including Computer, Web & Email, and Privacy, you can clearly see if you’re protected. A big scan button makes it quick and easy to get started. AVG’s AI detection is a proactive approach to finding the latest malware.

You can choose to secure a single device or 10 devices with AVG, and there’s no shortage of features to keep these devices safe. In particular, there’s a customizable firewall, ransomware protection, and webcam protection. The app’s do not disturb and silent modes provide an option to silence notifications when you need to focus on other things. It’s a little more expensive than some competitors, and there is no option to cancel auto-renewal.

To use AVG Internet Security, simply download an app for Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS.

LIGHTWEIGHT DESKTOP APP:AVG Internet Security is easy to use and has lightweight desktop and mobile apps. Powerful option with webcam protection and ransomware protection. Scores well in independent testing labs. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full AVG Antivirus review.

Bitdefender Internet Security is one of the most popular antivirus tools on the market. With a perfect score for performance from AV-Test, it’s a safe choice if you have an older PC that requires lightweight yet strong protection. It offers real-time protection from threats and plenty of advanced features such as ransomware protection and a privacy firewall.

This antivirus software goes beyond many rival tools in that it has some rather unique features. In particular, there’s a file shredder for deleting all traces of a file, as well as a microphone monitor for seeing which apps have access to it. Although Bitdefender Internet Security includes a VPN, it’s disappointing that data is limited to 200 MB a day. Indeed, to remove this limit, you’d need to pay for a separate subscription just for the VPN.

You’ll find Bitdefender Internet Security apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

INTRIGUING EXTRAS:Bitdefender Internet Security balances being lightweight while still providing sufficient protection. Indeed, it offers real-time protection, a firewall, and unique extras such as a file shredder and microphone monitor. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus review.

Panda Antivirus stands out for its particularly impressive protection scores. We gave it a near-perfect 99.75 and it also performed very well in the performance test of AV-Comparatives. It provides a very clean, user-friendly interface and doesn’t significantly slow down your device during scans. It’s nice to see that you can choose between protecting one, three, five, or 10 devices and there are four subscription tiers with varying levels of features available.

Included with all plans is a firewall as well as a dark web scanner for checking if your email has been compromised. Most plans also include ransomware protection and parental controls while the top two tiers even include a password manager. Although a VPN is also offered, all but the most expensive subscription tier limit you to just 150 MB a day. Where Panda Antivirus could do with some improvement is with its high rate of false positives.

Panda Antivirus is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

FIREWALL INCLUDED:Panda has some very impressive protection scores and offers plenty of worthwhile features including ransomware protection and a firewall. Secure up to 10 devices under a single subscription. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Panda Antivirus review.

How we found the top lightweight antivirus for old computers: our testing methodology

Although the priority is finding an antivirus that’s lightweight and therefore suitable for using on an older computer, there are other factors to consider. After all, we don’t want the antivirus falling short when it comes to protection or ease of use.

• Detection and removal capabilities: We start by evaluating each antivirus provider’s ability to detect and remove malware including viruses, ransomware, and spyware. This involves using EICAR test viruses followed by live malware samples. We also look at independent testing lab results to help confirm the results of our own tests.
• System impact: We measure system impact when running scans. Such scans can consume significant resources, particularly on older computers. That’s why we carry out a performance test before any scans and then another performance test during scans as a basis of comparison.
• Real-time protection: An antivirus should offer real-time protection so you’re ensured protected at all times. The trouble is that real-time protection can slow down your computer due to the continuous monitoring which consumes a lot of resources. We’re looking for antivirus tools that offer this while minimizing the impact on your system.
• Update frequency: How often an antivirus provider updates its malware definitions is another key consideration. The software must be able to keep up with the latest threats. Fortunately, all of the best antivirus programs are constantly updating their definitions and software.
• Ease of use: In testing for much of the above, we spend a lot of time using each antivirus tool’s apps. It’s with this hands-on approach that we’re able to determine the user-friendliness of each. Ideally, we want settings that are easy to find and adjust, as well as notifications that clearly state when you need to take action. Billing practices are also considered.
• Available features: It’s possible for an antivirus to be lightweight while still offering some intriguing extra features. Sometimes, the presence of a firewall, password manager, or VPN may be the difference between choosing one antivirus provider tool over another. Where possible, we favor software with value-adding extras.

You can find out more about how we test antivirus tools in our detailed antivirus testing methodology post.

How to use a lightweight antivirus for an old computer

Whether this is your first time using an antivirus or you’re simply unsure where to start, here are some simple step-by-step instructions to using your new, lightweight antivirus.

Here’s how to protect your device with a lightweight antivirus software:

1. Sign up with one of the top lightweight antivirus tools. We particularly recommend McAfee Total Protection.
2. Download and install the antivirus app, making sure you choose the correct version for your operating system.
3. Open the antivirus app and follow the on-screen instructions to get set up.
4. Run any pending updates. Most antivirus programs will update automatically by default.
5. Run a full scan of your device before reviewing the results and following any recommended actions.

Lightweight antivirus software: FAQs