10 Lightweight Alternatives I Used to Replace Default Windows Apps

Most modern Windows apps use too many resources, making your PC sluggish and a pain to use over time. Luckily, these default apps have third-party alternatives that are snappier and more efficient. These lightweight apps put significantly less stress on your PC and improve your overall computing experience by making things load almost instantly.

How I Measured the Resources Each App Used

Before we proceed with the list of apps, it’s essential to know what to look for while monitoring the usage of resources. The Processes tab in Task Manager only shows you half the picture because, in reality, there are two types of memory usage:

• Working Set: This is the RAM that Task Manager’s Processes tab shows. It’s the physical memory assigned to an app, but if you minimized the app, Windows may move its data to the ‘Modified Page List’ or the pagefile to free up RAM. However, that’s only on the surface.
• Commit Size: This is the actual total reserved memory that Windows has promised to an app, so no other app can use it. You can view this by going to the Details tab in Task Manager and adding a Commit Size column by right-clicking on the columns bar and going to Select Columns in the right-click menu. You can also use an advanced process monitoring app like SysGauge.

I’ll be looking at the commit size for these comparisons. The reason is when the combined commit size of all the apps grows too large, your PC will start stuttering even if Task Manager shows you have RAM available. That’s because it’s giving you the calculation based on the working set.

Apart from the commit size, we’ll also take into account Threads (CPU usage), Handles (Windows Kernel usage), and Instances (number of processes under one name) to get a clearer picture of the backend activity of each app. Here’s an example of what I’ll be looking at to get the numbers:

1. IrfanView Instead of Photos

As you can see, IrfanView used a mere 18.1 MB of memory compared to almost half a gig hogged by the Photos app while browsing the same set of images. Photos also used way more threads and handles and opened two instances for a single task.

Other than the advantages in terms of loading times and low-resource usage, IrfanView offers tons of advanced photo editing and gallery management features. For example, you can color correct, sharpen, and resize your images. If you want to batch rename a folder full of photos, IrfanView’s got you covered. You can even change the file type of your images within this bite-sized pocket rocket of an app. And while you do all that in IrfanView, the default Photos app might be busy loading its cluttered interface, OneDrive integrations, and filmstrips…

While playing the same video, VLC used 141.1 MB of memory, while Media Player had an average commit size of 202.4 MB. However, Media Player had a sidekick (Runtime Broker) running alongside in Task Manager, so the total resources it used were more than what SysGauge read.

VLC not only beats Media Player in speed — it’s also miles ahead in terms of features. It can play almost any video format you throw at it, whereas Media Player needs you to install extra codecs to open file types like MKV and HEVC. VLC also has much superior subtitle tools, and it can boost the volume of your videos beyond 100%.

Media Player again had Runtime Broker accompanying it while running my audio file. AIMP used just 29.9 MB of memory, whereas Media Player hovered around 145 MB and engaged more than double the threads and handles that AIMP used. And that doesn’t include the resources Runtime Broker was using on the side.

Media Player is okay for playing single audio files but lacks the advanced library management features that you have in AIMP. You also get a built-in Audio Converter for changing file types, a handy Tag Editor, and features for cloud integration, radio, and podcasts.

4. SumatraPDF Instead of Edge

Now, before even touching Edge, I ended all of its processes in Task Manager, as it had a bunch running in the background due to its Startup Boost feature. However, when I opened my PDF document, annoyingly enough, it reran all those ended processes. It’s annoying because I don’t even use Edge — I prefer Vivaldi due to its amazing Workspaces feature.

While opening the same PDF file, SumatraPDF required only 54.1 MB of memory, whereas Edge usurped a whopping 844 MB and tons of threads and handles. I also noticed that Edge was playing around with my GPU just for handling the PDF.

Note: You can enable the GPU column in Task Manager’s Processes tab by right-clicking and ticking it.

5. Revo Uninstaller Instead of System Settings

The native uninstaller in Windows 11 is basically the Settings -> Apps -> Installed Apps page that you can access manually or by right-clicking on an app and selecting Uninstall. As you can see, it consumes a lot of resources compared to Revo Uninstaller. However, that’s not even the worst part.

The thing is, the app list in System Settings is often pretty slow to load, sometimes doesn’t detect certain installed apps, and leaves behind tons of empty folders and residue files for the removed apps. This is where Revo Uninstaller truly shines — it resolves all of these issues without stressing your PC out in the process.

6. Everything Instead of Windows Search

Windows’ native File Explorer has a known pain point: search indexing. It takes forever to look through the drives and folders and often hangs while doing so. This is where Everything comes in as an indispensable alternative, providing lightning-fast and detailed search results.

Comparing the resource usage here highlights a fundamental difference in approach. Windows Search relies heavily on content indexing that runs constantly in the background, whereas Everything reads the file system’s Master Table directly, allowing it to be instant and lightweight. It’s a true lifesaver for quickly locating files you might have misplaced or forgotten about.

7. HWiNFO Instead of Windows About

If you want to know your PC’s specs, you’d naturally go to Settings -> System -> About. And while you do get some very basic information on this page, you won’t get any essential details like model, storage interface, RAM brand, and GPU specs. That’s where HWiNFO jumps in to save the day. First, let’s look at the performance chart of the two (though I’d recommend HWiNFO even if it consumed GBs of resources):

HWiNFO is available as an installer and a portable app, and it gives you almost all the details you need to know about your PC. For an average user like me, things like knowing the brand name and model of my laptop are pretty important because I often forget the exact variant details.

It’s also my go-to tool for verifying the specs of components I buy, like RAM or SSD. It shows you the brand, size, clock speed, and interface of these aftermarket parts so that you can verify if the specs match the seller’s claims. If you ever buy a used computer, take HWiNFO’s portable version on a USB drive with you to instantly get all the information about the desktop or laptop you’re buying.

8. WizTree Instead of Windows Storage Manager

You can manage your data on your hard drives by going to Settings -> System -> Storage -> Storage Used on Other Devices -> Local Disk (yeah, it’s buried deep in there!). And still, you’ll have no specific filters to sort your files or the ability to view individual files at a glance. It’ll lead you to File Explorer eventually to browse each folder.

As you can see, WizTree trades a few more MBs of memory than the native storage manager to put the Master File Table (MFT) in your RAM for seamless scanning. However, it gives you massive savings in terms of threads and handles. WizTree, like HWiNFO, outweighs its resource consumption readings with the sheer amount of features and the convenience it offers.

WizTree eliminates the need for all those Settings menu clicks, giving you all your disk details right when you open it. You can filter files by file type or size or browse them by simply clicking on the + next to each folder (you don’t have to go to File Explorer just to view the files in a folder). It also has an intuitive data map made of different-sized blocks that shows you a visual distribution of your data across the disk. Moreover, you get plenty of options to customize the interface according to your requirements.

Snipping Tool is not that bad. However, if you deal with screenshots on a regular basis, like I do, Snipping Tool falls way short. It has a limited number of annotation and editing features and close to none for organizing and managing your screenshots. It’s a pretty rigid tool that you can’t really personalize to your needs.

Besides being lighter, ShareX fills all the gaps that Snipping Tool leaves to be desired. You get automatic window selection, advanced annotation and editing features, automatic naming and organization of screenshots into folders, and a ton of customization options that transform the app into a true productivity booster. It has so many sub-tools that you’ll be left wondering how it consumes fewer resources than a comparatively plain Snipping Tool.

10. Notepad++ Instead of Notepad

I must admit, I used to love the good ol’ plain-text Notepad. It was light and convenient to jot down quick notes, until Microsoft had the bright idea to stuff it with word-processing and AI features. These bells and whistles would’ve made more sense if they had added them to the classic WordPad, but Notepad’s original purpose doesn’t really align with them.

Notepad++ is 3-4 times lighter and has all the features you need for distraction-free writing. On the surface, it looks like a mini-IDE for coders — however, it’s an equally useful tool for writing and note-taking. It even has a dedicated Distraction-Free Mode that makes your whole screen a blank notepad for you to write things down with full focus. Furthermore, you get hundreds of options, including dark mode, editing settings, and performance tweaks, to personalize the tool to your liking.

Why the Modern Windows Apps Hog Resources

The new crop of stock Windows apps communicate with the OS through middleman frameworks (UWP and WinUI 3), so they do way more in the background than simply performing the task you throw at them. These frameworks add extra processes and instances along the way, like the Runtime Broker, making the apps resource-hungry.

In contrast, the alternatives we discussed are classic Win32 applications that communicate with the OS directly with much less overhead and bloat. These lightweight apps don’t try to interact with other Windows features, avoiding unnecessary cloud integrations and telemetry processes. That’s why they’re snappier, keeping you and your PC happy. If you’re struggling to find the right apps for your computing needs, it’s worth looking at our carefully curated list of apps and software for your Windows PC.