{"id":9489,"date":"2009-09-10T10:33:25","date_gmt":"2009-09-10T05:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=9489"},"modified":"2026-10-12T11:30:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T06:00:44","slug":"free-small-softwares","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Best Small Free Software for Windows (Lightweight Apps, 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Tired of 500 MB installers and apps that slow your PC to a crawl? <strong>Small free software<\/strong> still exists: tiny, fast programs that download in seconds and run well even on old laptops. Guest author Ishan Sharma picked 10 lightweight apps in 2009, when dial-up users counted every megabyte. Some of his picks (like IrfanView and XMPlay) are still great; others have grown large or disappeared. Here is our updated list of tiny Windows tools for 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64286\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/small-free-software-windows-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Best small free software for Windows\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/small-free-software-windows-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/small-free-software-windows-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/small-free-software-windows-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/small-free-software-windows-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/small-free-software-windows.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Our favourite small free programs are Everything (instant file search), 7-Zip (archives), SumatraPDF (PDF reader), IrfanView (images), Notepad++ (text editor), XMPlay or foobar2000 (music), ShareX (screenshots), WinDirStat (disk space) and Rufus (bootable USB). Most download in under 10 MB, and many have portable versions that need no installation.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6acd7e51a747e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6acd7e51a747e\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/#12_small_free_programs_worth_installing\" >12 small free programs worth installing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/#What_happened_to_the_2009_picks\" >What happened to the 2009 picks?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/#Tips_for_downloading_free_software_safely\" >Tips for downloading free software safely<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/#Why_choose_small_software\" >Why choose small software?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/#Are_these_programs_really_free\" >Are these programs really free?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/09\/free-small-softwares\/#Do_these_apps_work_on_Windows_11\" >Do these apps work on Windows 11?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"12_small_free_programs_worth_installing\"><\/span>12 small free programs worth installing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.voidtools.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Everything<\/a><\/strong>: finds any file on your PC by name instantly. Far faster than Windows search, and the installer is only a couple of megabytes.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.7-zip.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7-Zip<\/a><\/strong>: opens ZIP, RAR, 7z and many other archives. Tiny download, open source.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sumatrapdfreader.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SumatraPDF<\/a><\/strong>: a fast, minimal reader for PDF, EPUB and comic files. A lighter alternative to Adobe Reader or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/01\/download-foxit-reader-free-pdf-reader-to-view-print-pdf-files\/\">Foxit PDF Reader<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irfanview.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IrfanView<\/a><\/strong>: still our go-to image viewer for resizing, cropping and batch converting. If its Save for Web option disappeared, see how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2022\/12\/restore-riot-plugin-irfanview\/\">fix the IrfanView RIOT plugin<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/notepad-plus-plus.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Notepad++<\/a><\/strong>: a powerful text and code editor with tabs, syntax highlighting and search across files.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.un4seen.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">XMPlay<\/a><\/strong>: Ishan&#8217;s pick is still a featherweight music player, just a few hundred kilobytes. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foobar2000.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">foobar2000<\/a> is a slightly bigger, very customisable alternative.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/getsharex.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ShareX<\/a><\/strong>: screenshots, screen recording, annotations and quick uploads in one free tool.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/windirstat.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WinDirStat<\/a><\/strong>: shows what is filling your hard drive as a colourful map.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/rufus.ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rufus<\/a><\/strong>: creates bootable USB drives for installing Windows or Linux. Portable, no installation.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autohotkey.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AutoHotkey<\/a><\/strong>: automate typing and keyboard shortcuts with small scripts.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/keepassxc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KeePassXC<\/a><\/strong>: a free, offline password manager that stores passwords in an encrypted file.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedownloadmanager.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Free Download Manager<\/a><\/strong>: from the original list, still useful for resuming large downloads on slow connections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_to_the_2009_picks\"><\/span>What happened to the 2009 picks?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Opera<\/strong> is now a full Chromium browser of over 100 MB, no longer &#8220;small&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Miranda IM<\/strong> and <strong>BlogDesk<\/strong> are no longer maintained, and most of their chat and blog services changed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>AbiWord<\/strong> no longer offers current Windows builds; try the free web version of Microsoft Word or Google Docs instead.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CCleaner<\/strong> and <strong>defrag tools<\/strong> aren&#8217;t needed on modern Windows, which cleans temporary files with Storage Sense and optimises drives automatically. Registry cleaners can do more harm than good.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_downloading_free_software_safely\"><\/span>Tips for downloading free software safely<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Download only from the official website or the Microsoft Store.<\/li>\n<li>Watch installers for bundled toolbars or &#8220;offers&#8221; and untick them.<\/li>\n<li>Prefer portable versions to keep your PC clean. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/12\/best-usb-drive-portable-apps\/\">best portable apps for a USB drive<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>On Windows 10 and 11, <code>winget install 7zip.7zip<\/code> and similar commands install many of these apps straight from the command line.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_choose_small_software\"><\/span>Why choose small software?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Small programs download fast, start instantly, use less memory and usually have fewer background services slowing your PC.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_these_programs_really_free\"><\/span>Are these programs really free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, all have free versions for personal use. Some, like 7-Zip, Notepad++ and ShareX, are open source.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_these_apps_work_on_Windows_11\"><\/span>Do these apps work on Windows 11?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. All the programs listed run on Windows 10 and 11.<\/p>\n<p>Prefer apps in the browser? See these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/08\/top-free-web-apps\/\">free web apps that replace software<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest author Ishan Sharma, who blogged about blogging tips and resources. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tired of 500 MB installers and apps that slow your PC to a crawl? Small free software still exists: tiny,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23,48],"tags":[44,52],"class_list":["post-9489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers","category-downloads","tag-guest-posts","tag-popular"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9489"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64287,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9489\/revisions\/64287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}