Simplifying Boot with Syslinux (https://forum.artixlinux.org/index.php/topic,3033) got me interested in "lightweight alternatives to unnecessarily complicated GRUB", but syslinux did not work out for me. rEFInd made a poor first impression, but after some customization I like it.
The installation is 1.88MiB. Running refind-install produces the /boot/efi/EFI/refind folder, 1.2MiB, half of which is icons, and a UEFI boot entry. I installed alongside grub, then after a trial period removed grub and artix-grub-theme (33.6MiB).
By default, rEFInd scans "conventional locations" (https://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/configfile.html) for efi files and Linux kernels with EFI stub loader support (https://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/features.html) and builds a menu. My first menu looked cluttered: it had 7 items, including grub, artix and windows, but not my frugal install of antiX in /. Tools (reboot, bios setup etc.) are displayed on a second line of smaller icons. Unwanted icons can be removed with the delete key.
The refind.conf file is thoroughly remarked. Editing it allows customizing the boot menu; for example "scanfor manual" restricts the menu to manually-entered OS stanzas. I have three, artix, antiX and W10, based on examples given in refind.conf. My file is only 25 lines after removing unused options and remarks. :D There is no equivalent to update-grub, no files in /etc, no incomprehensible "do not edit" grub.cfg file, just edit and save refind.conf :D
It says here (https://www.pierov.org/2021/12/12/cryptsetup-refind/) that full-disk encryption works with rEFInd.
I hope this brief plug is useful. Thanks to @stradjer for the syslinux how-to and apologies for stealing the title.