Bitdefender Antivirus
Stay Safe with the Most Consistently Top-Rated Antivirus of the Last 10 Years
About Bitdefender Antivirus
Bitdefender was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Bucharest, in southern Romania. The company has over 1,600 employees with offices all over the world. Antivirus Plus is the company’s entry-level antivirus software offering, making it ideal for home users without technical skills and anyone who wants basic defense against threats.
Because viruses aren’t the only cybersecurity risks, Antivirus Plus offers an array of security-first features, including ransomware prevention, monitoring online purchases and web-based transactions, and password management that lets users create unique passwords for everything, all managed through an easy-to-use dashboard. Antivirus Plus is only available for Windows, but there are similar versions of the antivirus program available for other operating systems like Mac and Android.
A free version of Bitdefender for Windows offers computer scans and other antivirus features, as well as web protection and network threat protection. The paid version includes Safepay for financial transactions, multi-layer ransomware protection, and vulnerability assessments. A virtual private network (VPN) is also offered with an additional subscription fee.
One year of coverage for one Windows device is $19.99. There is a 30-day free trial.
PROS
- Wide range of packages for multiple devices and operating systems
- Good malware detection based on independent tests
- VPN is offered on most plans
CONS
- VPN has limited data for most packages
- Resource-intensive software may slow some PCs
Bitdefender Antivirus Overview
Bitdefender is our best antivirus software that comes as a full cybersecurity suite. You get advanced protection against malware and ransomware, webcam and microphone protection, a password manager as well as features, such as Antispam, SafePay, Anti-tracker.
What’s even better is that Bitdefender antivirus includes a VPN with a daily data limit of 200 MB for encrypting traffic for online activities. Additionally, you can get some useful extras, like a file shredder or parental controls, and protect up to 15 devices with the Family Pack plan.
If you wonder how effective this antivirus is, the independent testing lab results show that Bitdefender successfully blocks 100% of both 0-day and 4-week old malware and other cyber threats.
When it comes to apps and interface, setting up this antivirus on your device might take a while. However, you get intuitive and user-friendly desktop and mobile apps right after the installation. It supports Windows, macOS, Android and iOS systems.
There are three different antivirus software packages to choose from: the Antivirus Plus ($23.999/year for 3 devices), the Internet Security ($32.00/year for 10 devices), and the Bitdefender Total Security ($36.00/year for 5 devices) plans.
If you decide to get Bitdefender, it accepts credit card and PayPal payments, as well as cash at 7-Eleven/ACE. There’s also a 30-day free trial that might help make up your mind before committing.
Features & Pricing
Bitdefender offers three antivirus software packages along with a family package. Bitdefender announced in December 2021 that it was discontinuing the Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition and ending support for it in June 2022. But the company remains budget-friendly with a good array of choices for securing your devices. Note that prices reflect renewal rates and not introductory first-year rates.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus delivers real-time antivirus protection for three Windows PCs against malware beyond antivirus, detecting and blocking threats such as ransomware, spyware, web attacks, and adware. It costs $59.99 a year for three Windows device and includes:
- Real-time scanning for viruses and ransomware
- Protection against phishing while browsing and shopping
- A privacy-protecting VPN with up to 200 MB of data per day
- A “rescue environment” feature to reboot your PC for cleanup and restoration
- Anti-tracker to stop adware and websites that collect data on you
- Wi-Fi Security Advisor to assess the safety of your network
- File shredder to ensure any remnants of deleted files are removed
Bitdefender Internet Security
Bitdefender Internet Security, which costs $79.99 a year for three Windows devices, includes the standard protection suite of the entry-level software and adds additional features:
- Parental controls to filter inappropriate content and limit screen time
- A privacy firewall for anonymous web browsing
- A device optimizer to offset any slowdown from the software
Bitdefender Total Security
Bitdefender Total Security, which costs $89.99 a year for three devices, takes you a step up the cybersecurity ladder. It covers up to five devices on the major platforms including phones, tablets, and laptops. This package includes all the features of Bitdefender Internet Security for MacOS, iOS, and Android.
Bitdefender Premium Security
The top-of-the-line Bitdefender Premium Security package at $159.99 a year includes all the features of the Bitdefender Total Security for 10 devices plus:
- A virtual private network (VPN) with unlimited data
- A password manager
- Priority access to customer support
Bitdefender Family Pack
The Bitdefender Family Pack, costing $119.99 annually, offers the same protections as Bitdefender Total Security for up to 15 devices.
Reviews
Bitdefender may not be as much of a household name as Norton or McAfee, but its performance means it absolutely should be.
Bitdefender has comparatively expensive ongoing pricing and a potentially confusing plan structure. But neither of those detractors is enough to rob Bitdefender of its biggest tick when it comes to background device security.
Although Bitdefender ranks as one of the best antivirus services on the market, it’s not without a few small issues regarding its unclear pricing and its performance on user machines.
Our own virus detection test concurred with the results of third-party antivirus testing labs that Bitdefender is excellent at detecting malware. It's one of the few software to detect all five viruses we threw its way.
Get Bitdefender Antivirus Plus if you're on a budget and don't have kids
Bitdefender's Windows antivirus software offers excellent protection along with a slew of features meant to secure your family's systems and identities.
Bitdefender's protection is great, but you don't get ID protection as part of Total Security, and VPN usage is very restricted.
Total Security offers impressive protection and has an improved interface. The additional features, such as the VPN, password manager and parental controls are far from best-in-class but malware protection for Windows and Android is top notch.
Outstanding antivirus beats most full security suites
With impressive antivirus lab results and a collection of features that puts many full security suites to shame, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is an excellent choice for protecting your PC.
Bitdefender has a premium feature (and a power-packed suite) for all your security needs
Bitdefender's antivirus offering is accurate and reliable, plus it's absolutely stuffed with valuable bonus features. A fantastic product that we strongly recommend.
An already capable suite gets an incremental update
Bitdefender Total Security is switching from a yearly release to a rolling release format with this incremental upgrade.
