Bitdefender for Windows overview: premium safety for all of your units
Bitdefender Premium Security
MSRP $80.00
“Bitdefender Premium Security is a fantastic way to keep your entire family of devices secured.”
- Good free antivirus
- Near good safety for years
- Quick and useful help
- Easy setup
- Affordable multidevice plans
- 200MB/day restrict on VPN of low-cost plans
As the specter of malware, phishing, and ransomware continues to develop, cybersecurity is a topic everyone needs to be aware of. That’s why we’re reviewing high antivirus and safety options that can assist you resolve which one greatest matches your wants at an reasonably priced value.
After placing it by means of its paces, I’ve come to the conclusion that Bitdefender is well certainly one of the best antivirus options for Windows computers. Your PC incorporates private info, monetary knowledge, and logins to all of your on-line accounts, and Bitdefender left me impressed at how comprehensively it secured my units.
Tiers and pricing
Bitdefender has a free model of its antivirus software program for Windows that may defend as much as three units. However, you actually need greater than the various free antivirus solutions to maintain your knowledge and your privateness safe.
Bitdefender gives a number of plans for Windows computer systems and different units. Starting at $40 yearly, Antivirus Plus protects as much as three Windows computer systems and contains ransomware safety.
It’s clever to guard all of your units, and Bitdefender’s $70 Total Security covers as much as 10 units. This plan helps Windows and macOS computer systems, in addition to Android and iOS units. To defend a whole family, the 15-device safety of Bitdefender’s Family Pack is an efficient worth. It’s at the moment on sale for $75.
A free VPN is included in all Bitdefender plans, however the 200MB-per-day restrict is sort of restrictive. If you want a VPN, a slight improve to the $80 Premium Security Plan removes that limitation. For identification theft safety, select Ultimate Security for $90, repeatedly $180.
If you’re unsure whether or not Bitdefender is the suitable selection, some plans provide free 30-day trials to take a look at the options and check efficiency in your pc.
I examined the equal of Bitdefender Premium Security by putting in a free 30-day trial of Total Security, together with a seven-day Premium VPN, and a three-month Password Manager trial. Bitdefender pricing is sort of aggressive. Total Security prices the identical as Malwarebytes Premium Plus, however Bitdefender protects extra units. Norton 360 Deluxe has a feature-packed plan on sale for simply $50.
While great antivirus deals can save you money, you must perform a little analysis earlier than making a call about one thing that may have a big effect in your digital, private, and monetary well-being.
Design
Bitdefender is simple to make use of and guided me by means of set up and setup. It alerted me that I had one other antivirus resolution put in and prompted me to uninstall earlier than persevering with. In a couple of minutes, I used to be able to get began with the app. An preliminary evaluation scans my system for threats and assault traces. Everything checked out on my PC, so I moved on to exploring the app.
A fast look on the dashboard assures me I’m protected, and I can dig deeper to make sure the whole lot is protected and examine completely different features of safety.
The Quick scan runs a quick examine for malware, whereas the Vulnerability scan alerts me to potential considerations. For instance, it discovered my Microsoft Defender antivirus required an replace. That’s solely vital if I uninstall Bitdefender, however Microsoft’s resolution is an efficient backup.
A full system scan takes longer — over eight minutes on my PC. It’s meant to run within the background with out interrupting pc use, so I can begin it anytime I’ve doubts about safety, then stick with it with my work and examine again later for the report.
The Bitdefender app has tabs for Protection and Privacy that supply extra management over how Bitdefender works, whereas Utilities gives instruments to optimize my PC, completely erase deleted information, and arrange customized profiles for work, streaming movies, and gaming.
Bitdefender Total Security is a well-designed app that makes it straightforward to get a fast overview of antivirus standing and different safety considerations. More particulars and customizations are only a few clicks away once I need greater than the essential assurances.
Features
The No. 1 job of safety software program is to guard you from malware and myriad different threats to your privateness and the security of your knowledge. Bitdefender’s antivirus software program earned a safety rating of 6 out of 6 from impartial safety agency AV-Test.
The similar report averaged outcomes over January and February 2024, giving Bitdefender high scores for efficiency and value as properly. Scores can range over months and years, however Bitdefender’s document has been almost good for the final 11 years.
A fast check of Bitdefender’s malware prevention correctly flagged WICAR.org’s threat-free antivirus check file, which was developed by the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR).
I examined the VPN by choosing London as my location. Most streaming providers detect VPNs, however BBC’s iPlayer was prepared to let me watch Doctor Who if I had a British TV license. Thankfully, Doctor Who is also available on Disney+.
The password supervisor rapidly imported my Edge browser passwords and secured them with encryption. It’s straightforward to examine for leaked passwords and generate new robust passwords with this extension. It’s suitable with all main browsers.
Advanced options like ransomware remediation backs up choose information as wanted to attenuate the impression on storage whereas saving a replica of information that malware may encrypt for ransom. Bitdefender Premium Security is full of safety.
Support
The Bitdefender app has a life preserver icon on the high proper for fast entry to the consumer information, help middle, and the consumer group.
On Bitdefender’s help web site, I discovered a search field and classes of articles. That’s nice for fast solutions to frequent questions, however a stay agent may help with extra difficult points and private help for billing and account points.
Rather than looking or drilling down by means of the assistance system, I scrolled to the underside to discover a hyperlink to contact help.
A Bitdefender stay agent arrived in chat rapidly to help with my query.
The contact web page lists a collection of selections to slim down what kind of assist I want. After a number of clicks, I may chat, name, or e-mail help. I chosen stay chat, which is accessible 24 hours a day, together with weekends.
I requested for extra details about trial subscriptions and obtained a useful and informative reply. In my expertise, Bitdefender help is fast and pleasant with solely a few minutes’ wait time for a response.
Privacy and safety
According to Bitdefender’s privateness coverage, your private knowledge is used just for safety and safety. Bitdefender will adjust to authorized requests for private knowledge.
Any IT firms Bitdefender makes use of for internet hosting, help, statistical evaluation, and advertising have contracts that require acceptable safeguards for knowledge. Bitdefender might use your knowledge to market its providers to you, however doesn’t promote, hire, or give your knowledge to third-party firms for every other functions.
Regarding Bitdefender’s personal safety, there haven’t been any incidents since July 2015, when a hacker breached a single server and demanded cost. A Forbes article indicated the minor knowledge breach resulted in over 250 buyer usernames and passwords leaking on-line.
While it’s disheartening to listen to of a safety firm getting hacked, it occurs every now and then and generally on a a lot bigger scale, just like the millions of users affected by CCleaner’s multiple breaches.
Great safety at a good value
Bitdefender has an awesome observe document for figuring out and blocking malware. The full-featured Premium Security plan provides a number of extra privateness and safety features to maintain your private knowledge protected.
Bitdefender can be beneficiant with the variety of units protected, even when subscribing to its low-cost plans. With over a dozen choices and a free model, Bitdefender has one thing for everybody, and it’s among the best safety options obtainable.
As good as Bitdefender is, there are many different choices for Windows laptops and computer systems. It’s clever to examine round and see what other top antivirus software can offer.
