Two brothers fighting under the same ancient Dacian flag: Bitdefender’s paid version Antivirus Plus and its free equivalent, aptly named Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. But do they match up to their ancestors’ famous bravery in defending their fort, and what do they each bring in battle? The two programs share more than just the company’s inspiring logo, however, both providing defense on Windows systems and match common features such as advanced threat protection based on modern behavior-based technology, web attack prevention that functions through web filtering technology, or automatic updates. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, though, comes with certain extra features that ensure more complex protection for your machine.
Main Features |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus |
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition |
Logo | ||
Rating | ||
Reviews | Reviews | Reviews |
Visit | Visit Site | Visit Site |
Antivirus | ||
Antimalware | ||
Antispyware | ||
Antiransomware | ||
Antiphishing | ||
Quarantine | ||
Logging | ||
Do Not Disturb Mode | ||
Behavior Shield | ||
Bootable Rescue Disk | ||
Automatic Updates |
On-Demand Virus Scans |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus |
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition |
Quick Scans | ||
Deep Scans | ||
Selective Scans | ||
Custom Scans | ||
Manual Scans | ||
Scan Scheduler | ||
On-Access Scans | ||
File Exclusions | ||
External Drives |
Utility Features |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus |
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition |
Web Monitoring | ||
Antispam | ||
Wi-Fi Inspection | ||
Firewall | ||
Potentially Unwanted Program Shield | ||
Webcam Protection | ||
Data Shredder | ||
Device Performance Booster | ||
Automated Software Updater |
Platforms |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus |
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition |
Windows | ||
Mac | ||
Android | ||
iOS |
Free Antivirus Attributes |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus |
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition |
Cleanup Features | ||
Number of Devices | 10 | 1 |
Cheapest Upgrade | $19.99/yr | n/a |
Add-ons |
Payment Methods |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus |
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition |
Visa | ||
Master Card | ||
American Express | ||
PayPal | ||
Wire Transfer | ||
Discover | ||
Liberty Reserve | ||
Bitcoin | ||
Amazon Payments | ||
Google Checkout |
Customer Support |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus |
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition |
24/7 | ||
Live Chat | ||
Community | ||
On Call | ||
Remote Desktop |
Company Info |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus |
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition |
Headquarters | Romania | Romania |
Founded | 2001 | 2001 |
AV-TEST Score | 6-Jun | 6-Jun |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
As the least expensive upgrade available for Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, this Plus version provides a range of additional features that are delivered through a user-friendly interface with an autopilot feature that guides the user through the entire set-up and scanning procedures. On top of the features available in the free version, this upgrade offers multilayer ransomware security and remediation, which utilizes behavioral threat technology to avoid infection and does not allow the for crucial files to be encrypted by ransomware. The software also includes Adaptive Network Protection, meaning that it can stop attacks before they can reach your PC.
Among the extended protection features that Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is built with is a limited VPN, which is an updated addition of the AnchorFree Hotspot Shield Elite VPN service. There is also a Safepay feature, which enables you to shop from a unique, dedicated browser that protects online financial transactions to avoid any fraud. The software comes with a price of only $19.99 for one device per year, and can even be tested for an entire month thanks to a 30-day free trial. Bitdefender also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to see if this version is the right one for you.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
As the free version of the Bitdefender Antivirus package, the Free Edition is still able to provide efficient but basic PC protection without any load on the system, unlike many other free antivirus tools. The software has a very simple and user-friendly interface and is able to provide real-time threat detection alongside virus scanning and elimination. Designed mainly to cover protection for browsers, it is still able to scan emails for malicious attachments that could put your device at risk, too.
This version also provides antiphishing and antifraud functions, too, which are possible because the software is able to identify and block all phishing websites automatically without the user having to change any options. This means that surfing the internet is worry-free since the program is also able to detect any malicious website actions and it doesn’t allow access to your financial information.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is able to deliver pretty much the same antimalware protection as its paid equivalent, only with a much simpler interface. And even though it doesn’t have multilayer ransomware defense or a file shredder, it is still able to provide thorough protection for your PC.
This free antivirus software has two upgrades: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Bitdefender Total Security, with the last one also covering macOS, iOS and Android.
Conclusion
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition are issued by the same Romanian company and both can provide thorough protection for your system. The first has additional features such as multilayer ransomware technology, a limited VPN, or Safepay, while also being endowed with all the functionalities of the second. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition has a very simple yet efficient interface and provides real-time security, email attachment scanning, as well as antiphishing and antifraud defense.
Both of these programs have automatic updates and can be used on Windows operating systems only. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus comes at a price of only $19.99 for one device per year, while its brother Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is just as the name implies – free. Ultimately the decision comes down to those paid extras and whether you consider them important enough to pay for, because the basic protection you get from either product is stellar.
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