Bitdefender Antivirus Free vs. Antivirus Plus

by Martin Brinkmann on July 24, 2018 in Security – Last Update: July 19, 2018 – 2 comments

Bitdefender is a highly respected security company that refreshes its lineup of security solutions each year (just like any other antivirus company out there).

Company products are usually top of the class when put to the test by independent test institutes such as AV Test or AV Comparatives.

Home users who run Windows have the choice between four different Bitdefender products of which only one, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, is free.

Bitdefender launched a free antivirus solution years ago but does not advertise it as much on the company website as the paid products.

It is difficult to find out how Bitdefender products differ from one another. The following overview provides you with the information so that you can better pick the most suitable product.

I focus the comparison on the two antivirus products but will compare those two with Bitdefender Total Security, the company’s top of the line product.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free vs. Antivirus Plus

The comparison looks at the 2019 lineup right now which Bitdefender released recently. We will update the overview when next year’s refreshes are released.

The pricing

• Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is available for free.
• Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2019 is available for $59.99 but you find discounts for the product usually.
• Bitdefender Total Security 2019 is available for $89.99.

Compatibility and installation

Bitdefender Antivirus products are compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 operating systems. They require systems with at least 1.5 Gigabytes of RAM and 800 Megabytes of hard disk space (recommended 2 Gigabytes), and an Intel Core Duo 2 GHz processor or better. Software-wise, Internet Explorer or higher is required.

The online installer requires an Internet connection. It will download approximately 360 Megabytes of data to the local system if you install Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition or approximately 450 Megabytes if you download Bitdefender Antivirus Plus.

Both installers reveal that anonymous usage reports (free edition) or product reports (plus edition) are sent to Bitdefender. You may uncheck the option in both products to block the sending of the data to Bitdefender.

The installer tries to install a root certificate and requests that all open browsers are closed to do so.

Feature comparison

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition offers protection against common threats; it features an antivirus module and protects the system against ransomware attacks, phishing, and web attacks.

The paid version supports the following additional features:

• Access to a VPN with 200 Megabytes of daily traffic included.
• Password Manager to save passwords, credit card data, and other data securely.
• Search Advisor which checks URLs displayed in search results.
• Vulnerability Scan to scan the system for security issues and vulnerabilities.
• Online Banking Protection using a secure environment that Bitdefender calls Safepay.
• Wi-Fi Security Advisor recommends to use the SafePay browser when you connect to public wireless networks.
• File Shredder deletes files so that they can’t be recovered anymore.

Both antivirus products lack features that Bitdefender reserves for its Internet Security and Total Security products. They are:

• Webcam protection to prevent unauthorized access to a device’s cam.
• Firewall to control network traffic.
• Safe Files to protect important files from tampering.
• Parental Control to protect minors.
• File Encryption to store sensitive files in encrypted containers.
• Anti-Theft to run anti-theft tools.
• Speed Up tool to improve performance.

Closing Words

Whether Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is sufficient for your needs depends on a number of factors. Do you need the extra functionality that Antivirus Plus or the more expensive Bitdefender products offer?

The free version covers the most important bases with the exception of a firewall which it and Antivirus Plus don’t offer.

Now You: Which security software do you use?