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Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition Reviews

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition Reviews

By Irina P. Irina P. Verified by Adam B. Adam B. Last updated: January 2, 2025User reviews (0)
Overall
4.5/5
(4.5)
Features
(4.5)
Customer service
Pros
  • Efficient and simple interface
  • Antiphishing and antifraud defense
  • Detects and blocks new and evolving threats
Cons
  • Requires your name and email
  • Delays from the customer service
Table of contents

The Dacian wolf, the ancient symbol of the courageous Geto-Dacian warriors. These ancestors of the modern Romanian people certainly watch with a vigilant eye over your device so that it is entirely protected and without putting any load on your system, too, unlike many of Bitdefender’s competitors. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition definitely rises up to the symbolism of its logo, having been rated as one of the most effective antivirus solutions by AVTEST, rating 6 out 6 on all levels as part of a recent test. This untamed beast comes to the rescue with a basic but effective interface, real-time threat identification, virus scanning and removal, as well as antiphishing and antifraud defense. Bitdefender also provides upgraded versions of this free antivirus, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2019 that costs only $19.99 per year for one device and Bitdefender Total Security 2019. However, can this entirely free solution with complete features that render your device a fortress against all types of malware live up to its Dacian legacy?

Features

Features
AV-TEST score6/6
Antivirus
Antimalware
Antispyware
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As part of the free package available through Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is an improved intelligent antivirus with automatic protection against web attacks, defense phishing and fraud and will automatically update itself against the latest threats. The software really gives a new meaning to the phrase “less is more”, what with its extremely simplified, user-friendly yet efficient interface with very few options.

The software is simple to use: to begin a full device scan, just press the launch button; if you want to have only a certain file or folder scanned, just drag it into the designated area. Easy. Outside of that there is a settings button where the results of the scans, the quarantine section, any exclusions, the account information, and the help and support section can be found. This particular free software is designed to provide protection for browsers, however, so it can scan emails as well, looking for any suspicious attachments that could pose a threat to your device.

Antivirus protection

Antivirus protection
Quick scans
Deep scans
Selective scans
Custom scans
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Immediately after installing Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, a quick scan of the system is performed. Even though it is a slimmed-down package, the installation still occupies around 1GB of the storage space and an account created alongside an email address and name are required to start using the service.

The software allows you to add or even exclude any files or folder you would like to be scanned or ignored and it can perform a full scan on request in addition to those that are performed automatically. Manually controlling which folders should be scanned is incredibly simple, with a drag-and-drop function into the appropriate section for easy scan management.

This antivirus does not place any real load on the system’s performance, running quietly in the background without interfering with your work. And since it is automatically updated, you won’t have to worry about updating it regularly to properly defend your system against the newest digital threats. By using novel behavior-based detection technology, Bitdefender can provide advanced threat protection that allows it to identify and block undocumented threats and ransomware.

Extended protection

Extended protection
Web monitoring
Antispam
Wi-Fi inspection
Firewall
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Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition’s free antiphishing and antifraud defense is possible because it is able to detect and block in the early stages any phishing websites automatically, without any input from the user. This means worry-free navigation on the internet, safe in the knowledge that your passwords and identity are safe. The software can also identify suspicious web page actions and will not allow your financial data to be accessed.

This free version still offers pretty much the same antimalware defense as the paid equivalents, only within a much simpler interface. While it does not provide, for instance, multilayer ransomware defense or webcam protection like the paid versions, still it offers the kind of complete protection for your device that you need in order to work safely from your PC.

Platforms

Platform support
Web app
Mobile optimized
macOS
Linux
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Unlike most of its competitors, Bitdefender Antivirus can be utilized on multiple platforms, covering Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. However, the free version can only be used on Windows with the minimum system requirements being Windows 7 SP1/8.1/9/10, 2GB of free hard disk space, and a processor of at least 2GHz. If you want to make use of the service on anything other than Windows, then you’ll need to subscribe to Bitdefender Total Security 2019. With this you’ll have access to macOS, Android, and iOS protection, but also extra functionality like webcam defense, firewall protection, parental control, and anti-theft options.

Upgrades

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition has two paid upgrades: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2019 and Bitdefender Total Security 2019. The former costs $19.99 per year, reduced from $39.99, and can be used on only one PC. The latter is priced at $44.99 per year, allowing you to use it across five different devices. Both of these upgrades come with a 30-day refund policy.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition upgrades

Although the free version offers effective but basic protection, the Bitdefender Antivirus paid upgrades bring plenty of supplementary features that make them worth the investment if you need more complex defense. More specifically, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2019 has additional features like multilayer ransomware protection, which prevents unwanted encryption of important system files to block ransomware defense. There’s also free online support, Wi-Fi security advisor, online banking protection, or a VPN tool with 200MB of daily traffic allowance. Bitdefender Total Security comes with even more features, such as webcam protection, a firewall, parental control, or file encryption.

Free version
Cleanup features
Number of devices1
Add-ons

Customer service

Customer support
24/7
Live chat
Email
Phone
Show all

Bitdefender is not mind-blowing when it comes to its customer service, especially for such an exceptional product. New and existing clients can access the contact page where they will find the FAQ section, popular how-to videos, or the contact methods of telephone, live chat, or forum. We tested the live chat function, where our questions were answered with courtesy but sometimes with quite a long delay.

Alternatively, the company can be contacted on its Facebook page, where the answers are also informative yet delayed. All in all, our interaction with the staff was pleasant and useful, and the employees were generally well informed and polite. However, it should be pointed out that the answers to the same question differed strikingly between those from the website’s live chat and those from the Facebook page.

Bottom line

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is able to provide a safe, easy-to-use, efficient, and simple protection solution for your PC. This software offers antimalware defense by default without the user having to upgrade to a paid version or without manually opting for it. The package also enables extended protection in the form of antiphishing and antifraud defenses, so that you don’t have to worry about the risk of the websites you are visiting having access to any passwords or financial information stored on your device.

Even though it requires the user’s name and email address in order to perform the initial scan and the customer service is not one of the best performing we have seen, the software itself is definitely the answer if you are looking for a free antivirus that has minimal impact on system performance, a simplified interface, and effective virus defense.

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