Bitdefender Antivirus Plus vs Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition Comparison

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.

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.

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.