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Top-rated antivirus that regularly earns top scores on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android
Passed every malware, drive-by download, and phishing detection test we ran, blocking threats instantly
Blocks and reverses ransomware attacks on Windows, restoring your files automatically
All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
Bitdefender consistently ranks as one of the top antivirus solutions due to its clean interface, strong real-time protection, and consistently high scores with AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives. Bitdefender offers plans for a range of budgets and devices, whether you need straightforward malware defense or a full security suite with premium add-ons like a VPN, password manager, and ransomware protection.
But while Windows and Android users get the full experience, Mac users may find some notable features missing. We also found the performance of its Mac program disappointing compared to our Windows testing experience.
In this in-depth Bitdefender review, we break down its pricing, performance, and how it stacks up to competitors so you can decide if it’s the right antivirus for your needs.
| Price | Starts at $24.99/first yr |
| # of devices protected | 1 – 25 |
| Malware scans | Manual and scheduled |
| Real-time protection | Yes |
| EICAR test results | 3/3 |
| Firewall | Yes |
| Phishing protection | Yes |
| Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| Extras | VPN, cryptomining protection, parental controls, webcam protection |
| 24/7 customer support | Yes |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender |
Our team has conducted hands-on testing on 30+ antivirus programs. Each product is tested by a dedicated reviewer on a rotating basis across Windows, macOS, and Android using a subscription purchased with our own money.
We evaluate each product across seven areas:
We retest all antivirus products at least once a year and update our reviews to reflect any changes. To learn more about how we test, read our full antivirus testing methodology here.
Bitdefender's 4.8 star rating is backed by consistently excellent real-world performance across our own testing and every major third-party lab. It blocked every malware, phishing, and drive-by threat we threw at it, ran scans without slowing down the device,
Bitdefneder also has a feature list that goes well beyond basic protection: ransomware defense, firewall, webcam and mic protection, parental controls, VPN, and a password manager. There's even a free plan for Windows users.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 20% | 5.0 |
| Prices & value | 3% | 5.0 |
| Features | 22% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 49% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 3% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 3% | 5.0 |
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Top-rated antivirus that regularly earns top scores on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android
Passed every malware, drive-by download, and phishing detection test we ran, blocking threats instantly
Blocks and reverses ransomware attacks on Windows, restoring your files automatically
Bitdefender is one of our favorite antivirus programs because it's easy to use and accessible to beginners. Menus are simple and organized, and we never felt overwhelmed by the features we were presented with.
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When scanning our device, we noticed little to no hit to our system’s performance. The first Quick Scan we ran after installing Bitdefender took nearly four minutes, and subsequent scans took less than 30 seconds.
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We explored the additional features included in this premium tier, including a vulnerability scan to make sure your system's settings are safe, a safe remote desktop for banking purposes, and a limited version of the Bitdefender VPN.
We didn’t like how Bitdefender comes in two parts: the antivirus application and the browser hub Bitdefender Central. Setting up parental controls wasn’t intuitive because we needed to be logged into Bitdefender Central and use the hub to install and manage this feature.
Another major drawback is Bitdefender's lack of features on Apple products. Scheduled scans, a firewall, a file shredder, and more features are just not available to Apple users.
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Most antivirus software offers fewer features for macOS, but we were more disappointed in the macOS program's performance. Bitdefender for Mac didn't find any of the malware dummy files we had on our laptop prior to downloading the antivirus, even when we ran a custom scan in the specific areas where the files were located.
Bitdefender offers affordable pricing, ranging from $24.99–$64.99/first yr. It also has a free version.
Bitdefender Free is exclusive to Windows and it includes basic malware protection and multi-layer ransomware protection. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is a great option if you want more from your antivirus program, such as a firewall, ransomware protection, and coverage for up to three devices.
For a full security suite, Bitdefender Total Security and Bitdefender Premium Security come with all the antivirus programs plus extras like a VPN, password manager, data breach protection, and more.
When compared with similar services, Bitdefender's prices are typical. For example, AVG Internet Security costs about $31.20/first yr.
| Bitdefender Free | Bitdefender Antivirus Plus | Bitdefender Total Security | Bitdefender Premium Security | |
| Price for first year | Free | Starts at $34.99/first yr | Starts at $54.99/first yr | Starts at $34.99/first yr |
| # devices supported | 1 | 1 - 3 | 1 - 5 | 1 - 5 |
| Compatible with | Windows | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| Manual and scheduled scan | ||||
| Phishing protection | ||||
| Firewall | ||||
| Real-time protection | ||||
| Ransomware protection | ||||
| Password manager | ||||
| Data breach protection | ||||
| VPN | Yes — 200 MB/day data cap | Yes — 200 MB/day data cap | Yes — unlimited data | |
| Learn more | View plan | View plan | View plan | View plan |
Bitdefender offers free 30-day trials for a lot of their most popular packages, including Total Security and the Family Pack.
Bitdefender offers a good balance between security features and price. All plans protect against malware, spyware, and adware. But you can also opt for a security suite with privacy protection, like a VPN and a password manager.
Note that Apple users are left out of features, such as the device optimizer and privacy firewall, which are only available to Windows users.
Bitdefender scans your system much like other antivirus software, but it uses cross-platform malware protection. When you perform a scan, Bitdefender checks Apple devices for Windows malware, and vice versa, which could be useful if you regularly transfer data between devices with different operating systems.
Scanning options for Bitdefender include quick scans, custom scans where you can choose specific files or destinations to scan, and more in-depth, full-system scans.
Bitdefender prompts you to perform a “one-time scan” of your entire device directly after installation to “make sure it’s threat-free to begin with.”
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We like that Bitdefender recommends this initial step because if you’re using antivirus for the first time, you might not know the importance of establishing a threat-free baseline.
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Our computer experienced no noticeable effects on performance while browsing the web and streaming video from multiple platforms (YouTube and Hulu) while running the scan, so you can set the scan to run in the background while you continue with other tasks.
Bitdefender protects against phishing attempts through a browser extension called TrafficLight. Bitdefender directs you to install the browser extension on your default browser.
Using the AMTSO Phishing test page, we concluded that TrafficLight does in fact successfully protect and block you from opening pages with phishing scams.
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Bitdefender’s firewall prevents unauthorized connection attempts when you use the internet and local networks. The feature operates off of a set of rules to filter data that comes into and leaves your system.
Bitdefender’s firewall automatically creates rules when applications attempt to connect to the internet. But you’re able to create custom rules as well as edit existing rules to better fit your needs or prevent the firewall from blocking legitimate apps.
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Along with the firewall, Bitdefender also includes network threat protection. This toggle will block your device from being exploited if it's ever infected with ransomware, cryptomining activities, or other threats.
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On the surface, Bitdefender functions similarly to how most antivirus software works. But it sets itself apart from other antivirus software with its Advanced Threat Defense — a feature that continuously monitors applications and processes on your computer to detect malware, ransomware, and adware in real-time using behavioral detection.
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A short call with customer service confirmed that while macOS users are unable to alter Advanced Threat Defense settings or access the Exploit Detection feature, the technology of the Advanced Threat Defense system comes baked into the antivirus software.
Bitdefender also comes with an adware blocker designed to remove not just adware but malicious hijackers, toolbars, and other unwanted browser add-ons.
Bitdefender offers ransomware protection for both Windows and macOS, but it takes different forms for each operating system.
In the case of Windows, Bitdefender uses its Ransomware Remediation feature, where ransomware attacks are blocked and your stolen encrypted files are restored without needing to pay a ransom.
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For macOS, Bitdefender uses a combination of two features to protect users from ransomware attacks: Safe Files and Time Machine Protection.
The Safe Files feature allows you to choose sensitive folders and files to protect from being altered in any way. Additionally, you can choose which applications are allowed to make changes to those protected files.
Time Machine Protection is the second feature Bitdefender uses for anti-ransomware on macOS. This feature actually works in tandem with Apple’s Time Machine utility, guarding the backups created with Apple Time Machine from unauthorized and potentially harmful alterations.
We were able to easily activate Time Machine Protection by clicking a toggle. But be aware that making use of this feature’s primary function requires you to create backups through Apple Time Machine. (Bitdefender prompts you to do this as one of its recommendations after the initial installation.)
Bitdefender’s parental controls are accessed and managed through the browser hub Bitdefender Central. This wasn’t made clear to us at first, and we spent a good amount of time searching for the feature in the Bitdefender application before learning through online research where the feature can be found.
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Although this was a minor inconvenience, it’s somewhat cumbersome to have to manage two applications — Bitdefender Central and the Bitdefender app — to access different functions.
Thankfully, setting up Parental Controls was quite simple. We were first prompted to create a child profile and then add a device. After selecting a device, we received a notification telling us we’d need to add security and privacy permissions before using Parental Control features.
We found the Parental Controls interface informative and organized intelligently. Basic information such as screen time, applications used, and websites visited are presented front and center or are easily accessed by scrolling down.
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Bitdefender Parental Control is exclusive to the family plans.
The Bitdefender VPN that comes with Total Security is the basic version. It allowed us to secure our connection easily after adjusting a couple of security privileges on macOS.
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The basic version of Bitdefender VPN only allowed us to use the automatic location feature, where the application chooses where your virtual connection is located.
The ability to choose the location, along with other features, is locked behind the premium Bitdefender VPN. Upgrading costs an additional $34.99 for the first year.
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Bitdefender SecurePass, formerly known as Bitdefender Password Manager, is another feature that's included with Bitdefender's comprehensive plans. The password manager has been updated and now offers two-factor authentication and password sharing.
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Bitdefender SecurePass includes standard password manager features like a customizable password generator, autofill, and a password strength report. Your data will also be securely protected with AES-256-CCM, which is a gold standard of encryption.
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Bitdefender comes with a host of useful extra features, most of which are only available if you’re a Windows user:
Instead of just accepting Bitdefender’s claims, we put it through a series of rigorous tests. Our approach combines extensive in-house testing with scores from respected third-party antivirus evaluators.
The European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR) tools help test the effectiveness of antivirus software without actually putting your software at risk. It does this by providing fake files that act like viruses, but actually aren't malicious at all, kind of like a vaccine.
| Test | Bitdefender score |
| Malware detection | Pass |
| Drive-by malware downloads | Pass |
| Phishing pages detection | Pass |
Bitdefender persistently blocked us from even accessing the malware detection test page. When we selected the option to view the page anyway, Bitdefender immediately detected the file and disinfected it.
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The phishing test was only a pass once we downloaded the free browser extension called TrafficLight. Most antivirus programs don't have web protection on their own and are bolstered with an anti-phishing browser extension, so this wasn't surprising.
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AV-TEST is an independent organization that tests and rates the performance of antivirus software and IT security products in realistic scenarios against real-world threats. It uses a point system where security products may achieve a maximum of six points in three categories: protection, performance, and usability, with 18 total points being the best possible score.
| Test type | Windows score | macOS score | Android score |
| Protection | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 |
| Performance | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 |
| Usability | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 |
| Total | 18/18 | 18/18
|
18/18 |
| Date | February 2026 | March 2026 | March 2026 |
| Link to test | Link | Link | Link |
Bitdefender scored the highest number of points possible for protection, performance, and usability across Windows, macOS, and Android. You can feel secure about Bitdefender keeping your device protected from malware without draining your system resources with any device.
AV-Comparatives, another well-regarded antivirus testing organization, runs a series of evaluations on top antivirus products and compares the results to provide a more complete picture.
In these tests, Bitdefender showed impressive results, especially in areas related to real-time protection.
| Test type | Mobile security | Real-world protection | Malware protection | Performance impact (Lower is better) | Mac security |
| Score | 100% | 99.1% | 99.94% | 9.6 | 99.4% |
| Platform | Android | Windows | Windows | Windows | macOS |
| Date | May 2025 | February-March 2026 | March 2026 | May 2026 | May 2025 |
| Link | Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
While these scores look impressive on their own, it's helpful to see the full context of where Bitdefender ranked amongst its peers:
Bitdefender also earned a perfect score on its Android app and blocked most of the malware tests with its macOS program.
The final third-party antivirus tester we'll mention is SE Labs, a U.K.-based company that publishes quarterly reports on antivirus performance for both individual users and businesses.
In the first quarter of 2023, SE Labs evaluated Bitdefender, along with 10 other antivirus providers. It came in first place — tied with Kaspersky, Sophos, and Avast — and all four achieved flawless 100% scores across all categories.
| Test type | Home Anti-Malware Protection |
| Protection accuracy rating | 100% |
| Legitimate accuracy rating | 100% |
| Total accuracy rating | 100% |
| Date | 2023 Q3 |
| Link | Link |
| Compatibility | |
| Windows | |
| macOS | |
| Android | |
| iOS | |
| Browser extensions | Yes — Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge |
Bitdefender is compatible with the following operating systems:
You can access the Bitdefender Central website and Parental Controls from the most recent three releases of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari for macOS.
| Support type | Bitdefender |
| Email or live chat | |
| Phone | |
| Online guides or forums |
Bitdefender offers multiple support options via 24/7 chat, text and video tutorials, as well as a customer service phone lines. There are specific phone numbers for multiple countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, and more.
Although we never had to troubleshoot when using Bitdefender, we did call customer support to clarify features we thought were missing from our version of Bitdefender, specifically the device optimizer and the privacy firewall.
The representative was polite and helpful but seemed surprised when he booted up the macOS version of Bitdefender and compared it with the Windows version, where he apologized and confirmed that those features were not available on macOS.
Bitdefender has the same high star rating for both Android and iOS. The most recent reviews on the Apple App Store praise the app for how well it works and its ease of use. On the Google Play Store, reviewers also praise the security Bitdefender provides, thogh some mention that the web protection feature gets disabled frequently.
Bitdefender is labeled as great by Trustpilot, having received five-star ratings from 67% of reviewers out of nearly 11,000 reviews. Reviewers appreciate Bitdefender's helpful customer service, intuitive interface, and effective antivirus protection. However, reviewers also bring up issues with subscription management, including status of their subscriptions and adding devices.
If Bitdefender isn't scratching that itch for you, check out other top-rated antivirus products on the market:
| Antivirus |  TotalAV |
 McAfee |
 Norton 360 |
| Star rating | |||
| Price | $19.00–$49.00/first yr | $39.99–$199.99/yr | $29.99–$299.99/first yr |
| # of devices protected | 4 - 8 | Unlimited | 1 - 10 |
| Real-time protection | |||
| Malware scans | Manual and scheduled | Manual and scheduled | Manual and scheduled |
| Firewall | |||
| EICAR test results | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| Phishing protection | |||
| Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Opera | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| Extras | Password manager, ad blocker, VPN | Parental controls, performance optimization tools, VPN | Password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls, privacy monitor, identity theft protection, cloud backup |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV | Get McAfee | Get Norton 360 |
Bitdefender offers reliable, proven antivirus protection for a wide range of budgets. The interface is clean and easy to use, and Bitdefender offers comparable — and in some cases more powerful — premium features than its competition.
Unfortunately, many of Bitdefender’s premium tools are locked behind higher-priced plans, and if you use Apple products you should beware that you’re locked out of many features available to Windows and Android users.
Most people will find significant value in Bitdefender’s Total Security package. However, Apple users may want to compare Bitdefender's pricing and features with other top antivirus solutions to determine if there's a better option available.
To see how Bitdefender compares against other top antivirus options, check out our in-depth reviews:
Bitdefender consistently receives perfect protection scores from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, which makes it one of the best antivirus programs from a protection standpoint.
Bitdefender and McAfee both score similarly in malware detection rates, so you can't go wrong with either. However, McAfee is proven to affect system performance less when performing scans, and its premium features come included on all but one of their plans making it the overall cheaper option.
Learn more in our Bitdefender vs. McAfee comparison.
Bitdefender is not owned by Microsoft.
Top-rated antivirus that regularly earns top scores on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android
Passed every malware, drive-by download, and phishing detection test we ran, blocking threats instantly
Blocks and reverses ransomware attacks on Windows, restoring your files automatically
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