BullGuard Internet Security Review

BullGuard was a cybersecurity company based out of London. Although their software wasn't as often discussed as big names like Norton, Avast, or Kaspersky, they produced antivirus software since around 2002 and gained a solid fan base.

Before being acquired by Norton in 2022, BullGuard offered three tiers for its internet security product: BullGuard Antivirus, BullGuard Internet Security, and BullGuard Premium Protection. The middle tier cost about $59.99 per year for three licenses, which is on the upper end of antivirus prices — especially ones that didn't come with a ton of extras. It didn't offer a free tier.

For those who remember using BullGuard before it was acquired, here's a look at how the defunct software used to fare. Check out our full list of the best antivirus software to make sure your computer only has the best protection.

Top alternatives

If you remember BullGuard and wish you could get it back, here are some of the top antivirus options right now to consider.

What happened to BullGuard Internet Security?

BullGuard was known for being one of the best lightweight antivirus software that had specific functions designed for gamers. The company was acquired by Avira as part of Norton LifeLock in July of 2022. This was only one of many big-name acquisitions Norton has made in recent years.

Initial reports stated that the biggest change users would see was a change in branding, with existing users encouraged to transition to Norton. Nowadays, the only remnant of BullGuard you can find with Norton are in extra features like the Norton Game Optimizer, as part of their "Norton for Gamers" line. 

To catch up on how the antivirus software is doing these days, you can learn more in our full Norton 360 review here.

 

What features did BullGuard have?

With BullGuard Internet Security, you got:

• Machine learning anti-malware protection
• Two-way firewall
• Secure Browser that keeps your information safe during online transactions
• Vulnerability scanner that'll warn you of steps you can take to prevent malware from getting through
• "Game Booster" that optimizes game performance
• Parental controls that'll block inappropriate content (24 different categories to choose from) and limit the time your kids spend on the computer
• Ability to backup important files in the cloud - supports Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive
• PC tune-up that aims to increase your computer speed

BullGuard used machine learning technology in order to increase its detection of new, zero-day threats. As you'll see in the lab results below, this technique seems to be pretty effective!

A secure browser was also included in the Internet Security package. This was wise to use when doing anything important online, such as making financial transactions, as your information would be protected not only by SSL but a few other layers of security.

Additionally, with BullGuard you won't need to install any extra browser extensions, since it'll automatically block any suspicious URLs trying to access your network.

Another novel feature offered by BullGuard is their "game booster" - the idea here is that, if a game or other full-screen application is running, BullGuard will try to devote more system resources to it. ChillBlast actually tested this out and found that a PC with BullGuard installed and the game booster enabled actually ran games faster than one with no antivirus software at all installed. So, it seemed promising and was a great idea on BullGuard's part.

With the PC Tune Up feature, you could get BullGuard to do certain things automatically, such as deleting invalid shortcuts or cleaning your web browser caches. Basically, you'd be getting rid of some unnecessary "gunk." 

Finally, you also got parental controls, which allowed you to block 24 different website categories from your kids.

Lab results

The only major independent testing firm that included BullGuard in its evaluations was AV-TEST, a year before the software's acquisition. It received perfect scores on Windows and a decent showing on Android.

Test type	Windows 10 score	macOS Monterey score	Android 11 score
Protection	6/6	N/A	5.5/6
Performance	6/6	N/A	N/A
Usability	6/6	N/A	6/6
Date	December 2021	N/A	May 2018
Link to test	Link	N/A	Link

FAQs

Bottom line

BullGuard offered solid protection against all types of threats to your computer. That, plus a firewall, means it offers all the protection you need. What you were paying for here was the virus + firewall, 24/7 support, and, if you're playing a lot of PC games, the Game Booster.

Given that it was a bit cheaper than other mid-tier security suites, and offered as good or nearly as good protection, it was a good option. The one glaring flaw was the lack of a VPN, but you can always download an effective, free one from another cybersecurity developer.

Today, Norton remains one of many good alternatives to BullGuard. Check out the full list of the best antivirus software for all your options.