Bitdefender Complete Safety evaluation: Nice, straightforward to make use of safety

Greatest Costs At present: Bitdefender Complete Safety

If you pay for software program, the very last thing you need are limits. And but, Bitdefender Complete Safety imposes a reasonably shocking one on customers: VPN use, generally part of mid-range antivirus suites, is restricted to a 200MB per-day restrict per gadget.

It’s an odd ploy, on condition that rival providers supply full, unrestricted VPN entry, and typically a password supervisor subscription, too. However Bitdefender’s ace within the gap is its stellar safety, together with its easy-to-understand, but nonetheless customizable interface. Should you can forgive Complete Safety its occasional half-baked elements, it gives among the many finest protection in opposition to malware and on-line threats.

Additional studying: See our roundup of the finest antivirus software program for Home windows PCs to find out about competing merchandise.

What does Bitdefender Complete Safety embrace?

Bitdefender Complete Safety gives broad safety in opposition to on-line threats, beginning with antivirus, firewall, and ransomware. It additionally safeguards in opposition to community, net, and electronic mail points like brute drive assaults, malicious hyperlinks, and harmful attachments, in addition to screens your native inbox for spam when you use Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. It controls entry to your webcam and microphone to forestall distant spying, too.

Bitdefender

For extra safety and privateness, Complete Safety features a safe browser, entry to its VPN service (albeit restricted), tracker blocking, parental controls, and a scanner that checks for system vulnerabilities. It additionally has anti-theft software program instruments to get better, lock down, or wipe an related gadget. Rounding out the suite are set of utilities: a system optimizer, file shredder for safe deletion, and utilization profiles.

You’ll be able to set up Bitdefender on Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS gadgets, although not all options are supported on all platforms.

How a lot does Bitdefender Complete Safety price?

The worth of Bitdefender Complete Safety varies relying on the variety of gadgets coated. You’ll be able to select between a five-device “Particular person” plan and 25-device “Household” plan, which all allow you to set up the software program on Home windows, macOS, Android, and iOS gadgets.

5-device plan (1 account)

• $60 for the primary 12 months
• $110 per 12 months thereafter

25-device plan (5 accounts)

• $80 for the primary 12 months
• $140 per 12 months thereafter

Bitdefender enrolls customers into auto-renewal by default, although refunds are allowed as much as 30 days after the automated renewal date. The corporate additionally gives refunds inside 30 days of the preliminary buy of a subscription.

To avoid wasting more cash on Bitdefender, you should buy by way of our personal PCWorld software program retailer, which presently gives 5-device, one-year licenses for simply $24.99. Retailers like Newegg, B&H, and Amazon supply reductions as nicely.

Key options of Bitdefender Complete Safety

Set up and consumer interface

Getting began with Bitdefender Complete Safety is easy and simple — the set up window even reveals brief explanations of various options as you wait. Nonetheless, watch out when organising your Bitdefender account, as you’re solely requested to sort in your password as soon as. Should you don’t use a password supervisor, that leaves you open to misremembering (or mistyping) it.

The Bitdefender app has a clear, easy interface, with huge tiles for every function. A protect icon within the upper-left nook serves as a standing indicator; it’ll flip purple when one thing requires consideration. Alongside the left aspect of the window is entry to the dashboard, options sorted by class (Safety, Privateness, and Utilities), notifications, and settings. The app works at the side of the Bitdefender Central web site portal, the place you’ll deal with gadget administration (which incorporates distant instructions you’ll be able to ship to related gadgets, like malware scans) and parental controls.

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Within the dashboard, you’ll discover six customizable shortcuts to totally different options, together with urged motion gadgets on the prime. The defaults are Fast Scan, System Scan, Vulnerability Scan, VPN, and Safepay, together with a clean tile.

Below Safety, you get entry to the antivirus scanner, vulnerability scanner (which checks for weaknesses in your apps and community), and settings for on-line and superior risk protections, firewall, spam screening, and ransomware safeguards.

From Privateness, you can begin up the Safepay digital surroundings or VPN, bounce into parental controls (that are dealt with by way of the Bitdefender Central web site), set up the anti-tracker extension for supported browsers, and handle your webcam and microphone safety settings. You can even entry Bitdefender’s password supervisor, but it surely’s a separate paid service and never included with the Complete Safety suite.

Inside Utilities, you’ll discover a hyperlink to Bitdefender’s anti-theft instruments (managed by way of the Bitdefender Central web site), the optimizer scanner that hunts for short-term and different disposable recordsdata, exercise profiles (which allow you to simply change Bitdefender’s habits to align with the way you’re utilizing the pc — e.g., gaming vs. work), and a file shredder for securely deleting recordsdata from hard-disk drives (HDD).

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Notifications present a working log of Bitdefender’s findings because it displays your system, organized by urgency stage. These differ from the pop-up notifications Bitdefender reveals inside Home windows, which seem on the backside proper of your display screen and usually promote different Bitdefender providers. One such alert even went so far as to warn me a couple of LinkedIn knowledge leak from two years in the past, to be able to counsel signing up for Bitdefender’s Digital Identification Safety service. Happily, you’ll be able to flip off “particular gives” within the app settings.)

Total, Bitdefender errs on the aspect of ease-of-use, giving customers a average variety of settings for the app and per function. The descriptions of options are additionally generalized and never very technical.

Virus, malware, and risk safety

Actual-time safety

Bitdefender stays on fixed alert for potential threats to your PC. On the pc itself, it scans opened or added recordsdata, displays apps for suspicious exercise, and screens downloaded electronic mail for spam, sketchy hyperlinks, and harmful attachments. It particularly seems to be out for apps that attempt to encrypt your recordsdata, too — when not initiated by you, such habits is probably going ransomware making an attempt to carry your knowledge hostage.

In the meantime, everytime you’re looking on-line, Bitdefender screens for malicious downloads, phishing and fraud makes an attempt, encrypted web sites with invalid or bogus certificates, and dangerous search outcomes. It additionally blocks unauthorized incoming entry to your PC, unauthorized use of your webcam and microphone, and on-line net trackers (while you set up the corporate’s anti-tracking browser extension). You’ll be able to moreover pair this system with the corporate’s free TrafficLight browser extension, which provides icons to look outcomes marking them protected or dangerous.

Scheduled and handbook scans

In an uncommon transfer, Bitdefender doesn’t routinely carry out common scans. To run a Fast Scan and/or System Scan at a scheduled time, you should edit these default scans — or as a substitute create a customized scan. The method is just not intuitive, both. It’s essential to open the edit display screen and click on the Subsequent button earlier than the choice to Select when to schedule this job seems. 

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You’ll be able to then select between 4 intervals — each day, weekly, month-to-month, or at system startup. Each day permits you to set a time; Month-to-month permits you to set which day of the month and a time; and Weekly permits you to select a day of the week and a time.

For handbook scans, you’ll be able to run Fast Scan, which focuses on crucial recordsdata and processes; System Scan, which combs by way of your whole system; or a customized scan you’ve created. Fast Scan and System Scan will also be initiated by way of the Bitdefender Central web site — although you received’t see indicators of exercise on the gadget. For that reason, I most well-liked beginning my scans straight on the PC I used to be utilizing.

Operating System Scan might be sluggish throughout its first run, as Bitdefender takes inventory of every thing in your PC, but it surely accelerates afterward. (By default, the app scans solely new and adjusted recordsdata.) You can even right-click on particular person folders and recordsdata, after which select Bitdefender > Scan with Bitdefender to verify them out.

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Bitdefender permits you to modify settings for scans — for instance, you’ll be able to select to have the software program at all times display screen all recordsdata, even when they haven’t been modified since your final scan. You don’t get a ton of tweaks, but it surely’s greater than opponents like McAfee and Norton (which go for an ultra-simplified vibe) supply.

Vulnerability scanner

Along with scanning for viruses, malware, ransomware, and on-line threats, Bitdefender can verify your PC’s app, system recordsdata, and community settings for exploitable weaknesses. (Attackers use these openings to compromise your gadget and/or knowledge.) Discovered underneath Safety > Vulnerability, the device hunts for weak Home windows consumer passwords, crucial Home windows updates not but put in, modifications to Home windows and community settings that might let malicious habits slip previous, outdated apps, Wi-Fi community and router settings that might be strengthened, and extra.

Just like the antivirus scans, you’ll be able to remotely provoke a vulnerability scan by way of the Bitdefender Central web site.

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Firewall

Bitdefender takes over firewall duties fully for Home windows — and although most individuals are finest off leaving it alone with default settings, you’ll be able to customise how stringent the principles are and whether or not these guidelines change primarily based on the kind of connection you’re on. Bitdefender sends customers a notification every time a doubtlessly malicious app tries to entry the web. I didn’t discover any overzealousness on Bitdefender’s half whereas utilizing my take a look at PC, and the settings are properly streamlined with out being too simplified.

Rip-off safety

Bitdefender lately launched a free service known as Scamio, an AI-driven chatbot designed to assist confirm the legitimacy of electronic mail, textual content messages, immediate messages, hyperlinks, and QR codes. To get began, you should head to scamio.bitdefender.com (login required) or Meta’s Messenger app. You then’ll add a screenshot, copy/paste into the chat, or just describe the state of affairs to the bot.

As a really primary second opinion, Scamio isn’t dangerous, although its evaluation can take longer than anticipated. I preferred that it will possibly simply extract hyperlinks from screenshot — a a lot safer methodology, since making an attempt to repeat/paste can result in an unintended click on. It additionally appears to err on the aspect of warning, dismissing my try at candy nothings as a possible rip-off.

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That stated, if you would like hands-off assist for textual content messages, you also needs to set up Bitdefender in your cell phone. As long as you’re comfy with the permissions it requests (which go fairly deep), it’ll routinely display screen your chat messages and notifications for potential scams.

VPN

Bitdefender Complete Safety consists of entry to its VPN for a number of gadgets, however there’s one large catch — each bit of substances is allotted a paltry 200MB of bandwidth per day. (You’ll be able to burn by way of that by looking only a few web sites.) You’re solely allowed to hook up with the closest server, too.

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In Bitdefender’s favor is a smooth, simply navigated interface — I notably like how vital data and stats are laid out clearly. However with free, respected VPN providers providing way more bandwidth and letting you select a location when connecting, paying for Bitdefender Premium VPN to get limitless bandwidth and entry to servers in all 55 supported international locations simply doesn’t really feel value it. Not when the fee is $40 for the primary 12 months and $70 per 12 months thereafter.

Parental controls 

Bitdefender Complete Safety consists of parental controls, that are managed by way of the Bitdefender Central web site. On PC, you’ll be able to restrict display screen time, apps used, and web sites visited. Android and iOS gadgets additionally enable guardians to see location and telephone contacts.

To start on a PC, you’ll first set up Bitdefender on it. For cell gadgets, you’ll want to put in the devoted Bitdefender Parental Management app. Then on Bitdefender Central, you’ll create a profile to your little one and assign the pc, telephone, or pill to the profile.

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From there, you’ll be able to add cut-off dates and create schedules for blocked use, in addition to handle which purposes and web sites might be accessed. For apps, you’ll be able to solely restrict apps your little one has already used. Nonetheless, for web sites, you’ll be able to block or enable by classes, that are predetermined by Bitdefender. By default, youngsters can go to websites inside simply 13 of the 43 presets, corresponding to “serps,” “webmail,” “computer systems and software program,” and “journey.” Information is forbidden, which put PCWorld.com on the ban checklist. (Guess we’re not sufficient about computer systems and software program.)

As your child spends time on their gadget, you’ll see their utilization statistics seem within the dashboard’s charts. The dashboard additionally reveals location monitoring, which works fairly nicely — the telephone used for testing appeared with shut accuracy to the bodily location. (The urged addresses weren’t appropriate, nevertheless.) Cellphone contacts show right here as nicely, and routinely replace every time a brand new contact is added.

Extra options

Anti-Theft

Bitdefender Complete Safety’s anti-theft instruments are improbable in principle, letting you remotely find, lock, or wipe your gadget. For a smartphone, you may also remotely set off an alarm and/or ship a push notification with a message to whomever has it.

However in observe, I discovered this function to fall flat. For instance, my take a look at laptop computer’s location wasn’t exactly correct — not shocking, because it was primarily based off of the IP tackle. In the meantime, my smartphone’s whereabouts by no means confirmed up. Locking the gadgets additionally didn’t work notably nicely, both. If the particular person holding your telephone is aware of your PIN, you’re out of luck. The PIN you set by way of Bitdefender Central doesn’t override that.

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The one half that labored as marketed was the distant alert sound, together with the push notification. That solely helps with smartphones, although, and also you’ll need to belief that you would be able to annoy somebody into doing the proper factor.

Browser extensions

Bitdefender has two browser extensions value calling out, although neither are locked to the Complete Safety suite. The Anti-Tracker extension is routinely put in together with the Bitdefender app, the place you may also handle its set up when you set up one other browser in your PC in a while. (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Web Explorer are supported — although when you’re on an working system that may nonetheless run Web Explorer, it’s time to improve). It retains trackers from accumulating knowledge on you, and allows you to handle this sort of data for web sites you go to.

Bitdefender TrafficLight checks web sites for phishing makes an attempt and malware, blocks doubtlessly harmful components on web sites, and provides visible cues to look outcomes labeling them as protected or dangerous. Obtainable as a Chrome and Firefox extension, this add-on isn’t essential, however its search-result visible warnings might be useful.

File Shredder

Bitdefender’s safe delete function permits you to completely take away recordsdata out of your PC — offered they’re saved on a hard-disk drive (HDD). Complete Safety’s File Shredder function makes use of the Division of Protection 5520.22-M three-pass methodology to “shred” your knowledge, which works on HDDs however isn’t as efficient on solid-state drives (SSDs). In actual fact, this fashion of deleting knowledge can shorten the lifetime of an SSD.

With most laptops now utilizing SSDs, this function will solely be helpful in case you have an exterior HDD you retailer delicate paperwork on. However Bitdefender is the same as rival antivirus software program on this regard.

OneClick Optimizer

This utility hunts for Home windows recordsdata, registry gadgets, and web recordsdata it will possibly nuke — all within the title of tuning up your PC. However whereas OneClick Optimizer can shortly wipe away seemingly pointless knowledge, it shares little element about what will get tossed. That’s a giant drawback for something associated to your registry — a spot the place even seasoned PC customers tread cautiously. (And generally, you need to at all times know what you’re deleting.)

If OneClick Optimizer listed what it removes, maybe I might have ended up much less cautious of it. Nevertheless it solely names three classes (Software program Places, Shared DLLs, and Assist recordsdata) and what number of “points” present in every.

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Given how obscure the device is total, I nonetheless advocate Home windows’ built-in Disk Cleanup app and purging looking knowledge within the app itself. This methodology leaves the registry alone and allows you to have way more management, whereas solely being barely extra cumbersome.

Safepay

Safepay is a sandboxed browser — that’s, a safe surroundings for accessing delicate web sites, saved separate from every thing else working in Home windows. Bitdefender promotes this function as meant for financial institution web sites, and when you navigate to a identified banking web site, you’ll see a pop-up asking if you wish to load it in Safepay.

Inside this remoted desktop is a browser with an analogous really feel as Chrome, however way more bare-bones. You get no extensions and few settings. Nonetheless, it gives a digital keyboard, which is a bit cumbersome however helpful for these involved about keyloggers.

You should utilize Safepay with most web sites, although movies don’t play. Additionally, Bitdefender doesn’t react to all frequent monetary or delicate web sites — for instance, I didn’t see the pop up for irs.gov nor much less frequent banks within the U.S. You’ll need to open Safepay and navigate there your self.

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Buyer help

Do you have to ever want help with Bitdefender, the app accommodates a assist web page, which you’ll be able to entry by clicking the life-preserver icon within the higher top-right of the window. It gives direct hyperlinks to Bitdefender’s help web site (which incorporates video tutorials), group boards, and even a full consumer information. You can even contact the corporate by electronic mail, chat, or telephone.

Updates and upkeep 

You’ll be able to change replace frequency generally app settings.

By default, updates run routinely within the background as soon as per hour. You’ll be able to stretch this frequency to as soon as each 24 hours (with changes out there in hourly increments). If for some purpose you’re on a restricted web join, you’ll be able to flip off automated updates, however your PC will likely be higher protected when you depart it on.

Bitdefender additionally permits you to run updates within the foreground, so that you just see after they occur. Nonetheless, it doesn’t let customers carry out handbook checks for updates.

Efficiency

Bitdefender takes prime marks in unbiased exams carried out by safety analysis institutes. In AV-Check’s zero-day assault and malware exams for March and April 2025 (essentially the most present outcomes launched by the group), Bitdefender caught 100% of the 459 zero-day assault samples and 18,722 widespread and prevalent malware samples.

In the meantime in AV-Comparatives’ real-world safety take a look at for February by way of Might 2025, Bitdefender detected 99.8 p.c of the 423 take a look at instances, with three false positives. (A false constructive is when the antivirus software program blocks a reliable obtain or web site.) The samples had been a mixture of drive-by downloads, malicious net addresses, and URLs linking on to malware.

AV-Comparatives

Equally, Bitdefender ranked excessive in AV-Comparatives’ March 2025 malware safety take a look at. Of the 19 antivirus packages examined, Bitdefender scored a 98.7 p.c on-line detection price, 99.97 p.c on-line safety price, and 98.7 offline detection price, with 5 false positives. Even while you don’t have an energetic web connection, you’re well-protected. Solely a handful of different antivirus packages had equally excessive marks throughout the board.

For AV-Comparatives’ June 2025 anti-phishing certification take a look at, Bitdefender recognized 95 p.c of the 228 energetic phishing hyperlinks. It scored nearly as nicely in AV-Comparatives’ October 2024 Superior Risk Safety Check, detecting 13 of the 15 threats—a stable second place in comparison with the six different firms that participated within the analysis. This benchmark checks to see how nicely an antivirus suite handles extra subtle, focused threats like malicious scripts and fileless assaults.

AV-Comparatives

When idle within the background, Bitdefender usually has a lightweight influence on system efficiency. Its impact was minimal when our take a look at laptop computer encoded a big video right into a smaller 1080p30 file (our Handbrake benchmark), and through PCMark 10’s simulation of video conferencing, net looking, and enhancing in open-source picture and doc packages. Nonetheless, Bitdefender’s influence crept up when doc enhancing in Microsoft Workplace apps like Phrase, Excel, and PowerPoint, with UL Procyon take a look at scores falling by about 9.5 p.c.

When working a heavy scan, Bitdefender can notably have an effect on efficiency on mid-range and funds PCs — even when set to “low” influence in its settings. Blasting a steady full scan whereas working every benchmark dropped PCMark 10 scores by nearly 20 p.c and UL Procyon outcomes by a large 35 p.c. Handbrake encodes had been much less affected, with a ten p.c enhance in time wanted.

Nonetheless, whereas these efficiency decreases sound scary, they’re a mirrored image of the toughest pressure in your PC. I pressured Bitdefender to scan the recordsdata as in the event that they’d by no means been checked earlier than, to be able to see how exhausting it will hit our take a look at laptop computer. However by default, the app solely scans new and adjusted recordsdata (as frequent amongst antivirus software program nowadays), which reduces the hassle wanted to verify over your PC. For many individuals, your expertise possible will likely be nearer to the idle efficiency (as outlined above), until you usually work with giant batches of recent or altered recordsdata.

Is Bitdefender Complete Safety value it?

Bitdefender Complete Safety gives top-notch safety in an easy-to-use app. Its important weaknesses are the constraints of a few options, like VPN entry and Anti-Theft instruments, and the questionable usefulness of its OneClick Optimizer utility. However regardless that rivals like Norton give extra bang for the buck, this antivirus software program delivers on what issues most, which is conserving your PC (and different gadgets) protected. Simply don’t pay for the 5-device license when you will get the 10-device one for just a few {dollars} extra.