Bitdefender or Kaspersky, which antivirus is better and why? How do both of these top
antivirus programs compare when pitted against one another in different categories?
Let’s find out in this video. It’s been 38 years since the internet was
invented, and even though it’s been many decades, we continue to discover new benefits
of the evolutionary invention. However, there are always two sides to a coin, so while the
advantages of the internet have been overwhelming, we can’t ignore its pitfalls like cybercrime.
These days, cybercrime has become increasingly prevalent and continues to cause massive damages.
If you’re looking for a reliable antivirus solution to protect your devices and data,
Bitdefender and Kaspersky are two names that may constantly come up in your search. They
both offer a very high level of protection, so it’s always difficult to choose between
them. In this video, we will compare Bitdefender
and Kaspersky in terms of four key aspects. These are features, malware protection, system
performance, and pricing. We will declare a winner in each category, as well as our
overall verdict on both software at the end of this video.
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If you’re in a rush and quickly want to know about our number one antivirus pick,
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saving a lot of money. Now let’s get started.
The first round will see us compare the two software in terms of features.
Let’s see Bitdefender’s features first. Like most antivirus tools, Bitdefender offers
various suites, with every suite offering a different set of features. Bitdefender’s
entry-level suite is Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, offering basic features like a password
manager, malware protection, a hardened browser, a file shredder, a silent mode feature, a
vulnerability scanner, and a Wi-Fi security advisor.
Their mid-level suite is Bitdefender Internet Security. Its set of features includes all
the Antivirus plus features, along with some other exciting features like an anti-spam
module, a file encryption utility, parental control features, webcam protection, and a
2-way Firewall. The company’s flagship suite is Bitdefender
Total Security. Being the biggest suite in their lineup, it comes with all the features
of the first two suites, alongside additions like OneClick Optimizer and DiskCleanup, multi-platform
compatibility, protection for as many as five devices, and a helpful anti-theft module.
There’s the Bitdefender Family Pack as well, which is perfect for families who need to
cover many devices. You can cover up to 15 devices with this.
The company also offers a Mac-specific product called Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac. Apart
from the solid protection that this suite offers against malware, it also provides a
Virtual Private Network and some advanced protection features.
Now, let’s look at Kaspersky’s features. Like Bitdefender, Kaspersky also offers a
range of suites, including Kaspersky Antivirus, Kaspersky Internet Security, and Kaspersky
Total Security. Expectedly, each plan comes with different sets of features. The different
features of the Kaspersky free plan include limited malware protection, protection against
malicious/phishing websites, and it also checks connected USB drives for malware.
Kaspersky Antivirus is the first paid suite on the company’s lineup, and it only works
for PCs. It comes with a great mix of basic and advanced features, such as an extra layer
of ransomware protection, a vulnerability Scanner, and a silent mode feature.
Up next in the queue is Kaspersky Internet Security, which is regarded as the second-best
suite in their lineup. It comes with all the features offered by the first two suites,
and then some unique features like an advanced firewall, a browser for safe online shopping/banking,
an anti-spam module, a limited parental control filter, and protection against webcam/microphone
spying. Finally, we have Kaspersky Total Security.
Unsurprisingly, the top-of-the-line suite features every feature found on the smaller
suites, along with some unique features like Kaspersky password manager, a file shredder,
a backup utility, an advanced parental control module, and a file encryption utility.
There is also Kaspersky Security Cloud which is similar to Total Security in many ways.
The only difference is, the Security Cloud has what the company calls “Adaptive Security
technology.” This technology adjusts to your activity and gives recommendations on
better protection for you and your family. We haven’t tested this, so we don’t know
if it's something worth paying extra for. Overall, in our opinion, Bitdefender wins
this round by some distance. Despite offering fewer suites compared to its counterpart,
it manages to provide better features, and of course, greater overall value.
In the next round, we will be looking at how both antivirus solutions compare when it comes
to malware protection, using the recent AV-Test results as a basis.
Let’s look at Bitdefender first. According to AV-Test’s recent evaluations,
Bitdefender’s ability to protect from malware is second to none. The antivirus solution
scored 100 percent when it comes to Protection against 0-day malware attacks in the two consecutive
months in which the evaluation took place. Note that this result was better than the
industry average of 98.8 percent at the time of testing.
The antivirus software also delivered equally impressive results when it comes to the detection
of widespread and prevalent malware discovered in the last 4 weeks, scoring 100 percent in
both evaluation months. Even though the industry average for this category was 100 percent,
this result was still remarkable. But how does Kaspersky compare?
Well, Kaspersky also performed well in AV-Test’s recent tests. Like Bitdefender, it also scored
100 percent in both evaluation months for Protection against 0-day malware attacks.
And when it was tested for the detection of widespread and prevalent malware discovered
in the last 4 weeks, the results remained impressive, at 100 percent.
It’s difficult to separate both software in this category; both got a perfect 6 out
of 6 score from the AV-Test in the recent tests for malware protection. So, this round
ends in a draw. In the next round, we will look at how each
antivirus solution affects the system performance, starting with Bitdefender.
Bitdefender has done well to ensure their software doesn’t put much strain on your
system’s performance, which is commendable. This is evident in the recent test conducted
by AV-Tests. You only experience a slowdown of 15 percent when launching popular websites
on a regular computer. This is impressive, considering that the industry standard is
16 percent. At 14 percent, the effect is reduced even further with a high-end system.
When it comes to downloading frequently used applications, Bitdefender doesn’t perform
better than most rivals. You will experience an impact of 1 percent, which is the industry
standard. However, the performance is better when it’s time to install such applications.
While the industry standard is 14 percent for slower installation of frequently used
applications, Bitdefender only recorded an impact of 11 percent. It’s even better with
high-end systems, at 9 percent. Overall, Bitdefender earned a flawless 6 out
of 6 score for system performance, which is impressive.
Now, let’s look at Kaspersky’s system performance.
In the most recent test performed by AV-Tests, Kaspersky performed decently in terms of system
performance. Although, it got off to a pretty slow start, recording a slow-down of 37 percent
when launching popular sites with regular laptops. In contrast, the industry standard
is much better, at 16 percent. The story is similar even when you use a high-end computer,
as Kaspersky recorded an impact of 29 percent with such systems.
However, its performance got better when it comes to a slower download of frequently used
apps. On both regular and high-end computers, it recorded an impact of 0 percent, which
is even better than the industry standard of 1 percent. Also, it doesn’t strain your
system much when you are installing such applications. On standard computers, you only experience
an impact of 7 percent, while you record 6 percent on high-end computers. The industry
standard for these is 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
Overall, Kaspersky also received a perfect 6 out of 6 in this category.
It’s a really tight battle in this round. Again, it’s a tie in this category as both
software are equally good. Finally, let's see how each company fares
when it comes to pricing. We will first look at Bitdefender’s pricing.
With Bitdefender, there are four suites to choose from. The entry-level suite is Antivirus
Plus, and as you’d expect, it is the cheapest, at $23.99/year. Further up the lineup, you
find Internet security, which costs $32/year. If you want more than these two suites are
offering, then you could consider the leading suite, Total Security. It’s like a mix of
the first two suites in one, and it costs only $36/year. Obviously, Bitdefender offers
super-affordable plans, making it an attractive choice for all categories of users.
How does Kaspersky compare in terms of pricing? Let’s see.
Kaspersky Antivirus is the entry-level plan, and like most entry-level plans, it’s the
most affordable, costing only $29.99 per year. Up on the ladder is Kaspersky Internet Security,
which is priced at $39.99 per year. Obviously, it offers more advanced security features
than the starting plan. Next up is Kaspersky Total Security. It costs
$49.99 per year. Finally, the highest tier is Kaspersky Security
Cloud, which costs about $99.99 per year for 5 devices and $149.99 per year for 10 devices.
In the final round, Bitdefender wins again, for obvious reasons. Bitdefender provides
a better combination of overall value and affordability. Kaspersky’s plans are slightly
more expensive compared to Bitdefender’s -- especially the high-end plans.
Overall, Bitdefender is the winner of this head-to-head battle. While Kaspersky is a
good antivirus solution that deserves all the attention, Bitdefender is an even better
antivirus software that delivers almost flawless performance in all the key areas.
With that, we have reached the end of the video. We’d like to know your thoughts about
both antivirus solutions, so feel free to drop your comments in the box below.
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