Verdict
Bitdefender Premium Security offers dependable malware safety and contains loads of additional options to assist shield all of your gadgets, together with a full VPN service.
Pros
- Wide vary of options and system help
- Includes VPN
- Malware safety is as efficient as Windows Defender
Cons
- High renewal prices when you subscribe on-line
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Firewall: Replace Windows’ clunky firewall controls with a extra polished interface for setting guidelines. -
Ransomware safety:Per-folder backups and entry protections are designed to forestall your most necessary information from being encrypted with out your data and get well them if the worst occurs. -
Webcam and mcirophone safety:Control which purposes get entry to your gadgets.
Introduction
Bitdefender Premium Security offers a reasonably complete suite of safety instruments however, like most such providers, it’s costly to subscribe on-line and I’ve seen that cheaper keys from third-party retailers have turn into very arduous to seek out.
It does very nicely at defending in opposition to malware, a very powerful qualification for an antivirus instrument, however not fairly in addition to a few of its equally well-equipped rivals, notably McAfee, in addition to cheaper providers corresponding to GData and even free antimalware options corresponding to Avast One Essential.
If you’re shopping for your safety suite particularly since you need loads of bells and whistles, Bitdefender is nicely outfitted, however Norton 360 Deluxe and McAfee+ Advanced provide a number of extra options in that division, corresponding to on-line backups and identification theft remediation, albeit at the next worth.
Pricing
A 10-device Bitdefender Premium Security subscription has an RPP of £119.99, however first-time subscribers are charged simply £49.99. That’s nonetheless loads in comparison with most rivals.
Turning off auto-renewal and shopping for your subscription from a store was the best way to go for decreased value Bitdefender subscriptions, and it’s nonetheless a good selection.
Malware detection efficiency
- Achieved 100% ranking in AV-Test
Bitdefender’s malware detection engine sometimes performs nicely in checks. While Premium Security isn’t particularly examined, Bitdefender Internet Security is, and the principle distinction between the 2 is that Premium Security helps you to shield extra gadgets, provides iOS, Android and macOS help, in addition to a password supervisor and VPN.
Therefore, I can safely use knowledge from one to evaluate the opposite.
| Testing facility | AV-TEST | AV Comparatives | SE Labs |
| Real-World Threat Protection | 100% | 99.7% | 99% |
Bitdefender acquired a 99% safety ranking from SELabs, 99.7% from AV Comparatives with two false positives, and whereas it detected all malware in AV-TEST’s newest, it registered 5 false positives.
Features
- Requires an internet account
- Includes a rebranded Hotspot Shield VPN
- Plenty of security measures
Unlike a few of its rivals, Bitdefender requires you to create an account to make use of it, as a part of its administration and deployment interface is cloud-based. You can also’t have a number of merchandise energetic on a single account.
Bitdefender’s important dashboard offers suggestions to enhance system safety and fast entry to its on-demand malware scanner, a rebranded Hotspot Shield VPN that’s included in a Premium Security subscription however put in individually.
Most of the software program’s core options might be discovered beneath the Protection tab, together with varied malware defence modules, vulnerability scanners, an anti-spam instrument for native e-mail shoppers, ransomware remediation instruments, a firewall that’s a pleasant nicer to work with than Windows’ personal, and Bitdefender’s SafePay sandboxed browser, designed to allow you to verify your financial institution accounts safely.
Ransomware safety is now not enabled by default, which is nice, as this may be considerably aggressive, however you’re prompted to set it up after set up and it’s positively price doing so. However, as soon as you realize it’s there, it’s a great tool that does a radical job. A variety of key folders – Documents, Pictures and Videos – are each backed up and shielded from being modified by any program that Bitdefender doesn’t recognise.
Applications might be whitelisted in your Ransomware remediation settings, discovered beneath Protection, the place you can even manually restore backups and allow or disable automated restoration if information are encrypted by ransomware.
Bitdefender’s default firewall settings hit stability between safety and ease of use. The firewall has a conveniently searchable guidelines record and a user-friendly give attention to per-application entry guidelines, though you possibly can nonetheless set broad guidelines based mostly on port or IP tackle.
In the Privacy tab, you’ll discover a password supervisor, safe delete, encryption, webcam and microphone safety and parental management instruments, the latter of which requires the creation of profiles in your youngsters on the Bitdefender on-line cloud-based administration system.
The parental controls share exercise summaries to the admin’s Bitdefender Central internet interface – they work nicely, however are in all probability too intrusive for older youngsters. The password supervisor is, just like the VPN, a stand-alone instrument, however it’s not as polished as devoted options like Bitwarden.
Extras within the Utilities tab embody system optimisation and clean-up instruments, plus an anti-theft system that works with the web-based Bitdefender Central system administration, monitoring and wiping instruments.
I’m a fan of Bitdefender’s interruption-free silent mode settings. These might be turned on manually, however mechanically allow themselves if you watch one thing at full display or play a sport. They don’t simply silence Bitdefender’s alerts: You may even configure them to halt Windows updates whilst you’re busy.
Latest offers
Should you purchase it?
You care about options:
This is likely one of the most feature-packed antivirus suites round, and when you plan on committing to Bitdefender in the long run, you’ll discover most of your safety wants met right here. However, when you’re after additional identification safety choices, try Norton and McAfee’s high tiers.
You care about worth:
Bitdefender Premium Security seems to be costly if you try these renewal costs, however on a per-device foundation, it’s cheaper than F-Secure or Trend Micro, and solely a bit costlier than ESET or Kaspersky Internet Security. Make certain you really need all these options before you purchase, although.
Final Thoughts
Bitdefender presents top quality safety and is bristling with additional options like a VPN, password supervisor and parental controls. If you desire a single answer for all of this, it’s nicely price a glance.
How we take a look at
We use each antivirus suite ourselves so we are able to try their varied options, from scanning choices to built-in extras corresponding to parental controls.
The outcomes we use to evaluate malware detection efficiency come from respected testing homes together with AV-Test, AV Comparatives and SE Labs.
We obtain and use the software program ourselves to check the included options
We use knowledge from trusted and accepted testing homes to find out the malware detection efficiency
FAQs
Yes, it’s completely protected to make use of and presents among the finest malware-detection providers.
No, Bitfender’s headquarters is predicated in Romania.