Viruses, ransomware and malware are the menace of your PC and even the internet at large. They are latched on to USB drives, WiFi connections, files and apps that we download from the internet.
In case you didn’t know how bad this could get, let us explain!
In the event that you become a victim of perhaps a ransomware infection, you might find that you would be denied access to many areas of your PC until you agree to the hacker’s terms. Some of these terms could vary between forceful registrations and most times, you would have to part with your hard-earned cash.
Also Read:Avira vs Avast – Which One is Best?
Thanks to some pretty strong antivirus and malware protectors, PC owners, and internet users can use their devices without falling prey to these attacks – but this can only happen if you use the right virus, malware and ransomware protection.
With a plethora of antivirus software and malware protectors in the market, and with every developer screaming “We offer the best virus protection out there!”, it is important for us to create a review of this said antivirus software and help our readers make a well-thought-out decision.
This blog post sees us compare two of the strongest antivirus software available today Bitdefender vs Avast, in terms of security, pricing, ease of installation, features and more.
It is important to note that this comparison is between Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Avast Free Antivirus.
Ready? Set?
Let’s get started!
Bitdefender vs Avast: Security
The primary reason for installing any antivirus software is to provide an extra layer of security. In this category, we check out how Bitdefender Antivirus Plus compares to Avast Free Antivirus in their ability to detect and stop the most frequent malware that preys on PCs and their users.
AV-Comparatives, an Austrian testing lab conducted evaluations on both antivirus software in 2016 from July to November. While Avast managed to block 99.6 percent of online threats, Bitdefender did even better and blocked 99.9 percent of threats online.
False positives are benign or harmless programs that an antivirus erroneously sees as malware. The lesser false positives an antivirus registers, the more credible it is.
While Avast registered 13 false positives, Bitdefender registered zero.
Another evaluation made by AV-TEST in 2016, a German lab saw its results agree with that of AV-Comparatives. Avast and Bitdefender were put to the test on their ability to detect both known and unknown malware. Bitdefender had better scores on the test than Avast.
Bitdefender was tested for Windows 10, 8.1 and 7 and it stopped 100 percent of both known and unknown malware for all Windows except Windows 8.1 where it stopped 99.9 percent of known malware and 98.7 percent of unknown malware.
Avast, on the other hand, had fluctuating results on Windows 10, 8.1 and 7. Sometimes detecting and blocking all unknown malware and at other times blocking less than 98 percent. These varying results mean the software is not quite as stable as should be.
In the security comparison of Bitdefender vs Avast, Bitdefender comes out as a better option with zero false positives and much better malware detection.
Bitdefender vs Avast: Installation and Ease of Use
Installing both Bitdefender and Avast is relatively an easy process except that Avast tries to install Google’s Toolbar into your web browser, as well as change your default browser’s home page to the Google homepage.
Both Bitdefender and Avast make it easy for users to see messages that tell them about their device protection.
Bitdefender users can navigate to the home screen where they can toggle on the Autopilot mode. This mode runs an auto scan from time to time on the files on your device.
Avast, users, on the other hand, have the “Run Smart Scan” button, visibly positioned in the middle of the home screen.
Winner: Bitdefender
Bitdefender vs Avast: Pricing
The Avast antivirus is free and offers very similar feature to Bitdefender which is priced at $38.99 per year for one PC
Winner: Avast
Bitdefender vs Avast: Features
The Bitdefender antivirus comes with a plethora of features that makes it worth the billing. However, Avast also offers lots of very similar features as freebies.
Both Bitdefender and Avast offers users of the PC versions of their software, the following features:
- Password manager
- Network security scanner
- Secured web browser for shopping and banking
- Rescue-disk option for machines that are severely infected ( does not include drive)
- Game mode to prevent frag count interruption.
While they both offer users very similar features Bitdefender offers two more features that Avast Free Antivirus does not offer:
- Virtual keyboard
- File shredder.
Users looking to get a firewall would have to pay more to switch to the Bitdefender Internet Security which is priced at $44.99 per year. Avast Pro Antivirus also offers a firewall but comes at a $49.99 expense per year. While Bitdefender Internet Security offers parental controls that keep a child away from restricted websites, Avast doesn’t offer any additional features with its Pro version.
Winner: Tie.
Also Read: MalwareBytes vs Avast
System Impact
While Bitdefender and Avast would not reduce your system performance significantly, it is important to note that, Windows users would most likely experience more lag using the Bitdefender antivirus than Avast.
For owners of a MacBook Pro, while both options would have a very little impact on your system, Bitdefender would work slightly faster on Mac.
Winner: Tie.
Now that we have seen what features these antivirus software options offers, let’s look at a tabular comparison of the pros and cons of choosing each option.
Tabular comparison of Pros and Cons of using Bitdefender vs Avast
| Bitdefender | Avast | |
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Conclusion
Bitdefender and Avast have a lot of qualities in common. They can scan networks for malware, manage passwords, allow PCs to run on game modes and secure browsers. When it comes to system performance, they both offer benefits and demerits depending on your operating system. Avast is a better option for users on a budget as it is FREE and really gives the paid Bitdefender a run for its $38.99 tag.
As a primary antivirus software with no extra benefits, Avast loses when compared to Bitdefender.
Now that you know what both Avast and Bitdefender offer, you can choose what’s best for you.
Do you currently use any of the two? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.