Bitdefender vs. Norton 360: #1 and #2 of 2022's Top Picks
Find the best antivirus for you and your devices.
We compare security, extra features, ease of use, and more to help you decide.
Bitdefender vs Norton: Which Is Right for You?
Bitdefender vs Norton: Which Is Right for You?
Bitdefender and Norton are two of the best antivirus products on the market. Both provide perfect malware detection rates against known and emerging malware, come packed with useful internet security features, are extremely simple to use, have excellent customer support options — and both are reasonably priced for the value they offer.
Bitdefender vs. Norton 360: Final Verdict
- 1st place:
- 2nd place:
Norton is better for security and provides more useful internet security tools than Bitdefender.
If you don’t mind spending a little extra to get the best protection in 2022, go with Norton.
Bitdefender is a bit easier to use, and it’s also cheaper than Norton. If you want a high-quality, feature-rich antivirus inside a great-value internet security suite (and don’t mind a limited VPN), go with Bitdefender.
Bitdefender vs. Norton 360: Features
Norton 360 Deluxe covers 5 devices and comes with:
- Smart firewall with tons of customization options.
- Web protection & browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
- Performance optimization & system cleanup tools.
- VPN with unlimited browsing data.
- Password manager.
- Parental controls.
- Dark web monitoring.
- 50 GB cloud storage.
- 60-day money-back guarantee.
- And lots more...
Bitdefender Total Security covers 5 devices and has:
- Web protection.
- Secure browser for online finances.
- System optimization tools.
- Wi-Fi network protection.
- VPN (limited to 200 MB/per day & 1 server location).
- Password manager.
- Parental controls.
- File shredder.
- Firewall.
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
- And more…
Norton 360 is the best overall antivirus of 2022. It caught all of the malware samples in all of our tests. Norton also comes with excellent security features, including good device optimization tools, a fast VPN with unlimited data, live dark web monitoring, and the best parental controls on the market. Bitdefender is almost as good as Norton, with perfect malware detection rates, really good phishing protection, and top-quality extras. However, Bitdefender’s password manager is a bit worse than Norton’s, and Bitdefender’s VPN is limited to only 200 MB/day. That said, Bitdefender is one of the cheapest internet security packages on the market, and all of its plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first thing to do is to understand what you need — all antiviruses come with different internet security tools to help you stay protected, so identifying what level of protection you want will help you figure out which product is right for you.
Some antiviruses have a virtual private network (VPN), some have safe browsing extensions, and some have a password manager. Some only work on certain operating systems, while others cover all operating systems across multiple devices.
It’s important to compare the best antiviruses on the market to find the perfect one with the functionality you need.
A high-quality antivirus suite will detect, flag, and remove viruses and various types of malware. It will also offer real-time protection against all threats, regardless of whether you are browsing the internet, downloading software, shopping online, or opening email. For additional security, many antivirus suites offer a VPN, secure storage, and a password manager — these things all add several layers of protection against various cyber threats.
For more information on how antiviruses work, read this.
An antivirus needs to protect against all types of malware — trojans, rootkits, worms, spyware, viruses, ransomware, and anything else that might cause damage to your devices. This is done in a variety of ways, but the most essential feature of an antivirus is real-time protection — this makes sure that an active threat is effectively stopped before anything serious can happen.
Other things to look for include — excellent detection rates, fast system performance, included extra features (like a VPN, password manager, etc.), easy-to-use interface, good customer support, and overall value.
When researching antiviruses, it’s a good idea to visit a few well-known antivirus software websites such as Norton, McAfee, and Bitdefender to directly compare each antivirus’s features.
You can also look at the expert opinions of our reviewers at SafetyDetectives.com to find the most up-to-date and unbiased information about the best cybersecurity products on the market today.