Bitdefender and TotalAV are two of the best internet security suites around. They both have excellent malware detection rates, come with a wide range of extra features, and are easy to use.
However, there are some differences to bear in mind. For example, Bitdefender has a 100% malware detection rate compared to TotalAV’s 99.6%, but TotalAV comes with an unlimited-data VPN on more of its plans.
Bitdefender vs. TotalAV — Final Verdict:
- 1st place:
- 2nd place:
Bitdefender is better for overall security, features, and price. If you want a secure, feature-rich, and affordable internet security suite, go with Bitdefender.
TotalAV is easier to use and has a better VPN. If you want a beginner-friendly antivirus with an excellent VPN and other useful features, go with TotalAV.
Bitdefender vs. TotalAV: Malware Protection
Bitdefender’s malware scanner is one of the very best on the market. It uses a huge malware directory and machine learning in order to successfully detect both known and emerging malware. And because its scanner is cloud-based, it’s extremely lightweight — taking up very little CPU or disk space during its scans.
Bitdefender was able to find 100% of malware samples in my tests. I tested its malware engine by hiding hundreds of samples on my computer, including viruses, rootkits, ransomware, and trojans, and then running a full system scan. The full scan only took around an hour to complete, which is pretty quick.
Bitdefender also has excellent real-time protection. Not only did it successfully block every malware sample I tried to download during my tests, but Bitdefender’s real-time scanner is one of the most customizable on the market, making it a particularly great option for advanced users.
TotalAV uses a whitelisted version of Avira’s anti-malware engine. This is a good thing, because Avira’s malware scanner is one of the best and most powerful on the market.
When I tested TotalAV’s scanner, it found 99.6% of my malware samples, including hundreds of viruses, trojans, spyware, and other types of malware. This near-perfect score makes TotalAV an excellent option, though it’s not quite as good as Bitdefender’s 100%.
Like Bitdefender, TotalAV’s scan only took around 1 hour to complete, and it had no noticeable impact on my device’s performance. TotalAV’s real-time protection is also excellent; it successfully blocked every single malware sample I tried to download during my tests.
Bitdefender vs. TotalAV: Web Security
Bitdefender provides excellent anti-phishing protection as well as protection against other web-based threats. It compares the websites you visit against a huge (and regularly updated) database of known dangerous sites, immediately blocking access to any matches. It also checks for encrypted websites, sites with fraudulent content, and webpages that contain downloadable malware.
During my tests, Bitdefender blocked every fake or dangerous website I tried to access. It also provides a useful summary of which sites are blocked and why, and it allows for easy whitelisting (if you’re 100% sure of a false positive).
TotalAV’s WebShield browser extension protects against phishing sites, online malware, and other harmful websites. It uses AI as well as databases of blacklisted websites to block access to any potentially harmful websites, and it blocked 100% of the fake websites I tried to access during my tests.
TotalAV’s WebShield can be downloaded for free; there’s no need to purchase a plan to benefit from this tool. However, it’s not quite as user-friendly or customizable as Bitdefender’s web protection.
Bitdefender vs. TotalAV: Features
Bitdefender covers up to 10 devices, supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, and includes:
- Advanced malware detection and real-time protection.
- Web protections.
- Secure browser for online finances.
- Wi-Fi network protection.
- VPN.
- Firewall.
- Webcam and microphone protection.
- Parental controls.
- System tune-up tools.
- Password manager.
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bitdefender has an excellent set of extra features, most of which work brilliantly. The parental controls are highly customizable and even include location tracking and geofencing. The system optimization tools are easy to use and help to clear space on your devices and improve their performance.
The VPN has comparable speeds and performance to top standalone VPNs. However, the password manager only comes as a 3-month free trial on all but the top-tier plan, and it’s one of Bitdefender’s weakest features — it’s quite basic and lacks important features like two-factor authentication. It’s also a shame the VPN is limited to 200 MB/device/day on most plans, as this is barely enough for browsing. That said, the top-tier plan Premium Security includes unlimited data on the VPN, the password manager for free, covers 10 devices, and is still cheaper than most other top competitors.
TotalAV covers up to 6 devices across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and includes:
- Premium malware detection and real-time protection.
- Anti-phishing protection.
- System clean-up tools.
- VPN with unlimited browsing data.
- Password manager.
- Ad blocker.
- Data breach monitoring.
- Identity theft monitoring (US only).
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
TotalAV has some great extra features — its VPN is fast, has a decent server network (70+), works for streaming and torrenting, and comes with unlimited data. The system clean-up and optimization tools are also excellent — they’re among the best of any PC optimizer I’ve tested.
However, the password manager is pretty basic and doesn’t offer a mobile version, which is a big let down for a password manager. I also don’t particularly rate the ad blocker. Given that these two features are the main additions in the comprehensive Total Security plan, I find this disappointing and think the slightly cheaper Internet Security plan is a much better value.
Bitdefender vs. TotalAV: Ease of Use
Bitdefender has a well-designed, user-friendly interface across all apps. The desktop dashboard is particularly intuitive, with large buttons and a Quick Action option that you can customize.
All of Bitdefender’s features are organized into 3 categories — Protection, Privacy, and Utilities — making it easy to navigate through all the different features.
The Android mobile-app is feature-rich, intuitive, and provides a nice user experience. The iOS app is much more limited though, with only web protection, breach monitoring, and a VPN.
TotalAV is easy to set up and has an attractive and intuitive interface. The main features all have their own icons in the sidebar, and advanced options are available from the settings menu, making customization easy.
TotalAV makes it very easy to schedule and customize scans, which I appreciate. The online dashboard also includes some useful video tutorials and FAQs.
TotalAV’s mobile apps are also pretty good, with strong security and a decent range of features.
Bitdefender vs. TotalAV: Customer Support
Bitdefender has an impressive customer support center. It includes email support, live chat, phone support, a knowledge database, and community support — and they’re all good.
I had a good experience with Bitdefender’s customer support. The live chat connected me to an agent within minutes, and they promptly addressed my questions. The phone support is equally impressive, with 28 phone numbers available in 18 countries, including a 24-hour worldwide number. During my test, I was quickly connected with a knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful agent.
Bitdefender’s knowledge base has many articles and video tutorials, and I found answers to most of my questions there. However, the community forum isn’t very active — no one had answered a question for a couple of months.
TotalAV’s customer support is decent, but not as good as Bitdefender’s. It offers live chat, email support, 24/7 phone support, and a knowledge center. However, the live chat is only offered in a few select countries, which is a real shame.
The email support was helpful but not very fast — I had to wait about 18 hours for a reply. But the phone support is great: there’s country specific support for the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and Spain, with “International“ and “European” numbers available for all other countries, and I got a quick and knowledgeable response every time I called.
The knowledge base is also good; it includes a number of FAQs, articles, and even videos. However, I found that most of the articles didn’t go into the detail I wanted, and I needed to use the other lines of support.
