- Antivirus Plus: $39.99/year
- Internet Security: $59.99/year
- Total Security: $89.99/year
- Bitdefender Box: $199/year
- Antivirus Plus: 3
- Internet Security: 3
- Total Security: 5
- Bitdefender Box: Unlimited
- Internet Security Suite: $41.99/year
- Optimization Suite: $46.99/year
- Total Security Suite: $87.99/year
- Maximum of 1 device on all plans
Bitdefender boasts the largest security delivery on Earth and offers a long list of security packages for businesses and residential users. Like Bitdefender, Avira is an award-winning security system as well, and looks to not only fight threats to your systems, but to forecast and prevent them from raising their head. Which one’s right for you? We can’t decide that for you, but in this battle we will lay out which company offers a better, more versatile product and you can take it from there.
Virus Detection
Bitdefender has the largest security delivery on earth, with more than 500 million users worldwide and over 11 billion security queries per day.
The company has repeatedly received AV-Test awards and high marks for their anti-virus protection options, which are spread out over a very large range of products. The company offers 8 separate home security packages, and their business security options run across a series of categories to safeguard your business and its infrastructure.
Bitdefender’s intelligent antivirus automatic protection blocks e-threats, as does a behavior-based advanced threat defense technology. Standard in all Bitdefender packages is a series of multi-layered ransomware protection, as well as online banking protection, password manager, search defender, and phishing and fraud detection. The company also offers a parental advisor to keep your kids safe, file encryption, and a remotely-accessible anti-theft system.
Avira’s antivirus detection has racked up a series of awards over the years, and the company doesn’t look to be resting on its laurels anytime soon.
The system tries to forecast threats through “in-the-cloud-detection”, which the company describes as a sort of “early warning system” for threats to your computer. This method looks at the digital fingerprint of unknown files, uploads, and scans them in order to make a threat database of sorts for their users. The more users, the bigger and stronger the database and the detection system become. This helps the company identify new malware threats and integrate them into its products.
Avira makes use of artificial intelligence and an endpoint antivirus scanner to protect from all types of malware in real time. The company also provides a browser tracking blocker that prevents companies from monitoring your online activity, and a safe browsing feature that blocks harmful websites. In addition, their PUA (potentially unwanted applications) shield scans software for threats. Simply put, Avira has a lot of ammo and knows how to fight the threats you face.
Winner: Bitdefender
The company has much more tools to fight viruses, and you can read more about them on their website.
Software Usability
Setting up Bitdefender is a no-brainer. You sign up for a service package and a Bitdefender rep connects to your computer remotely and installs, configures, and activates the software. The representative will also remove any old security software and make sure you’re up and running – and secure. Once it’s set up on your computer, you will be able to utilize what is a very intuitive and easy to use system run through a dashboard you don’t need to be an expert to understand.
Launching Avira is simple as well. For the most part it installs automatically, all you have to do is download it and follow a couple prompts and that’s it.
Once you get it going, you’ll see it’s an easy-to-use, highly-configurable program with a straightforward dashboard. You can easily customizable how often you want it to scan your computer or just let it run automatically.
It should be noted that users have reported that using Avira can at times slow down their devices.
Both Avira and Bitdefender can run basically on their own automatically if you don’t want to take the wheel.
Winner: Bitdefender
Both companies offer user-friendly services, but Bitdefender sets up a little easier as you can see on their customer support page.
Features
When it comes to features, it’s hard to know where to start with Bitdefender. The company has a host of configurations for homes and businesses and is highly-customizable. Bitdefender boasts of having the “best in class security”, which includes multi-layer ransomware protection, parental guards, safe browsing, WiFi security advisor (for when you’re logging on outside the house), password manager, webcam protection, and tools to protect you from fraud, phishing, and all types of other threats. The list, it goes without saying, is quite long.
At all points, the software examines your system to root out vulnerabilities and make sure you’ve sealed up all your vulnerabilities.
At any time you can access their 24/7 customer service too. The company operates helplines in 15 separate countries as well as a 24/7 global hotline. A frequently asked questions section and an online forum can help you get out of a jam, and you can also contact a representative directly through the online chat option, which operates on three avenues – commercial, technical, and malware support.
With Avira you can secure up to five devices on a single license. Avira says the company blocks over 1 million ransomware attempts per month, and their artificial intelligence will tell you which removable devices are safe to put in your devices.
Avira also uses a clean, redesigned interface that is easily customizable.
The company states that its technology analyses malware and combines machine learning with deep learning techniques to protect you from zero day attacks and other dangers.
Avira’s identity protection system will help you keep your details out of the hands of cybercriminals looking to steal your identity, and stops rootkits and spyware.
Secure banking gives you another layer of protection to help you sleep at night.
When it comes to customer service, Avira has an extensive, searchable knowledge base online. Other than that, there are video tutorials and an option to send in a written query through a form. It is not as lengthy a package of support as is offered by Bitdefender.
Winner: Bitdefender
Avira offers a wide range of features, but it doesn’t match up with Bitdefender, which wins this category as well.
Value for Money
Both companies offer 30 day free trials and 30 day money back guarantees, but the similarities stop there. Bitdefender offers a much wider variety of packages, and not only are the prices lower, but the service can be applied to at least 3 devices, and up to unlimited devices (that will set you back a good bit with the Bitdefender Box).
Winner: Bitdefender
With both companies you get award-winning anti-virus solutions, but Bitdefender is not only cheaper, it becomes much cheaper when you factor in the fact that you can apply it to multiple devices, as opposed to Avira.
Customer Support
On Avira you can easily search an extensive online knowledge base, and take a look at some tutorial videos if you have any questions. Other than that, you can send in a query by way of an online form.
Bitdefender has more significant options, including a knowledge base and helplines in 15 countries, as well as a 24/7 international hotline number. In addition, there is a live chat separated by three avenues – commercial, technical, and malware support.
Winner: Bitdefender
Bitdefender, the company simply has more customer service options.
Overall Winner: Bitdefender
Bitdefender won this head to head in every category, and for good reason. While Avira is a very solid company that has won a number of awards for their security solutions, they simply can’t stack up to the host of features, security offerings, pricing, and customer support of Bitdefender. So check out Bitdefender online, and see for yourself why they beat Avira.
