For two decades now, Bitdefender has been offering great features in the antivirus software and anti-malware space, protecting over 500 million devices across the globe.
Its Total Security package covers almost everything you may need from an antivirus suite; however, that doesn’t mean that there are no alternatives to it. If you want to move away from Bitdefender or simply see what else is out there as a good alternative, then you’re at the right place.
Below, we present our best alternative to Bitdefender antivirus as well as features that would make us switch.
Best alternative to Bitdefender
Bitdefender enjoys high popularity in the AV space, so finding an alternative for it will always spark some controversy. In a similar fashion, ESET also commands popularity in the AV space, though not at the same level. Meanwhile, it manages to position itself as a great alternative thanks to its lightweight application, flexible pricing models, and numerous advanced features. Note, if you want full identity protection and unlimited VPN, you will have to dig a bit deeper into your pockets, as they only come at the highest tier plan with ESET.
When it comes to ease of use and user interface in general, it is very difficult to beat Bitdefender’s intuitively designed applications (desktop & mobile). Unfortunately, ESET does not succeed in this field; it's not to say that the UI is not intuitive or “nice looking,” it's just that our preferences lie more with what Bitdefender has done. The multi-level menu in Eset needs more clicks to get to a tool, whereas Bitdefender presents everything through the initial dashboard without the need to click through additional menus.
In terms of protection, both providers ensure that you are fully covered without many false positives being triggered. Namely, in the latest AV-Comparatives test, both are in the top five when it comes to false-positive blocked files/domains. According to the tests, Bitdefender does come on top slightly in front of ESET when it comes to coverage. Where ESET shines is its malware protection, thanks to its Ransomware Shield feature that uses behavior-based detection. Alongside it is ESET’s protection against botnet malware that combines with Exploit Blocker, which blocks attacks against commonly exploited applications (browsers, email clients, etc.). Finally, the full scan on our test laptop took 5 minutes less with ESET compared to Bitdefender.
When it comes to firewall protection, both AVs offer it with their most basic plan. Bitdefender has a more customizable firewall, which means there is a learning curve if you want to tweak settings yourself. ESET, on the other hand, comes with four different filtering modes. You can easily stay on Automatic, where most of the traffic will be blocked and properly filtered; otherwise, you can opt for the interactive mode, where you can directly block or allow incoming or outgoing connections.
ESET offers three pricing plans just like Bitdefender, but unlike it, you get a sense of customizability across the different plans. This is reflected through the interactive plus and minus signs within each pricing plan that adjust the number of devices and years you’re looking to cover.
The Essential plan starts at $34.99 for one device for a full year without password manager, identity protection, or unlimited VPN. With the Premium plan at $41.99 for one device for a full year, you get a password manager, but again, no unlimited VPN or identity protection. Finally, with the Ultimate plan at $125.99 for five devices as the lowest number for a full year, you finally get the full package, which includes advanced identity protection features, an unlimited VPN, and coverage for identity theft up to $1 million.
When it comes to support, it's again a very tight race between the two providers. You have multiple options to reach out to customer support with both providers, and answers usually come in a very reasonable timeframe. ESET also has a great knowledge base and guides if you’re up for some DIY troubleshooting; otherwise, an email to technical support or live chat is your best bet.
All in all, Bitdefender is a great AV, therefore, finding a suitable alternative may prove to be a challenge. Yet, ESET manages to offer great alternative features with strong browsing protection to cater more to users who do a lot of surfing and online shopping. Most of the features offered are neck and neck with Bitdefender, in some instances ESET is better while in others its Bitdefender. Therefore, the final decision on whether ESET is the right tool for you will primarily rely on whether you value its strengths over what Bitdefender has to offer.
Take a look at our full ESET Home Security review.
Check out our guide to the best antivirus software for even more alternatives