An ideal Bitdefender Free vs Avast Free comparison begins with Bitdefender Free vs Avast Freenline and offline security, which is a growing concern with ease of access to devices and the internet. And you can see that from how the Global Revenues for the Security Software market peaked out at $43.2 Billion in 2019.
And as much as we’d like to get the security support for free, that’s not how it works. At least, in most cases!
You must be familiar with Avast Antivirus and Bitdefender Antivirus, even if you’re not tech-savvy. They’re the two most popular antivirus software on the market and each has its own features to boast upon.
That’s precisely why we’ve decided to draw a comparison of Bitdefender Free vs Avast Free. Based on critic scores, user reviews, available features, and more, we’ve set up a head-to-head comparison of the two software. So, make sure you read through to the last point to find out who wins the race for the best free antivirus software!
Bitdefender Free vs Avast Free (Overview)
Avast and Bitdefender may not be the two biggest names in the Antivirus industry, but they surely are the most popular choices. And since both of the software initially were available for free, the companies have decided to keep the tradition going.
But offering free services isn’t a quid-pro-quo. The services and features of both the software vary highly. So, let’s get a quick overview of Avast vs Bitdefender free versions.
Avast Antivirus (Free)
Avast antivirus is well known for its versatile features since the early days. And it has kept the spirit alive by featuring various top-end services to users in the free version. However, they pull an amazing act of advertising their premium services for the purchased antivirus version.
You can download the latest version of Avast Free Antivirus from their official website. Or, you can access any app directory and have a malware-free version downloaded. It’s a light software and offers you attractive free services (more of which I’ve mentioned below) immediately upon installation.
Note: Interested in knowing more about mobile protection? Read our detailed overview of Avast Mobile Security Pro to find out how it helps you keep your data and personal information safe.
Bitdefender Antivirus (Free)
The Bitdefender Antivirus software is more popular among techie crowds. It is either the extremely fast processing or an attractive bang for the buck subscription list that attracts computer geeks. But does Bitdefender do well as a free data protection tool?
Bitdefender free features the basic virus definitions and malware search/quarantine/removal of suspicious data. You can download the installation file from the official website with ease. Similar to Avast, many app directories allow you to download an installation pack for the latest version as well.
Bitdefender Free vs Avast Free (Comparison)
Bitdefender and Avast are both amazing at keeping your data safe, whether online or offline. But since our computer and cloud usage is expanding at a vigorous rate, we need an all-around protection pack. Something to keep every aspect of your data and identity safe, and which is easy to use as well.
Now, based on the protection expectations from both the antivirus programs, let’s see how Bitdefender free stands against Avast free in a binary comparison for the best free antivirus podium!
1. Features: Avast Free Has More to Offer
You don’t typically think much about the features of an antivirus program, but it does make a significant difference. However, to explain this point, let’s first strike a Bitdefender vs Avast comparison.
| Bitdefender | Avast |
| Real-time threat detectionVirus ScanningMalware RemovalDetecting Phishing WebsitePreventing Fraud from Scam Websites | Real-time threat detectionVirus ScanningMalware RemovalDetecting Phishing WebsitePreventing Fraud from Scam Websites |
These are the basic features that both the antivirus software offers in the free versions of the apps. But to let you know where Avast takes the lead, here are the features that Avast offers on its free version that Bitdefender doesn’t:
- Wifi Inspector: This lets you recognize an untrustworthy network to protect your information flowing through the wrong channels.
- Password Manager: Keeps your passwords saved in a cyber vault. You can save/access the passwords without risking your browser to “remember” them.
- Behavior Shield: This lets you track and record any suspicious app or browser activity.
- Cyber Capture: Sends the recorded suspicious files for threat analysis and treatment, if possible.
- Browser Cleanup: Lets your schedule removing fabricated temp files, cache, and cookies. Also, you can delete any broken, damaged, or malicious add-ons.
- Smart Scan: Scheduler for regular scans based on computer usage and active hours.
- Intelligent Antivirus: Lets you block spyware, phishing, malware, ransomware, and virus.
- Game Mode: Lets you close all background processes and activity to optimize resources for max performance.
You can now see what I meant by Avast have a vast library of features and resources earlier. While Bitdefender Free lets you satisfy the basic security needs, Avast offers you much more than that.
2. System Requirement and Impact: Both are Light and Efficient
How antivirus software impacts your system’s performance is a key aspect to look into. While we’re all interested in lighter programs, you won’t see much of a difference in both the software’s performance here.
Virus definitions and malware crawl deep into your computer’s files and folders. And to search for these sneaky attacks, antivirus software has to skim through your computer’s entire directory. This is what causes load on your computer’s hardware and impacts the performance.
As far as the comparison goes, the two software stand toe-to-toe in impacting your computer’s performance. Both antivirus programs feature a dual scan mode.
A quick scan takes anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes to complete. And it barely impacts your system’s resources, depending on how much data there is to scan. But for a deeper search, a quick system search can a few minutes to even a couple of hours to complete. And this is when you can expect your PC to take a little hit in performance.
Moreover, you can schedule the scanning time for your device based on your active hours so it doesn’t interrupt when you’re working. But since both of the software are efficiently and lightly designed, they don’t stand too far apart in loading your PC.
3. Protection: Avast Offers an Integrated Protection
It wouldn’t be wrong to assume that the best protection is found in paid antivirus programs. But Bitdefender and Avast are both fantastic at protecting your computer against common malware and viruses. They rely on extensive databases and have frequent updates to target all threats. So, you might want to keep the automatic updates box checked!
However, comparing antivirus programs based on the protection they offer isn’t easy. Or, that’s to say that it won’t make much of a difference to an untrained eye.
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This is why I’ve fetched this test data from Av-test.org to put the argument into numeric, and that shall make it easy for you to understand. We can see from the institute’s data that both, Bitdefender and Avast scored similarly. With both of them noting down 6/10 protection for Windows and 5.5/10 for Mac, there is hardly any difference between the two.
But the easiest thing I could come up with to set the verdict for the protection offered is the ability of software to recover a malicious file. And based on that, Avast takes the lead again with its Cyber Capture feature.
Avast antivirus sends live reports of malicious or damaged files to its support center for analysis and treatment. This gives it a higher percentage of file recovery. On the other hand, Bitdefender doesn’t allow for such integrated functions on its free interface.
Read our article about the computer security mistakes you might be making to make sure your data protection is always in check.
4. User-Interface: Avast Makes Virus Scanning Easy and Smooth
The user interface is usually an overlooked side of an antivirus. Whereas it is of vital importance since you’ll want to run scans as quickly and smoothly as possible. Though Bitdefender and Avast both pretty much balanced each other out till now, Bitdefender takes the back seat in the interface.
Bitdefender somehow manages to make simple tasks more complicated. And I don’t mean in a negative by any means. The extra set of commands and controls are it offers are a heavensend for those who know what they’re up against. But for a first-time user, newcomer, or one with limited knowledge of computers will find Avast to be more de-cluttered and friendly.
Avast antivirus makes scanning and removing malware programs a seamless process. Similar to its quick and simple installation, it really streamlines the commands section to what you need on its main menu. You can perform Quick, Complete System, and Custom scans with easy-to-choose options.
On the other hand, calibrating the settings for a virus scan on Bitdefender pays no close resemblance to simple. Other than that, both the apps offer similar customer care support through forums, 24/7 chat support, and Crash Report Troubleshooting.
5. Additional Tools: Avast Has Versatile Tool Resources
Though it’s common knowledge that free versions do not feature many additional tools, we can still see what each software offers right of the bat to its users.
Bitdefender does not include any additional tools as such. The tools it has, are built into its functionality and can be accessed via various subscription plans. Putting it in layman’s terms, Bitdefender boasts superior Anti-Phishing and Anti-Fraud support to its users.
But when you look at Avast, on the other hand, there are tons of extra tools and add-ons that you can improve your app experience with. Some of the basic tools as Password Storage Vault and “Wifi and network protection” tools are made available for free users. However, you can also purchase additional tools as add-ons when upgrading to a paid version.
Now, sticking to the comparison of free versions we can see Avast has at least 8 additional tools it offers over Bitdefender. On the contrary, Bitdefender lacks Additional tools kit but makes up for it by offering many subscription plans. The tools are then added as built-in features of the app based on the purchase you make.
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And cutting it short finally, Avast still proves vaster and more versatile in its resources. And not to forget it makes getting and using these tools comparatively easy as well.
Bitdefender Free vs Avast Free – Which One is Best?
As you would’ve already figured it out halfway, Avast wins the Avast vs Bitdefender comparison with flying colors. It has dominating features, a user-friendly interface, offers effortless protection, and allows a ton of tools for its free version.
However, we must not ignore that this comparison is solely for the Free versions of the antivirus software. Bitdefender is a powerful, robust, and techie-favorite antivirus to use and has many advantages over Avast in certain aspects.
But since our stand-off here is based on the general audience’s reviews, ratings, and experiences, I’ve listed the points that are more relevant to the everyday user. And according to that, Avast stands to be the best free antivirus. Still, if you feel I’ve missed out on an important point that belongs above in the article, feel free to highlight it in the comments below!
The Final Verdict
When you’re talking about antivirus software, you expect it to rid your PC of malware and viruses. And that’s both of the above antivirus software do best! But since we’re expecting a winner for the best free antivirus software, Avast surely takes the trophy.
The few additional features it offers over Bitdefender on its free version are hard to overlook. While Bitdefender is faster, lighter, and more accurate, Avast is user-friendly, simplistic, and effective at recovering files.
