BitDefender vs McAfee – Which Anti-Virus Software is Better for Security?

In our previous articles, we've compared a number of antivirus security products head on. In this article, we'll be reviewing Mcafee vs BitDefender. Like our previous article, this head-to-head comparison was created so that you can easily make up your mind. It’s very important for you to choose the right one for the ultimate safety of your sensitive data or information that resides on your device, whether it is a computer or a hand-held device like a smartphone.

We are always told to visit a website that has a green padlock in the browser (which indicates HTTPs) so that your personal information can always be private. But does it really work like that? There is more to it than what you’ve been told – though it reduces the risks or vulnerability, still there are probabilities that the bad internet guys (i.e. hackers) can get access to your data and you won’t even know it then first check out McAfee versus BitDefender and buy the suitable one.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a PC enthusiast or you use a Mac – hackers could place a file on your system or inject a malware so that information can be destroyed or misused by them. It is really hard to keep the information safe without the use of good Antivirus software, thanks to the number of hacking and malware attempts. Antivirus companies are now producing top-notch software and gives consumers the ability to be aware of vulnerabilities and how to fight them. Also, for all those who use the open-source OS, check out our Linux antivirus reviews.

Every day, millions of attackers try different ways to inject your website or systems (like PC or Hand-held Device) with malware or other viruses like Trojan horse, Spyware, Ransomware, Rootkit, Adware, Emotet, Malvertising, Exploit, and others.

In accordance with research done by AV-Test, they say that they receive more than 350,000 malware samples on a daily basis. Can you imagine that? This may seem awkward to you, but this is true. How can these bad people (i.e. cyber-terrorists) have so much time to get involved in all of this all the time 2020?

What Criteria Are We Using To Compare These 2 Options?

How do you think we evaluate which Antivirus Software is the best choice for you? That’s an intelligent question! Well, we take the system performance, usability, complete protection, and most importantly, features into considerations so that you get what you pay for. And not just that, we also consider the tests conducted by AV-Test and AV-comparatives. We’ve already talked about the AV-Test website in our previous article. If you still have no idea about what it is or what it does, let’s give you a brief introduction of it.

What is the AV-Test?

According to their official website, they are an independent research institute based in Germany. This company deals in IT security solutions and holds more than 15 years of expertise in this field. They are having specialists that are perfect at what they do.

The AV-Test also conducts tests with an intention to check the system performance, durability, usability, protection, and other vital security features of a software (e.g., an antivirus software) so that it could be helpful for the people trying to purchase the software.

For better understanding, we will also be using the System Performance “Results” so that it can be concluded which software is going to keep you at ease after you purchase them.

McAfee vs BitDefender Experts’ Recommendation:

We ran different tests and came to the conclusion that it is hard to beat McAfee for it is our #1 antivirus software for this year and will stay at the top for at least the new few years. The premium features offered by McAfee are going to make your life easy like no other antivirus software, such as Avast and AG that we talk about in this piece: Avast Vs Avg.

The reason why McAfee is a #1 antivirus software and highly recommended by us and other experts is that it has unmatched features. On top of that, McAfee offers a variety of options to help everyone find the right solution. 

McAfee vs BitDefender - Which Antivirus Software has More Suites?

Speaking of the suites facility, the BitDefender gets the upper hands over McAfee purely because you get around 7 suites that are designed for different purposes. Nonetheless, McAfee covers all of the OS or the platforms that you are using, too, be it Windows, iOS devices, or macOS. You can even use it on Android and we know that most of the people are using that version of phone and can’t get enough of it. Speaking of suites, you only get 2 suites in the McAfee which is not as flexible as BitDefender, but still okay.

BitDefender Suites

McAfee Suites

It is not going to take long for you to be fully aware of the differences between the McAfee and BitDefender. The good news is that we’ve nailed a brief comparison for you to take a glimpse to make this even easier.

McAfee vs BitDefender: A Brief Comparison

Features: Who offers more security-improving features? Well, it is McAfee that offers more features even though BitDefender has more suites than McAfee. Bitdefender's numerous features don't necessarily lead to much better overall protection.

Protection: Malware protection should be your top priority because if an antivirus software doesn’t provide real-time protection from the malware, then it is not worth the purchase whatsoever. Again, in this area, McAfee is a better selection because it features next-level protection and outperforms BitDefender. As one of the best antivirus offerings, McAfee has a very sophisticated suite of security features - from constantly protecting your computer from ransomware, cryptojacking and malware, to offering you additional features to speed up your web browsing and protecting your documents, data and passwords. Simply put, it’s got everything you need to make your internet experience safe and smooth.

System Impact: What impact do the two antivirus software have on the overall system performance of the machine or device that you use while the software is running in the background? Well, McAfee is awesome in this area as well because you won’t be seeing any sort of hiccups in the process while you do work, watch Netflix, or use your favorite social media platforms. We also list McAfee Gamer Security as one of the best antivirus for PC gaming.

User Interface (UI): What about the UI? Is BitDefender an easy-to-use Antivirus program or it is as same as McAfee? After doing the experiment (using the software), we found out that both of the software offers great user-friendliness which makes it a “Tie”.

Popularity: People have been using McAfee for a long time and that’s the reason why McAfee is more popular than BitDefender. If you want detailed facts on which Antivirus is more popular, we highly suggest you take a look at the table that we have added underneath for your reference.

Pricing: The cost of the Antivirus also plays a big role because you don’t want to break the bank, do you? McAfee’s Antivirus suite is slightly less expensive than that of BitDefender’s.

McAfee vs BitDefender Short Outcome:

There is no denying that McAfee is slightly cheaper and more popular than BitDefender. However, it is still the winner when it comes to providing next-level security or protection from the severe malware and several other viruses that can kill the most valuable data of yours residing in the device you are using. 

What’s included in the BitDefender’s Antivirus Packages?

As we discussed earlier that you can purchase the package you’re in love with, every suite has different features and will serve you for a different purpose. Therefore, being familiar with what each suite does is also significant for you with an intention to make a perfect choice while purchasing the antivirus package.

Not sure whether you should buy the BitDefender’s suite or not? Time to make use of the 30-day free trial and understand why it is the best option available on the market today. Whether you’ve chosen to be familiar with “Bitdefender Premium Security”, “Total Security”, or “Family Pack”, you will get the free trial in all of these packages and that’s what we like most about BitDefender.

1. 30-day Free Trial:

This is what catches our eye in the first place. You get to understand the Antivirus software before you make up your mind towards purchasing it because of the money back guarantee. The 30-day free trial is applicable to all of the products from BitDefender, which means it doesn’t matter which package/suite you are interested in, just log on to this page and download your most favorite package in next to no time and enjoy the boundless safety of your extremely valuable information without doing anything.

2. Antivirus Plus:

This package will allow you to connect up to 3 devices at the same time. Just like the rest of the packages, this one is also billed yearly (annually). It only offers Windows protection and won’t have your back if you want to use it on macOS, Android, or iOS because it is not available for these platforms as it is just a basic version. You can also get the mesmerizing discount on the first purchase.

Still, there are some advanced features that are common in all three packages like:

• You can stay anonymous on the web
• Get unlimited encrypted traffic
• Keep your Wi-Fi hotspot protected

Though it is a great package to start with, it doesn’t have any microphone monitoring for enhanced security.

3. Total Security:

This is an advanced suite that will give you the option to support up to 5 devices simultaneously that could include your Microsoft laptop, macOS, iOS or it could be an Android device. What is even more surprising is that it comes with a “Microphone Monitor” that will be advantageous when you want to make sure there’s no one trying to spy on your by means the “Microphone” of your PC or Smartphone or any device that you are using at the moment.

It is the company’s full-bore and also used widely by most of the people in the world (those who use BitDefender). It has to offer you everything that you will get into the “Internet Security” suite. With the help of the Bitdefender Internet security suite, you can find stolen or lost devices. This package also offers great facilities like “One-click Optimizer”, “Start-up Optimizer”, “Disk Clean-up” and a lot more.

4. Internet Security:

Though the “Internet Security” can’t get the upper hands over “Total Security”, it is still a better choice than the “Antivirus Plus” package. Speaking of the features that this package offers for “Windows” platform, it boasts almost every single feature offered by our “Best Value” i.e. Total Security. But the bad news is that it doesn’t offer any macOS support, nor is it available for Android and iOS platforms.

However, you will get automatic upgrades and free online support with this package for sure.

5. Family Package:

What if your wish is to connect more than 5 multiple devices concurrently? If that’s what you desire, it can also be possible, courtesy of “BitDefender Family Package”. The family plan is the daddy of all of the aforesaid plans that we have laid out beautifully. The Family plan can be purchased for 1 year, 2 years or you can get them for 3 years as well. It also provides you with a comprehensive 24x7x365 support that will keep you more than satisfied all the time.

Again, if you don’t find yourself familiar with the ins and outs of “Family Package”, you could consider the “Trial” which is valid for 30 days. After 30 days, if you have confidence in the excellence of the package, you can continue and register for the license of this package.

This plan allows you to:

• Control the time that your children spend on a computer or a hand-held device
• Keep an eye your children’s activities so that you could be aware of what they do on different platforms like Microsoft OS, iOS, macOS or Android
• Keep your children away from the inappropriate content
• Track your kids to know where they are at the moment with the help of the GPS tracking
• Block all those unnecessary calls and messages that do not have any Caller ID
• Connect up to 15 multiple devices at the same time

Overall, the “Family Pack” is a great choice for you as it helps you prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities in the device you are using at the moment. You will be getting a next-level Protection, excellent System Performance, and never-seen-before Privacy that will make your day.

Irrespective of whether you have a Windows platform, or you’re making use of Android or macOS or iOS, the Family Pack is an ultimate choice for the protection of your highly valuable information. Putting differently, you will be offered multi-layer ransomware protection which you won’t get in every single Antivirus software. You can say bye to the “brute-force”,  “botnet”, phishing attacks and malware attacks for good and always stay in the protection no matter what.

BitDefender for Mac:

Though Windows is widely used among the Internet or Computer fans, it may not be possessed by every single person on earth. Then there’re those people who have installed the Mac on their systems and that’s where they need an Antivirus that can be run on Mac because you can’t run a Windows software on Mac whatsoever.

Thanks to the BitDefender for making it possible (to develop the program for the Mac users). For Mac users, forward-thinking protection from the malware is offered and we are talking about the “Multi-layer” ransomware protection. It features a “Time Machine Protection” that can be used for backing up the important files and restore them when you want.

The BitDefender is protecting over 500 million systems worldwide. For this suite, you can also add “Install & Setup” and “Premium VPN” if you don’t want to do anything. Just add these two services and you will be walked through the step-by-step process for a complete installation (setup) of the antivirus software.

What do you get in McAfee’s Antivirus Suites?

We will go over Ultimate Comparison for BitDefender versus McAfee 2020, two suites,“Total Protection” and “LiveSafe”, one by one.

1. McAfee’s Total Protection Suite:

Shielding your digital life has never been easier than now, thanks to the “Total Protection” suite for breathing life into all of the smart devices that you use on a daily basis, be it a Windows system or an OS based on your hand-held device.

There is a lot more protection that you’re going to get in just one subscription. Get a next-level experience with your digital security and always stay one step ahead of the attackers by keeping all of your sensitive files and information private all the time.

Here’s how you are backed by the McAfee Total Protection suite:

• Get supported by an award-winning Antivirus software
• It doesn’t ever slow down the performance of your device whatsoever and keeps you protected from all those disgusting ransomware
• Get informed of the warnings of the risky websites or apps before you visit or install them on your system – experience a completely safe web browsing with the program phishing protection.
• Optimize the performance of your computer and block the auto-playing videos and other adware in the first place without any delay
• It isn’t only for you, also take care of your Family or kids by making the digital world a safer place for them with this suite
• You will also get a “Password Manager” using which you could choose to get rid of the hassle of managing the passwords
• It doesn’t matter which OS or machine you are using with McAfee’s Total Protection suite activated; managing protection on all of your multiple devices is child’s play for you
• Keep all of your files or information encrypted all the time with the help of a 128-bit encryption
• Ran into a problem? Don’t worry, rather reach out to customer support using your phone through call. When you can’t make a call, consider having a friendly chat with the customer care executive and feel the happiest person on earth by engaging with them
• Use the Antivirus on almost all Operation Systems (OS), including Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Android devices, and Apple iOS
• Not just that, if you don’t want to install the App, you make take advantage of the program by using it on different web browsers

Regardless of whether you would like to use it on a single device, 3 devices, 5 devices or 10 devices, all options are available for you. And, it is not only about the viruses that you should be afraid of, nowadays, folks are also becoming a victim through fake websites and identity theft. The good news is that you will get a 100% guarantee. With antivirus and identity theft protection, what this means is that if your system gets infected after the installation of McAfee, you will get a refund instantly, i.e., all of your money will be given back to you.

2. McAfee’s LiveSafe Suite:

This is another effective and excellent suite that comes from McAfee and can be utilized on any platform or OS like Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android. Keeping the information or data security is the top priority and it is taken seriously at McAfee that that is what led to the evolution of “LiveSafe”.

The real-time anti-malware protection will keep you going while you are busy doing what you love on any device you own. A two-way firewall is another cool feature that will be a life-saver because nothing can do any harm to your device or valuable information as long as the 2-way firewall is turned on.

Creating backup and restoring it at your desired point has never been easier – put an end to all types of theft with remote backup, keep an eye on what goes on with the data stored on your device and always have an upper hand over the vulnerabilities and stay in a protected zone.

Tired of recalling the passwords for your accounts on different devices you own? It is time to let go all of your password-related worries, catch the out-of-this-world “Password Manager” and have a sigh of relief. Let the password manager save all of your passwords across all devices that you use on a regular basis and use it without putting stress on your mind.

On top of that, it also boasts a “Secure Cloud Storage” that has the ability to store your data in a secured manner on the Cloud so that you can retrieve it anytime you like using your face or voice – a next-level authentication method. Furthermore, you can install a personal locker for improved security.

Free Trial:

If you like McAfee but not sure whether you should use it or not, you can get started with a free trial that will give you an overview of what good it can do for the security and safety of your information.

McAfee’s Award-Winning Protection

“Editor’s Choice of PC Mag”

“AV-Test Certified”

“Editor’s Choice of InfoSecurity”

“Editor’s Choice of ComputerIdee”

McAfee vs BitDefender: Which Antivirus offers Better Malware Protection?

Better antivirus programs like McAfee offer complete protection that will keep you safe from all types of malware threats, be it worms, Trojan horses, or plain viruses. To understand it deeper, we can categorize the malware into two major categories, such as malware and zero-day malware. The reason why a zero-day malware is considered to be more dangerous than the former one is that you cannot identify it as it is doesn’t provide any sort of signature, while a general malware comes with a signature through which it can be identified and get rid of easily (but not without the antivirus software).

To understand how both McAfee and BitDefender offer zero-day malware, we are going over the outcome (test results) produced by the AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, which are the two most respected independent security labs specialize in the thorough evaluation of top-notch security and antivirus products.

BitDefender’s Score:

McAfee’s Score:

McAfee vs BitDefender: Which Antivirus provides Improved Performance?

Using an antivirus and anti-malware protection on your computer (Windows or macOS) or Hand-held device (Android smartphone or Tablet) should not make the device slower. If so, you need to understand that it will be a constant annoyance if you’re using your device while the program is running. That is what you’ve got to evaluate in this segment – figure out how both of these antiviruses put an impact on the overall performance of your system (your computer speed) while they are in use.

While considering the evaluation, different types of computer were used, such as a standard computer and a high-end PC. Let’s take a look at the below-mentioned result of the test and see yourself what it says or how it differs from the result of another antivirus.

BitDefender’s Score:

McAfee’s Score:

McAfee vs BitDefender: Which Antivirus offers better Usability?

The serviceability offered by the Antivirus program should also be thought of while considering them for a final purchase (whether you used the free trial or not). In other words, if antivirus has the quality of being able to provide good service, then you should buy it, otherwise, skipping the option would be the best choice because you don’t want to regret the decision you made by choosing the unreliable antivirus. That’s why we also compared both McAfee and BitDefender on the basis of “Usability” so that you could understand what both of these software has to offer you in the long run.

BitDefender’s Score:

McAfee’s Score:

1. McAfee vs BitDefender: Which Antivirus Software is Less Expensive?

McAfee Pricing Model:

BitDefender Pricing Model:

Final Verdict for McAfee vs BitDefender 

It is no wonder that both McAfee and BitDefender are reputable antivirus companies that will provide you with the ultimate protection to keep you and your family safe. You can purchase the BitDefender’s suite right in accordance with your needs. As we have discussed, there are different plans (packages) based on how many devices you want to use the suite on and on what platforms you will be using that.

However, McAfee is the clear winner in the most important category – actual malware and antivirus protection. McAfee is an antivirus program that is continuing to be a leading force in its market. 

FAQs

1. Is McAfee better than Bitdefender?

Both are excellent antivirus software. Still, McAfee may be the better choice if you want simple yet customizable antimalware. McAfee, compared to Bitdefender, may be the better option if you want a secure VPN with no restrictions and a fully-featured iOS app. All plans from both brands come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

2. Can McAfee be trusted?

McAfee is one of the most trusted names in cyber security. They are at the forefront of protecting people from malware, ransomware, and other threats to their digital well-being. The McAfee app has been downloaded more than 100 million times and can be found on all major mobile platforms.

3. Does McAfee slow down your computer?

Antivirus programs can significantly slow down your computer, at times significantly. McAfee is a very light software, slowing our test laptop by between 7.7 and 17% during active scans. However, McAfee can slow your computer if it isn't built to handle it; if you have an older machine, it might not meet its system requirements.

4. Is Bitdefender Safepay really safe?

VirusScanner Safepay is a secure browser environment that is designed to keep your online banking, e-commerce, and any other type of online transaction private and secure. Hackers are relentless in their pursuit of personal information, so you can never be too cautious when it comes to online security.

5. What is better McAfee or Norton?

Malware protection: McAfee narrowly wins the Malware Protection category. When it comes to PC performance, McAfee and Norton are tied. While McAfee is less expensive, it provides more value for money; thus, McAfee wins.