Bitdefender is this a scam? Review and Customers Reviews

Bitdefender is owned by a Romanian company, a supplier of cybersecurity products, which has been developing this business since 2001. It works with clients directly or through intermediaries, and has sales offices in 150 countries around the world. The company has many awards: gold in the Market Quadrat report 2021 Best Player category, 4 AV-TEST Best Protection Awards, victory in Radicati Endpoint Security MQ 2020, etc.

Is its protection that good? Are Bitdefender antiviruses a scam or do they really provide security? Let’s find out.

Why Bitdefender?

Bitdefender has been on the market for over 20 years and works with 150 major industry brands. The antivirus protection has licenses and certificates of compatibility with all major components of home and corporate environments. The developer is included in technology alliances with Microsoft, Citrix, Netgear, VMware, Linux Foundation, Nutanix. All of the above defines not only its status and scale of activity, but also demonstrates its professionalism and experience.

Benefits of Bitdefender antivirus

Other advantages include antivirus Bitdefender and its anti-virus software can be attributed:

• The in-house anti-virus detection lab. It discovers up to 400 new threats every minute and checks 30 billion requests per day.
• 30-day trial versions for most products and free basic protection with no time limit (downloadable antivirus for Windows, Android and Mac.
• 7 configurations with a variety of options for private customers and 8 for businesses, connecting to a license from 1 to 20 devices.
• Work in the cloud and from the home/corporate network, energy and traffic saving mode settings in each packet.
• Inexpensive subscriptions – a comprehensive home protection for 1 year costs less than 3,000 rubles if converted to our currency.

Types of antivirus from bitdefender.com

Antivirus protection is represented by versions for private use – work on PCs, tablets, mobile devices. As well as business packages and packages for specialists. Let’s talk about each product.

Bitdefender BOX

Out-of-the-box solution: delivered to the client’s home, installed on site. Connects to your ISP’s home gateway. Protects devices connected to the network – even those that are not associated with an anti-virus. Blocks malware and hacker attacks, protects passwords and personal data, and filters incoming content. You can set up parental control and remote control through the app in Google Play Market and App Store. The package includes VPN and telecommunications equipment (BOX Network Security Hub). A one-year subscription to Bitdefender BOX costs $99. There is an additional setup and installation fee of another $39.90.

Bitdefender Premium Security

Multi-platform – compatible with Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, 8.1 and 10, macOS X Yosemite (10.10) or later, iOS 11.2 or later, Android 5.0 or later. Features:

• Multi-level protection against ransomware and phishing.
• Checking files and blocking malware and adware.
• Secure VPN traffic and Internet privacy.
• Advanced parental control settings to monitor and restrict children’s online activity.
• Browser Extension.

A one-year subscription for 3 devices costs $34.99 with the promotion and $79.99 without the discount. For 5 devices, it’s $39.98 USD as a promotion and $89.99 USD without it. For 10 devices, it’s $64.99 with the promotion and $149.99 without the discount.

Bitdefender Total Security

Another program from bitdefender.com for comprehensive protection of all types of devices – compatible with the same operating systems as Premium Security. Works in real time – via the Internet. Detects threats of different threat classes, prevents online hacks, web attacks (including from social networks) and phishing, blocks spam and ransomware. Conducts vulnerability assessments and makes security recommendations tailored to your environment. Adapts to hardware and software configurations to conserve computing resources and boost performance. Can operate in battery mode. Subscription is priced based on the period of validity and number of connected devices:

• The 5-device annual license is $39.98 with promotion and $89.99 without promotion.
• A 10-device annual license is $44.99 with promotion and $99.99 without promotion.
• The two-year for 5 devices is $97.49 with stock and $149.99 without stock.
• The two-year for 10 devices is $110.49 with stock and $169.99 without stock.
• The three-year for 5 devices is $129.99 with promotion and $199.99 without promotion.
• The three-year for 10 devices is $149.49 with promotion and $229.99 without promotion.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

Protects Windows 7 PCs with Service Pack 1, 8.1 and 10. Protects data in real time, prevents network threats and web attacks, monitors active applications for suspicious activity, fights ransomware and phishing. Includes VPN (200 MB/day per computer), privacy extension for Internet surfing, file shredder, password manager and blocker of unwanted links from social networks. This is one of the most economical packages. On offer, an annual license for 1 device costs 19.99 USD, for 3 – 29.99 USD, for 5 – 69.99 USD, for 10 – 79.99 USD. There are also discounts if you subscribe for 2-3 years.

Bitdefender Family Pack

Allows you to connect up to 15 devices to antivirus protection. Supports Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, 8.1 and 10, macOS X Yosemite (10.10) or later, iOS 11.2 or later, Android 5.0 or later. Real-time protection against: viruses, email threats, worms, trojans, ransomware, rootkits, spyware, etc. VPN – 200 MB per day per device. Annual subscription costs 49.99 USD on offer and 119.99 USD without offer, 2-year license – 129.99 USD on offer and 199.99 USD without offer, 3-year license – 162.49 USD on offer and 249.99 USD without offer.

Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac

All basic comprehensive protection options: against viruses, ransomware, adware, online shopping and banking leaks, and phishing – for devices running macOS X Yosemite (10.10) or later. VPN is provided at a rate of 200 MB per day per Mac. Built-in autopilot offers security recommendations based on system needs and your activity. Antitracker provides online privacy. The annual subscription price is $24.99 USD for 1 device on promotion and $39.99 USD without promotion, $34.99 USD for 3 devices on promotion and $59.99 USD without promotion. In addition, it is possible to connect a license for 2 or 3 years.

Bitdefender Mobile

The packages for iOS and Android differ only in the requirements for the devices’ operating systems: the former are compatible with iOS version 11.2 or higher, the latter with Android 5.0 or higher. The list of features and options – VPN for secure networking, malware scanner with automatic and manual scanning settings, remote blocking in case of loss or theft, autopilot (security advisor), traffic saving module, etc. The price for an annual subscription is fixed: $14.99 for each device.

Bitdefender Small Office Security

Multi-platform small business and home office security. Supports Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, 8.1 and 10, macOS X Yosemite (10.10) or later, iOS 11.2 or later, Android 5.0 or later. Includes advanced protection options: behavioral analysis of system activity, ransomware data encryption prevention, web filters, blocking sites masquerading as trustworthy, anti-spam component, autopilot, battery mode, anti-tracker, VPN (500 MB/day) and more. Prevents data leakage when banking, video calling, and using Wi-Fi. Annual subscription price:

• For 5 devices – 49.99 USD with discount, 99.99 USD without discount.
• For 10 devices – $74.99 USD with discount, $149.99 USD without discount.
• For 20 devices – 124.99 USD with discount, 249.99 USD without discount.

Free antivirus package

Real-time data protection, preventing web attacks, phishing, ransomware and online fraud (online shopping, banking, Internet surfing). Scan in the cloud and over the home network. Windows, Android, and Mac versions available. One user can connect only 1 free subscription.

Business packages

Bitdefender has developed several program configurations for each category of organizations. For example, small businesses, in addition to Small Office Security, are offered:

• GravityZone Elite. Protects physical and virtual desktops, servers, mobile and IoT devices (with NTSA machine learning connected). Supports endpoint risk analytics, application whitelisting, blacklisting, local and cloud machine learning. Includes firewall, sandbox analyzer, advanced anti-exploit, process inspector and other options. Protects against file-based and fileless, internal and network attacks. Subscription is customizable. Annual for 10 devices costs $570.49 with promotion and $814.99 without promotion.
• GravityZone Advanced Business Security. Similar functionality but without sandbox analyzer, customizable machine learning (HyperDirect), ransomware protection and app whitelisting. A 10-device annual subscription costs $405.99 with promotion and $579.00 without promotion.
• GravityZone Business Security. The most laconic version. Does not support protection for mobile devices and servers with intelligent centralized scanning. It lacks components for protection against fileless attacks, ransomware, customizable machine scanning, and a sandbox analyzer. A one-year subscription for 10 devices costs $258.99 with promotion and $369.99 without promotion.

All are managed from the GravityZone Cloud console or locally (on-premises). In addition to GravityZone Elite, mid-sized businesses have the Ultra package and customizable licenses (GravityZone Enterprise). They manage the desktop, servers, mailboxes and applications, mobile devices, and support most of the options described above. Pricing is done on a case-by-case basis, with the customer trying a demo (test) version first. Three versions of GravityZone Cloud MSP Security are available to ISPs with multiple layers of protection, threat prevention and detection, customizable HyperDetect machine learning, Sandbox Analyzer for suspicious files and scripts, and other features.

Specialized packages

These include:

• GravityZone Email Security – Protect your corporate email from viruses, spam, phishing attacks, compromised business correspondence and management fraud. The cost of the package is not specified, a free demo is offered in the beginning.
• GravityZone for Cloud Architecture – Secure private and public virtual environments with centralized management and integration into VMware, Citrix, Nutanix, etc. Only a test package is available on the description page.
• Security for AWS – protecting Amazon services with local and cloud management.

How to buy antivirus from Bitdefender.com?

You can buy a boxed version of the antivirus in the office of the company or its representative – a list with addresses and contacts is requested from support. Subscription for online products is arranged on the site. Open the page with the desired configuration, set the license validity period and the number of connected devices (if possible), and click “Buy Now”. The system will redirect you to the cart, where physical persons should indicate their e-mail address (where the activation key will be sent), full name and country of residence, and legal persons should indicate their contact person and company name and telephone number. It remains to select the method of payment, fill in the details and pay for the subscription. Supported credit and debit cards of MasterCard, American Express, JCB, VISA, Discover, electronic payments WebMoney and PayPal, bank transfers.

Please note that your subscription is automatically renewed for the same period of time that you placed it. The details specified in the order are retained. In the future, the provider will charge them without prior notice. To deactivate the option you will need to contact the support at [email protected]. The subscription activation key will be sent to your e-mail after the payment is confirmed to the company’s account. This is a set of symbols that you copy and paste into a special field of the installed program to open access to the paid functionality.

Personal account on the Bitdefender Com website

To register on the site, click the My Account link in the upper right corner of the resource and select the type of profile: individuals create a profile in the Bitdefender Central console, legal entities create a profile in the GravityZone Cloud Control Center. The first one is connected by e-mail and consists of 3 profile sections:

• Bitdefender Account. Here you can edit the personal data specified during registration, change the password, link other accounts and set up two-factor authentication, as well as delete the account.
• Sessions. Displays the history of visits to your personal account.
• Settings. Enable or disable the option to display snapshots taken from devices (helps to find them).

And the console itself – with the dashboard, paired devices, and customizable options: parental control, premium services, subscriptions, etc. The latter is accessible after an agreement has been made with the organization.

Instructions for installing Bitdefender Com antivirus

On the product pages bitdefender.com There are buttons for downloading free 3-day trial versions. Once you click on them and wait for the download to complete, you can proceed with the installation. You need to choose a folder where the software will be unpacked, and the location of the program shortcut to run it. Everything else it will do itself – you only need to open it when it is finished.

How do I start Bitdefender antivirus?

Bitdefender antivirus protection starts automatically. After downloading, unpacking and installing the file, you only need to click on the shortcut on your desktop or in the launcher (depending on the specifics of your device). If you purchased the paid version, the program window will have a field for activating the key, which will open access to the full set of features.

Additional services from Bitdefender

Together with the anti-virus protection the developer offers a lot of additional utilities – paid and free. Plus online subscription renewal and update, paid support and setup.

Renewing and renewing subscriptions

If you have disabled auto-renewal, you can manually activate your subscription through the online form on the developer’s website. There are separate activation pages for home and corporate programs.

Digital Identity Protection

Online privacy software. Allows you to hide your digital footprint and conceal personal data when surfing the web or using social networks. It costs $3.33 USD/month if you subscribe for one year, $7.99 USD/month only. – 7.99 USD.

Tune-Up

PC configuration services by the company’s engineers:

• Uninstalling obsolete applications.
• Determining the causes of performance degradation and optimizing processes.
• Checking OS integrity (to prevent system failures).
• Find and fix problems with Windows and drivers, update.

Support is provided on a 24 by 7 basis. Monthly subscriptions cost 49.99 USD with the promotion and 69.99 USD without the promotion.

Home Scanner

Free Wi-Fi connection scanner. Checks if there are users connected to your home network. Looks for weaknesses – “loopholes” for cheaters. Provides a report and a network map.

Premium VPN

Cross-platform VPN. Allows access to Netflix content from anywhere in the world, allows you to work with your traffic in secure mode (without sending personal data to systems and saving logs), connected to 1300+ servers around the world. Supports up to 10 devices. Monthly plan costs 6.99 USD. If you subscribe for a year the price for 1 month is already 2.49 USD.

Home network support

Configuring, optimizing and removing viruses, working with “smart” and smart devices 24 hours a day. Cost – 14.99 USD per month and 89.99 USD per year.

VIP-support

Personalized support: The site states that Bitdefender engineers can handle almost any problem with your device. Installation, configuration, and protection of software and hardware are included. Subscription costs $9,999 per month. Additionally, you can connect premium services:

• Virus & Spyware Removal – removes viruses and spyware. One session costs $99.99 USD.
• Install & Setup Multi-Platform – Set up personal anti-virus configurations. It costs 39.99 USD per session (no limit on the number of devices).

Other utilities.

Traffic Light

Malware filter, tracking identifier and link scanner for Firefox, Chrome, Safari browsers. Downloaded for free, there are no time limits for working with the software.

EDR

An application to automatically monitor your network for cyber threats and repel detected attacks. It combines the benefits of a machine learning analyzer, a cloud scanner, and a sandbox. EDR can be purchased as a standalone solution and integrated into Bitdefender’s anti-virus suite. A free test version is available on the site, please contact support for pricing.

MDR

Human-controlled cyber threat tracking and response system. Identifies high-priority and high-risk targets, collects host and network telemetry data, and allows you to customize individual response actions for each situation. Generates monthly strategic reports and real-time security incident reports. Like the previous software, available in a free demo on bitdefender.com.

Threat Lab

The company conducts research: it analyzes new threats and finds ways to counter them. If you encounter a virus that you are unable to identify, you can send a sample to the Bitdefender lab.

Trial versions of the products

Almost all Bitdefender protection packages are available as free 30-day trial versions. Depending on the program, the agent is downloaded to a PC, tablet, or mobile device. After the trial period ends, you are offered to activate the paid functionality by subscribing on the website.

Bonuses bitdefender.com

The vendor’s bonus system includes traditional discount coupons (promo codes), the Bug Bounty bug finder program, discounts on first-time subscriptions, and an affiliate program.

Bug Bounty

Encourages users to identify bugs in the developer’s software or site and submit vulnerability reports. A $100 reward is given to those who discover problems in the following “targets”:

• *.bitdefender.net;
• *.bitdefender.com;
• Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security;
• Bitdefender Total Security 2020;
• Bitdefender Antimalware Engines.

Letters with materials in encrypted format should be sent to [email protected].

Up to 40% discount on home packages on first subscription

The first subscription at Bitdefender is discounted to 40%. So, 1 year of Small Office Security for 10 devices costs $89.99 instead of the usual $149.99 (cheaper on 40%). And 3 years of Total Security on 5 devices is $119.99 USD instead of $199.99 USD.

Affiliate program from Bitdefender.com

A distribution program where the partner earns money from the sales of the developer’s software products. Members are assigned levels, with which privileges are assigned and obligations are established:

• Bronze. Access to free marketing tools and analytics, basic percentage of compensation per transaction.
• Silver. The right not to be provided by the company to its customers, support for license renewal, account protection, training and certification. Percentage of remuneration is higher than for the Bronze status.
• Gold. Access to hands-on training and VIP support, communication with the company’s senior account manager, full transaction support and the highest commission percentage.

What are the partners’ rates, the program description does not specify.

Complaints about Bitdefender Com

The average rating of the developer on major reviewers is from 3 to 4.2 points on a five-point scale. Among the pluses, customers note the performance of its functions (finds viruses and “cures”), unobtrusiveness, and the ability to buy everything at once in one package. Among the minuses – automatic renewal, when the funds for activation of a subscription after the expiration of the paid period are deducted from the client’s account automatically. As well as disruption of the OS and hardware, primitive functionality and heaviness (“eats” a lot of RAM).

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Regulatory agencies and laws

In the user agreement bitdefender.com It is stated that in legal relations with customers the developer is guided by the laws of Germany and Austria. However, the organization is registered in Romania, so it is subject to the requirements of the Government of the country, in particular – the Ministry of Justice, whose website has a commercial register.

Legal information about the company Bitdefender Com

The legal name of the developer is S. C. Bitdefender S. R. L. The website contains the following details: fiscal number RO1818189442 and the Romanian Commercial Register number J40/20427/2005. However, it is possible to check these data on the site of the Ministry of Justice of the country only by sending an official request with the passport and other personal information. But the developer is mentioned in official sources – there is even a Wikipedia entry about him. These are indicators of its official status.

Bitdefender license

The section with product licenses and declarations of conformity on the company’s website is not available. Only compatibility certificates are available: with Windows 10, VMware, Citrix, Opswat 2013, etc.

User Agreement

By subscribing, you agree to the Subscription Agreement and Terms of Services for Home User Solutions. The document defines the rules for working with the software, as well as the mutual obligations of the user and the developer. Let’s look at a few terms and conditions. Thus, the license to work with the software is provided only for non-commercial purposes. It is forbidden to sublicense it, sell it, rent it out. Only 1 subscription is allowed on 1 device.

Free versions of the products are provided “as is” with no guarantee of performance. Beta versions may contain bugs, as their purpose is to get feedback.

Bitdefender has the right to discontinue support for its products or their individual versions.

The company is not responsible for losses and damages of the user of its programs. But even in the case where the law requires compensation, the amount of the latter cannot exceed the amount paid by the customer.

Bitdefender Support

Bitdefender customer support is provided:

• Call the international line at +40-21-264-17-94, +40-374-303-094 and offices located in different countries.
• By email – [email protected] (personal data), [email protected] (auto-renewal waiver).
• Through the feedback form and online chat on the site.
• In the community (temporarily unavailable).
• In the physical offices of the company itself and its representatives.

Many questions are answered in the FAQ (knowledge base).

Is Bitdefender a scam?

Bitdefender – the brand of a Romanian company, which for some reason is governed by the laws of Germany and Austria in its legal relations with customers. The legal entity is supposedly listed in the Commercial Register of the Romanian Ministry of Justice, as confirmed by the number J40/20427/2005 published by the developer. But to verify directly through the regulator, you need to send an official request with passport and other personal data.

And yet Bitdefender is a major figure, which annually receives awards at trade shows and is published in the media. It is hard not to recognize its official status. Users have different opinions about the company’s products. Some write that they are unobtrusive and convenient. Someone, on the contrary, scolds anti-viruses because they disturb the operation of the operating system and hardware. We cannot say that Bitdefender is a scam; the developer’s software has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Conclusion

Bitdefender – a developer with 20 years of experience, cooperating with 150 technology brands. His collection includes a variety of anti-virus software configurations for individuals and corporate clients. And its own laboratory allows you to update the threat file and work on new solutions. Trial versions and basic (free) versions of the antivirus with no time limit are available, as well as discounts and bonuses for subscribers. The price tag on the software is not the lowest: a comprehensive home protection package can be purchased for up to 3,000 rubles/year. Among the downsides – rare complaints about problems with the software purchased by customers.