When the antivirus trial on your new computer expires, you’re faced with a choice. You can pony up for a paid subscription, go without protection (bad idea!), or switch to a free antivirus tool like Bitdefender Free Antivirus for Windows. This app gives you most of the impressive malware-fighting power found in the company’s commercial antivirus but without the wealth of bonus features. It’s worth a look if you need high-powered antivirus protection at the lowest possible price. For that same no-price, however, Avast One Essential protects all popular platforms, not just Windows, and adds firewall, network inspector, and other bonuses. AVG AntiVirus has a firewall, too, plus many helpful security features. These two are our Editors’ Choice picks for free antivirus.
Installing Bitdefender Free
Getting Bitdefender Free running on your system is quick and easy. You need to sign up for a Bitdefender Central account to activate the antivirus (or sign in if you already have one). Once you’ve activated your free subscription, you can install protection on up to three Windows devices, a somewhat odd limitation. Since it’s free, you could spin up another account on a different email address to protect more PCs. Unlike Bitdefender’s paid security apps, macOS, Android, and iOS devices need not apply.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
After installation, the antivirus offers a Device Assessment, which includes a quick scan for malware and items left over from old infestations. I skipped the assessment for testing purposes. It’s also an option to run it in the background while you start using the app.
Like other members of the Bitdefender product line, the free edition defaults to displaying a security dashboard with a left-rail menu that gives direct access to the app’s features. Security recommendations occupy the top of the window, with a half-dozen quick action icons below: Quick Scan, System Scan, Vulnerability Scan, VPN, and SafePay, plus a button to change which features show up as quick actions.
Of the quick actions, only Quick Scan, System Scan, and VPN are enabled. The option to swap in different quick scan features isn’t helpful in the free edition, as all the other possible choices are locked.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
It would seem logical for this free antivirus to display the same features as Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, just locking away premium-only components. However, when you dig into the Protection, Privacy, and Utilities pages, you find that the free antivirus is more like a locked-down version of the Bitdefender Internet Security suite.
The Protection page in all three apps includes Antivirus, Advanced Threat Defense, and Online Threat Prevention. All of these are enabled in the free edition. Vulnerability Scan and Ransomware Remediation also appear in all three, but the free edition locks them away. Finally, Cryptomining Protection, Firewall, and Antispam, also locked in the free edition, don’t appear in the for-pay antivirus—only in the suite.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
If you’re not paying for your antivirus, everything but VPN on the Privacy page is locked, including Safepay (a hardened browser for financial transactions), Video & Audio Protection, Anti-tracker, and Parental Control. The parental and video features simply don’t appear in the for-pay antivirus, though it adds a trial of Bitdefender Password Manager. Of course, in the full security suite, all these features are present and active.
The complete security suite presents five items on its Utilities page: Decryption Tools, Anti-Theft, OneClick Optimizer, Profiles, and Data Protection (a simple file shredder). All five are on view in the interface in free antivirus, reviewed here, and all but Decryption Tools are locked. Strangely, the for-pay antivirus doesn’t include Decryption Tools. Its Utilities page only displays Profiles and Data Protection.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
Getting Started With Bitdefender Free
You should run a full scan right after installation to root out any malware that infested the system before you installed this antivirus. At the first full scan, Bitdefender warns that “due to its complexity, it might take a while to complete” but that subsequent scans should go much more quickly. Indeed, when I last tested this antivirus, that initial scan took a phenomenally long time. This time, the initial full scan finished in an hour and 27 minutes, a bit faster than the current average of one hour and 53 minutes.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
As promised, the repeat scan was much faster, finishing in 6.5 minutes, a 93% improvement. UltraAV edged out that improvement percentage, going from about 42 minutes to less than three. K7 Antivirus Premium and Trend Micro cut the repeat scan time by about 97%.
In theory, real-time protection should handle any malware problems after the full scan. Still, for an extra layer of security, you can schedule a daily, weekly, or monthly scan, or set the antivirus to scan at every system startup.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
The free edition still doesn’t let you use the Rescue Environment. This premium-only feature reboots the computer into a non-Windows platform suitable for removing even the most persistent malware. If you dig into the Advanced page of antivirus settings, you’ll find that everything is locked against changes except top-level on-off control of the real-time antivirus shield.
Near-Perfect Lab Results
While Bitdefender Free doesn’t include every feature of the commercial edition, its core antivirus engine is the same as what the independent labs test. The labs make it clear that their results are only guaranteed for the precise program they tested. Still, it’s worth looking at the excellent scores the commercial edition earned.
It’s Surprisingly Easy to Be More Secure Online
Three of the four labs I follow include Bitdefender in their latest reports. In the three-part test regularly reported by AV-Test Institute, antivirus programs can earn up to six points each for effective protection, low impact on performance, and few usability problems (meaning false positives). Bitdefender routinely earns a perfect 18 points in this lab’s latest test, but it lost a half point in the latest performance test. Its score of 17.5 still merits the designation Top Product.
All the tested antiviruses reached at least 17.5 in this test. More than half scored a perfect 18, among them Avast, Avira Free Security, and ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
The researchers at AV-Comparatives perform many tests; I follow three of them. Antiviruses that pass a test earn Standard certification, while those that go significantly beyond the minimum passing grade receive Advanced or even Advanced+ certification. Bitdefender took Advanced+ in two of the latest three tests, once again falling slightly behind in performance, receiving an Advanced rating. Avast Free Antivirus, AVG, and ESET took Advanced+ in all three tests.
The tests performed by the experts at MRG-Effitas are a bit different from the rest. An app needs a perfect score to pass the lab’s banking Trojans. Anything less counts as a failure. Another test using a wide variety of malware offers two passing levels. If a security app blocks every malware installation attempt, it passes at Level 1. If some malware gets through but is eliminated within 24 hours, that earns Level 2. Anything else is a failure.
Only Bitdefender, Microsoft, and Norton AntiVirus Plus earned Level 1 in the latest run of this test; all but one of the others came in at Level 2. All but one of the antivirus tools passed the banking-specific test, Bitdefender among them. In both cases, Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security failed.
SE Labs attempts to simulate the real world of malware as closely as possible for testing purposes, using a capture/replay system to present each antivirus with a real-world Web-based attack. This lab’s certification comes at five levels: AAA, AA, A, B, and C. Bitdefender has reached AAA certification in the past, but it hasn’t been included in this lab’s recent tests.
I have built an algorithm that maps all the test results onto a 10-point scale and returns an aggregate lab score for every antivirus that has results from at least two labs. Bitdefender has reached a perfect 10-point aggregate score in the past; at present, it owns a respectable score of 9.7 points, based on results from three labs. Of antivirus tools tested by three labs, only ESET scored higher, with 9.9 points. Avast, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, and Norton turned in results for all four labs, with Avast’s 9.9-point score at the top.
Mixed Malware Protection Test Scores
Even when lab results are plentiful, I always run my own hands-on testing just to get a feel for how a program handles malware. If I don’t get enough data from the labs, my hands-on malware protection test is the only way I can rate antivirus accuracy. In this case, the labs have already made it clear that Bitdefender’s technology is top-notch.
My hands-on malware protection test starts when I open a folder containing real-world malware samples I’ve collected and carefully analyzed. In many cases, the tiny file access required to get each file’s name and properties is enough to trigger on-access scanning. If that doesn’t get the antivirus utility’s attention, I copy the files to a new folder. Occasionally, I encounter a tool such as Guardio that only scans files at download. And, of course, some real-time scanning systems don’t kick in until you try to launch the file.
I noticed that Bitdefender quickly got to work when I opened the malware folder. A simple “Disinfection in progress” notification appeared and remained for about 15 minutes while samples gradually disappeared from the folder. When it finished, it reported its success. Simple.
Bitdefender knocked out 73% of the samples on sight, including all the ransomware samples. That’s rather low. Aura, Norton, and UltraAV wiped out more than 90% on sight, and ZoneAlarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall NextGen eliminated every single sample at this stage.
Based on notes from a past review, I tried another technique to get the attention of the real-time antivirus. For each sample that was not wiped out on sight, I logged in to online storage and downloaded that same sample. But nope—this didn’t trigger any additional detections.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
To complete the malware protection test, I launched the samples that Bitdefender didn’t eliminate on sight. One way or another, it detected 85% of the samples and scored 8.2 of 10 possible points.
Only a couple of apps tested with this sample set scored lower. Avast, AVG, Norton, and UltraAV top the list, with 99% detection and 9.9 points. Norton fills out its line of nines with 99% in my malicious URL blocking test. Bitdefender’s score isn’t great, but when my results don’t jibe with those of the independent testing labs, I give the testing labs significantly more weight.
When Bitdefender defends against a malware attack, it pops up a small notification with an option to learn more about what happened. In many cases, the available information includes an attack timeline that shows just how the malware got onto your system and how far it got before Bitdefender nabbed it. It also includes an “alternative outcome” track, driving home the point that, without Bitdefender, the attack would have succeeded.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
When I collect and curate a new set of malware samples for testing, I deliberately draw from samples that are a few months old so as not to disadvantage the first antiviruses tested with the new collection. I use the same samples for up to a year because it takes a great deal of time and effort to prepare a new set of real-world malware.
For a view of how each antivirus handles the most current threats, I use a completely different test. This test starts with a feed of new discoveries generously supplied by MRG-Effitas, typically no more than a few days old. Each antivirus gets two chances to prevent malware from being downloaded from these URLs. It can block all access to the URL for full credit, or it can eliminate the malware payload during or after download, also for full credit. What I don’t want to see is a verified malicious program downloaded without any defensive action from the antivirus.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
Bitdefender blocks access to nasty URLs below the browser level, so it doesn’t have to install a browser extension. That capability blocked about two-thirds of the malware-hosting URLs. It wiped out roughly another quarter before the download could finish, for a score of 92% protection.
Bitdefender’s scores in this test have varied wildly. Last time around, it reached a perfect 100% protection score, but the time before that, it only got 81%. Avira, Guardio, Sophos Home Premium, and Trend Micro earned perfect scores in their latest instances of this test.
Excellent Phishing Detection
The most perfect malware-detection system in the world can’t help you if you fall for a phishing scam and give away your precious login credentials. Phishing websites masquerade as banks, online merchants, and even dating sites, and they do their best to entice you with a perfect replica of the actual login page. When you enter your credentials on the fake page, the fraudsters immediately own your account. Say goodbye to your bank balance or your game avatar’s hoard of in-game gold. These fakes get caught and blacklisted quickly enough, but their owners just scoop up their winnings and move on.
I scrape phishing URLs from various reporting sites to test how well an app keeps its users safe from this kind of fraud. For testing, I collect verified phishing frauds, including URLs so new that they haven’t been analyzed and verified. I run the test simultaneously on the antivirus under testing and on instances of Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, relying on the phishing protection built into the three browsers.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
I launch the URL in all four browsers for each suspected fraud and record the results. If any of the four can’t load the URL, I discard it. If the page doesn’t actively attempt to capture login credentials for a secure site, I discard it. After checking several hundred possible fraudulent URLs, I run the numbers.
When Bitdefender detects a phishing page, it diverts the browser to a safe warning page, just as it does when it finds a dangerous page. The warning page offers a brief explanation and allows a bold (or foolish) user to ignore the risk and visit the page regardless. In testing, I found that it identified most as Phishing pages, though some got flagged as Dangerous, Fraudulent, or Suspicious.
As with the malicious URL blocking test, Bitdefender’s scores in this test generally hover at or near 100%. This time around, it managed 99%. It was a bad day for browsers, though, with Chrome lagging Bitdefender by 39 percentage points and Edge falling 58 points behind.
Bitdefender’s 99% is good, but a perfect 100% is even better. Avira, Guardio, McAfee AntiVirus Plus, and Trend Micro all reached 100% detection, as did the phishing-centric Norton Genie. NordVPN Plus and Surfshark One, both with a VPN emphasis, also joined the 100% winners’ circle.
Effective Ransomware Recognition
I mentioned earlier that Ransomware Remediation is one of the many premium-only features that are out of reach for free users. You might think that means the free edition doesn’t protect against ransomware, but in fact, the behavior-based Advanced Threat Defense fends off ransomware quite effectively.
To test Bitdefender’s ransomware defense, I rolled back the test virtual machine to a snapshot just after the antivirus installation. I quickly turned off Bitdefender Shield, the main real-time protection component. After cutting all connections between the test virtual machine and the internet, I tried launching a collection of real-world ransomware attacks.
Two of the samples work at the disk level, not the file level. Advanced Threat Defense didn’t detect those, as they function by crashing the system and taking over on reboot. Of the dozen file-encrypting ransomware samples, Bitdefender’s Advanced Threat Defense detected 11 and completely prevented their nefarious activities.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
As for the remaining one, it slipped past Advanced Threat Defense entirely. Fortunately, it wasn’t as aggressive as many, only encrypting a few dozen files.
In theory, the premium Ransomware Remediation feature might have helped with at least one of those two. However, when I repeated the test using Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, I didn’t see any difference, and Ransomware Remediation didn’t kick in.
(Credit: Bitdefender/PCMag)
I should mention one more ransomware-related feature, the one titled Decryption Tools. This one is entirely pointless. Select it, and you’ll see tools to decrypt files encrypted by three known ransomware types, dated 2018, 2020, and 2021. You’re much better off visiting Bitdefender’s latest ransomware file decryption tools online. The online collection remedies many more attacks and more recent ones, all at no charge.
What’s Not in Bitdefender Free?
I’ve described everything Bitdefender Free does, but the feature list of the full, premium Bitdefender Antivirus goes far beyond this. Please read my review for all the details on what you get by paying for the full edition. Among other things, paying customers get the Safepay protection system to prevent interference with online financial transactions, an Anti-Tracker tool for your browsers, a secure deletion File Shredder, and ransomware remediation in case ransomware damages some files before being defeated.
You’ll find several other features locked away in the free edition but not even visible in the for-pay antivirus. Anti-theft, Antispam, Decryption Tools, Firewall, OneClick Optimizer, Parental Control, and Video & Audio Protection all show up locked in Bitdefender Antivirus Free but don’t appear as available features unless you upgrade to Bitdefender Internet Security.
In a reversal from previous versions, the Bitdefender VPN component is now available in the free antivirus. But just as with all Bitdefender apps below the level of Bitdefender Premium Security, you get a seven-day trial of the full VPN, which powers down to a limited free version when the trial is over.
Verdict: Capable Basic Protection
Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows lacks the advanced features that make its for-pay sibling almost a suite. Still, it does contain most of the same core protection against malware, malicious websites, and fraudulent sites. Also free, Avast One Essential protects Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. It includes a firewall, a bandwidth-limited VPN, and various privacy-protection features, while AVG AntiVirus Free brings a firewall and useful bonus features to the party. These two are our Editors’ Choice winners for free antivirus, though Bitdefender is also very good.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows
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The Bottom Line
Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows offers the same core technology found in the commercial version, focusing on the essential task of antivirus protection with minimal add-ons.
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About Neil J. Rubenking
Lead Analyst for Security
