Every antivirus should be capable of detecting and removing existing malware while also preventing future threats. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus exceeds these basic expectations with a robust suite of security features that rival full-fledged security suites. Its tools include strong ransomware protection, a secure browser for online banking, a scanner for missing security updates, an efficient ad-tracker blocker, and more. Bitdefender performs exceptionally well in independent lab evaluations and most of our hands-on tests. However, a consistently low score in our malware-blocking test has slightly lowered its once-perfect five-star rating. Despite this, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus remains our Editors’ Choice for antivirus software. Norton AntiVirus Plus, our other top recommendation, also offers more than just core protection. You can’t go wrong with either of these standout options. Bitdefender Central serves as your hub for managing subscriptions and monitoring protected devices. It’s also where you control identity theft protection—whether through Bitdefender’s standalone service or as part of a premium suite. Additionally, it offers access to the separate Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection service. Simply log into Bitdefender Central, install your antivirus, and you’re all set.

For years, Bitdefender's Autopilot mode has worked behind the scenes to manage security tasks without requiring user input. While it continues to operate silently, it now takes on a more proactive and visible role, guiding users to maximize the software’s full capabilities. During testing, for instance, it recommended enabling Ransomware Remediation and resolving issues flagged by the vulnerability scan. It may also prompt you to try out the password manager or review the privacy settings of your online accounts.

In theory, real-time protection should handle any malware threats after the initial full scan. However, for added peace of mind, Bitdefender lets you schedule regular scans—daily, weekly, or monthly. You can customize schedules individually for quick, full, and custom scans, providing an extra layer of proactive security.

Three of the four independent antivirus testing labs I monitor regularly evaluate Bitdefender. At AV-Comparatives, which runs a variety of assessments, I focus on three key tests. Products that meet the basic requirements earn a Standard certification, while those that exceed expectations receive Advanced or Advanced+ ratings. In the most recent round, Bitdefender earned Advanced+ in two tests and Advanced in the performance test. While Avast, AVG, and ESET achieved Advanced+ across all three, Bitdefender has accomplished that same sweep in previous years. In AV-Test Institute’s regular three-part evaluation, antivirus products can earn up to six points each in protection, performance, and usability—totaling a maximum of 18 points. Bitdefender consistently achieves perfect scores in these categories, though in the most recent round, it lost half a point in the performance section. Even so, its overall score of 17.5 still qualifies it as a Top Product according to AV-Test standards. In this round of testing, all evaluated antivirus products scored at least 17.5 points. Over half achieved a perfect 18, including standout performers like Avast, Avira Free Security, and ESET NOD32 Antivirus. This highlights the strong overall performance across the industry and the high standards required to stay competitive. MRG-Effitas tests take a different approach from other labs. For its banking Trojans test, an antivirus needs a flawless performance to pass—just a tiny slip means failure. In another test involving a broad range of malware, there are two passing levels: Level 1 is awarded if the antivirus blocks every malware installation attempt, while Level 2 is given if some malware gets through but is removed within 24 hours. Any other result is considered a failure. In the latest round of MRG-Effitas tests, only Bitdefender, Microsoft, and Norton AntiVirus Plus achieved Level 1 certification, blocking all malware installation attempts. Most other antivirus tools scored Level 2, where some malware got through but was removed within 24 hours. When it came to the banking-specific Trojan test, Bitdefender was among the antivirus tools that passed, with only Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security failing both tests.

Similar to its free edition, Bitdefender successfully eliminated 73% of the malware samples on sight, including all the ransomware samples. While this is a solid performance, it’s relatively low compared to other antivirus solutions. For instance, Norton and UltraAV removed more than 90% of the samples immediately, and ZoneAlarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall eliminated every sample at this initial stage. Building on insights from a previous review, I tried a different approach to test the real-time antivirus response. For each sample that wasn't eliminated on sight, I logged into online storage and downloaded the sample again from the web. When I performed this with the free version of Bitdefender, there was no change—it didn’t detect any additional samples. However, with Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and its slightly enhanced detection capabilities, it caught one more sample during the download process. With real-time protection activated, Bitdefender successfully eliminated 74% of the samples on its own. I then proceeded with testing by launching the remaining samples that had survived the initial culling. Bitdefender caught a few of these at or shortly after launch, but it didn’t always prevent the installer from placing executable files on the test system. In one instance, however, the premium-only network-level protection (exclusive to Bitdefender Antivirus Plus) blocked a threat's internet access, a layer of defense that wasn't available in the free edition. This feature helped prevent further malicious activity, showcasing the value of the extra layers provided by the paid version.

Bitdefender's performance in this test has been inconsistent. During the last round, it achieved a perfect 100% protection, but the time before that, it only scored 81%. In my most recent test, the free edition of Bitdefender achieved 92% protection, primarily by successfully diverting the browser away from dangerous URLs. Considering that the paid edition of Bitdefender should offer additional layers of protection, I repeated the test with the most up-to-date malware-hosting URLs. However, I found no evidence of enhanced protection. In fact, the paid version scored slightly lower than the free edition, so I decided to stick with the initial score of 92% protection. Bitdefender’s 92% protection places it at the median for this test, with as many antivirus apps scoring higher as those scoring lower. In their most recent rounds of this test, Avira, Guardio, Sophos Home Premium, and Trend Micro all earned perfect scores.