Bitdefender vs TotalAV: which antivirus is better?

Bitdefender and TotalAV are the leaders in the antivirus software market. And there’s no wonder why – both of these are great and feature-rich security products for your devices. However, both of them being so highly regarded is exactly why we decided to compare and review them, and finally reach the conclusion of which one is truly the best for you and why.

In this in-depth comparison of Bitdefender vs TotalAV we will look at which of these is better at protecting your device from malware, offers more useful features, and is easier for your device. Additionally, we’ll check out which is easier to use and won’t break your bank.

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Bitdefender vs. TotalAV

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Bitdefender vs TotalAV: which offers better protection?

Protection overall is the most important point to consider in antivirus software. It’s no different in this Bitdefender vs TotalAV comparison. According to the latest testing results, at the time of writing this article, Bitdefender has an edge over TotalAV when it comes to protection.

According to AV-Test, Bitdefender is a more secure option, since this provider collected the maximum 6 points throughout all testing – protection, performance, and usability. Therefore, it is rated as the Top Product.

On the other hand, TotalAV is certified to be a safe option but struggled this testing period with a protection feature. This one was the only one not rated the highest mark, but a 5 out of 6. So it’s only rated as Certified.

Another test was performed by AV-Comparatives. This one provided equal results for both Bitdefender and TotalAV since both providers were ranked as Advanced+.

Additionally, both providers offer malware protection and virus scanners, but only Bitdefender has a firewall protection feature, which further solidifies it as the safer antivirus software provider.

Wrapping up

Overall, it’s clear who wins the Bitdefender vs TotalAV protection battle. Bitdefender is more secure, it has been independently evaluated as a top antivirus product, and has more security features, including a firewall protection. TotalAV is also a good and safe antivirus, but it was no match here.

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Malware protection

It would be hard to find better options to protect your device from malware threats. Bitdefender and TotalAV have really solid real-time protection features that ensure that your systems are protected in real-time.

Bitdefender’s real-time protection feature is called Advanced Threat Defense and it is constantly scanning all of the downloaded files for threats. When it comes upon a threat, that file is deleted or placed in quarantine. However, this feature will not work to stop you from downloading malware files, only when they are on your device will it deal with the threats.

Also, this feature adds anti-phishing, it scans the websites for any suspicious phishing attempts to protect you from malicious links.

TotalAV’s real-time protection feature from malware is enabled by default and is constantly monitoring your device for potential threats.

In addition to system scanning, TotalAV’s real-time protection uses cloud scanning. So, any programs that raise suspicion during scans are compared to the cloud database of known malware.

If the file appears malicious, then TotalAV issues the user a warning and places the file in quarantine. Additionally, the antivirus software provides a step-by-step guide on how to remove malware from your system.

Scanning

Both Bitdefender and TotalAV offer great virus scan tools. Each tool is efficient in catching both known threats and zero-day malware.

Bitdefender’s virus scanner is based on malware directory and machine learning. The scans happen in the cloud, therefore this feature had a very minimal impact on your device systems.

There are four scan options available:

• Quick scan – scans locations where viruses usually appear. Doesn’t identify zero-day threats.
• System scan – scans the entire device system for malware threats. During our test, it caught 99% of zero-day threats.
• Vulnerability scan – checks the device for any vulnerabilities, like weak passwords, outdated applications or drives, and Windows updates.
• Custom scan – allows you to pick which system location needs to be scanned specifically.

TotalAV virus scanner is a whitelisted version of Avira’s anti-malware engine, which is considered one of the best on the market.

There are four types of virus scans that TotalAV offer:

• Quick scan – scans the location where viruses are usually found. Doesn’t find zero-day threats.
• System scan – full system scan. During our test, it caught 99% of zero-day malware. Will affect your computer system during the scan.
• Smart scan – allows you to schedule scans for malware, tracking cookies, and junk files to run automatically.
• Custom scan – you get to pick a single file, folder, or disk to clean.

Overall, both Bitdefender and TotalAV provide reliable virus scan tools. However, Bitdefender’s scan tool is lighter on your device system and provides more reliable results.

Firewall protection

Firewall blocks or allows incoming or outgoing network traffic to keep you safe. It’s an important security tool for an antivirus suite to have. However, only Bitdefender has this security feature available, while TotalAV doesn’t.

Bitdefender allows customization to the firewall feature. You can edit manually which apps or programs can be let through the firewall. Also, you can enable port protection, so the firewall will block any attempts to scan your device’s ports.

There are also options for the alert mode, this lets the antivirus send a notification if any application is trying to access the internet.

Features overview

Bitdefender and TotalAV have a truly impressive list of features to ensure the best security points for you. The number of features, with both antivirus suite providers, depends on the plan you choose.

Comparing the full list of features, Bitdefender just barely has the one-upped TotalAV with the webcam and microphone protection and firewall protection. However, both of these antivirus software go above and beyond with the features, stretching further than just system security.

Wrapping up

Overall, each of the providers offers a wide variety of security features to impress any user. However, Bitdefender does win over TotalAV by a small margin because it has firewall protection and webcam and microphone protection.

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Bitdefender features

With Bitdefender antivirus, even the free plan users get the same virus scan, real-time protection, and ransomware protection features as the paid subscription users. So while the features are limited, they are performing like the top product.

With subscription plans, you get more features. That includes firewall protection, and SafePay browser that protects your banking details while shopping online. Anti-tracker ensures that your safety from malicious scripts and online threat protection prevents visiting unsafe websites.

Additionally, Bitdefender has its own built-in VPN tool, which does cap your data to 200MB daily. Also, there’s a password manager for you to securely protect your login credentials, credit card data, or other important information.

Parental controls allow parents to block websites they don’t want children to be visiting. Another feature – profiles – is where you can activate different profiles depending on your activity or apps running for a better user experience.

Lastly, webcam and microphone protection will prevent unauthorized access to these tools. And to make your device work faster and get rid of old or not needed files quickly there are system optimization and file shredder features.

Learn more in our Bitdefender review.

TotalAV features

TotalAV offers various device scan options to find and remove malware. Also, real-time protection is enabled by default, so the antivirus software is constantly checking your device’s security.

The WebShield extension works when enabled on your browser and protects you from ransomware, scam and phishing websites, and other online threats. Also, TotalAV has an ad-blocker, which is a browser extension to protect you from malicious ads.

Just like the competitor, TotalAV also offers a VPN and password manager features. For an antivirus VPN, it’s pretty decent, but it is limited in location options, connection speeds, and abilities to access streaming sites. The password manager, on the other hand, works great but isn’t available on mobile devices.

To clean your device quickly and efficiently, TotalAV also has the system tune-up tool, and it works for browsers as well. Also, the Identity Theft protection monitors if your data has been leaked, alerts you if any breach is found, and helps you restore the compromised information.

To learn more about the features visit the TotalAV review.

PC performance

When it comes to PC performance, TotalAV provides slightly better results than Bitdefender.

While running in the background, Bitdefender, on a regular computer, with 4 GB RAM available, takes around 9% of RAM. While on a stronger PC, with 16GB RAM, the number drops to 2%. During scanning, Bitdefender takes almost full CPU usage and raises the numbers in the RAM department. It will be noticeable for you when it will start to take longer to launch applications and heavier apps, like games may crash.

On the other hand, TotalAV, while running in the background, will take around 4-5% of RAM available on a regular computer, 4 GB RAM. And a little more than 1% on a stronger PC, with 16 GB RAM. Scanning takes less than 80% of CPU usage and increases RAM usage slightly. On a weaker device, you might feel the impact of this since apps will take a longer time, but on a stronger device, there should be no issues.

Wrapping up

The TotalAV vs Bitdefender PC performance comparison is pretty close and both these antivirus software providers perform well on your systems, However, TotalAV does have an edge with lesser CPU and RAM use.

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Pricing

One great advantage of both Bitdefender and TotalAV is that each offers a free plan. While it is limited, it’s still a great option for those that can’t afford the premium subscription. Additionally, both providers’ paid plans have a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

TotalAV's most limited premium plan is the cheapest option overall, costing only $19.00/year.

However, the more features you add the more expensive the plans get. So the Internet Security plan already costs $39.00/year and the Total Security plan is $49.00/year offering a full features list.

On the other hand, the most restricted premium plan from Bitdefender is more expensive than TotalAV. The starting price is $19.99/year. Yet, the other plans offer a much better deal.

The Bitdefender’s Internet Security plan with essential security features and a few additional tools added costs $35.99/year, while the full feature package that comes with Total Security is only $32.99/year. Much cheaper than TotalAV’s offer.

Wrapping up

Overall, Bitdefender is a cheaper option when it comes to Bitdefender vs TotalAV price comparison. While TotalAV does have the cheapest smallest subscription plan, the competitor wins with the full feature package price.

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Apps and interface: which is more user-friendly?

When it comes to apps and their ease of use, then both providers are equal. The download and set-up times were pretty much the same with Bitdefender and TotalAV. Both providers offer user-friendly apps that clearly group their features by the purposes they perform.

The mobile apps are also well made, intuitive, and easy to use for beginners and experienced users. Also, have plenty of features and protect your mobile devices from malware and online threats.

Desktop apps

Bitdefender’s desktop app is pretty simple and easy to use. Once set up, it’s really easy to navigate, it groups the main features into Protection, Privacy, and Utilities groups.

The Dashboard tab allows for quick action access and displays your security status, Settings, and Notifications tabs.

The Protection tab is dedicated to your device security features, like real-time protection, device firewall monitoring, scanning, and more. The Privacy tab is where you can find the safe browser, VPN, or password manager. Lastly, the Utilities host the optimization tools, profile management, and file shredder.

TotalAV desktop app is very clean looking and groups all features in clear categories. On the main dashboard, you’ll see the four main tabs – Antivirus, System boost, Disk cleaner, and Web security.

Additionally, the main dashboard screen provides quick information about your device security level and the option to scan your device. There’s also the sidebar on the left where you can find all of the other features TotalAV provides with the antivirus suite.

Mobile apps

The Bitdefender Android app is much better than the iOS version. The Android version mirrors the desktop one and has all the needed security features. Some of the features included are a malware scanner, web protection, VPN, app lock, anti-theft, and identity protection.

The iOS version only comes with very few features, like web protection, privacy monitoring, and a VPN. So, comparing the versions, this one is much more limited.

TotalAV mobile apps are both quite feature-rich. The features are very clearly displayed and the app is intuitive and easy to use even for beginners.

The Android version includes features like security scan, VPN, device tune-up tools, wifi checker, and data breach checker.

The iOS version has a data breach checker, device locator, system security, secure browser, photo manager, web shield, and a VPN. So as you can see there are plenty of features for the iOS app as well.

Customer support

As the top antivirus software providers, both Bitdefender and TotalAV offer the best customer support options also.

The best thing about Bitdefender and TotalAV customer support is that it’s available whether you’re a free or paying user.

Both providers offer live chat options and the waiting times for a response are very low and the against are very professional. There’s also an option to contact the support via phone line, or email for direct communication.

If you’re more independent, then both Bitdefender and TotalAV offer vast knowledge bases, community support, or FAQs where all your questions will be answered and the information provided.

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Final verdict

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The competition between Bitdefender and TotalAV was pretty close. Even in the points where the winner was Bitdefender, TotalAV still provided great performance results.

Overall, both of these antivirus software are great, but Bitdefender just had that edge needed to solidify itself as the number one antivirus software. This antivirus had the best protection features and independent security testing results. Bitdefender’s various features included in different plans, like firewall protection, VPN, password manager, and such as webcam and microphone protection were unbeatable by the competitor. Additionally, the price point also provided better deals than TotalAV.

Now speaking about TotalAV, this antivirus did have its time to shine. TotalAV is, comparably, easy on your device. The results for this point clearly show that it’s easier on your CPU than Bitdefender. Also, it has great apps for both desktop and mobile users, and the features were also vast, just not as many as the competitors.

So, while the Bitdefender vs TotalAV duel may have ended with Bitdefender’s win, both of these providers are secure and reliable options to protect your device. You’ll be protected in real-time, have good scanning options, and the additional features will solidify your device security.

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