Today as we move a major portion of our lives from photos to videos to office work over the internet, it is extremely crucial that we have proper systems for protecting our data. Data thefts or damage to our computer or network happens through malware, including Viruses, Trojans, and more. Also, these programs can damage your device, steal your data, or take control of your computer.
Installing reliable antivirus software on our devices is essential. Usually, an antivirus works by downloading database files from its cloud servers onto your system. Then it runs a scan to compare your system files with them for a match. If the files in your system match the virus definitions, the antivirus will quarantine or delete them. Also, many antiviruses perform application behavioral checks to prevent possible attacks.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Quick Summary
Parameters | Bitdefender | Norton |
---|---|---|
Product Variations | ||
Features Offered | ||
Protection against Malware | ||
User-friendly Interface | ||
Impact on System Resources | ||
Customer Support | ||
Pricing Schemes & Offers |
Winner
Bitdefender
Score: 5/7
In this post, we will review the two most popular antivirus brands: Bitdefender Vs Norton. We dive deep into both of the products and study the features they have to offer. Also, we already know that it is always difficult to select the best between Bitdefender or Norton.
Make sure to read to the end of the article to understand the best they have to offer and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Comparison Parameters
Before we move towards the showdown, let us first look at the product packages they offer.
Product Variations
Bitdefender | Norton |
---|---|
* some regions have limited feature Norton Antivirus Plus
So with this, let us come to the actual comparison between Bitdefender Vs. Norton Antivirus.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Features offered
Let's look at the features that each of these antivirus packages has to offer. Bitdefender has a new free antivirus package with improved features for Home users. The old free version is now discontinued.
We will start from the most basic paid versions and then gradually move to the most advanced versions.
Please note that all the features that an earlier package has been carried forward by default to the next expensive version.
Hence, we will not be repeating the same in our comparison table.
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus | Norton 360 Standard |
---|---|
Protects up to 10 Windows PCs | Protection for 1 Windows, Mac, Android and iOS |
Multi-Layer Ransomware Protection | Real-time Threat Protection |
Password Manager (Separate purchase) | Password Manager |
Not Available | Smart Firewall |
File Shredder | Not Available |
Account Privacy | Dark Web Monitoring |
Bitdefender Internet Security | Norton 360 Deluxe |
---|---|
Protects up to 10 Windows PCs | Protects up to 5 Windows, Mac, Android and iOS |
Parental Control | Parental Control |
Privacy Firewall | Smart Firewall |
Camera & Microphone Monitor | PC SafeCam |
Bitdefender Total Security | Norton 360 LifeLock Select |
---|---|
Protects up to 10 devices: Windows, Mac, Android and iOS | Protects up to 5 Windows, Mac, Android and iOS |
Free VPN (200 MB/day/) | Secure VPN access for 5 devices |
Device Optimizer (OneClick Optimizer) | Performance |
Bitdefender Family Pack | Norton 360 LifeLock Ultimate Plus |
---|---|
Protects up to 15 devices: Windows, Mac, Android and iOS | Protection for unlimited Windows, Mac, Android and iOS (Restrictions apply) |
Secure VPN (200 MB/day/) | Secure VPN access for unlimited devices with restrictions |
Webcam Protection | PC SafeCam |
Safe Online Banking | Bank & Credit Card Activity Alerts |
Bitdefender Premium Security | Norton 360 Premium I |
---|---|
Protects up to 10 devices: Windows, Mac, Android and iOS | Protects up to 10 Windows, Mac, Android and iOS |
Bitdefender Premium VPN (Unlimited VPN) | Secure VPN access for 10 devices |
Webcam Protection | PC SafeCam |
Parental Control | Parental Control |
You can find a detailed Bitdefender products comparison. If you wish to check Norton products in detail, visit Norton's official page.
Bitdefender
Product Package Verdict
With Norton Secure VPN, you get unlimited data which is included in all its plans. The VPN is not an optional add-on but is a mandatory paid inclusion.
Bitdefender VPN is only included as a Free add-on with all the products by default. You get 200 MB per day without the choice to select servers. If you wish, you can purchase Bitdefender Premium VPN separately.
Hence, with Bitdefender, you will have a choice to select any dedicated VPN services like Surfshark, Zenmate, or CyberGhost. In our opinion, a dedicated VPN service is far advanced than the one included with the antivirus. For example, Norton VPN does not support P2P traffic. It will not start unless you close your Torrent application. Hence, if you need P2P traffic, Norton VPN will disappoint you.
Though both of the antivirus packages are more or less similar with their offerings, in comparison to the features above, Bitdefender seems to offer a better value proposition and choice than Norton.
Let us move to the next feature comparison.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Protection against Malware

When we compare these two top-performing antivirus brands, it is tough to decide the exact differences these two will have. However, although it is very tough for common people to test and judge an antivirus for performance, an organization named 'AV comparatives' & AV-Test consistently run different tests on global antivirus providers and publish reports with winners across different categories.
AV-Comparatives
When they ran tests for Norton 360 and Bitdefender products, Bitdefender performed better in Feb - Mar 2023 Real-World Protection Test. Bitdefender blocked 100% of threats in all the tests with only 1 false positive. Though Norton blocked 99.6% of threats in this duration, it had few (9) false positives.
According to its Malware Protection Test Mar 2023, Bitdefender outperformed Norton based on the offline and online detection rates. However, Norton had a 99.99% online protection rate as compared to Bitdefender at 99.94%. Both received Advanced+ award with few false positives.
AV-TEST
According to the latest AV-Test.org results conducted in February 2023, Bitdefender scored 6 out of 6 in each category. Norton, on the other hand, gets full scores in Protection and Usability, but scored 5.5 out of 6 in the Performance category.
Please note that both Bitdefender and Norton rival every year. They offer some of the best protection against malware threats on the internet.
However, defending your computer against ongoing threats is not a static job. The protection will evolve, so will the threats. Moreover, the AV-TEST Institute registers more than 350,000 new malware samples every single day.
Norton
Protection Verdict
It means there will never be a consistent 'best' solution in the antivirus industry. But both Norton, as well as Bitdefender surely top the charts when it comes to malware protection. Norton just has a slight edge at the point of writing this comparison. You can count on the numbers by the independent firms when buying a good antivirus solution.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: User-friendly interface

Any software, however perfect it may be in providing a solution to the problem, is of no use if it isn't user-friendly. It is true, especially in the case of an antivirus. With so many different modules, settings, and options in an antivirus package, it is crucial to communicate with the user easily. Moreover, it should be easy to navigate and control for its intended user.
In this section, we check for the user-friendliness of Bitdefender vs. Norton. The user journey starts right from the installation phase and continues through correctly using the software.
Bitdefender

Bitdefender is fairly simple to install onto your computer in under 15 minutes. The installation process resembles a guided tour. Once installed, the software is pretty simple to use. The dashboard is the most commonly visited page on Bitdefender antivirus. It is clean and well organized to let you view and control the most important functions required.
The main page on the dashboard contains various options:
The dashboard also hosts 'quick actions' as shortcuts to some more utilized options. Most of the time, if the antivirus finds any issue on your computer, it will alert you through sidebar pop-ups.
One-click prompts in these notifications will resolve most of the issues. Only rarely will you go to the main dashboard for any additional settings required. But that doesn't mean you cannot access detailed settings. An advanced user still has access to an array of micro-settings that can allow the user to decide how the antivirus should perform according to his requirement.
Overall, Bitdefender is straightforward to use for general users and still has more advanced settings to offer for the experts.
Norton

Similar to Bitdefender, Norton also has a very streamlined installation process. It also guides the user for a successful step-by-step installation.
Post-installation, you will be greeted with a dashboard. Norton's interface is a bit brighter and comparatively looks a little clean and sleek. The dashboard shows vital information. It confirms whether you're protected, or your security is compromised. It also tells you the last time you scanned your system.
The main page on the dashboard contains various options.
DRAW
Interface Verdict
After comparing both interfaces, we can safely conclude that both Bitdefender and Norton are pretty simple to use for a general user and provide suitable options for advanced users.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Impact on System Resources

One of the most significant factors to consider when choosing an antivirus is its effect on your computer's regular performance. Antivirus is always 'ON' and running in the background to keep your system secure by running continuous scans. By doing this, it puts out a considerable strain on your system resources. However, the latest antivirus programs have considered this and improved a lot on this front.
If an antivirus slows down your system and you can't use it the same way you could earlier, count it as a bad user experience.
Let us run through how Bitdefender & Norton pile up against each other in this avenue.
Bitdefender Antivirus
For the tests, we are using Bitdefender Total Security. We then measure the resource consumption with ideal and manual scan scenarios.
It is important to note that the ideal load is the baseline resource consumption that the antivirus will always reserve from your system.

System Resource Usage: MAX CPU: 0.07% | MAX MEMORY: 610 MB
In general, you will initiate a full system scan manually. Hence, these numbers give you a sense of the system conditions while the scan is running.
System Resource Usage: Max CPU: 47% | MAX MEMORY: 850 MB
Norton Antivirus
Compared to Bitdefender Total Security, Norton 360 Deluxe consumes lower system resources when idle.

System Resource Usage: Max CPU: 0.05% | MAX MEMORY: 300 MB
The Manual full system scan consumes more CPU than Bitdefender Total Security. It spiked up to 90% at times and remained around 75% for most of the time. However, the memory consumption is still 50% lower than that of Bitdefender.

System Resource Usage: Max CPU: 90% | MAX MEMORY: 370 MB
AV-Test Performance Results for Bitdefender Vs Norton
AV test organization tests all the antivirus programs based on performance or impact on system resources. Also, they evaluate the loading speed of Websites, Startup applications.
In the latest AV-TEST organization Performance category test, Bitdefender scored 6 out of 6 and Norton falls slightly behind at 5.5 out of 6. It means that both the antivirus programs have a minimal impact on your system resources, causing no substantial lag for the user.
According to the latest AV-Comparatives Performance Test, both Bitdefender and Norton have received the ADVANCED+ protection award. Bitdefender also won the Product of the Year Award for 2022.
Norton
Performance Verdict
Norton performs slightly better than Bitdefender on system resources. With the current statistics, you may feel lags or other issues with Norton while performing a full system scan. However, since Norton consumes lower Memory while on idle, it adds to its positive points.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Customer Support

Both advanced, as well as basic users require support. This feature is something that can make or break the brand reputation of a company. Usually, you can contact the antivirus provider's support team in case of a virus or malware attack beyond the user's understanding. The customers expect an immediate and correct response to their queries. Let us understand how these two providers stack up against each other on the customer support feature.
Bitdefender
Bitdefender has almost all of the channels that every type of customer would feel comfortable connecting with. You can contact support through:
Norton
Norton also has similar customer support channels established, and you can contact them through:
Bitdefender
Support Verdict
We observed that Bitdefender's customer support articles and websites are slightly easy to use and well organized against Norton's website. To sum up the customer support parameter, both Bitdefender & Norton are truly approachable for almost all the comfortable communication channels.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Pricing

As discussed in the first section, Bitdefender and Norton offer different protection packages according to individual needs and requirements. The price varies according to the package selected and the extra features these packages offer.
Let us take a closer look at the different features both of them offer.
Bitdefender
Product | Platform | Device Support | Price/Year* Starts at |
---|---|---|---|
Total Security | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | Up to 10 Devices | $44.99 |
Internet Security | PC Only | Up to 10 Devices | $29.98 |
Antivirus Plus | PC Only | Up to 10 Devices | $19.99 |
Premium Security | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | Up to 10 Devices | $69.98 |
Family Pack | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | Up to 15 Devices | $59.99 |
* For the latest price, refer to Bitdefender Website.
The cheapest package is the Antivirus Plus which supports Windows only. It includes basic features like Real-time protection, Phishing Protection, VPN, and Ransomware protection. This plan supports up to ten Windows PCs. You can opt-in for a lower or higher number of PCs during checkout.
The mid-tier package, Internet Security, also supports only Windows. Apart from the regular virus protection features, you also get additional features such as a microphone & webcam protection, parental controls, and a network firewall included in the package.
Go for the above two packages if you plan to use them on windows only. Antivirus Plus is the lightest on system resources since it has limited features. Hence, a good choice for older Windows Pcs.
Total Security subscription package provides support for Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac Operating systems. To gain more insights on the features involved in this package, you can read our full Bitdefender Total Security review. Also, you can get rock-solid protection at the best price using Bitdefender coupons.
If you plan to continue with Bitdefender for the long term, you can further get assured discounts with 3-year subscriptions. All Bitdefender products include a limited VPN (200 MB/day). If you wish to have unlimited VPN covering upto 10 devices, Bitdefender Premium Security is ideal. It includes all the features of Bitdefender Total Security.
Also, before you finalize any package, it is always a good habit to use the 30-day free trial and check your compatibility before the final purchase.
Norton
Product | Device Support | Price/Year* |
---|---|---|
Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus | Unlimited devices | $299.88 |
Norton 360 with LifeLock Select | 5 devices | $79.99 |
Norton 360 Premium I | 10 devices | $39.99 |
Norton 360 Deluxe | 5 devices | $24.99 |
Norton 360 Standard | 1 device | $24.99 |
* For the latest price, refer to Norton Website.
In the basic paid Norton Antivirus plan, you're limited to only one PC or Mac device, with standard malware protection, network firewall, password manager, and cloud storage of 10GB.
Norton Antivirus's next two plans, 360 Deluxe & 360 LifeLock, offer better features and expanded device numbers up to 5 devices each. You get a cloud backup service of 50GB & 100GB with these plans. Basic identity theft and data theft protection are also bundled in these packages. Almost all of the features that a regular user requires are met with one of these two packages.
In order to take trial for the products, you will have to provide Norton with payment details. Norton provides the trial after you have placed an order. Once the trial period is over, they will charge you.
Norton 360 Premium I plan protects upto 10 devices, and it provides cloud backup of 100GB. It includes advanced features like Parental Control and WebCam protection features.
One of the most expensive plans, the Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus, adds an array of advanced identity theft protection and data theft modules to the program. It gives a cloud backup service of 500GB. Moreover, you can install it across an unlimited number of devices with certain restrictions. You also get priority support when you choose this module.
With Norton, to get the best of the features, you will have to pay a lot higher than other players, especially Bitdefender.
Bitdefender
Pricing Verdict
We recommend Bitdefender if you want sufficient malware protection with decent added benefits & that gives you an overall value for money. We like the availability of choice for the selection of number of devices and years of protection.
However, Norton can be a good choice if you have advanced online requirements and work with extremely sensitive data by paying that extra penny for the advanced features. You will feel the lack of flexible device plans with Norton.
As an extra note, We did not like Norton's auto-renewal policy. They do not allow you to turn off auto-renewal while placing the order. In order to turn it off, you have to contact their support.
The Conclusion: What to Buy? Bitdefender Vs Norton

Through all the comparisons and the features that Bitdefender and Norton offer, they both stand neck to neck in the competitive antivirus world. Both of them have their pros & cons. But there is no denying that they deserve being on the top of the charts for the best antivirus software.
However, based on our elaborate comparison and tests conducted by the AV test and AV-Comparatives, Bitdefender has:
The choice is yours. If you wish to go with the features offered by Norton, then you can go with it.
Bitdefender
Winner Declared
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Which is Better?
Considering the protection, malware detection rates, features, and value for money, we will choose 'Bitdefender' as our best choice of antivirus.
Comparatively, there is nothing specifically wrong with Norton Antivirus. It is also one of the best antivirus solutions available out there in the market. Also, it has been in the top 5 antiviruses in recent years.
Simply put, Bitdefender offers more value for money, and you get solid protection and advanced features for a comparatively lower price. In addition, they also offer flexible product plans. Hence, giving more choice to users while purchasing a security solution.
Bitdefender Vs Norton: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bitdefender free to use?
Yes, there is a free version of the program for Windows, Mac and Android devices.
Can I get a free trial of Norton?
Yes. You can try the 7 Days Free Trial of the software before planning to buy one. But as mentioned above, you will have to enter the payment information.
Which is better for Mac? Bitdefender or Norton
Both the antivirus programs offer top-notch protection for Mac users. The latest report from AV-TEST Institute includes Bitdefender and Norton as top products.
Jack is an energetic passionate cybersecurity professional, blogger, and software reviewer. As a blogger, he enjoys sharing his cyberworld experiences with the world. He has been blogging for over four years now. Whenever he is not blogging, he loves binge-watching Netflix and fishing.
Thanks Jack
I am in the process of planning my next calendar year protection and your article is invaluable. I have been a Norton and Mcafee user for many years, mostly Norton. This year I am looking for best value for me and my families protection. Bitdefender has entered the arena.
Your article has given me more insight into the comparisons.
Thank You
Thanks.I had both,and based on my own experience I can say your review of these antiviruses
are correct.
Thanks,Michael
Thanks Jack – really appreciate this balanced, easy-to-read comparison. May the force be with you!
thanks jack for having my back. I had been given bitdefender from my pc guy and having had norton previously i have decided to change lanes. Now time for some ice fishing.