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Pricing and Plans
Bitdefender offers three pricing tiers for individual users – Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, and Total Security. Norton also has Basic, Deluxe and Premium packages. Here’s how they break down:
| Package | Bitdefender | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Antivirus Plus – $40 per year | Basic – $30 per year |
| Mid-Tier | Internet Security – $60 per year | Deluxe – $50 per year |
| Premium | Total Security – $90 per year | Premium – $80 per year |
Bitdefender’s Antivirus Plus includes solid antivirus protection using signature-based detection and heuristic monitoring to stop threats. Norton’s basic plan offers protection against viruses, spyware, malware and other online threats for single device.
Overall, Bitdefender delivers better value than Norton at each pricing level when you consider the superior malware protection and extra features included.
Malware Protection
Antivirus software uses different layers of defense to catch all types of digital threats, including:
- Anti-malware to detect known threats using signature databases
- Anti-ransomware to prevent file encryption attempts
- Anti-phishing to block scam websites
- Firewall monitoring for suspicious network traffic
Based on tests conducted by AV-Test Institute over the past year, Bitdefender consistently earned top-tier scores for protection against widespread malware samples, with 100% detection in every test.
Norton also performed well in AV-Test’s evaluations, but had a few minor gaps that allowed some malware to sneak through. Over the past 4 tests, Norton’s lowest score was 99.7%.
So while both vendors offer excellent security layers, Bitdefender edges out Norton when it comes to the strongest defenses against brand new threats.
System Performance Impact
Antivirus software requires system resources to actively scan files and network traffic, which can slow down your device’s speed and responsiveness. Both companies have worked to minimize performance drag:
- Bitdefender uses multithreaded scanning to intelligently distribute tasks across CPU cores. This optimized process has almost no noticeable lag even during full scans.
- Norton leverages insight from over 175 million endpoints to enable “pulse updates” so short, frequent updates use minimal resources versus traditional giant signature database updates.
According to PassMark benchmark testing, among antivirus solutions Bitdefender had the least impact on system performance – lowering baseline metrics by just 2.1% on average.
In the same benchmark tests, Norton came in slightly behind, reducing system performance by 4.7%.
So Bitdefender is the winner when it comes to lighter system resource usage and faster speed.
Extra Features
Beyond core antivirus protections, these suites include additional security tools:
- Bitdefender Total Security has a password manager, file shredder, encryption tool, firewall customization, parental advisor features and more.
- Norton 360 Premium provides secure cloud backup storage, smart firewall, dark web monitoring, password manager, parental controls and a 100% virus removal guarantee.
| Feature | Bitdefender | Norton |
|---|---|---|
| Password Manager | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud Backup | No | Yes |
| Parental Controls | Yes | Yes |
| VPN Service | No | No |
| Identity Theft Protection | No | No |
Both companies offer a decent lineup of extra tools. If cloud storage backup is essential for you, Norton is a better choice. But Bitdefender still comes out slightly ahead by bundling in more features like the file shredder and encryption capabilities absent from Norton.
Ease of Use
Norton products have long been known for sophisticated security underneath a simple interface. Norton 360 is no exception – first time users can get up and running quickly thanks to intuitive menus and clearly labeled security options. But more advanced customizations do get tricky with confusing menus buried deep in the settings.
Meanwhile, Bitdefender also offers an exceptionally clean dashboard to toggle various security layers on and off. The customization options are better organized across discrete modules like firewall, privacy etc, allowing seamless adjustments even by novices.
For customer support access, Norton provides 24/7 phone and chat support in addition to knowledge base content and support forums. Bitdefender relies more heavily on troubleshooting articles and forum discussions for self-help, with chat or email-based support available.
Considering both the superior interface and stronger knowledge base content, Bitdefender comes out ahead for usability and support quality.
Conclusion
Here is a recap of how Bitdefender and Norton compared across key evaluation criteria:
- Malware protection – Bitdefender offered stronger defenses against brand new threats
- Performance impact – Bitdefender had less of a system slowdown effect
- Extra features – Bitdefender bundled in more useful tools
- Ease of use – Bitdefender platform is simpler to navigate
Based on these findings, Bitdefender is the winner as the best antivirus solution for most consumer needs in 2023. It matches and exceeds Norton in critical security capabilities while offering better value and system performance optimization.
Unless you specifically need the cloud backup storage from Norton, Bitdefender Total Security is worth the switch for families seeking comprehensive digital protection across devices that seamlessly fits into daily life.