Norton vs Bitdefender: Which is best?

Norton and Bitdefender have become household names in antivirus software, each with a massive global following. So, which reigns supreme? We’re rolling up our sleeves to crack this one open. I’m diving into a head-to-head comparison of Norton 360 Deluxe and Bitdefender Premium Security, conducting real-world tests to gauge their prowess in threat detection and mitigation. Plus, we’ll stack our insights against established lab results. Along the way, we’ll evaluate user experience, bonus features, and bang for your buck.

Summary: Norton vs Bitdefender

A bit about the companies

Norton

Norton has been around for 28 years and since 2001, it has been produced by Symantec Corporation in California. Norton has become a global leader in consumer cybersecurity, helping secure the devices and online privacy of nearly 50 million consumers.

Formerly Symantec, Norton acquired LifeLock identity protection in 2017, which led to its name change of NortonLifeLock. In December 2020, it announced the acquisition of Avira antivirus, and in August 2021, it announced that it would be acquiring Avast, which itself acquired AVG a few years prior. This means Norton could soon implement the best bits from all three of these companies. Avast had already finished syncing the Avast and AVG cloud and behavioral monitoring technology.

Bitdefender

Compared to Norton, Bitdefender is a newbie to the world of cybersecurity. Bitdefender was founded in Romania in 2001 and works with government organizations, enterprises, and consumers across over 150 countries, protecting half a billion users worldwide.

Norton vs Bitdefender pricing

In terms of price point, Norton 360 Deluxe and Bitdefender Premium Security are very different. Norton 360 Deluxe is considerably cheaper than Bitdefender, even with the discounts both offer on their website. However, Norton 360 Deluxe only offers protection for up to five devices, whereas Bitdefender Premium offers protection for up to 10 devices. The table below outlines the different products both offer:

Both Norton and Bitdefender come with big discounts on your first purchase. Norton 360 Deluxe offers 52% off your first purchase making the product $49.99 for the first year. Bitdefender Premium Security offers a 56% discount making the purchase price $69.98. (This is at the time of writing). As you can see, Norton 360 Deluxe is considerably cheaper than Bitdefender even with the special discounts present. Norton also has other higher-priced packages if you are looking for something extra.

Both Norton and Bitdefender offer a money-back guarantee, allowing you to try out the product and make sure it is suitable for you. Norton boasts a 60-day money-back guarantee whereas Bitdefender is just a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Both Norton and Bitdefender work with all the major operating systems including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices.

Effectiveness against malware

When deciding which antivirus product is best, it’s important to know which one will do the best job of protecting your PC against malware. I ran some tests to see how each product performed.

The first test I performed checked for malware threats in real-time, instead of waiting until a scheduled scan time to check my PC files. I also ran a second malware test where I downloaded harmless malware test files from The European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR) which simulate different vectors of infection, where threats come from and the forms they come in. I turned off real-time detection and ran a full system scan and a quick scan to see how well the malware was detected and quarantined.

To add to my own tests, I checked out some of the most recent antivirus tests managed by the major independent antivirus test labs. Look at the table below comparing the test results from both Norton and Bitdefender. These tests were performed on my PC with three different lives samples and four EICAR samples:

The results showed Norton blocked just one of the EICAR samples but allowed three, compared to Bitdefender, which blocked all four of the EICAR samples. Norton blocked the .txt file and the download from EICAR.com on HTTP but allowed zip files. On HTTPS, the .zip files and the .txt files were allowed while the Eicar.com file was blocked.

Both Norton and Bitdefender immediately detected and deleted all three live samples.

To add more depth to the analysis, I looked up the latest test results from AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, two of the best-known independent AV testing labs.

The latest AV-Test report showed that during July and August 2021, both Bitdefender and Norton scored 100 percent in their protection detection against malware attacks, inclusive of web and email threats (real-world testing).

I also looked at the latest AV-Comparatives Real-Time Protection Test from July-October 2021. Norton scored 100 percent and Bitdefender scored 99.7 percent in their online protection rates, putting Norton slightly higher than Bitdefender. Norton achieved first place out of every antivirus in this test; no other reached 100 percent.

AV-Comparatives also has another useful tool in testing the best antivirus programs: a false alarm test. This test is useful in seeing how accurately a file or app is identified as safe or as a threat. The lower the number of false alarms, the better. False positives occur when the antivirus flags a non-malware file as malware and can therefore be an annoyance.

The test results from July-October 2021 show thirty-seven false alarms for Norton, and zero for Bitdefender. This is the same test that showed Norton at the highest with 100 percent detection, something no other antivirus in that test showed. This could suggest that Norton is more aggressive with its detection, offering slightly better security, but with more false alarms.

Impact on PC Performance

The impact antivirus programs have on your PC performance is an important thing to consider and is something to be aware of when deciding which one is right for you. To find out which of the two antivirus programs had the best performance numbers, I captured data while running both full and quick scans. To verify my findings, I looked at the performance scores for both Bitdefender and Norton from some recent independent tests.

The table below shows the results of my test and how long it took to complete, plus the number of items that were scanned. The time to complete an antivirus scan is affected by a number of factors such as the speed of the PC, the number of files that need to be scanned, and the antivirus program that you are using.

A full scan with Bitdefender was completed in 110 minutes and scanned 4.2 million items, compared to Norton, which took 121 minutes and scanned 970,000 items.

Next, I tried running a quick scan with each antivirus. Norton completed the scan in 171 seconds, while Bitdefender completed the quick scan in 338 seconds.

I also recorded some data to see how my PC’s resources were affected by both antivirus programs.

Bitdefender recorded a higher CPU Utilization than Norton when running both programs. Bitdefender also recorded a higher control disk utilization when not performing a scan. During a full scan, Bitdefender used less CPU than Norton. The biggest difference is in the full scan disk utilization: Bitdefender utilized 3,577 MB/s and Norton came in at 381 MB/s.

Next, I analyzed the results from some other independent tests. The tests run by independent labs show how each antivirus impacts PC performance during eight common tasks:

• Downloading files
• Browsing Websites
• File Copying: First and subsequent run
• Installing/uninstalling applications
• Archiving / unarchiving
• Launching applications: First and subsequent run

Each task is given a rating ranging between very fast and slow.

In the AV-Comparatives Performance Test from October 2021, both Bitdefender and Norton achieved an Advanced+ rating, the highest rating out of Advanced+, Advanced, and Standard. For comparison, Microsoft Defender only achieved Standard.

Looking deeper into the data, Bitdefender achieved the highest “very fast” rating in all performance categories, apart from two where it achieved “fast”, and Norton achieved very fast in all but one. Bitdefender was considered fast in the first run of file copying and the first run of launching applications. Norton was considered fast in installing applications.

When it comes to performance, Norton performs slightly better, although not by much. There was only a minor impact on speed and performance while I ran several tasks on my PC, which the other independent tests verified.

Norton vs Bitdefender features

Many providers now add some extra features besides the antivirus scanner itself. I’ve looked at what is included in each package to see which one offers the best value.

Norton

• Cloud Backup
• Smart Firewall
• Password Manager
• Virus Protection Promise
• Parental Control
• Secure VPN
• PC SafeCam

Bitdefender

• Unlimited VPN traffic
• Priority Support
• Device Optimiser
• Window, macOS, Android and iOS protection
• Parental Control
• Multi-layer ransomware protection
• Protection against malware, spyware, adware

Both programs offer some of the same features, including parental controls, a VPN, and firewalls. Below are a number of the unique features included with each program.

Sign Up and Installation

So, what’s the deal with the user interface? First off, Bitdefender keeps it clean with a sleek black and neon green color scheme. Launch the dashboard, and you’re greeted with a comforting “You are safe,” making it a no-brainer to confirm all systems are go. You’ll find tabs for device management, protection, privacy, and utilities, plus a neat area to put forward your feature requests for future updates.

Over on Norton’s side, the interface sports a professional grey, black, and yellow color palette designed for straightforward navigation. Like Bitdefender, Norton’s dashboard makes your protection status clear as day. You can deep-dive into security settings, identity tools, and performance metrics here. And let’s not forget – Norton 360 Deluxe offers a web portal, allowing you to manage up to five devices easily.

How easy is the interface to use?

User-friendliness is key! Both Bitdefender and Norton offer intuitive interfaces that make managing your antivirus protection a breeze.

Bitdefender uses a clean, minimalist design with clear navigation. The “You are safe” dashboard message provides instant reassurance about your system’s security status.

Norton’s classic gray, black, and yellow color scheme is easy on the eyes. The dashboard clearly shows your protection status, and additional sections for scans, settings, and other features are easily accessible.

Customer Support

Norton

Norton offers 24/7/365 support on all of its product tiers. There is an online community forum, FAQ, and live chat support. Support is available through its Facebook and Twitter channels. However, unlike Bitdefender’s free phone support, Norton’s phone support costs extra.

Bitdefender

Bitdefender Premium Security boasts an extensive support hub, with many common problems answered on their website or demonstrated through online videos, which is great if you want an easy fix. If this is not doable, you can contact support via email, phone, online chat, or through their expert community forums.

And the winner is…

Both Norton and Bitdefender are heavyweights in antivirus protection, boasting excellent malware detection rates.  Norton edges out Bitdefender in a close race with slightly better independent test scores, a lighter system footprint, and a more affordable price tag.

However, the best antivirus for you depends on your specific needs:

• Norton: Ideal for users prioritizing top-notch protection and a user-friendly experience.
• Bitdefender: A great option if you protect many devices or seek advanced features.

Our Methodology for Antivirus Comparisons

We go beyond surface-level comparisons when pitting antivirus titans like Norton and Bitdefender against each other. Here’s our in-depth process:

1. Malware Showdown: We unleash a barrage of real-world viruses, trojans, and other digital nasties to evaluate each antivirus’s detection and blocking capabilities.
2. Performance Matters: A great antivirus shouldn’t slow you down. We test on-demand scans and background protection to see how they impact your system’s performance.
3. Support That’s Got Your Back: A responsive and helpful support team is critical when questions arise. We check for multiple contact options (email, live chat, phone) and assess the quality of assistance.
4. Best Value: We factor in the true cost of protection—those first-year discounts are enticing, but we also consider renewal prices for long-term value.
5. Multi-Device Coverage: Your whole digital life needs shielding. We prioritize antiviruses that cover your PC, Mac, smartphones, and tablets with a single subscription.

Check out our guide on assessing antivirus providers for a detailed breakdown of our testing methods.

FAQs about antiviruses

See also:

• McAfee vs Norton
• Best antivirus
• Best antivirus for Mac
• Best antivirus for Windows 10