Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review
Our Verdict
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac delivers first-class malware performance and a solid array of features at an affordable price.
For
- Affordable plans
- Strong malware protection
- Modern and intuitive UI
- Nearly no functioning touch
- Well-considered ransomware protection
Confronting
- Limited VPN is disappointing
- Lacks some features that Windows version has
Tom's Guide Verdict
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac delivers excellent malware performance and a solid array of features at an affordable price.
Pros
- +
Affordable plans
- +
Strong malware protection
- +
Modern and intuitive UI
- +
Nigh no performance affect
- +
Well-considered ransomware protection
Cons
- -
Limited VPN is disappointing
- -
Lacks some features that Windows version has
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Specs
Malware protection: Good
System bear on, groundwork: Very light
System impact, scans: Light
macOS compatibility: 10.10 Yosemite and afterward
Browser extensions: Yes
Firewall: No
Hardened/secure browser: No
Parental controls: No
Password manager: No
Ransomware file protection: Yes
Scan scheduling: No
Webcam protection: No
VPN: Aye, but express
Support options: 24/7 phone, email, chat, plus FAQs and forums
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac continues to get just nigh everything correct when it comes to delivering excellent protection for macOS. It has fallen a notch below perfect in a couple of the most contempo third-party malware tests, but information technology remains beginning among the all-time Mac antivirus programs, and its combination of affordable pricing and well-implemented features arrive a great choice for virtually users.
Bitdefender is the most user-friendly Mac antivirus programme that I reviewed. It has helpful instructions on which actions you lot should have to stay safe, and a large collection of features that is organized well so that y'all don't become lost.
I'd honey to see a couple more of Bitdefender's Windows features come over to Mac, such as Bitdefender's password managing director, as well every bit a reduction in the cost of Bitdefender'southward premium VPN service, only Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is all the same the best overall Mac antivirus app.
Read on for the residuum of our Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Costs and what'southward covered
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac has a single tier of service, with the only price variations being for the number of devices or years of service. While at that place is no gratuitous tier for Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac, you lot do get a thirty-twenty-four hour period gratis trial before you have to enter your credit carte du jour.
The bones Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac plan is $40 for a single device for i twelvemonth, merely you lot can save by paying for two years ($70) or three years ($90) up front. Stepping up to the three-device plan volition cost $60 for 1 twelvemonth, and again you tin save a bit by paying for 2 years ($90) or three years ($120) at in one case. (You tin often get the commencement year at half off.)
For this, y'all become a comprehensive suite of antivirus tools that go beyond bones protection, including file protection, Fourth dimension Machine protection, Traffic Light browser extensions, anti-phishing safeguards, the Bitdefender Shield automatic malware scanner and a express corporeality of free Bitdefender VPN service.
The VPN is capped at 200MB of encrypted traffic per day before you accept to pay for the $50-per-yr unlimited program; it'due south handy, but it won't take the place of i of the best VPN services.
If y'all demand to cover a variety of devices that aren't Macs, then you will desire to consider Bitdefender Full Security, which supports Windows, Macs and iOS and Android devices. Across the broader support, this bundle as well adds parental controls and a two-way firewall. It packet covers five devices for $90 yearly or ten devices for $100. Again, you tin can save money by opting to pay for two or three years at one time.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers support dorsum to macOS X Yosemite (10.10) with full support for recent versions of Safari, Firefox and Chrome. If y'all wish to use the Bitdefender VPN, you will need to be updated to at least macOS Sierra (ten.12).
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Antivirus protection
Bitdefender provides existent-fourth dimension protection for your Mac by scanning continuously for malware, viruses, ransomware and adware. Any potentially dangerous files volition be compared against Bitdefender's massive signature-based malware library, and the program also deploys machine learning capabilities that aid defend against emergent threats that have still to be catalogued.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac is somewhat unusual in that it does non offering a scheduled-scan feature. Users are asked to acquit a total scan upon installation, and later that the existent-time protection from Bitdefender should be sufficient to take hold of any new threats to your organization. You do have the option to run ane-off full or quick scans, but it isn't a characteristic that is stressed.
To be fair, this should be no different for the real-time malware protection offered by whatever of the remainder of the antivirus apps that we reviewed. Modern antivirus software doesn't really need to perform scheduled scans, but Bitdefender is the only one of the Mac antivirus programs nosotros reviewed to take the step of removing scheduled scans entirely.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Antivirus functioning
In order to determine the overall efficacy of Bitdefender's malware scanning, nosotros relied on the Federal republic of germany-based AV-Test lab and Austria-based AV-Comparatives lab, which deport regular evaluations of major antivirus apps and services.
During the March-April 2021 round of testing by AV-Test lab, Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac detected 100% of Mac malware. During this same round of testing, Avast (100%), Norton (100%) and Tendency Micro (100%) all matched Bitdefender. Intego and Kaspersky were not tested in that round, but Kaspersky got a 100% score in May-June 2020, while Intego got 98.v% in Nov-Dec 2020.
| AV-Test, about recent | AV-Test, previous | AV-Comparatives, well-nigh contempo | AV-Comparatives, previous | |
| Avast | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Bitdefender | 100% | 97.iii% | 100% | 100% |
| Intego | 98.5% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Kaspersky | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Norton | 100% | 100% | Not tested | Not tested |
| Trend Micro | 100% | 100% | 99.6% | 100% |
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac avoided getting any imitation positives, pregnant all detections were accurate, but this was true of its competitors also. Information technology detected more than 99% of Mac potentially unwanted programs (annoying programs that sneak into other programs' installations) and more 99% of Windows malware, but then did Avast and Tendency Micro.
Bitdefender'south previous round of AV-Test Mac evaluations resulted in an uncharacteristically poor performance of 97.3% detection. Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac had previously failed to notice 100% of malware threats in AV-Test's evaluations but once since Apr of 2017.
Turning to the AV-Comparatives testing, Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac successfully identified 100% of the Mac malware threats, every bit well every bit all the potentially unwanted programs and Windows malware, in June 2021 tests. It has been perfect on each of the AV-Comparatives tests going back to July 2017. Avast, Intego and Kaspersky all detected 100% of Mac malware in June 2021 test as well, while Trend Micro detected 99.6%.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Security and privacy features
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac doesn't get all the features that Bitdefender 2021 for Windows offers, but it does bring a lilliputian more than to the table than more than Spartan options such as Avast Costless Mac Security or Intego Mac Internet Security X9.
I helpful overarching feature that Bitdefender offers is Autopilot. This is your "personal security counselor," which appears at the top of the main dashboard and gives you advice regarding deportment you might want to take to ensure the health and security of your Mac.
Beyond Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac's existent-time and antivirus scanning, you have a number of web-protection features bundled into a browser extension known as TrafficLight. Once installed on Chrome, Firefox or Safari, TrafficLight attempts to filter out any malicious content yous run into on the web earlier information technology ever hits your arrangement.
Ransomware protection comes in the grade of Rubber Files and Time Automobile Protection. Both these features are designed to prevent any authorized admission or changes to any files or folders that you have designated as personal or sensitive.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac as well includes Bitdefender VPN. Unfortunately, the service is limited to 200MB per day — just enough to bank check your email when traveling — and won't let you cull your server location. To break free of those limitations, you'd need to upgrade to the premium VPN service for $l a twelvemonth.
While I didn't have an observable speed striking from the Bitdefender VPN, you would probably be better served by ane of the best VPN stand up-lonely services in terms of features Y'all could also effort Kaspersky'south VPN service, which uses the aforementioned leased VPN lines every bit Bitdefender only costs just $30 per year.
A new anti-tracker characteristic is some other privacy component to Bitdefender, blocking whatever trackers that will endeavor to follow you lot around the web. This can be enabled for Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge.
One feature in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus for Windows y'all won't get is Bitdefender Wallet, Bitdefender'south password director, which inexplicably won't run on Mac, iOS or Android. (Kaspersky'south password manager will.) Some other is Safepay, which lets you lot open banking and shopping sites in a secure browser that enforces encrypted links and blocks extensions.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Functioning and system impact
In order to measure the functioning impact of Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac, we ran the Geekbench 5 benchmarking exam prior to installing the app and then ran a series of tests with the tool after installation. The 2016 MacBook Pro 13-inch laptop that we used for the review had a 2.9Ghz Intel Cadre i5-6267U processor, 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a 256GB SSD with 42.18GB of files installed.
Running our Geekbench 5 exam prior to installing Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac, the examination achieved a score of 1,848. That dropped only to 1,847 following the installation of the app, a nearly imperceptible lag of about 0.05%. This was true for most of the antivirus apps that I reviewed. The but ones whose background system impact didn't round out to zero were Tendency Micro, with a 1% lag, and Kaspersky, which showed the biggest drop at a mere iii%.
| Post-installation | Full scan | Quick browse | |
| Avast | 0% | 27% | 3% |
| Bitdefender | 0% | 19% | 1% |
| Intego | 0% | 34% | 3% |
| Kaspersky | 3% | 12% | 4% |
| Norton | 0% | 12% | 0% |
| Trend Micro | one% | 46% | 1% |
The full browse was also a adequately solid effort from Bitdefender. It resulted in a 19% performance striking, the second-lowest result behind Kaspersky (12%) and Norton (12%), which tied for offset place. Avast (27%) was not also distantly far backside, but Intego (34%) and Trend Micro (46%) were specks in the rearview mirror.
A Bitdefender quick browse was near perfect, with only a 1% drop. This matched Trend Micro (1%) and was 2nd only to Norton (0%). None performed also poorly on the quick browse, but Avast (3%), Intego (3%) and Kaspersky (4%) brought upwardly the rear.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac's kickoff full scan took 27 minutes and 55 seconds and scanned 606,565 files. That was the second-slowest initial browse, ahead of only the distant last-place finisher Kaspersky (39:05). (Subsequent scans will be shorter.) No others fifty-fifty crossed xiii minutes, with Trend Micro (12:03), Norton (11:45), Avast (x:25) and Intego (6:22) topping the list.
Bitdefender's quick scan looks at the almost mutual areas for viruses or malware. On my test system, this scanned 14,765 files in 16 seconds. Considering the number of files, this was an excellent result, with simply Intego (00:11) and Norton (00:13) finishing faster. Avast (00:18) was hot on its heels and and then information technology was a distant 5th and sixth finish for Kaspersky (00:53) and Trend Micro (one:06).
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Interface
Bitdefender does an splendid job of keeping its user interface compact without overwhelming you lot with also many options or settings. The left cavalcade is divided into Dashboard, Protection, Privacy and Notifications, with the content of those sections displayed on the right.
The Dashboard puts Autopilot recommendations at the top with options to run a quick or full scan only below. Another row of options lets you manage your device subscriptions or view your protected files and the condition of your web protection browser extensions.
Protection is separate into iii divide tabs. The kickoff, Antivirus, offers you the total pick of scans, including Custom and Organization scans. You can also view quarantined files and specify files that you would like to exempt from scans.
The 2d tab, Web Protection, duplicates the Dashboard section of the same proper noun. The final tab, Anti-Ransomware, lets you use Prophylactic Files to specify which files or folders you would like to protect every bit sensitive content. You tin run into which applications accept requested to change or admission these files. Time Machine Protection is essentially identical to Safe Files but solely focused on Fourth dimension Machine backups.
The Privacy section has simply a couple of features: Bitdefender VPN and Anti-tracker. I've described the limitations of the Bitdefender VPN already, merely using information technology is quite simple. Click open and a Bitdefender VPN pop-up appears to evidence how much of your 200MB daily allotment is remaining and a big bluish push button to plough it on.
Anti-tracker, much similar Web Protection, doesn't have an interactive component to it. It simply shows that the tracker-blocking feature is operational on your installed browsers.
The last primary section is Notifications. As you would wait, this displays all the activities carried out by Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: Installation and support
You lot tin can download Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac directly from the Bitdefender website. The installation file is just 20.5MB, and the installation footprint is small as well, at just 18.5MB. Bitdefender does an excellent chore of walking you through the permissions that need to be granted and and then requires a restart of your Mac to complete the installation.
Completing the rest of the setup took about five minutes and generally involved enabling the browser-based protections.
Bitdefender offers 24/7 tech support via phone, electronic mail or alive chat. If you have a adequately common question, the visitor's site offers extensive FAQs, videos and customs forums.
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac review: Bottom line
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac may not accept quite as many features equally Norton 360 Standard, but from a pure antivirus-app standpoint, information technology covers everything that most users should be worried about in an accessible way.
Bitdefender'southward pricing is extremely competitive, particularly if you have multiple Macs to protect. My primary complaint is the VPN limitations and upgrade pricing, only you tin turn to an outside VPN solution if necessary and all the same come up in below the price of a Norton 360 Standard subscription.
If you desire a adept-looking and like shooting fish in a barrel-to-use Mac antivirus solution with a proven rail record, then Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac remains the best choice.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/bitdefender-antivirus-mac
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