Norton 360 vs Bitdefender

Norton 360 vs Bitdefender the Ultimate Antivirus Comparison

Written by Ria du Plessis - Web Developer

Updated on August 12 , 2021

The battle for supremacy, Norton 360 vs Bitdefender, goes back more than two decades. The dilemma of picking between the two is indeed a head-scratcher. These companies have dominated top-antivirus lists and are constantly competing for the title of #1 software provider. Let's dive into the features, pros, and cons of what makes Norton 360 different from Bitdefender.

Software
Features
  • Real-time malware protection
  • Around-the-clock support
  • Strong privacy protection
  • Safe web browsing
  • Multi-layered malware protection
  • Fast system scans
  • Secure web browsing
  • Enhanced security suite and advanced features

Overall Comparison

Our verdict on overall best antivirus program is Norton 360 Antivirus

Norton 360 Pros

Bitdefender Pros

  • It's user friendly and easy to download and install
  • You get device protection of up to 10 devices with the Norton Security Premium
  • Industry-leading parental control features
  • The iOS/Android packages are affordable and robust
  • No limits on VPN
  • The VPN is fast and secure
  • Has the best firewall security
  • Easy to download and install
  • Fast malware detection
  • Security system mode customized for every situation
  • Triple shield protection on your devices

Norton 360 Cons

Bitdefender Cons

  • The scans are slow sometimes
  • Norton should improve the security extras
  • The 2nd year payment plans are high
  • The MacOs lacks backup and parental control features
  • iOS devices have limited security protection 
  • Weak offline security
  • Frequent reminders to upgrade your plan
  • The VPN doesn’t have unlimited access
  • The price plan is costly
  • The scanning takes longer than usual

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Norton Vs Webroot

One of the key criteria when comparing Norton 360 vs Bitdefender is reviewing their free versions. The two brands offer different pricing plans and features. 

Bitdefender’s free software stands out against the Norton 360 30-day free trial. One major downfall of Bitdefender is the lack of macOS, Android, and iOS support for their cheaper versions.

Overall winner: Norton 360

Key Features

Norton 360 and Bitdefender offer a fair number of unique features, but how do they compare to each other? Let's take a look;

Features

Norton 360

Bitdefender

Virus Scanner

Yes

Yes

Threat Protection

Yes

Yes

Malware Removal

Yes

Yes

Phishing Detection

Yes

Yes

Spyware Protection

Yes

Yes

Ransomware Protection

Yes

Yes

Cloud Backup

No

Yes 50G

Firewall 

Yes

Yes

VPN

Yes

Yes

Browser Protection

Yes

Yes

Webcam Protection

Yes

Yes

Password Manager

Yes

Yes

Identity Theft Protection

No

No

Parental Control

Yes

Yes

Safe Banking

Yes

Yes

Performance Optimization

Yes

No

Cleaning Tools

Yes

Yes

File Shredder

Yes

No

Game Mode

Yes

Yes

Mobile App

Yes

Yes

Key Features Compared 

Both Norton 360 and Bitdefender offer perfect protection from existing and emerging malware. They’re user-friendly, have excellent customer support features, are reasonably priced for their value, and have useful internet security features. 

Both Bitdefender Premium Security and Norton 360 Deluxe have additional features that make them stand out. Norton 360 Deluxe includes

  • Password manager 
  • PC safe cam
  • Cloud backup 

Bitdefender Premium Security has;

  • Anti-Theft 
  • Unlimited VPN 
  • Multi-layer ransomware protection

In addition to that, Bitdefender is more user-friendly and cheaper than Norton 360.

Best for antivirus features: It's a tie

Norton 360 features;

Norton 360 features

Bitdefender features;

Bitdefender features

Malware Protection Capabilities

To determine which antivirus solution has better malware protection capabilities, we had to take a look at third-party testing done by AV-Test

The results were:

Norton 360 Test Results;

Norton 360 Test Results

Norton did well in these malware tests; the software detected 100% of all 278 zero-day malware samples that were used and 100% of the 16990 samples that were used over 4 weeks.

Bitdefender Test Results;

Bitdefender Test Results

Bitdefender also detected all of the malware samples.

Bitdefender and Norton offer excellent protection. It all comes down to malware detection and removal, personal preference on the type of scans you’d like, and how advanced you want your scans to be. 

Best for malware protection: A tie

System Performance

When shopping for the best antivirus for your PC, you need to consider the impact of the product on your computer's performance. To find out which antivirus solution has less impact on systems, we look at AV-test results again.

The results were:

Norton Results;

Norton Results

Bitdefender Results;

Bitdefender Results

Both Norton and Bitdefender scored an impressive 6 out of 6 in the test. When looking at the overall impact, Bitdefender had less impact on systems than Norton.

Best for system performance: Bitdefender has minimal system impact on systems.

Pricing

The two products rate differently when you compare the prices. Both Bitdefender and Norton 360 offer different packages to consumers depending on their personal needs. 

Norton 360 Deluxe is more affordable compared to the Bitdefender Premium. However, Bitdefender Premium protects up to 10 devices, while Norton 360 Deluxe offers protection to only five devices. 

Below is a table showing the different pricing packages available from the two cybersecurity providers.

Norton 360 Standard

Norton 360 Deluxe

Norton 360 and LifeLock Select

Norton 360 and LifeLock Advantage

Norton360 and LifeLock Ultimate Plus

$79.99 per year

$99.99 per year

$149.99 per year

$249.99

$349.99

Bitdefender Internet

Security

Bitdefender Total Security

Bitdefender Premium Security

$79.99 per year

$89.99 per year

$149.99 per year

The two brands offer exceptional discounts for first-time customers. From the table, you can see the higher the price, the more security features you get from your package for both Norton 360 and Bitdefender. Norton 360 has a 60-day money-back guarantee, while Bitdefender has a 30-day one.

Best price: Norton 360

Ease of Use and User Friendliness

Both Norton and Bitdefender have user-friendly designs.  

The Bitdefender interface offers a neon green and black template; when you open the program, the dashboard has a welcoming notification of “You are safe.” 

There’s a list of devices using the program and the available security features. Bitdefender also has a suggestion section where customers can give their feedback.

Norton 360’s user-friendly interface contains the signature colors of the company: black, grey, and yellow. Just like Bitdefender, the Norton 360 dashboard notifies you that you’re safe. 

From the program's dashboard, you can easily access identity, performance, security, and all the other features. It even includes a web portal to manage the devices using the antivirus program efficiently.

Bitdefender Interface;

Bitdefender Interface

Norton Interface;

Norton Interface

Most user-friendly provider: Norton 360

Customer Support

Both Norton 360 and Bitdefender offer 24/7 customer support for all their packages. 

You can get assistance from a fully functional and active online community forum, live chat, email, and FAQ section from both platforms

The only downfall with Norton 360 is that its phone support isn’t free, unlike Bitdefender’s. 

Bitdefender has also gone the extra mile to improve customer service by including videos showing customers how to handle common problems they might experience when using their products.

Best customer support: Bitdefender

Conclusion

Bitdefender and Norton 360 both offer well-suited security features with exceptional malware detection rates. 

Depending on what you’re looking for, these products offer some of the best security features in the antivirus regime.

The narrowest victory goes to Norton 360 due to its lighter system impact, user-friendly interface, the great rate in independence tests, and lower price plan.