Antivirus software is an important part of keeping your PC secure. Windows 11 already has a competent antivirus package built in thanks to Microsoft Defender, but a dedicated security suite can offer additional protection and features.
After all, your PC is full of valuable information, from your online banking details and important emails to family photos, so it makes sense to keep things secure. I’ve spent a lot of time with Bitdefender and Avast antivirus packages to help evaluate which one is right for you.
After all, you only need to sign up for one plan, and you want to make it a good one. Bitdefender has been around since 2001, while Avast was established back in 1988, so you’re in safe hands with either. I’ve looked at how well their current antivirus tools work and how easy each package is to use in 2026.
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Bitdefender Premium Security
Bitdefender Premium Security is a solid all-rounder that’s suitable for most people. It offers antivirus protection as well as an unlimited VPN, password manager, scam protection and email protection, covering up to five devices. It isn’t the cheapest option out there, but it packs in plenty of useful features and is mostly simple to use. It’s reliable too and, in my testing, had little impact on my PC’s performance.
Buy now £59.99, Bitdefender.com
Avast Premium Security
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Avast Premium Security offers strong antivirus protection alongside a range of tools designed to protect you from scams, suspicious emails and unsafe websites. It’s cheaper than Bitdefender Premium Security and there’s also a completely free Avast antivirus option if you only need the basics. Unlike Bitdefender Premium Security, however, it doesn’t include a VPN – for that, you’ll need to step up to Avast Ultimate. The interface can feel a little cluttered and there’s some upselling, but it’s still a strong option for the price.
Buy now £39.99, Avast.com
Bitdefender vs Avast: Pricing and plans
Bitdefender
Pros: Flexible range of plans; family plans support up to 25 devices
Cons: More expensive than Avast Premium Security
Avast
Pros: Free antivirus option; Premium Security is cheaper than Bitdefender Premium Security
Cons: VPN requires Avast Ultimate
In typical antivirus software fashion, Bitdefender and Avast both have plans that are cheap for the first year before increasing in price for the second year. Bitdefender offers basic antivirus protection starting at £17.99 for one device. You also get a VPN bundled in, but it has a strict limit of 200MB of data per day, so it won’t be much use for most people.
With Bitdefender, I’d recommend paying a little more and going for Bitdefender Premium Security, which is £59.99 for the first year. It turns the VPN into one with unlimited data, adds a password manager and also includes scam protection and email protection. If you want the middle ground, there’s Bitdefender Total Security for £49.99, which includes antivirus protection, a password manager and the limited 200MB-per-day VPN. In my experience, the extra £10 for Premium Security and its unlimited VPN is the better deal.
For those who want even more, there’s Bitdefender Ultimate Security for £69.98, which adds dark web monitoring, real-time breach notifications and identity protection features on top of everything Premium includes. There are also family plans that support up to 25 devices and five accounts.
Avast’s big highlight is its free antivirus, but if you want more protection, there’s Premium Security and Ultimate. Avast Premium Security currently costs £39.99 for the first year for its single-device plan. It can help protect you against scams, suspicious emails and unsafe websites, as well as remote attacks and Wi-Fi security issues. The single-device subscription covers one PC or Mac plus one mobile device, while Avast also offers a multi-device version that protects up to 10 devices.
If you want a VPN, you’ll need to step up to Avast Ultimate, which bundles Premium Security with SecureLine VPN, Cleanup Premium and AntiTrack. Its multi-device version supports up to 10 devices.
Avast offers useful features and there’s no doubt that its free antivirus is an obvious highlight. However, if you want a VPN, I’d lean towards Bitdefender as it offers more practical features that you’ll genuinely use on a regular basis. Your mileage may vary, though, depending on how well you can identify scam emails and texts without the backup of Avast.
Winner: Bitdefender
Bitdefender vs Avast: Features
Bitdefender
Pros: All the key features included; password manager and unlimited VPN included with Premium Security
Cons: Focused more on security than cleaning up your PC
Avast
Pros: Lots of key features; clearly lays out what needs resolving
Cons: Some features, including the VPN, require Avast Ultimate
Out of the two, Bitdefender has more of the features that I use on a daily basis compared with Avast’s. Using Bitdefender Premium Security has been a good experience. Of course, there’s antivirus protection, but there’s also a password manager and an unlimited VPN. For my peace of mind, I find a combination of antivirus, VPN and password manager is the sweet spot for providing substantial security without cluttering your PC. Besides those three, you also get scam protection and email protection, among smaller details such as webcam protection.
Starting out, you can perform a system scan so Bitdefender knows what’s going on and that everything is safe. From there, it’s simple to set up scam protection, while there’s an extensive dashboard for picking through everything else you might want to do or set up. It’s user-friendly, if a little cluttered at times.
Avast packs in a lot, with the features varying depending on whether you’re using the free antivirus or something heftier. I’ve used Avast Premium Security, which provides antivirus protection alongside scam protection for suspicious emails and websites, deepfake detection and Wi-Fi network security tools. On mobile, there’s also protection against scam SMS messages and calls. To gain a VPN and more extensive PC cleanup tools, you’ll need to upgrade to Avast Ultimate.
Like the best options, Avast scans your PC immediately before identifying any issues and confirming there are no viruses. It also immediately dives into upselling you towards other features, which is a little in your face, but at least explains what you’re paying for if you choose to. Ultimately, though, Bitdefender is clearer to look at and my preferred choice. Premium Security costs a little more than Avast’s equivalent, but there’s less upselling in sight.
Winner: Bitdefender
Bitdefender vs Avast: Ease of use
Bitdefender
Pros: Easy to figure out; categories help split things up
Cons: Dashboard can feel cluttered with text
Avast
Pros: Detailed dashboard; cute visuals
Cons: Very cluttered at times
Bitdefender somehow manages to have a clearly laid-out dashboard while still feeling cluttered at times. That’s because it divides things up according to different needs, but also uses a lot of text to describe everything, which can feel a bit visually overwhelming. It’s a curious juxtaposition that kind of works.
Where things work much better is how Bitdefender lets you add Quick Actions to its main dashboard, so you can quickly find the tasks you’re most likely to use. It also has a notifications section, so you can look through what you’ve performed previously on your PC. It’s also possible to toggle off a bunch of things, right down to disabling special offers that try to upsell you on products, which means you feel in control. Finally, there are personalised recommendations from Bitdefender and other helpful touches such as Safepay, which means you always feel like Bitdefender has your best interests in mind, even when you haven’t thought of something yourself.
When using Avast, I was a little charmed by the cute visuals used to demonstrate that my PC was clear of viruses and threats. The rest of its dashboard and general interface is detailed, which is both good and bad depending on what you prefer. It’s easy to see at a glance what hasn’t been done and what needs setting up, but its darker interface and text-heavy design makes even the most cluttered parts of Bitdefender look bright and breezy.
On the other hand, it’s easy to click on the antivirus scan and see what needs your attention. You’ll always be informed of what has or hasn’t been done previously, and Avast is pretty clear at telling you what needs resolving. As someone who knows PCs, I questioned some of its recommendations, but you’re not pushed into doing them all. I found Bitdefender a little more user-friendly on the whole, but both will get the job done.
Winner: Bitdefender
Bitdefender vs Avast: Support
Bitdefender
Pros: 24/7 live chat and phone support; how-to guides and videos for more than just security queries
Cons: Phone support isn’t freephone number
Avast
Pros: 24/7 live chat and freephone support; forum support available
Cons: Ugly support centre with limited FAQs
Bitdefender offers 24/7 live chat and phone support. It uses a London-based phone number, which could incur charges depending on your phone plan, while live chat is available around the clock.
Bitdefender also provides a substantial knowledge base, which includes how-to guides and video tutorials for more than just your antivirus or security needs. It’s genuinely helpful and well laid out for a lot of simple tasks.
Avast also provides support for customers with paid subscriptions, including technical, installation and setup help for Avast products. Its standard support system works through its online contact service, with Avast stating that it usually responds within two business days. There aren’t any good support pages either. It has some FAQs but they’re quite ugly to look at, limited in scope and a far cry from Bitdefender’s attractive and informative way of doing things. You can get support through the Avast forums as wel.
If you want 24/7 phone support, Avast offers Premium Tech Support as a separate paid service. Ultimately, though, I was more impressed by Bitdefender’s support options and how-to guides, which make it easier to get help whenever you need it.
Winner: Bitdefender
Should you get Bitdefender or Avast?
If you just want basic antivirus protection at the lowest price, Avast’s free antivirus is an easy solution. It works well and it’s hard to resist something that’s completely free. When it comes to more well-rounded packages, however, things get a bit more complicated. Bitdefender is my choice. It’s a little more expensive than Avast Premium Security, but I prefer its features, especially the inclusion of an unlimited VPN with Premium Security, and its dashboard is easier to navigate. There’s also less upselling than with Avast’s offerings.
Whichever you go for, you’ll still get reliable antivirus protection, but when you need more security features to back up the basics, Bitdefender is more appealing, though I wish all antivirus platforms used cute visuals like Avast, but that still doesn’t stop it being slightly less appealing on a practical level.
How Bitdefender and Avast were tested
Over the years, I’ve used both Bitdefender and Avast packages at different times. In the case of this evaluation, I signed up for new accounts and went from there. I used both antivirus packages for around a week each to correctly evaluate how well they worked and how effectively they co-existed alongside other software and daily tasks.
During my time testing and evaluating Bitdefender and Avast, I always kept key criteria in mind as I used them. The kind of things that anyone using the software needs to know. Here’s a deeper look at exactly what I considered:
- Ease of use: I wanted antivirus software that was simple to use from start to finish, from a straightforward sign-up and installation process to how easy it was to use and activate various features. I looked at how Bitdefender and Avast worked, considering how simple they would be for those less knowledgeable about technology, as well as more advanced users.
- Features: I looked at the features that both Bitdefender and Avast offered, appreciating that these could change depending on the plan you sign up to. I also looked at whether the bundled features were genuinely useful or filler. This involved comparing them with competitors to see if either plan boasted something unique.
- Value for money: I evaluated whether Bitdefender and Avast represented good value for money. That didn’t mean simply picking the cheapest option, but the one that was worth your money. That could mean extra key features making it worth spending more, but also looking at how each package compares with the rest of the antivirus market.
- Performance: I wanted to see if there was any performance impact on my PC while either Bitdefender or Avast was running in the background. I also looked at how quickly each worked, whether loading up or performing a virus scan. Overall, I was looking for speedy and reliable performance.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
All our reviews are based on thorough, fair, real-world testing carried out by experts in their field. Jennifer Allen is an expert in everything tech. She has reviewed domain hosting services, VPNs, and more for IndyBest.
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