Bitdefender vs Kaspersky

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Bitdefender

Antivirus with a free Windows edition and paid suites covering Mac, Android and iOS.

Free plan + paid

Visit Bitdefender Bitdefender profile

Kaspersky

Consumer antivirus and security suite, the successor to Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Internet Security.

Paid

Visit Kaspersky Kaspersky profile

The short answer

Both score well in independent lab tests. Bitdefender is the pick for most people, especially in the US, because it has a free Windows edition and is sold everywhere. Kaspersky suits users outside the US who want one paid suite with an unlimited VPN, password manager and parental controls bundled. The biggest difference: Kaspersky has no free tier and is no longer sold or updated in the United States.

Bitdefender or Kaspersky: our take

Bitdefender and Kaspersky are two of the antivirus brands that regularly land near the top of independent lab tests, so detection alone rarely decides between them. The practical differences are in pricing, bundling and where you live.

Bitdefender has a free Windows edition with no time limit: real-time scanning, behaviour-based detection and a basic VPN capped at 200 MB per day, with few pop-ups and almost no settings. Paying gets you more platforms and features. Antivirus Plus Multiplatform costs $29.99 a year for 3 devices, Total Security is $59.99 a year, and Premium Security is $79.99 a year. Total Security adds ransomware remediation, web protection, a vulnerability scanner and parental tools across Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Introductory prices rise at renewal, so check the second-year price.

Kaspersky is paid only, with a 30-day money-back guarantee instead of a free tier. Its Standard, Plus and Premium plans replaced the old Anti-Virus, Internet Security and Total Security products. Every plan has real-time protection, payment protection and cleanup tools such as a duplicate and large-file finder. Higher plans add an unlimited VPN, a password manager, identity protection and Safe Kids parental controls. It also lists Linux support for some distributions, which Bitdefender's consumer line doesn't. The catch is availability and trust: sales and updates in the United States ended in 2024 after a US government ban, and some organisations elsewhere avoid it for policy reasons. The bundled cleanup and upsell tools can also feel like clutter if you only want antivirus.

In the US, Bitdefender is the realistic choice. On a single Windows PC where free protection is enough, Bitdefender Antivirus Free covers it. Outside the US, if you want one subscription that bundles an unlimited VPN, password manager and parental controls, or you need Linux coverage, Kaspersky's upper plans pack more in, as long as its ownership isn't a concern for you.

Choose Bitdefender if…

Windows users who want a quiet, high-scoring free antivirus with an upgrade path
You want a free option (Kaspersky is paid only)
Free Windows edition with no time limit and few alerts
Basic VPN included even in the free version

Choose Kaspersky if…

Home users outside the US who want a full security suite with VPN and parental controls bundled
You need Linux, which Bitdefender doesn't list
Strong results in independent antivirus lab tests
Higher plans bundle VPN, password manager and parental controls

What is Bitdefender?

Bitdefender is a Romanian security company whose antivirus regularly scores near the top in independent lab tests. Bitdefender Antivirus Free is a pared-back Windows app: real-time scanning, behaviour-based detection that watches for suspicious changes, and a basic VPN with a small daily data allowance, all with few pop-ups and no time limit. The paid line starts with Antivirus Plus for one Windows PC and goes up to Total Security, which covers Windows, macOS, Android and iOS on up to 10 devices and adds ransomware remediation, web protection, a vulnerability scanner and parental tools. Plans are yearly subscriptions, with introductory discounts that rise at renewal. It suits people who want strong detection with little interference; the free version has no settings to tweak and runs only on Windows.

What is Kaspersky?

Kaspersky is a long-running antivirus brand from the Russian-founded company Kaspersky Lab. Its older standalone products, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Internet Security and Total Security, were folded into three subscription plans: Standard, Plus and Premium. All of them include real-time scanning against viruses, ransomware and spyware, plus payment protection and cleanup tools such as a duplicate and large-file finder. Higher tiers add an unlimited VPN, a password manager, identity protection and the Safe Kids parental controls. It runs on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, with Linux support listed for some distributions. Plans are paid yearly subscriptions with a money-back period rather than a free tier. Kaspersky products score well in independent lab tests, but sales and updates in the United States ended in 2024 after a US government ban, and some organisations elsewhere avoid it for similar policy reasons.

Side by side

Attribute	Bitdefender	Kaspersky
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
Best for	Windows users who want a quiet, high-scoring free antivirus with an upgrade path	Home users outside the US who want a full security suite with VPN and parental controls bundled
Status	Active	Active