Kaspersky Total vs BitDefender Total

[Rayano24]

Bitdefneder is 15$ cheaper, I've used Kaspersky for the past 4 years and havent really had major issues with it, so just looking at options, do you recommend bitdefender over it or should I stick to Kaspersky? One of the PC's it will be used on is quite old/slow so performance is a plus and online banking features would be great

I've noticed that bitdefender is better received by reviewers but the opposite by consumers so that's why I'm not convinced

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I just switched from BD to KA .... BD just became too onerous to own. We use site licenses and I put on a data server or USB stick to install wherever I want. BD now requires me to download to a unique e-mail address for each license / site / PC which is a Royal PITA. KA oft drives me crazy otherwise but not as much as BD. BD suffered from the fate off all the major players that came before them where the DRM protections get in the way so much that administration gets too difficult. Also KA goes OFF easy for troubleshooting, BD was a PITA.

 

[superninja12]

Hey there,

Its a fact that bit defender is more secure than kaspersky.
It also uses less processor power, which should give you a noticeable improvement in pc usage.
Although i never used kaspersky before i can tell from people who have tried both they're happier with bit defender.
I use myself nod32 which is also a really secure antivirus , thats almost on par with bit defender.
Nevertheless if you get a discount on bit defender its a good idea to switch from kasperksy.

If you got anymore questions don't hesitate to ask !

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Although i never used kaspersky before

That puts you at a distinct disadvantage since you have no personal frame of reference. I have dozens of users who have used both and I can track the amount of IT time spent on each box which show a clear and distinct drop since the switch.

As for you alleged "fact" .... well let's just say it doesnt stand up

https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/windows-10/april-2016/kaspersky-lab-internet-security-2016-161457/

Kapersky = 100 / 100 / 100 / 100

https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/windows-10/april-2016/bitdefender-internet-security-2016-161491/

BitDefender = 100 / 100 / 99.9 / 100

Not that I am saying that this shows a clear advantage to KA, these things vary from month to month and both have their misses.... but BOTH are consistently at the top from test to test and have been for some\ time. Both also have terrible tech support.

However, turning off every feature of KA for troubleshooting is a very simple process ... completely turning off BT is "involved". Administration of BT is burdensome. Count the IT time spent when you have to download each license individually as compared to downloading KA once and I'm done.

Need any more factual info from someone with actual experience with both and more published references.... you know what to do

 

[shmu26]

Kaspersky is stronger in protection against exploits/zero-day.
Bitdefender has superior virus definitions, which update hourly. It is easier to configure, but on the other hand, gives less options for advanced users.
I have used both, and both are strong products!
either of them can cause issues on specific systems, you can't really know until you tried. But if you switch, you should run the kaspersky remover tool, to remove all leftover traces of kaspersky, before you install bitdefender. Otherwise, you run an increased risk of issues and slow performance.

 

[Rayano24]

My ISP have a rebranded Bitdefender Total Security 2015 for free for subscribers so I downloaded it, I've noticed a slowdown on my PC, also noticed the same when I tried the bitdefender trial, mainly browser loading times. I uninstalled previous AV's properly and even cleaned the registry, any other potential causes?


Anyways, since it is the 2015 version, would you say that is fine or I should just buy Kaspersky anyways

 

[JackNaylorPE]

The most onerous issues about BD are the administration and licensing. If you just using one license, then that part won't matter. I challenge anyone to show a consistent "real world" difference between any of the top vendors protection wise.

BD also has more false positives. Both have horrendous tech support.

If ya get one for free and the other ya have to pay for ... that's a pretty good argument... well depending on the price ya pay (we pay < $10 per seat). I you not having any issues, it's hard to make an argument for switching. If it's free and you don't have to deal with BDs onerous licensing / installation issues, the argument gets weaker.

The last thing worth mentioning is how often you wind up troubleshooting. When a game or program has issues, you need to restore default BIOS settings, getting rid of any OCs, disable any mods or 3rd party apps associated therewith and **completely** disable the AV .

According to BD Tech Support, as confirmed by my own experience, this is a rather involved process. According to KA Tech Support, again, as confirmed by my own experience, this is a 3 click process. So if you don't run into this either, I'd stick with BD as long as it's free.

For me tho ... if BD was free, I'd still use KA because with the number of machines, after just one troubleshooting instance, I have paid for all my licenses several times over.