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Bitdefender Antivirus Free logo

Bitdefender Antivirus Free

By Bitdefender Free Editors' Rating

Key Details of Bitdefender Antivirus Free

  • Get the lightweight antivirus with full protection
  • Last updated on 04/03/20
  • There has been 1 update within the past 6 months
  • The current version has 1 flag on VirusTotal badge_icon

Editors' Review

Download.com Staff Dec 15, 2014

Bitdefender Antivirus Free offers strong basic protection from computer viruses, malware, rootkits, and emerging threats. It's lightweight and unobtrusive, partly because it doesn't pack on extras like identity and privacy protection that other tools can provide, and partly because it lacks some of the automated features and support options that come with Bitdefender's premium antivirus solutions.

Pros

Less is more: Bitdefender Antivirus Free is refreshingly free of the "extra" features and tools that make some apps unwieldy and confusing for non-experts.

Easy to use: Bitdefender's compact main interface is a glorified system tray pop-up. We could toggle the Virus Shield and Auto Scan features, access an optional My Bitdefender account, and open the Logs, which also manage Events and Quarantine lists.

Auto Scan: Bitdefender's proprietary Auto Scan feature saves time and resources by focusing attention on high-risk areas. You can disable Auto Scan in the interface's Configuration Area.

Virus Shield: The optional Virus Shield scans files, Web pages, and data in real time to keep malware at bay.

Cons

Incompatible: Bitdefender Antivirus Free doesn't share power with other antivirus freeware like Microsoft Security Essentials.

Installation issues: Bitdefender's installer offers to remove conflicting programs, reboot, and resume setup, but we had to reboot and finish the installation manually.

Bottom Line

Plenty of free antivirus solutions offer nearly as many bells and whistles as premium packages. If you just want reliable antivirus protection that doesn't require a lot of attention, Bitdefender Antivirus Free belongs on your short list.

Full Specifications

What's new in version 1.0.17.164

Version 1.0.17.164 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

General

Release April 3, 2020
Date Added April 3, 2020
Version 1.0.17.164

Operating Systems

Operating Systems Windows, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10
Additional Requirements None

Popularity

Total Downloads 387,940
Downloads Last Week 94
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Developer's Description

Unreachable Security:
Award-winning, free protection. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition uses the best technologies created in Bitdefender's labs, internationally recognized for their ability to block even the threats that other products miss.

Zero configuration, zero interrupts:
Say goodbye to checkboxes to tick and options to OK . Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition takes care of all the threats without bothering you with useless details.

Extremely light:
When we say our product is light, we mean there is practically NO IMPACT on your PC's performance. Not even a trace of sluggishness, regardless of the age of your system.

Nag-free:
We know you don't like it when intrusive commercials disrupt your user experience. That's why Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition only displays discreet, rare messages, with stuff you really need to know.

Cloud power:
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition uses Cloud scanning to accelerate detection and unravel new or unknown threats that other products miss.

Game on:
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is the perfect AV solution for gaming. It pauses major system scans until you hit Quit.

For rookies and techies:
Friends or family ask you to install an antivirus on their machine? Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is easy to install and maintenance-free.

Windows 8 certified:
Using the latest Windows? Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is the first free antivirus solution compatible with Windows 8.
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