Avast One vs Bitdefender
A free tier that is genuinely usable against the highest score on this site. The paid plans, and what each renews at, are in the table below.
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Avast One
The most complete free plan, with an asterisk on privacy history.
Bitdefender Total Security
Lab-test royalty that stays out of your way.
Prices last checked on
| Feature | Avast One | Bitdefender Total Security |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.3 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Price | From $4.09/mo | From $5/mo |
| Renews at | $77.99/yr | $109.99/yr |
| Free plan | No | |
| Best for | Free users wanting extras | Most people, most devices |
| Category | Free & built-in | Complete suites |
| Provider | Gen Digital | Bitdefender |
| Visit Avast One | Visit Bitdefender Total Security |
What year two costs
On the vendors’ own pages, read September 30, 2026: Avast One renews at $77.99 a year after a $49.08 first year (up 58.9%); Bitdefender Total Security renews at $109.99 a year after a $59.99 first year (up 83.3%). Across the 7 vendors that print a renewal price, the median increase is 33.3% and the average 42.2%; every vendor with its source is in the Renewal Price Index, and the entry prices of both sit side by side in the Price Index.
Our verdict
Bitdefender wins on protection and Avast wins if you would rather pay nothing. Bitdefender Total Security holds the highest score we give on this site at 4.7; Avast One scores 4.3.
The first-year and renewal prices of both are in the table above, read on the vendors' pages in September 2026, and on that reading the paid Avast tier is the cheaper of the two, so price is not the argument for Bitdefender. What separates them is what you get for free.
Avast One Essential costs nothing and still includes the antivirus engine, a firewall and a limited VPN, which is unusually generous. Bitdefender has no free tier at all on these plans. The honest downside of Avast is its history.
Gen Digital, the parent company, sold browsing data through a subsidiary and shut it down in 2020 after it became public. That is settled, but it belongs in the decision.
The honest downside of Bitdefender is that the interface hides useful settings behind several clicks, and the first year price is a promotional rate that goes up on renewal. If you want the strongest protection and the Bitdefender price in the table is fine, take Bitdefender.
If you want solid protection for nothing, take Avast One Essential. The paid Avast tier sits between the two: cheaper than Bitdefender on the current reading, but with the lower score, so pay for it only if the unlimited VPN is what you are after.
“Still the most complete free antivirus, and the paid tier is a decent suite. We dock points for history. In 2024 the FTC fined Avast $16.5 million for selling browsing data through its Jumpshot subsidiary. The protection is excellent. Just go in with open eyes.”Editorial team, on Avast One
“The best mix of protection, speed, and price in this lineup. Full marks at AV-TEST again in 2026, with the AV-Comparatives result on the lab’s own page linked below, noticeably light on system resources, and the suite features feel useful rather than bolted on. Watch the renewal price, like everywhere in this market.”Editorial team, on Bitdefender Total Security
Frequently asked questions
Is Avast One good enough on the free plan?
For a careful user, yes. Avast One Essential is free and still includes the antivirus engine, a firewall and a capped VPN, which is more than most free tiers offer. What you give up are the extras of the paid tier, priced in the table above as read on Avast's page in September 2026.
Which of the two protects better?
Bitdefender on our reading, and it holds the highest editorial score on this site at 4.7 against 4.3. That is our judgement based on published independent lab results, not a test we ran ourselves. Both sit near the top of the market. The gap is real but small.
Why does Avast cost more than Bitdefender?
On the current reading it does not. The first-year and renewal prices in the table above, read on the vendors' pages in September 2026, put the paid Avast One tier below Bitdefender Total Security on both rows. Check the device count on each plan before you treat that as a saving. Both first-year prices are promotional rates that rise on renewal, and the choice still comes down to the free tier at Avast against the higher protection score at Bitdefender.