Bitdefender vs Norton
The two heavyweights of consumer security, both in the same AV-Comparatives rounds, whose ratings are on the lab's own page linked further down. The real differences are weight, extras, and what happens to the price in year two.
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Bitdefender Total Security
Lab-test royalty that stays out of your way.
Norton 360 Deluxe
The everything-suite, with identity protection in its DNA.
Prices last checked on
| Feature | Bitdefender Total Security | Norton 360 Deluxe |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.7 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Price | From $5/mo | From $4.17/mo |
| Renews at | $109.99/yr | $124.99/yr |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Best for | Most people, most devices | Families wanting one subscription |
| Category | Complete suites | Complete suites |
| Provider | Bitdefender | Gen Digital |
| Visit Bitdefender Total Security | Visit Norton 360 Deluxe |
What year two costs
On the vendors’ own pages, read September 8, 2026: Bitdefender Total Security renews at $109.99 a year after a $59.99 first year (up 83.3%); Norton 360 Deluxe renews at $124.99 a year after a $49.99 first year (up 150%). Across the 9 vendors that print a renewal price, the median increase is 58.9% and the average 64.3%; 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.
Bitdefender vs Norton vs McAfee
The three side by side: first-year and renewal price as printed on each vendor’s own page, the device count on that plan, and the AV-TEST scores from the round the lab published, each with the date the price was read.
| Product | First year | Renewal | Increase | Devices | AV-TEST | Read on | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitdefender Total SecurityTotal Security Individual (1 account, 5 devices, yearly) | $59.99 | $109.99 | +83.3% | 5 devices | 6.0 / 6.0 / 6.0AV-TEST, June 2026 | bitdefender.com | |
| Norton 360 DeluxeNorton 360 Deluxe | $49.99 | $124.99 | +150% | 5 devices | 6.0 / 6.0 / 6.0AV-TEST, June 2026 | us.norton.com renewal page | |
| McAfee+McAfee+ Premium Individual | $49.99 | $149.99 | +200% | no number printed | 6.0 / 6.0 / 6.0AV-TEST, June 2026 | mcafee.com |
- Amounts are in the currency each vendor bills in and are not converted; the increase is the renewal against the first year as printed.
- AV-TEST scores are protection, performance and usability, each 0 to 6, in the home-user round named in the cell. Lab pages read on September 8, 2026.
- The edition the lab tested can differ from the plan priced here: Bitdefender Total Security: Bitdefender Total Security 27.0; Norton 360 Deluxe: Norton Norton 360 26.4 & 26.5; McAfee+: McAfee Total Protection 1.37.
- Bitdefender Total Security, Norton 360 Deluxe, McAfee+ were in the AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test February-May 2026. The lab asks for written permission before its ratings are reproduced, so that result is on the lab’s page: AV-Comparatives, Real-World Protection Test February-May 2026.
Bitdefender wins on protection, Norton on what comes bundled, and McAfee on covering a crowded household. Read the renewal row before the first-year row, because the second year is where these three separate. Bitdefender also holds the highest score we give on this site.
Norton is the one to pick when the extras matter more than the last few percent of detection. Cloud backup, a password manager and a VPN come with the plan, and the tier above adds LifeLock identity protection on the same bill. McAfee is the household answer.
One subscription covers phones, tablets and Macs alongside Windows, which suits homes with more devices than people. It also carries the lowest of the three scores we give, and it is the heaviest of the three on an older machine. The honest downsides, in order. Bitdefender buries useful settings several clicks deep.
Norton installs more software than most people want and is awkward to remove cleanly. McAfee asks for your attention through notifications more often than the other two do.
Before paying any of the three, note that the first-year amounts in the table are introductory prices, that the increase column shows by how much the renewal rises where the vendor prints one, and that Microsoft Defender is already on a Windows PC at no cost. Most people with most devices should take Bitdefender.
Backup and identity cover on one bill points to Norton. A house full of phones and laptops on three operating systems points to McAfee.
Bitdefender or Norton: the verdict
Bitdefender wins for most people. Equal or better lab scores, a noticeably lighter footprint on your machine, and a saner interface with fewer upsells. Norton fights back with value extras Bitdefender does not match, especially 50 GB of cloud backup and the LifeLock identity ecosystem for US users.
Pick Norton if you will actually use the backup and identity tools. Pick Bitdefender if you want the best protection that stays out of your way. Whichever you choose, note the renewal price and disable auto-renewal on day one.
Put three years of ownership on one line, one first year and two renewals at the renewal prices in the table above, read on the vendors' pages in September 2026, and the gap gets concrete: Norton costs more over those three years.
That difference buys the 50 GB of cloud backup and the LifeLock route, not better malware detection. If you would use neither, you are paying for shelf space. In practice two questions settle it. Will you use 50 GB of cloud backup, and do you want US identity monitoring on the same bill?
Two yeses point to Norton. Anything else points to Bitdefender. The third tiebreaker is your hardware. On a laptop that already struggles, the lighter footprint of Bitdefender is something you notice every day, and no bundled extra makes up for a machine that feels slow. One more difference rarely makes the feature tables.
Norton sits under Gen Digital, the group that also owns Avast, AVG, Avira, and LifeLock. Bitdefender is independent. That matters only if vendor concentration matters to you, but it is worth knowing before you pick.
“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
“The most complete all-rounder. Excellent lab scores, generous cloud backup, a real VPN, and the deepest identity tools of any mainstream suite. It does more in the background than Bitdefender, and the renewal jump is steep, but as a one-subscription-covers-everything deal it is hard to beat.”Editorial team, on Norton 360 Deluxe
Frequently asked questions
Is Bitdefender better than Norton?
For most people, yes. Bitdefender matches or beats Norton in the independent labs, runs noticeably lighter on your machine, and its interface pushes fewer upsells. Norton wins in one situation, when you will actually use the extras Bitdefender does not match, in particular the 50 GB of cloud backup and the LifeLock identity ecosystem for US users. Decide on that question, not on the lab table.
Which is cheaper, Bitdefender or Norton?
Year one is not where these two separate; year two is. Both first-year and renewal prices are in the table above, read on the vendors' own pages in September 2026, and on that reading Bitdefender renews lower than Norton. Judge these two on the renewal row, because that is the number you pay from the second year onwards.
Does Norton slow your computer down more than Bitdefender?
On older hardware, yes. Norton 360 Deluxe does more in the background and we rate it heavier on aging machines, while Bitdefender is one of the lighter suites in this lineup. On a current PC the difference is small enough that features should decide instead. On a laptop that already struggles, Bitdefender is the safer pick.
Should I turn off auto-renewal on Bitdefender or Norton?
Yes, on the day you buy, for either one. Both renew well above the first-year price; the renewal prices are in the table above, read on the vendors' pages in September 2026. Switching auto-renewal off does not cancel your protection. It only turns the second year into a decision you make rather than a charge you discover.