Norton 360 vs Bitdefender Total Security

Norton 360 and Bitdefender Total Security are two of the most popular premium antivirus suites. Both offer excellent malware protection, but they differ in extras, system impact, and pricing.

Both achieve detection rates above 99.8% in independent lab tests (AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives). Bitdefender edges ahead slightly with a 99.9% detection rate and fewer false positives. Norton is close behind at 99.8% with excellent real-time protection.

Norton 360 includes a VPN with unlimited data, 50–100 GB cloud backup, dark web monitoring, and a password manager. Bitdefender includes a limited VPN (200 MB/day on basic plans), anti-tracker browser extension, microphone monitor, and webcam protection. Both include a firewall and parental controls.

Bitdefender is consistently lighter on system resources. In our testing, Bitdefender had minimal impact on boot times and application launch speeds. Norton is slightly heavier but has improved significantly in recent versions.

Norton 360 Deluxe starts at approximately €34.99/year for 5 devices. Bitdefender Total Security starts at approximately €29.99/year for 5 devices. At Distivo, both are available at further discounted prices.