With so many VPNs on the market, Bitdefender VPN has been seemingly floating under the radar. The bottom line is that this provider is still standing decades later, thanks to its lightning-fast speeds and sizeable server coverage.
This Bitdefender VPN review will lay out what the network is all about and address all of this VPN’s main features, from its servers, performance, and pricing plans to its unique security features that make it stand out from the rest. By the end, you should be able to determine why Bitdefender VPN might be a reasonable choice for you.
This quick fact-check outlines the key components to know how good Bitdefender VPN is from a quick glance at its specs.
It's always interesting to see how a VPN positions itself in the market based on how it structures its service offering. Below we discuss critical attributes determining the overall service of this provider so you can decide if you think Bitdefender VPN is good enough to fulfill your needs.
If you look at Bitdefender’s 4,000 servers, it shows the VPN isn't a small player, but neither is it in the big leagues. More accurately, it's somewhere in the middle. It puts small VPNs like Atlas to shame but pales in the face of heavyweights like CyberGhost, boasting 9,400+ servers.
Either way, 4,000 is sufficient to promote a reasonable user-to-server ratio for decent speeds. According to our Bitdefender VPN review, the brand collaborates with HotSpot Shield, another VPN provider, for its server infrastructure, and servers are distributed in 53 countries. You have more servers to pick from if you’re in Europe or Asia, but coverage is poor in the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa.
If you pick Bitdefender VPN hoping to enjoy fast speeds, you're on the money because the VPN delivers exceptional performance. Based on our Bitdefender VPN test, speeds are bumped up even further when you activate the VPN’s auto connect feature, which connects you to the fastest connection available.
Additional speed tests on local and distant servers in the US and the UK recorded an average 18% speed reduction, which is remarkably impressive. Connecting to a local US server recorded a 14% drop in speeds, while distant servers in Europe revealed an 8% loss. That pretty much makes Bitdefender VPN the best VPN for torrenting and downloading files.
When it comes to rates and pricing, Bitdefender VPN is giving competitors in its league a run for their money with its affordable rates. The budget shopper will appreciate the two reasonably priced plans uncovered by our Bitdefender VPN review.
Either go for the 1-year plan, which only costs $2.50 a month, or consider signing up for the monthly plan if you're not looking for something long-term. The tradeoff is that the latter is more expensive and will cost you $6.99. Or you could simply test the waters with the 7-day free trial for the Premium version, which gives you plenty of time to decide. In any case, you can still opt out of any of the paid plans using the 30-day money-back guarantee.
No doubt, VPNs offer users more or less the same service, but some subtle differences set them apart. In Bitdefender’s case, it’s using its Catapult Hydra tunneling protocol as part of its proprietary technology. This is one of the most secure protocols on the market and comes complete with obfuscation tools. It also adopts perfect forward secrecy, which changes encryption keys after each session to throw hackers off.
Another feature Bitdefender VPN can be proud of is adding the auto connect feature we highlighted earlier. Granted, it’s not exactly unique because other top VPNs have it, but Bitdefender VPN puts an interesting twist to its version. You can customize the feature to trigger in certain instances, for example, when connecting in public spaces.
On top of that, Bitdefender VPN adds a system-wide anti-tracker to block advertisers from collecting your online data. To round up its distinct features, our Bitdefender VPN review also found an App Traffic Optimizer that eliminates buffering by allowing you to prioritize traffic from laggy apps.
Safety is always a major concern for most users, and we are happy to report that since this VPN is based in Romania, players have some level of assurance that it won't be divulging their data to governmental organizations. After all, the whole point of taking on a VPN is to ensure that your identity, online activities, and locations remain hidden. The following measures are employed to ensure that Bitdefender VPN is safe.
There are certain security features you expect to see in all noteworthy VPNs, and AES 256-bit encryption technology is one such example. In case you didn’t know, this is a robust and secure encryption software trusted by banks and military organizations that makes hacking impossible. Bitdefender VPN proudly uses it in conjunction with the SHA-256 and RSA algorithm functions to strengthen encryption and keep you secure while connected.
The kill switch feature is another important feature any VPN worth its salt must use, and Bitdefender VPN isn't about to be left behind. The idea behind this feature is to automatically shut down your connection if it accidentally drops so you’re not left exposed. However, during the process of running the test to evaluate Bitdefender VPN's Kill Switch feature, we found the VPN couldn’t detect compromised links, so that is something to be cautious o
Our Bitdefender VPN review also noticed that the VPN uses the split tunneling feature. This function allows you to choose the websites to connect to the VPN or directly through your internet service provider (ISP). Overall, it works quite well and is easy to use, although macOS users don’t have access to this feature.
A system-wide ad blocker that eliminates pop-ups and malicious ads is also in place, according to our Bitdefender VPN review. We all know how endless ads can ruin your browsing experience and even lead you to questionable sites.
In case you're still shopping around and not ready to commit, you can try out Bitdefender’s free version. It does come with limited daily data of only 200MB per day, which will probably allow you to browse a couple of pages before it runs out. The catch is that you can only get it when you purchase one of the brand's antivirus packages.
While it has basic security features like a kill switch found on the paid plan, it lacks other advanced functions like the anti-tracker. If we're being honest, the paid service is a lot better if you want a beneficial VPN service. Here’s an overview of what you get on the different plans:
| Free | Premium |
|---|---|
| 1 User | Up to 10 Users |
| 500MB daily | Unlimited data |
| 3 Server locations | 50+ server locations |
The Bitdefender VPN lacks many security protocols, making it incompatible with some devices. It does support major operating devices like Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, though routers, gaming consoles, and browser extensions aren’t yet on the menu.
Bitdefender VPN is essentially a white-label product of HotSpot Shield, so you're bound to pick up a lot of similarities between the two apps. No doubt, Bitdefender’s Windows app punches above its weight class and shines with features such as split tunneling, a kill switch, and auto connect. The sleek design is aesthetically pleasing, and you'll find the app a breeze to navigate.
Bitdefender VPN's Mac and Windows apps are also similar design-wise and boast the same intuitiveness users would like to experience. It does cut out some features like split tunneling and the auto connect option, so there’s that. Appearing more as a bare-boned version of Windows, the consolation is you can still enjoy the kill switch function, so it’s still operable.
Traditionally, VPN Android apps tend to closely mimic the Windows version, and the Bitdefender VPN’s version is no different. True to form, you’ll find the kill switch and split tunneling features available. You’ll also see the auto connect option, although a watered-down version, it's still there. But what makes the Bitdefender VPN Android app stand out is its additional features. It allows you to block local network traffic by making it invisible to other devices connected to the same Wi-Fi. As you can imagine, that's an excellent feature that proves useful when using a public hotspot.
Apple users can also enjoy Bitdefender VPN, although they miss out on several features like Autoconnect. This isn't the VPNs fault per se because Apple's stringent policies make it impossible for VPNs to add all sorts of bells and whistles. But for what it's worth, you can enjoy the kill switch and split tunneling, although the latter only works on websites.
Even if it’s your first rodeo using a VPN, you won’t have difficulty figuring out how Bitdefender VPN works. All the applications follow a similar design philosophy so that you can expect a user-friendly experience on any platform. Installing the VPN on your Android or IOS takes just a minute and two on desktops.
Based on our Bitdefender VPN reviews, subscribing is easy, and you can pay via credit cards and PayPal. Unfortunately, it doesn't support cryptocurrencies like some of its counterparts. Bringing any queries to the support team's attention is possible through various channels, including email, phone, community, and live chat. Live chat remains our favorite because an agent responds almost immediately, so you can wrap up any issues you raise in no time.
That makes it all the easier if you'd like to cancel your subscription because you must contact customer support to do so. Alternatively, you can send an email, and your request is actioned without any back and forth.
Bitdefender VPN isn’t top on our list regarding seamless streaming capabilities. While it can unblock Netflix US, it failed to access several libraries. It can also unblock Hulu, but you won't experience the best quality. It is better to use this VPN if you're more of a YouTube, BBC iPlayer, or Amazon Prime Video kind of streamer.
We have no reservations with Bitdefender VPN regarding torrenting because it's up for the task. You shouldn't experience significant slowdowns because downloads are pretty quick and stable. However, there's no port forwarding feature, not even for an extra fee, so you can't bump up speeds.
Bringing the Bitdefender VPN review together, we can safely give it a thumbs up if you are a casual internet user looking for a no-frills protection VPN. Like any other VPN, it has its strengths, which include fantastic speeds and handy security features like split tunneling and a customizable auto connect option.
It’s not without its shortcomings and could use more tunneling protocols to run more devices and improve streaming. That said, for the affordable price, considerable server coverage, and user-friendly apps, don’t be too quick to dismiss Bitdefender VPN.
You need to know where Bitdefender VPN is based to answer a question like—is Bitdefender VPN legit? This will show you if it’s part of the intelligence alliance or not, and our reviews address this.
Server coverage and distribution will largely determine whether you’ll enjoy a speedy and flawless performance from a VPN. Our Bitdefender VPN reviews tackle how this VPN performs in different regions.
Gaming enthusiasts would like to know if Bitdefender VPN won’t cramp their gaming style, and our reviews answer this question and more.
