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Bitdefender VPN Review 2023: Summary
A virtual private network (VPN) prevents your Internet service provider (ISP) from seeing what you do online and makes it more difficult to keep tabs on your whereabouts and activity.
Bitdefender Premium VPN is a reliable service that provides excellent value for its pricing. However, it does not stand out from the increasingly competitive market.
Unfortunately, Bitdefender VPN isn’t very reliable. If you read on, you’ll understand why. Those in need of a more reliable VPN service can give NordVPN a try.
Continue reading our Bitdefender VPN review to learn more about this service, or download it to get started immediately.
Bitdefender VPN Review 2023: In-depth
Bitdefender VPN At A Glance
We do not recommend Bitdefender VPN. It’s sluggish and cannot facilitate P2P activity; it keeps track of your IP address, and it can expose your DNS credentials.
In general, Bitdefender VPN lacks privacy and is among the VPNs we’ve evaluated that are the least secure.
The company claims that if you’re looking for a straightforward method to protect your online privacy, Bitdefender VPN is a great choice.
That means it won’t have all the bells and whistles power users want, but it’ll get the job done for most people and do so at a respectable rate.
To ensure users’ privacy when connected to the internet, Bitdefender Premium VPN employs military-grade AES 256-bit key cryptography.
Bitdefender Premium VPN, whether on a smartphone or pc, will mask your IP address and secure all data and traffic to ensure that your digital footprint is left nowhere in cyberspace.
You can bypass regional restrictions by VPN over 49 and 4,000+ servers. It’s unlikely that your familiarity with Bitdefender stems from their VPN services.
In reality, the company’s antivirus program is what brought it to prominence.
Our goal in this Bitdefender VPN review is to determine whether or not this virtual private network service is something you should use.
Performance And Speed
Previously, Bitdefender VPN relied on the industry-standard OpenVPN protocol; however, Hotspot Shield has since replaced OpenVPN with its own proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol, which, in our testing, proved to be significantly more effective.
We conducted our testing from the United Kingdom and the United States, both using a 16Gbps line, and we used a variety of benchmarking tools, such as SpeedTest.net‘s web page and official command prompt client, as well as nPerf and SpeedOfme, to evaluate our results.
We ran all of our tests in the morning and the evening and then analyzed the results to get the average speeds.
Results in the UK were under average at 15-16Mbps, whereas those in the US were much more satisfactory at 35-41Mbps.
We can’t give you a precise prediction, but the greater number seems more likely.
The speeds are comparable to what we experienced in our most recent Bitdefender VPN review (34-44 Mbps) and are on par with what we see with Hotspot Shield right now (40-41Mbps).
This proves Bitdefender Premium VPN isn’t just a watered-down product version; it’s true that it offers the same degree of performance as Hotspot Shield.
This is a positive development, although Bitdefender is still not as fast as the best VPNs that use WireGuard.
The widespread separation between servers is the root cause of the problem. This significantly reduces the speeds.
An Easy Bridge To Make
Bitdefender VPN requires installing one of Bitdefender’s multi-feature packages, which includes the VPN service.
Bitdefender’s VPN service is an optional extra, so you’ll need to navigate to the right section of the interface.
However, its simplistic design and small footprint make it accessible even to those without a VPN experience. It takes no more than a click of the “Connect” button to turn on the VPN.
With Bitdefender’s VPN, customers expect “fast, anonymous, and private web browsing,” as the company puts it.
Unfortunately, customers cannot choose the protocol they like because only two are available: OpenVPN for Windows and Android and Hydra VPN for iOS and macOS.
Nevertheless, the protocols accessible with this VPN give a fair combination of connecting speed and security, which is lacking from Bitdefender compared to other VPN services.
There is no kill switch option, which could compromise anonymity of the VPN connection suddenly stops.
Incorporating a kill switch and providing consumers with more customization choices will greatly enhance the service.
This is the worst service possible if you care deeply about your anonymity. If you are passionate about maintaining your anonymity online, NordVPN is your service.
Privacy
Do you know what Hotspot Shield is? If you have, you probably know that it has a bad reputation for keeping and selling users’ information to the highest bidder.
On the other hand, Bitdefender is built upon the same foundation and operates on the same principles as its competitor.
This doesn’t prove they’re following the same path, but it raises some interesting questions.
You’ll inevitably do the math, and we’re willing to wager that the outcome will surprise you.
Regarding the specifics of the encryption methods and safety precautions, we understand as much as you can, which is to say, nothing.
They aren’t performing a good job of communicating with current and potential customers.
According to the VPN’s privacy and terms of service policies, your information is not collected or shared with outside parties.
We’ve heard similar claims before, only to find out that they sold us out without a second’s thinking.
However, they are unclear on one crucial point: the importance of internet logs.
For argument, let’s say we make the safe assumption that they aren’t maintaining records. We’re talking about sensitive information and your right to privacy.
Security And Encryption
Because Hotspot Shield hosts Bitdefender VPN’s servers, users may rest assured that their information is encrypted using a 256-bit AES key.
Even the most powerful supercomputers have been unable to crack military-grade 256-bit AES encryption algorithms.
This is a given with established VPN services but not always with newer VPNs.
On the other hand, Bitdefender has software that features a kill switch for iOS and Android.
If the VPN connection drops, a kill switch will prevent any connected apps from accessing the outside world.
You can stop worrying about your Internet service provider, hackers, or the government tracking your activity after they lose contact with the server.
It provides security for open networks, allowing you to freely utilize your devices in public places like cafes and libraries that don’t have the best security measures.
Bitdefender’s auto-on feature will enable you to connect to the VPN automatically upon booting your device, ensuring that you are always secure.
While these are all welcome additions, We were hoping for more from a firm with such a stellar reputation for its security products.
Perhaps doubling the VPN’s encryption or installing an adblocker to get around those annoying commercials will help.
What Information Does Bitdefender VPN Need?
To function, VPNs must collect some minimal individual information from their users. You should have to provide your email and billing information.
Under the cover of “improved service,” however, some VPNs demand far more.
We recommend keeping your account creation as brief and simple as possible for security reasons.
To sign up with Bitdefender VPN, you’ll need to provide the following details:
- Complete name
- Country
- Methods of payment
Providing your real identity and nationality to a VPN service seems unnecessary. For instance, this VPN needs your email and billing details.
You will need to reveal your real identity if you use a credit card, but if you want to keep your privacy intact, Bitcoin is always an option.
Regarding Bitcoin, Bitdefender VPN does not accept cryptocurrency contributions at this time. It is yet another aspect of the world we hope will evolve shortly.
More information is needed if you are signing up for Bitdefender VPN on behalf of an organization.
Besides the information we’ve already gone over, you’ll also need to give us the company’s name, address, TIN, and phone number.
Multi-Platform Support
You must be able to connect to the VPN using whichever device you like.
This VPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, which account for over 90% of all devices.
However, not all hardware and software setups will suffice. Bitdefender’s website includes detailed information on the minimum system requirements.
Bitdefender Premium VPN supports mobile devices as well. You can use their service on your Android or iOS device.
It has been said that their app for these devices is simple to operate and packed with helpful extras. Notably, there is a kill switch on the iOS version as well.
Server Locations
Bitdefender only has servers in 25 countries, 15 of which are in Europe.
Having servers in Mexico, the United States, and Canada provides excellent coverage across North America.
However, there are no options at the city level, which might slow down connections and make it difficult to avoid US sports restrictions.
In contrast, four Asian data centers—in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore—provide service to international customers.
Unfortunately, you can only connect to servers in Argentina and Brazil, and there are no VPN connections in Africa, the Caribbean, or the Middle East.
The Bitdefender VPN server network is underwhelming.
No Split Tunneling
To us, split tunneling is a must-have extra for any VPN service.
Using split tunneling, just a subset of your network traffic goes over the encrypted VPN connection, while the rest uses the more publicly accessible network.
It’s a fantastic option for those with limited bandwidth. Bitdefender lacks this functionality, sadly.
No Multi-Hop
Multi-hop is a fantastic feature of VPNs, similar to split tunneling. Multi-hop improves security in the background rather than enhancing usability, as with split tunneling.
Multi-hop VPNs route traffic through numerous servers, thus concealing the user’s digital footprint.
The Off Switch
An additional lethal feature of a reliable VPN is a kill switch. Using this function, you can prevent internet use should your VPN connection drop.
Bitdefender’s kill switch required manual activation, but it worked wonderfully when our VPN connection dropped while utilizing the MTA’s Wi-Fi to check our job budget.
Unfortunately, our confidential data is not safe and sound because Bitdefender doesn’t have a kill switch.
Protocols
The VPN service provider uses the VPN Protocol as its underlying technology. It controls how data is encoded and transmitted by a VPN over the internet.
Connectivity velocity is also dependent on the VPN protocol. The company claims that Bitdefender utilizes today’s most advanced and rapid VPN technology.
Bitdefender might not be one of the fastest VPN services, but its VPN Protocol allows sufficient data transmission over the internet.
This VPN protocol has allowed for rates of up to 40 Mbps for some users.
Bitdefender also employs OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, and WireGuard in addition to Catapult Hydra.
Streaming
Bitdefender VPN isn’t the ideal option if you want to access geo-restricted content or change your IP address.
As an example, it was unable to bypass Netflix’s geoblocking. There were no proxy error messages, and the page loaded normally.
American-only material was kept under wraps. Only products that are legally sold in our country were displayed to us.
Bitdefender VPN did not bypass geoblocks for DAZN or Hulu, unlike Netflix.
After the Netflix debacle, it was no surprise that the former is one of the platforms that very few suppliers succeeded in unblocking.
In the meantime, Hulu refused to even let us log in.
This one might be fine if you simply care about using VPNs to access streaming sites such as BBC iPlayer and YouTube. They can both have their access restored.
It’s not certain if Bitdefender VPN will be able to get around geo blocks for all of the other streaming services you might be interested in.
As a result, it is not a great option for streaming.
Torrenting
While using a virtual private network (VPN) to download torrents is a far better option than not using one, you still need to ensure your chosen VPN will keep you secure.
If you’re worried about your security when torrenting, Bitdefender Premium VPN has you covered with robust security features.
During our experiments, we encountered no delays compared to typical traffic conditions. Just the way we like it, the downloads were quick and reliable.
However, there’s no room for improvement in performance because Bitdefender VPN doesn’t add port forwarding.
However, rest easy knowing that a kill switch is included in the service.
Remember that it is not activated by default; therefore, the first thing you need to do if you want to use torrenting is to enable it.
Pricing And Planned Activities
It’s available for individual purchase or as part of a broader portfolio of internet security products.
Remember that only Premium Security offers an unlimited bandwidth plan, so going with that alternative is your best bet.
Bitdefender VPN offers just two pricing tiers:
- The monthly fee is $6.99.
- Annually for $29.99 (only $2.49 a month)
If you compare the price of a Bitdefender VPN to the average for the market, you’ll see that it’s not too pricey.
But when considering value for money, this service ranks poorly. Credit cards and PayPal have accepted methods of payment.
Thirdly, you can pay using cash at 7-Eleven/ACE in the United States, WebMoney in Russia, POLi in Australia, or a wire transfer from your bank in most other countries.
Thanks to the provider’s money-back guarantee, you have 30 days to decide if you wish to commit to this service.
Further, a no-credit-card-required 7-day trial is available. This regrettably entitles you to the Basic plan, which restricts your data transfer to 200 MB daily.
The good news is that the free and Premium plans allow for up to ten simultaneous connections.
Customer Support
Live chat, email, and phone are all ways to get in touch with Bitdefender’s support staff.
However, this is Bitdefender’s general support team so they will assist with difficulties relating to any of Bitdefender’s offerings and services, not only Premium VPN.
Although it may be simple to obtain help when you need it, we have found that antivirus firms offering VPNs as add-ons do not provide the same degree of assistance as dedicated VPN services like NordVPN.
Bitdefender’s knowledge base contains articles, how-to videos, and frequently asked questions in addition to the support teams.
Since our last Bitdefender VPN review, the number of articles and their organization has improved, making them a more valuable resource for you.
In Summary, the best VPNs in 2023 are;
| Rating | VPN Service | Get Offer |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Top Rated#1 | NordVPN - #1 VPN in the industry | FREE Trial |
| #2 Top Rated#2 | Surfshark - top budget VPN | Start Now |
| #3 Top Rated#3 | Atlas VPN - best free VPN | Start Now |
Review Verdict
Our Bitdefender VPN review contains useful information, such as a summary of the service’s features and instructions for setting it up and running.
There is a lack of transparency in their logging practices and no publicly available audit reports.
The tunneling protocol suite may be improved to accommodate various use cases.
They also aren’t particularly good at streaming. We strongly advise using NordVPN if you need a VPN provider that you can trust.
Because of its simple design and comprehensive feature set, NordVPN is a top-tier VPN service. We suggest NordVPN as a workaround.
Due to its excellent service and many delighted customers, NordVPN has swiftly risen to the top of the VPN supplier industry.
Its user base has widely lauded the platform’s ease of use, quick transfer rates, online security measures, online streaming, alternatives to pirate sites, and user-friendly web browsing.
Bitdefender VPN Review 2023: Is It Legit? Is It a Scam? - EarthWeb
This Bitdefender VPN review provided useful information about the service, from its basic features and an installation guide to its potential drawbacks.
Price: $6.99
Price Currency: USD
Operating System: Windows, Mac, Android & iOS
Application Category: VPN
2.3
Pros
- Highly competitive pricing
- Clean design
- Split-tunneling
- An integral component of Bitdefender’s bigger app ecosystem
Cons
- Price tags that are hard to understand
- Privacy policies are not clearly defined
- Limited supplemental privacy controls
- Information is stored in logs.
- Allows access to a limited number of streaming services that are normally restricted
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Written by Trevor Cooke
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