Avast, Norton, Bitdefender and Kaspersky are the names most people think of when they buy antivirus. All four offer good protection, so the right choice depends on price, extra features and what you trust. Here is a simple comparison.
Who owns what?
- Avast: founded in Prague in 1988; bought AVG in 2016; joined NortonLifeLock in 2022 to form Gen Digital.
- Norton: the American brand that is now part of Gen Digital too, so Norton, Avast and AVG are sister brands.
- Bitdefender: a Romanian company founded in 2001, known for strong lab results.
- Kaspersky: a Russian company; its products were banned from sale in the United States in 2024, but it is still sold in many other countries.
Free versions
Avast has the most generous free options: Avast Free Antivirus and Avast One Essential, plus AVG Free from the same group. Bitdefender has a simple free antivirus, Kaspersky offers a free plan, and Norton has no real free antivirus. And do not forget Microsoft Defender, which is built into Windows 10 and 11 for free.
Protection
All four regularly score well in independent lab tests, and the differences between them are small. For most people, keeping Windows and apps updated and avoiding cracked software matters more than which of these brands you pick.
VPN
This is where they differ more. Avast sells Avast Premium VPN (formerly SecureLine VPN) on its own, with servers in many countries, Double VPN, IP Rotation and post-quantum encryption. Norton and Bitdefender include a VPN in some bundles, and Kaspersky sells Kaspersky VPN. If privacy on public Wi‑Fi or browsing through another country is your main need, a dedicated VPN like Avast Premium VPN is usually better value than a big security suite.
Ease of use
Avast and Norton have the most beginner-friendly apps, Bitdefender is very light on older PCs, and Kaspersky has many advanced settings for power users.
Which one should you choose?
- Best free choice: Avast Free Antivirus or Avast One Essential, or simply Microsoft Defender.
- Best for privacy and public Wi‑Fi: Avast Premium VPN alongside Microsoft Defender or Avast Free.
- Best all-in-one family suite: Norton 360 or Avast Ultimate.
- Best for old, slow PCs: Bitdefender or Avast with Cleanup.
- Can I run two antivirus apps? No: use one antivirus. A VPN is different and works fine next to any antivirus.
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Avast, SecureLine and the product names in this article are trademarks of their owners. arafatbin.com is independent and not connected to Avast.