For a VPN service to create a relationship with its users, it must offer complete privacy at high speeds.
This includes a secure network, a fast server connection, and world-class encryption. It should offer you a reason why browsing the web with privacy is worth your money.
Bitdefender VPN presents a kind of service that will go toe-to-toe with reputable VPNs as it comes from a huge player in the antivirus market.
The excellent, however, comes to an end there. Let’s begin with the advantages and then move on to the disadvantages.
Simply put, Bitdefender VPN offers a free version with information limited to 200MB per day and powerful tunneling protocols like OpenVPN instead of PPTP.
However, the good stops there. Let’s start with the pros then dive into the cons.
Table of Contents
Bitdefender VPN Review
| OVERALL RANK: | #48 out of 78 VPNs |
| USABILITY: | Easy to use |
| LOG FILES: | Grey Area |
| LOCATIONS: | 26 countries, 40 servers |
| SUPPORT: | Poor customer support |
| TORRENTING: | Allowed |
| NETFLIX: | Blocks Netflix USA |
| ENCRYPTION/PROTOCOL: | OpenVPN, HydraVPN |
| OFFICIAL WEBSITE: | www.Bitdefender.com |
Pros
Zero IP Leaks Found
The main reason you get a VPN service is to browse the web in privacy. Without that, what is the use of paying for one in the first place, right? Fortunately, Bitdefender VPN is a sure thing.
I put the VPN provider through a variety of tests using their US server.
- https://ipleak.net/ – (none found)
- https://www.perfect-privacy.com/check-ip – (none found)
- https://ipx.ac/run – (none found)
- https://browserleaks.com/webrtc – (none found)
- https://www.perfect-privacy.com/dns-leaktest/ – (none found)
- https://dnsleak.com – (none found)
Have zero DNS leaks, that’s good:
The VPN also did an honest job of hiding my IP address and geolocation:
So far, this product has taken its private networks seriously for the benefit of its consumers. You will utilise a public wireless network with an anonymous profile if you utilise a secure VPN network.
Clean Installer Files
It would be unfortunate and hilarious if an antivirus company’s VPN programme was riddled with red flags. This is frequently not the case, as the programme does not contain a virus to be concerned about.
I performed VirusTotal Scan on the Windows installation and got the following results:
Note that a scanner marked the file read, but don’t worry about this. Cases in which one scanner found a “suspicious” file while all the others did not find it is called a false positive. It simply means that the said scanner does not notice the file and marks it as an epidemic.
VirusTotal’s scan for the Mac application was also clean:
Romanian Jurisdiction
Bitdefender VPN is based in Romania (based in Bucharest), which suggests that it is out of reach of 14 eyes.
The 14 eyes can be a coalition of several countries that have the ability to require data and knowledge from those under them.
As for Bitdefender VPN, the service is not obliged to handle information of any kind. Your data protection method remains firmly protected.
Just remember that even Bitdefender VPN will provide specific data to cooperate with ongoing and therefore similar investigations. this will happen to any VPN service regardless of location.
Unblock Netflix
Netflix wants to entertain its users, but it doesn’t like people who use a proxy server or VPN. Well, not in the case of Bitdefender VPN.
The cover of the merchandise mentions that it “opens media all over the world” and it is as if Netflix is a component of it.
Tried six random servers and three of the six Netflix unlocked.
- Romania
- Indonesia
- Germany
- Hong Kong (blocked)
- United States (blocked)
- Australia (blocked)
3 crashed servers may seem worrisome, but remember that you simply have the option to vary the location of the server.
This is great news for many users because they don’t need to compromise entertainment for their security needs.
Easy To Use Their App
Installing Bitdefender VPN can be a headache, especially if you’re not too tech-savvy.
However, once everything is up and running, the overall usability of the merchandise is pretty simple.
Once opened directly or through the Bitdefender Control Panel, you will notice that the application window is small and therefore the interface takes on a minimalist look. you will click on the “Connect” button and that’s it.
The premium version offers you a variety of server locations to establish yourself. The locations are named by country and not by city. there are a total of 27 server locations.
The application also offers access to its settings, but the functions present are quite simple with options to disable startup on startup and secure your wifi if it is public. The “Support” tab will direct you to the customer support page on their website.
The free version of the VPN will not allow you to select your location.
Allows Torrenting
Bitdefender VPN doesn’t really say much about the important features a VPN should offer. Instead, use terms like “means of access”, which can be a very broad and vague statement. I had to travel through their customer support to check whether or not they allow you to torrent and limit P2P access.
Their customer support states that:
“It shouldn’t block torrents.”
In general, this is excellent news for many because torrents play a huge role among many users; The unlimited bandwidth of the premium version also helps to reinforce this feature.
Cons
Slow Speed Performance
Various VPNs that come from antivirus companies always drop in your connection speed. Bitdefender VPN shares an equivalent destination. I tested their connection speed on six random servers and they were all well below 70%. That is not excellent.
Without the VPN, this is my normal internet speed:
- Ping: 10 ms
- Download: 50.51 Mbps
- Upload: 48.79 Mbps
I tried it on the following six servers:
- United States
- Canada
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Netherlands
- UK
The fastest the VPN needed was on its US server, which also happened to be the most optimized:
- Ping: 178ms
- Download: 10.11 Mbps (80% Slower )
- Upload: 45.42 Mbps (7% Slower )
Japan had the simplest clues for their Asian server, but it was still pretty bad:
- Ping: 264ms
- Download: 4.68 Mbps (90.7% Slower )
- Upload: 19.82 Mbps (59.4% Slower )
The Netherlands server stood out on their EU servers, but there is nothing to brag about:
- Ping: 476ms
- Download: 3.81 Mbps (92.5% Slower )
- Upload: 1.68 Mbps (97% Slower )
Overall, Bitdefender VPN didn’t even break a connection speed close to 50% of my base speed. I tried a couple more random server locations and they couldn’t even beat the ones listed above.
Lacks of Information
I mentioned at the beginning of the review that Bitdefender uses broad words to describe the features it has. They don’t exactly enter details about what the merchandise offers.
Here is the list of data that is not present on the Bitdefender VPN website and its FAQ page:
- The server count and country coverage.
- If the merchandise allows torrenting.
- If you unblock Netflix.
- The tunneling protocols you use and whether or not you will change them.
- Your logging policy.
- The refund policy (found on the main Bitdefender website)
Most of the missing knowledge is quite important, leaving them blank leaves more questions than answers.
I was forced to ask your customer service for the details listed above. Speaking of their customer support.
Bad Customer Support
The Bitdefender VPN client isn’t all bad, it’s just disappointing and really disappointing. A weak customer support department only further degrades the overall quality of an already bad VPN service.
Let’s start with their chat support, which is perhaps what most users would directly look for.
Slow Chat Support
To access customer chat support, you will access it in the footer of your website.
Click on “Support” and you will be directed to a separate page that groups home care and business support users. Click on the group you simply belong to; most of the time it is as a home care user. Once there, you will have access to their chat assistance.
The first thing you will notice is that the big “Ask Luna” pops up once you choose the aforementioned option. Luna can be a virtual assistant who will answer basic questions about the merchandise, p. Eg How do you install the VPN, update your subscription, etc.? You will get a live agent if you want by asking Luna.
However, unlike Luna, it may take a while for her live agents to rush in. It will take a couple of minutes or almost an hour before a live representative is finally available.
I first asked about their protocols and therefore the support representative present was not ready to respond. Instead, they used to tell me that my question would be forwarded to their “second level support colleague.” My question would be answered by email every day and a half after:
The same goes for many of the questions I asked about your product.
On the bright side, unanswered questions didn’t require me to ask them again via email. All he had to try was wait.
Below Average Email Support
Their email support worked much better than I expected.
Questions usually take every day to be answered. However, I began to notice that your first answer will always be a link that results in your FAQ page.
You can reply to the email to request a much better and more direct answer to your problem or question.
Powered by Hotspot Shield
The first time I opened the VPN app, I noticed that it had been powered by Hotspot Shield.
Bitdefender VPN with hotspot shield technology
What does this mean exactly? Well, this could mean that the VPN itself uses tons of Hotspot Shield features or it could just be a reskin of said VPN.
Why is it so bad? It’s bad because Hotspot Shield VPN features a shady logging policy and has had its justifiable share of controversy in recent years.
Most important are allegations that Hotspot Shield is abusing user data by redirecting traffic from its free service. In simple terms, you are not following your own registration policy.
Speaking of their logging policy.
Suspicious Logging Policy
CSIRO has conducted a study that reveals that Hotspot Shield collects and sells its users’ information to advertisers. The service is free, which suggests that you are already associated with third-party advertising companies that allow you to remain free.
Allows TOR but only supports a few tunnelling protocols and has a limited kill switch.
Today, many VPN providers use different tunneling protocols. Each protocol can be much better at doing one thing over another; some prefer speed over safety and vice versa.
Allowing your users to modify between different protocols provides flexibility that adapts to different types of use. Can’t say an equivalent of this VPN.
The VPN provider only uses two protocols. This information comes directly from your “second level of customer service”:
- OpenVPN for Windows and Android.
- HydraVPN for iOS and macOS.
That’s. They only have two encryption protocols available. Of course, OpenVPN is extremely secure unlike other protocols like PPTP, but having only OpenVPN limits its flexibility.
There is no option to switch or change the protocol. it is simply allowed to believe in its encryption. should it fail, you have no choice but to be vulnerable.
Limited Kill Switchs
There is a kill switch feature within the VPN, but it is fairly limited to a couple of your devices. A kill switch is important if you are trying to protect your privacy, it basically kills your internet connection if the VPN goes down, protecting you from exposing your public IP address.
I asked customer service and all they had to mention was “you can always connect and disconnect from the VPN”.
I did some research and found that there is a kill switch on both your Windows and Mac versions.
The lack of a kill switch for ALL of your devices just makes it worse because they only have two protocols that are not interchangeable.
It’s Not A Stand Alone App
I commended Bitdefender VPN for its general ease of use. However, going to what will convince will be a bit difficult because the VPN is not a standalone application. For you to install it, you must first install Bitdefender Total Security.
If you are installing it on your personal computer or laptop, you must uninstall your current antivirus software. Given what it is, you may need to do a bit of research along the way to properly uninstall it in the first place.
Once discovered, you will need to activate your Bitdefender VPN subscription separately.
Having to install another application is somewhat cumbersome for people who just want to use the service immediately after purchasing it.
Pricing, Plans & Payment Methods
Bitdefender Premium VPN has two payment options:
- Monthly: $6.99
- Yearly: $69.99
If you want to buy but are not sure, there is a free version of the VPN. it is a knowledge limit of 200MB per day and does not allow you to select a server location.
You can use it on these devices:
- Windows
- Mac
- iOS
- Android
Note that you will simply see the option to purchase the merchandise on the main page of the website. However, this feature also covers the purchase of Bitdefender Total Security, the number of devices you would like it to be available on, and therefore the type of subscription. you will go up to 10 simultaneous connections.
There is an in-depth comparison of each payment plan below.
Bitdefender Premium VPN offers different payment methods:
- Credit Card
- PayPal
- Wire Transfer
Regarding its refund policy, the merchandise has a 30-day money-back guarantee. you will get the refund through their customer service.
Do We Recommend Bitdefender VPN?
No, We don’t !
There are too many inconveniences in using the merchandise. Its links to Bitdefender Total Security make it a more complimentary service. If you are trying to find the right VPN, then sadly, this is not it.
Yes, it’s cheap, secure, and even easy to use, but it’s also slow, lacks tons of essential features, and works with a special VPN that has a murky history. Also, it is not a standalone app, you are buying something else alongside it.
My advice? save for a higher quality VPN service like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or IPVanish. If you can’t afford them, know that there are many more VPN providers that are better than Bitdefender VPN in almost every way.
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