Bitdefender vs CrowdStrike Falcon Go
We give Bitdefender a 2.8 GPA and CrowdStrike Falcon Go a 2.2, out of 4.0. Bitdefender grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bitdefender
Antivirus suites for computers and phones, with a free Windows tier
CrowdStrike Falcon Go
Small-business antivirus with USB device control and mobile protection
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABitdefenderGood | 2.2GPACrowdStrike Falcon GoFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CTotal Security covers 5 devices for $119.99 for the first 2 years, about $5 a month, right at the dearer quarter of antivirus. Paid yearly it's $59.99 and then $109.99, so $169.98 over two years. Every plan renews at its full price. | D$59.99 a device a year, or $7.99 a month. We judge antivirus on five devices over two years, and that's $599.90, about $25 a month, several times what home suites here cost. The business kit, one console, USB control and Express Support, explains some of it. Renewals are at the then-standard price. |
| Free plan and trial | BAntivirus Free gives a Windows PC real-time malware and ransomware protection with no time limit, and one person on Windows could live on that. Macs and phones need a paid plan, which you can try free for 30 days. | CNo free plan, but there's a 15-day free trial, and nothing on record says it wants a card. After that, annual plans can be refunded within 30 days and monthly ones can't. |
| Features | BAntivirus and scam protection on all four platforms, a password manager from Total Security, parental controls on family plans and identity monitoring higher up. The VPN is capped at 200 MB a day below Premium Security, but the core protection has no gap. | CIt does the core job fully: machine-learning antivirus on Windows, Mac and Linux, USB device control, and threat protection on iPhone and Android. But it's narrower than the suites here. Firewall management needs Falcon Pro, and there's no VPN, password manager or identity monitoring. |
| Ease of use | B4.68 from about 38,000 App Store ratings, a whisker under the 4.7 an A needs. Even the free version wants a Bitdefender Central account first. | BNo store rating on record. Protection comes switched on with pre-set policies, there's a step-by-step onboarding guide, and one home screen shows your devices and what was blocked. You do still put the agent on each machine. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Android and iPhone, with family plans stretching to 25 devices. No web app, integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, all run from one console, so every device a small office has is covered. No integrations or API are on record, which keeps it at B. |
| Best for | free Windows antivirus, with suites to grow into | small businesses with no IT person |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bitdefender and CrowdStrike Falcon Go. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bitdefender starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. CrowdStrike Falcon Go starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Bitdefender scores higher and starts $0.83 a month lower. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, none scores higher than Bitdefender for less, and 4 score higher than CrowdStrike Falcon Go for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bitdefender starts at $49.99 per year at renewal (Antivirus Plus, 1 device), after a first year for $24.99. CrowdStrike Falcon Go starts at $59.99 per device / year, billed annually ($7.99 per device billed monthly).
- Bitdefender has a free plan. CrowdStrike Falcon Go does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only CrowdStrike Falcon Go lists a Linux app.
- Bitdefender also covers password manager and vPN.
At a glance
| Bitdefender | CrowdStrike Falcon Go | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year at renewal (Antivirus Plus, 1 device), after a first year for $24.99 | $59.99 per device / year, billed annually ($7.99 per device billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Bitdefender Antivirus Free gives real-time malware and ransomware protection for Windows PCs, with no time limit. It needs a Bitdefender Central account. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Antivirus Plus and Total Security | 15-day free trial |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Bitdefender | CrowdStrike |
| Price read from | bitdefender.com | crowdstrike.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Bitdefender
- Windows users who want free real-time antivirus
- Families covering up to 25 devices under one plan
- Buyers who want antivirus, a VPN and a password manager from one vendor
CrowdStrike Falcon Go
- Small businesses protecting up to 100 computers and phones
- Owners without IT staff who want protection that works out of the box
- Businesses that need to control what USB drives can do
Worth knowing
Bitdefender
- Paid plans renew automatically at the full price after the first year: Total Security goes from $59.99 to $109.99, for example.
- Antivirus Free runs on Windows only; Mac and mobile protection need a paid plan.
- The VPN in Antivirus Plus and Total Security is capped at 200 MB a day per device.
- Refunds are available within 30 days of the first purchase or of an automatic renewal.
CrowdStrike Falcon Go
- Purchases of Falcon Go are capped at 100 devices.
- Firewall management needs Falcon Pro ($99.99 per device a year); EDR and threat hunting need Falcon Enterprise ($184.99).
- Annual plans can be refunded within 30 days; month-to-month plans get no refund, and renewals are at the then-standard price.
- The bundle covers antivirus, device control and mobile protection only; there is no VPN, password manager or identity monitoring.
Key features
Bitdefender
- Multi-platform malware protection
- Antivirus, malware and ransomware protection for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS on every paid plan, from 1 device up to 25 on family plans.
- Scam protection
- Blocks phishing and fake shops as you browse. Premium Security and above add Scam Protection Pro, which checks email, chat and text messages.
- Bitdefender VPN
- Antivirus Plus and Total Security include a VPN limited to 200 MB a day per device. Premium Security and higher plans remove the limit.
- Password manager
- Total Security and the plans above it include Bitdefender's password manager, one account per member on family plans.
- Parental controls
- Family plans add content filtering, internet time limits, routines, child location and activity reports.
- Identity monitoring
- Ultimate Security watches the web and dark web for leaks of your data. Ultimate Security Plus adds identity theft insurance and credit monitoring.
CrowdStrike Falcon Go
- Next-gen antivirus
- Falcon Prevent uses machine learning and behavior-based detection to block known and unknown malware and ransomware on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- USB device control
- See which USB storage devices are plugged into company machines and set what they may do, to stop data being copied off.
- Mobile device protection
- Falcon for Mobile watches for malicious activity on company phones and tablets running iOS 16 or later and Android 9 or later.
- Pre-configured policies
- Protection comes set up by default, with a step-by-step onboarding guide and one home screen showing devices, threat activity and blocked attacks.
- Express Support
- A support line for small and medium businesses that helps with installation and day-to-day management questions.
Plans
Bitdefender
Antivirus Free$0
Basic real-time antivirus for Windows only.
Antivirus Plus$49.99
per year for 1 device at renewal, after a first year for $24.99
Antivirus, scam protection and a VPN capped at 200 MB a day. First year $24.99; 3 devices cost $39.99 the first year, then $69.99.
Total Security$109.99
per year for up to 5 devices at renewal, after a first year for $59.99
Adds a password manager and cryptomining protection. First year $59.99. Family (25 devices, parental controls): $79.99, then $139.99.
Premium Security$129.99
per year for up to 5 devices at renewal, after a first year for $79.99
Adds unlimited VPN traffic, Scam Protection Pro, an anti-tracker and email protection. First year $79.99. Family: $99.99, then $169.99.
Ultimate Security$159.99
per year for up to 5 devices at renewal, after a first year for $89.99
Adds dark web monitoring and real-time breach alerts. First year $89.99. Family (25 devices): $119.99, then $199.99.
Ultimate Security Plus$189.99
per year for 5 devices at renewal, after a first year for $119.99
Adds $1M identity theft insurance, credit monitoring and restoration help. First year $119.99. Family: $179.99, then $269.99.
CrowdStrike Falcon Go
Falcon Go$59.99
per device / year, billed annually ($7.99 per device billed monthly)
Next-gen antivirus, USB device control, mobile device protection and Express Support, for up to 100 devices.
Ways to pay less
Bitdefender
- Other savings
First-year prices on every paid plan
First year: Antivirus Plus $24.99, Total Security $59.99, Premium Security $79.99, Ultimate Security $89.99, Ultimate Security Plus $119.99. Each then renews at its full price.
- Other savings
Total Security for 2 years at $119.99
Total Security is also sold as a 2-year subscription: $119.99 for the first 2 years for 5 devices, or $159.99 for the family plan.
CrowdStrike Falcon Go
- Annual discount
About 37% off with annual billing
CrowdStrike's pricing page shows Falcon Go at $59.99 per device billed annually against $7.99 per device billed monthly, or $95.88 over 12 months.
