Bitdefender vs Huntress (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Bitdefender: it is second in our ranking of antivirus apps, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bitdefender grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features 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
Huntress
Managed endpoint detection and response with a 24/7 human SOC
Which one is for you
Pick Bitdefender if
- Fits if you're on Windows and want real-time antivirus without paying
- Works for families with lots of devices, as family plans cover up to 25
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you pay yearly, as Total Security jumps from $59.99 to $109.99 at renewal and every plan renews at full price
- Skip it if you want a full VPN on Antivirus Plus or Total Security, which cap it at 200 MB a day per device
- Not for you if you want free protection on a Mac or phone, as the free version is Windows only
- Watch out: identity insurance and credit monitoring sit on Ultimate Security Plus, $189.99 a year after a $119.99 first year
- Tight if you'd rather not make an account, as even the free antivirus needs a Bitdefender Central sign-up
Pick Huntress if
- Fits if you run IT for several small businesses and want a security team watching
- Works for a company with endpoints to cover and no in-house analysts
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're a home user, as there's no consumer plan
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as the pricing page lists none
- Pricey if you want a plain antivirus: $8.99 per endpoint a month is a managed service price
- Watch out: pricing is list price, quotes come from a demo form, the term is 12 months and multi-year price protection isn't offered
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABitdefenderGood | 2.0GPAHuntressFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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$8.99 per endpoint a month at list, which is in the dearest tenth of antivirus tools, though you're buying a monitored service rather than a plain scanner. |
| 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. | DA free trial of the full product with the 24/7 team, but the length isn't stated. No free plan. |
| 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. | BManaged endpoint detection, identity threat detection, log collection, incident reports and a managed antivirus. Each product is priced on a different unit. |
| 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. | CNo store rating on record. It's sold through partners and set up through a demo form. |
| 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 and Linux with a web console, plus Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace links. |
| Best for | free Windows antivirus, with suites to grow into | managed threat detection for small IT firms |
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 Huntress. 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. Huntress starts at $8.99 a month and scores 2.7.
Bitdefender scores higher and starts $4.82 a month lower. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, none scores higher than Bitdefender for less, and 10 score higher than Huntress 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 also covers password manager and vPN.
- Huntress also covers reports.
At a glance
| Bitdefender | Huntress | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year at renewal (Antivirus Plus, 1 device), after a first year for $24.99 | $8.99 per endpoint / month (Managed EDR, MSRP) |
| 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 | Free trial of the full product, including 24/7 SOC support; length not stated |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Bitdefender | Huntress |
| Price read from | bitdefender.com | huntress.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Huntress
- Pricing shown is MSRP and falls as volume rises; exact quotes come from a demo form, and Huntress says it is channel-first and sells mostly through partners.
- The standard term is 12 months, and the pricing FAQ says multi-year price protection is not offered.
- Business product only: there is no consumer plan, and the pricing page lists no free plan.
- Each product is priced on a different unit: endpoints, identities, data sources or learners.
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.
Huntress
- Managed EDR
- A lightweight agent for Windows and macOS, with Linux also covered, feeds detections to the Huntress SOC, which investigates and remediates.
- Free managed antivirus
- The Managed EDR price includes managed antivirus, so the product can stand in for a conventional antivirus on a business machine.
- Identity threat detection
- Managed ITDR looks for privilege escalation, suspicious logins and mail flow manipulation in Microsoft 365 and Google accounts.
- Athena engine
- The site describes Athena as agentic AI that investigates every alert alongside the human SOC analysts.
- Incident reporting
- Custom incident reports come with Managed EDR and Managed ITDR at no extra cost, according to the pricing page.
- Log collection and training
- Managed SIEM correlates logs from many sources, and Managed SAT runs phishing simulations and training for employees.
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.
Huntress
Managed EDR$8.99
per endpoint / month, MSRP
24/7 detection and response by the SOC, remediation, incident reporting and managed antivirus. Rate falls with volume.
Managed ITDR$4.80
per licensed identity / month, MSRP
Watches Microsoft 365 and Google identities for account takeover, suspicious policy changes and mail flow tampering.
Managed SIEM$4.00
per data source / month, MSRP
Collects and correlates logs from endpoints, firewalls, cloud apps and identity systems, with pooled storage.
Managed ISPM$4.00
per licensed identity / month, MSRP
Managed hardening of Microsoft 365 identity settings, with drift fixed in about 15 minutes, as the page says.
Managed SAT$2.08
per learner / month, MSRP
Managed security awareness training with phishing simulation and automated reporting.
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.
Huntress
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bitdefender or Huntress?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bitdefender is cheaper to start with: $4.17 a month when paid by the year, against $8.99 a month for Huntress. Bitdefender starts at $49.99 per year at renewal (Antivirus Plus, 1 device), after a first year for $24.99, and Huntress starts at $8.99 per endpoint / month (Managed EDR, MSRP).
Which has a free plan, Bitdefender or Huntress?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Bitdefender has a free plan. Huntress does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Bitdefender and Huntress run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Bitdefender lists iOS and Android apps and only Huntress lists a web app and a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.