Bitdefender vs Sophos Home
We give Bitdefender a 2.8 GPA and Sophos Home a 2.4, out of 4.0. Bitdefender grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, 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
Sophos Home
Business-grade antivirus for up to 10 Windows PCs and Macs
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABitdefenderGood | 2.4GPASophos HomeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CPremium is $44.99 the first year, then $59.99, so two years cost $104.98, about $4.37 a month, a little above the middle of antivirus prices. That covers 10 computers and unlimited phones, so per device it's cheap for a big household. |
| 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 a 30-day trial of Premium with no credit card needed. After that it stops protecting unless you buy. |
| 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 antivirus job fully: real-time scanning with AI detection, ransomware rollback, web protection, parental web filtering and remote management. But it's a smaller product than the suites around it, with 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. You install it on each computer and it runs, with the web dashboard there when you want it. |
| 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 and Mac computers plus iPhone, iPad and Android, all managed from one web dashboard. No API or integrations on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | free Windows antivirus, with suites to grow into | looking after the family's computers from one place |
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 Sophos Home. 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. Sophos Home 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 Sophos Home 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. Sophos Home starts at $59.99 per year for 10 computers at renewal, after a first year for $44.99.
- Bitdefender has a free plan. Sophos Home does not, though it has a free trial.
- Bitdefender also covers password manager and vPN.
At a glance
| Bitdefender | Sophos Home | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 year for 10 computers at renewal, after a first year for $44.99 |
| 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 | 30-day free trial of Sophos Home Premium, no credit card required |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Bitdefender | Sophos Ltd. |
| Price read from | bitdefender.com | home.sophos.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 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
Sophos Home
- Families who look after the computers of relatives in other homes
- Households with several Windows PCs and Macs on one budget plan
- People who want plain antivirus without a bundled VPN or add-ons
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.
Sophos Home
- The advertised $44.99 is a 25% first-year offer; the subscription renews automatically at the published price, $59.99 a year.
- There is no free plan: the trial stops protecting after 30 days unless you buy.
- There is no VPN, password manager or identity monitoring in the plan.
- Live support is available only on weekdays during US Eastern office hours.
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.
Sophos Home
- AI threat detection
- Deep learning models flag malware that has never been seen before, alongside real-time scanning against the SophosLabs threat databases.
- Ransomware rollback
- Blocks ransomware from encrypting personal files and photos, and rolls back any files it managed to change.
- Web protection
- Blocks compromised and phishing sites, adds browser protection for banking and shopping, and scans downloads automatically.
- Remote management
- One dashboard shows and manages the protection on every computer in the family, wherever those computers are.
- Parental web filtering
- Choose categories of websites that children cannot open on a protected computer.
- Support by chat and email
- Live chat and email support from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern, Monday to Friday, with a knowledge base available around the clock.
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.
Sophos Home
Sophos Home Premium$59.99
per year for 10 computers at renewal, after a first year for $44.99
Up to 10 Windows and Mac computers plus unlimited phones and tablets. First year $44.99 (25% off $59.99), then renews at the published price.
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.
Sophos Home
- Other savings
25% off the first year for new customers
Sophos Home Premium costs $44.99 for the first year instead of $59.99, then renews automatically at the published price.
