Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Acunetix vs Bitdefender VPN

Acunetix logo

Acunetix

Cybersecurity

Web application security testing made easy

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bitdefender VPN logo

Bitdefender VPN

Cybersecurity

Consumer VPN sold by Bitdefender that runs on network infrastructure licensed from a third party rather than its own.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Acunetix pricing available by quote only; no transparent pricing published online; Bitdefender VPN the network is not Bitdefender's: the servers and the Catapult Hydra protocol are licensed from Aura, formerly Pango and AnchorFree, so the company physically handling your traffic and subject to legal process is a United States based third party, not the Romanian vendor whose brand is on the client.
  • They diverge on capability: Acunetix covers DAST scanning, Bitdefender VPN covers Suite integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acunetix and Bitdefender VPN actually diverge.

Attributes where Acunetix and Bitdefender VPN differ
AttributeAcunetixBitdefender VPN
PlatformsDesktop, Web, ApiWeb
Founded2005Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acunetix

  • DAST scanning
  • IAST technology
  • AcuSensor
  • JavaScript security
  • SQL injection testing
  • XSS detection
  • OWASP Top 10
  • API security testing

Only in Bitdefender VPN

  • Suite integration
  • Catapult Hydra transport
  • WireGuard support
  • Kill switch
  • Auto-connect rules
  • Split tunnelling
  • Ad and tracker blocking
  • Free tier included

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acunetix

  • Scanning web applications for security vulnerabilitiesnot Bitdefender VPN
  • Testing APIs for exploitable weaknesses and threatsnot Bitdefender VPN
  • Automating dynamic application security testing (DAST)not Bitdefender VPN
  • Finding and validating security issues in production environmentsnot Bitdefender VPN

Bitdefender VPN

  • An existing Bitdefender customer who wants basic tunnel protection on public Wi-Fi without evaluating and buying a second productnot Acunetix
  • Households wanting one security subscription covering malware protection and casual VPN use across a few devicesnot Acunetix
  • Hiding browsing activity from an internet service provider or a shared network operator rather than defeating a determined adversarynot Acunetix
  • Occasional access to region-locked content where a dedicated streaming-focused VPN would be more product than the need justifiesnot Acunetix

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acunetix

  • Pricing available by quote only; no transparent pricing published online
  • Requires per-application licenses for comprehensive coverage
  • Scanning speed and feature depth depend on subscription tier
  • Advanced features like API security testing may require higher-tier plans

Bitdefender VPN

  • The network is not Bitdefender's: the servers and the Catapult Hydra protocol are licensed from Aura, formerly Pango and AnchorFree, so the company physically handling your traffic and subject to legal process is a United States based third party, not the Romanian vendor whose brand is on the client.
  • Catapult Hydra is proprietary and closed source, so unlike OpenVPN or WireGuard there is no public implementation for researchers to audit, and a buyer choosing on cryptographic grounds has nothing to inspect.
  • There is no published independent no-logs audit of this service comparable to the Deloitte, PwC and KPMG engagements the standalone VPN vendors commission, so the no-logging position rests on the privacy policies of two separate companies rather than on any external assurance.
  • The free tier bundled with the antivirus suites is capped at a small daily allowance and selects the server for you, so it is a demonstration rather than a usable VPN, and customers who assumed their suite included a VPN find they need a further paid upgrade.
  • Feature depth is well below the dedicated market: no port forwarding, no dedicated IP, no multi-hop, no city-level server selection and no Linux or router client, so routers, NAS devices, consoles and anything needing an inbound connection cannot be covered at all.

Pricing, plan by plan

Acunetix

On request
  • StandardFree
    • Single user
    • 5 targets
    • Scheduled scans
  • PremiumFree
    • Multiple users
    • Unlimited targets
    • CI/CD integration
  • Acunetix 360Free
    • Enterprise features
    • SDLC integration
    • Custom workflows

Bitdefender VPN

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bitdefender VPN review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Acunetix if

  • You need dast scanning.
  • You work on Desktop, Web, Api.
  • You also want iast technology.
Acunetix review

Choose Bitdefender VPN if

  • You need suite integration.
  • You also want catapult hydra transport.
Bitdefender VPN review

Questions people ask

Is Acunetix or Bitdefender VPN better?
Neither clearly leads. Acunetix starts at On request and Bitdefender VPN at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acunetix or Bitdefender VPN?
Acunetix starts at On request and Bitdefender VPN at On request.
Does Acunetix or Bitdefender VPN run on more platforms?
Acunetix runs on Desktop, Web, Api. Bitdefender VPN runs on Web.
What is Acunetix best used for?
Acunetix is most often used for scanning web applications for security vulnerabilities, testing apis for exploitable weaknesses and threats, automating dynamic application security testing (dast), finding and validating security issues in production environments. Of those, scanning web applications for security vulnerabilities and testing apis for exploitable weaknesses and threats are not what Bitdefender VPN is typically brought in for.
What can Acunetix do that Bitdefender VPN cannot?
Acunetix covers DAST scanning, IAST technology, AcuSensor, JavaScript security. Bitdefender VPN covers Suite integration, Catapult Hydra transport, WireGuard support, Kill switch.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Acunetix: How much does Invicti (formerly Acunetix) cost?

Invicti pricing is available by quote based on your organization's needs, application count, and required features. The platform offers 8x faster scanning compared to competitors and detects 99.98% of exploitable vulnerabilities. Contact Invicti sales for a custom pricing proposal.

Source
Bitdefender VPN: Who actually operates the servers?

The underlying VPN network and the Catapult Hydra protocol are licensed from Aura, previously known as Pango and AnchorFree, the operator of Hotspot Shield. Bitdefender identifies the arrangement in its VPN terms. Your traffic therefore passes through a United States based provider's infrastructure.

Bitdefender VPN: Is the free version enough?

Only as a taster. It is capped at a small daily traffic allowance and chooses the server itself, which rules out streaming and any sustained use. It exists to demonstrate the feature inside the antivirus suite.

Bitdefender VPN: Has the no-logs claim been independently audited?

There is no published independent no-logs audit of this service equivalent to those commissioned by the dedicated VPN providers. If an audited no-logging claim is what you are buying, this is not the product for it.

Bitdefender VPN: Does it work with streaming services?

Sometimes, but it is not built around that use case, there is no per-service server labelling, and there is no commitment to restoring access when a platform blocks a range. A streaming-focused provider is a better fit if that is the reason you want a VPN.

Bitdefender VPN: Can I run it on Linux or a router?

No. There is no Linux client and no router firmware or manual configuration option, so coverage is limited to the Windows, macOS, iOS and Android clients.

Share

Related pages

More on Acunetix

More on Bitdefender VPN

Keep looking

Other head to heads