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Cybersecurity · head to head

Avast One vs Bitdefender VPN

Avast One logo

Avast One

Cybersecurity

All-in-one protection for your digital life

From
Free
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

  • Only Avast One has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Avast One ransomware and Wi-Fi vulnerability protection only on paid 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.
  • They diverge on capability: Avast One covers Antivirus, Bitdefender VPN covers Suite integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Avast One and Bitdefender VPN actually diverge.

Attributes where Avast One and Bitdefender VPN differ
AttributeAvast OneBitdefender VPN
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded1988Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Avast One

  • Antivirus
  • Firewall
  • VPN
  • Data breach monitoring
  • Email Guardian
  • Webcam Shield
  • Ransomware Shield
  • Performance optimization

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.

Avast One

  • Antivirusnot Bitdefender VPN
  • Internet Securitynot Bitdefender VPN
  • Privacy Toolsnot Bitdefender VPN

Bitdefender VPN

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

Where each one falls short

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

Avast One

  • Ransomware and Wi-Fi vulnerability protection only on paid plans
  • Free plan VPN is limited, no data breakthrough monitoring
  • Rebuilt app in May 2026 may have stability issues

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

Avast One

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Antivirus
    • Limited VPN
    • Privacy tools
  • Silver$2.99/month
    • Enhanced antivirus
    • VPN
    • Device cleanup
  • Premium$4.19/month
    • Full antivirus
    • VPN with 55 servers
    • Password manager
  • Premium Plus$11.67/month
    • All Premium features
    • 30 devices covered

Bitdefender VPN

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bitdefender VPN review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Avast One if

  • You need antivirus.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want firewall.
Avast One review

Choose Bitdefender VPN if

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

Questions people ask

Is Avast One or Bitdefender VPN better?
Neither clearly leads. Avast One starts at Free and Bitdefender VPN at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Avast One or Bitdefender VPN?
Avast One has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Avast One and On request for Bitdefender VPN.
Does Avast One or Bitdefender VPN run on more platforms?
Avast One runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. Bitdefender VPN runs on Web.
Can I use Avast One for free?
Yes. Avast One has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bitdefender VPN starts at On request.
What is Avast One best used for?
Avast One is most often used for antivirus, internet security, privacy tools. Of those, antivirus and internet security are not what Bitdefender VPN is typically brought in for.
What can Avast One do that Bitdefender VPN cannot?
Avast One covers Antivirus, Firewall, VPN, Data breach monitoring. Bitdefender VPN covers Suite integration, Catapult Hydra transport, WireGuard support, Kill switch.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Avast One: Is Avast One free?

Yes. Avast One offers a free tier with antivirus, VPN (limited), and privacy tools. Paid plans start at $2.99/month for Silver and $4.19/month for Premium covering up to 5 devices.

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.

Avast One: What does Avast One include?

Avast One provides antivirus, VPN, password manager, device cleanup, Wi-Fi security, data breach monitoring, and protection against AI-generated scams and deepfakes.

Source
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.

Avast One: Does Avast One have ransomware protection?

Ransomware protection is available only on paid plans, not the free tier. Free users get antivirus and basic protection only.

Source
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.

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