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Cybersecurity · head to head

Bitdefender VPN vs Depot

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
Free plan
No
Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Only Depot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • They diverge on capability: Bitdefender VPN covers Suite integration, Depot covers Depot CI.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bitdefender VPN and Depot differ
AttributeBitdefender VPNDepot
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebCloud, GitHub, CLI
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown2022

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Bitdefender VPN

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

Only in Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

What people use each for

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

Bitdefender VPN

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

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot Bitdefender VPN
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot Bitdefender VPN
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot Bitdefender VPN
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot Bitdefender VPN

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Bitdefender VPN

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Bitdefender VPN review.

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/month
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Business$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

Which should you pick?

Choose Bitdefender VPN if

  • You need suite integration.
  • You also want catapult hydra transport.

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
  • You also want container builds.

Questions people ask

Is Bitdefender VPN or Depot better?
Neither clearly leads. Bitdefender VPN starts at On request and Depot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bitdefender VPN or Depot?
Depot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Bitdefender VPN and Free for Depot.
Does Bitdefender VPN or Depot run on more platforms?
Bitdefender VPN runs on Web. Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
Can I use Depot for free?
Yes. Depot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bitdefender VPN starts at On request.
What is Bitdefender VPN best used for?
Bitdefender VPN is most often used for an existing bitdefender customer who wants basic tunnel protection on public wi-fi without evaluating and buying a second product, households wanting one security subscription covering malware protection and casual vpn use across a few devices, hiding browsing activity from an internet service provider or a shared network operator rather than defeating a determined adversary, occasional access to region-locked content where a dedicated streaming-focused vpn would be more product than the need justifies. Of those, an existing bitdefender customer who wants basic tunnel protection on public wi-fi without evaluating and buying a second product and households wanting one security subscription covering malware protection and casual vpn use across a few devices are not what Depot is typically brought in for.
What can Bitdefender VPN do that Depot cannot?
Bitdefender VPN covers Suite integration, Catapult Hydra transport, WireGuard support, Kill switch. Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

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.

Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

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.

Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
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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