BitDefender vs. Kaspersky: Which 2013 Security Software Suite Is Better?

It's time for the new 2013 versions of the top security software suites to be launched, and the first two out of the gate are BitDefender Internet Security 2013 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2013. Both are well-known, well-respected security suites that offer the best in protection for your computer, but how do they stack up against each other? Let us break it down for you:

Price: Usually, BitDefender has a close edge on Kaspersky, since they offer their new security software for $69.95 for up to 3 PCs, while Kapserksy charges $79.95 for the same deal. On top of that, BitDefender is currently offering NextAdvisor reader's 50% off (with coupon code BTSTS2013) if they sign up for a 2-year license. So that's $69.95 for 2 years of protection, which is far and above better than Kaspersky.

Protection: BitDefender and Kaspersky are pretty comparable when it comes to protection. In the last two Real-World Protection tests from AV-Comparatives, an independent testing site, BitDefender has edged out Kaspersky when it comes to overall scores, although both scored 3 out of 3 stars for quality of protection. This gives BitDefender a slight edge, but not by much. Kaspersky is still one of the top security software suites when it comes to protection.

Features: Kaspersky didn't add too many new features this year, instead focusing on improving their existing features. However, the features they did add were definitely very impressive, including a Safe Money feature that allows you to do online banking in a completely secluded browser to protect against identity theft, as well as Vulnerability Scan that not only scans the computer for vulnerabilities, but will also analyze and, in certain cases, take over control of certain programs to rectify any issues. On the flip side, BitDefender also offers a secure banking browser called SafePay, as well as cool social networking features that help protect against malicious web addresses. So really, they both offer a nice array of features that can help protect you and your computer from online threats.

Performance: While both Kaspersky and BitDefender pride themselves on keeping your computer running quickly and not bogging it down with unnecessary software, BitDefender also boasts a really cool AutoPilot feature which keeps the software virtually silent while you go about your computer business. What does that mean? It means no annoying pop-up messages to tell you about minor threats, or worse, that everything is fine. Kaspersky has a similar Gaming Mode, but it's not as silent as BitDefender's AutoPilot.

Overall, BitDefender is a better deal, both because of price and the little extras it offers, although it is an extremely close race with Kaspersky. Both security software suites offer top-notch protection for both you and your computer, so either would be a good choice. To read our full reviews of each software suite, or to compare them side-by-side, check out our compare page here.

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