BitDefender vs. CA

What's the key to the best antivirus software?

There are a few things that separate the leading antivirus software from the second-tier programs, and our aim with this series of pages is to help you figure out which AV security software is best for your needs.

Among other things good antivirus software should be fast, easy to install, and easy to understand when it's running.

On these pages our goal is to distill choosing antivirus software to a few key points and in doing so de-mystify the selection process for you.

On this head-to-head comparison page, we show:
BitDefender Antivirus vs. CA Antivirus.

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$24.95* Vs. $39.99*

Which Has the Best Real-time Protection?

BitDefender	CA
Keeping in mind that no antivirus has a perfect real-time protection score, BitDefender still scored high with a 96% success rate. Web pages, email, and PC files are all accurately scanned in real-time. On the whole, BitDefender has managed to make a potent and reliable real-time antivirus solution.	CA antivirus does a better job this year with real-time protection. While its test scores were slightly below average, CA still managed to catch most viruses despite its bare-bones approach. However, with no spyware protection or firewall, CA is still open to many threats during real-time scanning.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender BitDefender takes real-time scanning seriously and has the high marks to prove it.

Which is Most Effective Against Spyware?

BitDefender	CA
BitDefender's antispyware feature is just as accurate as its antivirus feature. Hourly spyware definitions are updated to keep your PC safe at all times. Independent testing showed BitDefender to score equally high with spyware interception and deletion as it did with virus and malware protection.	Regrettably, CA Anti-Virus doesn't offer any spyware protection with this year's antivirus.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender With no antispyware for CA Anti-Virus, BitDefender is the clear winner.

Which Has the Lowest Resource Usage?

BitDefender	CA
Resource usage for BitDefender isn't as good as VIPRE, but it's light compared to CA. Manual scanning resource usage is well within the "good" range, so while most users might notice it running, it shouldn't bring your system to a crawl. The percentage of CPU used during a normal scan was still acceptable for BitDefender. During a real-time scan, BitDefender antivirus came in well under 4% of total memory used. A solid performance overall.	Independent testing showed CA to be one of the more resource-heavy antivirus software applications. During a manual scan, CA tends to slow down your PC to unacceptable levels. This is ironic considering CA antivirus is a minimalist piece of software. There's no reason why a bare-bones antivirus program needs to be so sluggish and resource-heavy.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender BitDefender's resource usage is consistently better than CA Anti-Virus.

Which Has the Best User Interface?

BitDefender	CA
The user interface for BitDefender is straightforward and easy to navigate. The antivirus protection features are clearly labeled in each tabbed section. However, we'd like to see a snapshot of all the features at once instead. Despite this, BitDefender's user interface is still easy to use and should present most users no challenges.	The user interface for CA is fairly simple and intuitive. While the design and colors aren't particularly appealing, the user interface is functional. The information is presented in a quick snapshot on the front page, then each section is clearly labeled for further adjustment. Like the rest of this software, it's simple and straightforward. Advanced users may find it overly simple and unacceptable.
RESULT: Tie Both user interfaces have their pros and cons, but on balance, they come out about the same when functionality is concerned.

Which Has the Best Customer Support?

BitDefender	CA
The BitDefender customer support could be much better. While they do offer free email, phone, and chat support, their phone number is very difficult to find. You're required to click through at least 12 links just to find it. Then, creation of an account is required in order to get one-on-one phone support. When personal computer security is at stake, fast, free and easy phone support is a must, in our opinion.	CA customer support needs a lot of work as well. For one thing, we found their knowledge base confusing to navigate. They offer far too many options to find the answer you're looking for, making it difficult to know where to even start. You can type in a search question, but their system is very particular requiring you to "Ask a complete question, such as 'How do I configure my firewall?'" Another unnecessary hurdle. Chat and email support is free, but phone support will cost you. CA charges $19.95 per incident. Ouch. Phone support needs to be free and easily accessible as far as we're concerned.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender While BitDefender has its own customer support issues, their phone support is at least free once you find out how to get there.

Which is Easiest to Install?

BitDefender	CA
BitDefender's installation process is fast, easy, and effortless for the most part. A standard installation wizard will guide you through a few basic steps needed to finish the install. Resource usage was at a minimum during the process, and no real problems were experienced.	The installation for CA antivirus was mostly effortless and easy. The typical installation wizard will prompt you to answer a few questions, then complete without much delay. No real resource usage was required, and the overall install was fast and complete.
RESULT: Tie Both BitDefender and CA posed no significant issues when installing.

Which Has the Best Email Virus Protection?

BitDefender	CA
BitDefender's email antivirus protection feature isn't active by default. Why BitDefender chose to make this feature inactive is baffling to us considering so many viruses and spyware are spread through email. You'll need to go into the Advanced View area to make email protection active. Once email protection has been activated, BitDefender does a fine job at weeding out dangerous email infections.	The email protection feature on CA antivirus is average at best. Independent testing showed CA to intercept most incoming viruses, but not enough to be considered effective. Overall, CA's email virus protection leaves much to be desired.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender Even though BitDefender's email virus protection isn't enabled by default, testing showed BitDefender to still be a much more effective antivirus.

What's the Best Antivirus Software?

BitDefender	CA
While BitDefender isn't considered our "best antivirus software" this year around (VIPRE takes the award this year), they still rank high on overall performance. Right out of the box, BitDefender scores high on real-time protection, low resource usage, and a user-friendly interface. Despite a lack of good customer support, there's really no other downside to BitDefender antivirus this year.	With no spyware protection and a sluggish real-time presence, CA antivirus just doesn't cut it this year. Charging $19.95 for a phone support call is unreasonable, and their overall help pages are confusing. For a bare-bones antivirus application, CA scores average when it comes to actually catching and preventing spyware and malware activity. However, other competitors on the market have at least a few bells and whistles attached to their software to round things out. CA has none.
RESULT: Winner BitDefender A solid antivirus solution with great protection scores, and low resource usage. The user interface is clean and easy to use, and their email and antispyware protection are top notch.

BitDefender vs CA: Conclusion

BitDefender	CA
#1 $24.95*	#2 $39.99*
* No coupon currently available.	* 31.99 with our exclusive coupon.
CONCLUSION: Winner BitDefender