Privacy
Ranked #25 out of 61 VPNs for Privacy
Bitdefender VPN simply logs too much identifiable data for us to be comfortable recommending it for privacy. In addition, it being a white-label version of Aura's VPN products makes its privacy policy extremely complicated. We suggest avoiding this VPN if you need a privacy-focused VPN service.
| Originating IP Address | Yes |
|---|---|
| Browsing Activity | Yes |
| Individual Connection Timestamps | Yes |
| Date of Last Connection | No |
| VPN Server IP | No |
| Device Information | Yes |
| Individual Bandwidth Usage | Yes |
| Account Information | No |
You can read Bitdefender's full privacy policy on its website.
Similar to other white-label VPN services, Bitdefender VPN’s privacy policy is very confusing.
There is a short three-paragraph section in Bitdefender’s “home solutions privacy policy” addressing the VPN service’s data collection.
However, it does say that the VPN collects your real IP address, which is the worst piece of data a VPN can log. Not only is this personally identifiable, Bitdefender doesn’t actually clarify when this data is deleted.
Importantly, Bitdefender VPN uses Aura’s server network, protocols, and software. This means that all of Bitdefender VPN’s data is actually collected and processed by Aura.
Aura is listed as the data processor for Bitdefender VPN.
As a result, Bitdefender VPN users are subject to a strange combination of both Bitdefender’s privacy policy and Aura’s. We’re disappointed to see both services collect a lot of personally identifiable data.
Romania & US Jurisdiction
Bitdefender is based in Romania, a country subject to EU data retention laws and data-sharing agreements.
To make the situation worse, Aura is based in the US, which is a notoriously bad region for data privacy.
The combination of both these jurisdictions and the VPN’s complicated privacy policy admitting to excessive data logging makes this an extremely unattractive service for privacy.
Streaming
Ranked #39 out of 61 VPNs for Streaming
Bitdefender is fast enough for HD streaming, but the VPN lacks the ability to unblock streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. In our hands-on testing, we did find it could unblock some UK streaming services, like BBC iPlayer, but for the same price you can find much better streaming VPNs.
| Streaming Service | Works with Bitdefender VPN |
|---|---|
| BBC iPlayer (UK) | Yes |
| DAZN (Canada) | No |
| Disney+ (UK) | No |
| Hulu (US) | No |
| ITVX (UK) | Yes |
| Max (US) | No |
| Netflix (US) | No |
| Netflix (UK) | No |
| Prime Video (US) | No |
| Sky Go (UK) | No |
Bitdefender is quick to claim that its VPN can “unlock media from all over the world.” In our experience, this simply wasn’t true. Bitdefender is in fact a poor VPN for streaming.
In our streaming tests, Bitdefender VPN didn’t work with Netflix on any server, including the UK and US servers. It also failed to unblock HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video.
Based on our regular tests, Bitdefender simply cannot compare to the best Netflix VPNs and HBO Max VPNs we’ve found.
Like most VPNs, Bitdefender VPN does works to unblock YouTube videos, which is useful if the website is blocked at your school or workplace.
Unblocks BBC iPlayer & ITVX
Surprisingly, we were able to unblock a few free UK platforms like BBC iPlayer and All4 through the UK server.
We watched Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer using Bitdefender VPN’s UK server.
Its download speeds are fast enough for streaming HD films and TV. But it doesn’t offer any dedicated streaming servers or special ability to bypass geo-restrictions.
Overall, we do not recommend this VPN for streaming.
Speed
Ranked #13 out of 61 VPNs for Speed
Bitdefender is extremely fast on nearby and distant servers. We measured an average international speed loss of just 3%. The VPN's incredible speeds are due to it using the same technology as Hotspot Shield (the fastest VPN service we've tested).
Here are the speeds we recorded while using Bitdefender VPN:
As the data shows, Bitdefender is fast in every location. We were particularly impressed with its international speeds of 97Mbps, which outperform even top VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
Bitdefender can achieve these speeds because it is one of a few VPNs to run on Hotspot Shield’s proprietary Hydra VPN protocol.
Bitdefender isn’t the only antivirus company to do this. In our McAfee VPN review we explain how its service also uses a Hotspot Shield white-label.
Security
Ranked #43 out of 61 VPNs for Security
Bitdefender VPN uses secure protocols and encryption, but it's lacking in additional features compared to top-tier VPNs. It doesn't offer multi-hop servers, or DNS leak protection, or open-source apps. It also has a faulty kill switch that can leak your real IP address when you switch servers.
| Independent Audit | No |
|---|---|
| VPN Kill Switch | Yes |
| Leak Protection | Yes |
Bitdefender VPN has a decent array of technical features, including a kill switch, ad blocker, a public WiFi setting, and more.
It’s improved a lot in recent years, but in our experience it still hasn’t got the basics right. The VPN kill switch actually leaked our IP address when switching server locations without disconnecting first.
Overall, it’s still missing some key improvements. Before they’ve been added, we can’t call Bitdefender VPN a 100% secure service.
No IP, WebRTC or DNS Leaks
In our most recent security tests, we were pleased to find that Bitdefender VPN no longer leaks DNS requests. In fact, we detected no leaks at all.
With Bitdefender VPN, we detected no IP, DNS, WebRTC, or geolocation leaks.
Safe & Open-Source Protocols
Bitdefender VPN offers the best protocols on the market: OpenVPN and WireGuard. WireGuard is our preferred protocols due to its incredibly fast speeds, low data consumption, and modern encryption.
As a rebranded version of Hotspot Shield, Bitdefender VPN also offers Hydra – a proprietary protocol that’s extremely fast.
Failed Our Kill Switch Test
Disappointingly Bitdefender VPN’s kills switch leaked our real IP address when changing servers without disconnecting.
Bitdefender is not a secure VPN as it has a faulty kill switch.
This is quite common among low-tier VPNs, but we expect VPNs to address this issue or send a warning to users to disconnect before changing servers.
Security Features We’d Like to See
Bitdefender VPN has greatly improved its security since we last reviewed it. Importantly, the VPN now doesn’t leak your DNS requests, and it offers more technical features. But there are some things it’s still lacking:
- Functioning kill switch that hides your real IP address when you switch servers, not just when your internet disconnects.
- Security audit to prove the VPN’s server infrastructure and code is secure.
Server Locations
Ranked #17 out of 61 VPNs for Server Locations
Bitdefender operates a small network 1,300+ VPN servers in 53 countries. Its servers are located in Europe, North America, Asia, and South America.
| Continent | Bitdefender Countries with Servers |
|---|---|
| Europe | 28 |
| Asia | 15 |
| North America | 3 |
| South America | 3 |
| Africa | 2 |
| Oceania | 2 |
The Bitdefender server list is limited to 53 countries, with the majority of them based in Europe and North America.
To its credit, we’ve found the VPN’s city-level server coverage in North America is useful for bypassing US sports blackouts.
Here’s a list of Bitdefender’s city-level servers in US, Canada, and the UK:
- US: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, Phoenix, Portland, San Jose, Seattle, Washington
- Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver
- UK: London, Manchester
There are fewer server locations in Asia, but there’s still a somewhat decent selection, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore.
Disappointingly, there are only three South American server locations available. In Africa, there are only two servers.
Overall, Bitdefender VPN’s server location coverage is good, but it’s no way near as extensive as top VPNs. In comparison, our CyberGhost review details how the VPN covers 100 countries, with city-level choice in the US, UK and eight other countries.
User Experience
Ranked #48 out of 61 VPNs for User Experience
Bitdefender's apps are all relatively easy to use, if only because they're so simple. However, you have to log into a wider suite in order to open the VPN, which is confusing and unnecessary.
Some VPN apps are easy to use because of great design, while others are easy to use simply because they have very few features. Bitdefender VPN fits squarely in the second category.
This doesn’t mean the app design is bad — on the contrary, we found it very easy to use — but its limited functionality won’t be getting too much praise from us.
Android & iOS Applications
The mobile apps both have a simple layout. The VPN is easy to find, located within one of five tabs at the bottom of the screen.
There is a central “connect” button, and an easy to find server select button, too.
The servers are arranged alphabetically by country. Since there aren’t too many locations it’s easy to find the location you want.
There is also a connection timer, and a meter to track how much data you have left if you’re using the free version of the app.
This is the full extent of the VPN’s functionality. If you want, you can use the anti-virus and security features in the other tabs, but you won’t find any additional VPN settings.
Windows & macOS Applications
The Mac and PC versions of the VPN require you to have Bitdefender Total Security installed. You can launch the VPN on its own, so unless you plan to use Bitdefender’s other features the Total Security app is little more than bloatware.
The VPN app itself is even more simple than the mobile version. It has an easy to navigate server list, which we like.
The settings menu is also easy to find, but there isn’t much there. The feature to automatically launch the VPN when connecting to unsecure WiFi networks is nice.
Many of the key features we would expect of a top level VPN just aren’t here, though. We would absolutely expect to see a kill switch present, for instance.
Torrenting
Ranked #40 out of 61 VPNs for Torrenting
Bitdefender VPN's torrent speeds are fast, but its kill switch is faulty and it logs too much sensitive information. The VPN service simply isn't private and we therefore strongly suggest avoiding it for torrenting.
| Torrenting Attribute | Bitdefender VPN |
|---|---|
| Permits P2P Traffic | Yes |
| Average Download Bitrate | 7.6MiB/s (24% loss) |
| Countries with P2P Servers | 53 |
| Port Forwarding | No |
| Kill Switch | Yes |
| Logging Policy | Identifiable Data |
Bitdefender is not a good choice for torrenting. It does actually support torrenting on all servers and offer an auto-connect feature for when you open a torrent client, but in our experience it still isn’t trustworthy enough for torrenting.
Not only does the VPN leak your IP address with the kill switch enabled, it also logs way too much identifiable information for us to comfortably use it.
If you’re serious about torrenting, we recommend opting for trustworthy privacy-focused VPNs like ExpressVPN or Proton VPN instead.
Device Compatibility
Bitdefender is available on the four most popular platforms: PC, macOS, iOS and Android. Disappointingly, it isn't compatible with routers at all and doesn't have any browser extensions. This makes it a poor choice compared to other top VPNs.
| Windows | Yes |
|---|---|
| Mac | Yes |
| iOS | Yes |
| Android | Yes |
| Linux | No |
| Amazon Fire TV | No |
| Android TV | No |
| Apple TV | No |
| Router | No |
| Chrome | No |
Simultaneous Connections: 10
Bitdefender has dedicated VPN apps for Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. Beyond these major platforms, the VPN offers very little additional device compatibility.
There is no Smart DNS and no router support, meaning you can’t use Bitdefender VPN on Apple TV or games consoles. Moreover, there is no Android TV or Fire TV Stick app, either.
To make matters worse, there are no web browser extensions, which are very popular among VPN users.
Additional Features
Bitdefender has some essential additional features: an effective ad and tracker blocker, split tunneling, a public WiFi setting, and 24/7 live chat support. These are commonplace features among VPN services, though, and we’d like to see Bitdefender offer some more unique features like VPN obfuscation, dedicated IPs, GPS spoofing, and proxy configurations.
| Additional Feature | Bitdefender VPN |
|---|---|
| Split Tunneling | Yes |
| VPN Obfuscation | No |
| Multi-Hop Servers | No |
| Dedicated IP | No |
| Ad Blocker | Yes |
| Tracker Blocker | Yes |
Great Ad & Tracker Blocker
As an antivirus company, it’s no surprise to see the VPN’s ad and tracker blocker excel in our tests. It managed to block over 90% of intrusive ads and trackers, which is even better than some top tier VPNs.
But you can get even better results with a dedicated browser extension like uBlock Origin.
You can enable Bitdefender VPN’s ad and tracker blocker in the app’s settings.