Bitdefender vs MacKeeper

If you’re looking at Bitdefender vs MacKeeper, you probably want reliable antivirus software for your Mac.

Do Macs need antivirus? Unfortunately, they do. Macs are susceptible to malware, phishing scams, and other unpleasantness—so protection is essential. But, with so many apps out there, it can be hard to know which is best.

In this article, we’ll compare Bitdefender vs. MacKeeper: the differences, pricing, effectiveness, and which one might be right for you.

A note from our experts:

 

After reviewing our guide on Bitdefender vs. MacKeeper comparison, you will only have a theoretical understanding of their pros and cons. Download MacKeeper Antivirus and try it out in practice.

 

How to use MacKeeper’s Antivirus:

1. Download MacKeeper and follow the on-screen instructions to install it.
2. Open MacKeeper and choose Antivirus from the sidebar.
3. Click Start Scan.
4. When the scan is complete, choose to Delete any threats.

What is the main difference between Bitdefender and MacKeeper

When looking at Bitdefender vs MacKeeper, you’ll notice that they both have a range of security features, including antivirus scanning, ad blockers, and VPNs.

However, MacKeeper is an all-in-one solution for antivirus protection, privacy, security, and performance optimization. In contrast, Bitdefender provides antivirus protection and online security, but it does not clean or optimize for macOS.

Bitdefender review

• Bitdefender offers protection for up to 10 devices.
• It also features a VPN, parental controls, and identity theft support (depending on your package).
• If you’re used to Bitdefender’s Windows products, not all of the same features are available for macOS—for example, if you want a Mac cleaner, MacKeeper is the better choice.

1. Who is the company that owns Bitdefender

Bitdefender is a cybersecurity company that was founded in 2001. They’re based in Romania and California. They have over 1,800 employees—more than half of whom are security engineers or researchers. They also produce security software for Windows PCs and Android devices.

2. What is Bitdefender compatible with

Bitdefender Total Security works with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices. It’s compatible with macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) and up. However, if you want to use the Bitdefender VPN, you’ll need macOS 10.12 (Sierra) or higher.

A nuance to know:

 

You’ll need at least 1GB of storage space available for Bitdefender. If you don’t have that much available, consider MacKeeper, which only requires 113MB.

3. General features of Bitdefender

Bitdefender has a variety of packages available. Their features include:

• Real-time virus protection
• Ultra-fast virus scans
• Parental controls
• VPN (limited under some plans)
• Password Manager (Premium and Ultimate Security only)
• Identity theft protection (Ultimate Security only)

Important: 

 

If you want identity theft monitoring services included as standard, MacKeeper’s ID Theft Guard is included with every MacKeeper subscription.

Here are all macOS-compatible services of Bitdefender:

• Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac offers antivirus protection, including real-time monitoring and a limited VPN.
• Bitdefender Total Security has all Mac Antivirus features, with added parental controls. If you use other platforms in addition to macOS, you may prefer this version, which can be used on up to five devices.
• Bitdefender Premium Security has all of the features of Total Security, with some added extras, including unlimited VPN and Password Manager.
• Bitdefender Ultimate Security has all of the features of Premium, with added identity theft protection, including instant alerts and insurance to cover damages.

Unfortunately, not all of Bitdefender’s Windows features are available for macOS. If you’re looking at Bitdefender vs MacKeeper and want cleaning and optimization tools for your Mac, MacKeeper is the best choice.

4. Bitdefender prices

• Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac: $29.99 for one year
• Bitdefender Total Security: $69.99 for one year (covers up to five devices)
• Bitdefender Premium Security: $79.99 for one year (covers up to 10 devices)
• Bitdefender Ultimate Security: $89.99 for one year (covers up to 10 devices)

Bitdefender offers a free 30-day trial for Antivirus for Mac and Total Security.

Important: These are reduced prices for the first year. Prices may increase after the initial period.

4.1 Bitdefender payment methods

You can pay for Bitdefender in three ways:

• Bank card
• PayPal
• Bank transfer

5. How effective is Bitdefender protection

Bitdefender offers effective antivirus protection. In some tests, it found 99 or 100% of malware. It doesn’t schedule scans, but its real-time protection should catch viruses as soon as your system is infected.

6. Bitdefender customer support

There are a range of ways to get support from Bitdefender, including:

• An online expert community
• Online video tutorials and written guides
• Email support
• Support over the phone
• Online chat

7. Bitdefender application interface

Bitdefender’s Dashboard shows some of its most crucial features. While the application may look cluttered, it shows everything you need from antivirus software.

When you first launch Bitdefender, you’ll notice its recommendations. For me, these were:

• Run a system scan
• Install the TrafficLight extension to stay safe online
• Learn more about identity protection features (available at an extra cost)
• Enable system notifications
• Protect important files with the Safe Files feature

Our heads-up: If your plan includes Bitdefender VPN, you’ll have to use a separate app.

8. How Bitdefender affects macOS

Bitdefender should improve your computer’s performance by finding and removing malware, improving your security. If your system meets the requirements, Bitdefender should work smoothly on your Mac. If you don’t have enough storage space (1GB), it may run slowly or not at all.

9. Pros and cons of Bitdefender

When looking at Bitdefender vs MacKeeper, you’ll want to know the advantages and disadvantages of both apps. Here are the basics about Bitdefender:

MacKeeper review

• MacKeeper includes various anti-malware features, including real-time malware detection, custom and scheduled scans, and adware protection.
• Its privacy tools include a VPN, identity theft monitoring, and ad blockers for Safari and Chrome.
• MacKeeper also helps optimize your Mac’s performance with cleaning tools such as Safe Cleanup, Smart Uninstaller, and Memory Cleaner.

1. Who owns MacKeeper

MacKeeper is developed by cybersecurity experts Clario Tech DMCC. They’re based in Dubai and first launched MacKeeper in 2010.

2. What platforms is MacKeeper supported on

MacKeeper is compatible with macOS 10.13 or later.

3. Features of MacKeeper

MacKeeper has a range of security, privacy, and performance-optimizing features, including:

• Antivirus and adware cleaner, including real-time monitoring
• Junk file scanning
• Memory cleaner
• Update tracker
• ID theft monitoring
• VPN
• Ad blocker

When comparing Bitdefender to MacKeeper, you’ll notice that MacKeeper is an all-in-one solution. All of these features are available with one subscription in the same app, making it easy to optimize your Mac’s security and performance.

In addition, MacKeeper’s cleaning tools are unlike anything available in the macOS versions of Bitdefender.

4. Pricing MacKeeper

MacKeeper offers several purchase options, starting at $10.95 per month for the monthly plan or $5.95 per month for the 12-month plan. If you purchase a 12-month plan, you’ll pay for the full year upfront.

You can also try it before you buy, with a free trial of most of MacKeeper’s features available. In addition, MacKeeper offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

4.1 MacKeeper payment methods

You can pay with a card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or JCB) or PayPal.

In some countries, there are additional payment methods:

• Brazil: Boleto Bancario
• China: Alipay or WeChat
• France: Carte Bleue
• Netherlands: iDEAL

5. How well can Mackeeper protect your Mac

MacKeeper is a great antivirus solution for your Mac. It’s been described as one of the best Mac-only solutions, and its malware detection finds and removes 99.7% of known threats. You can enable real-time antivirus protection to stop malware as soon as it enters your system.

MacKeeper’s VPN and ad blocker features can help keep your Mac safe from spyware, and ID Theft Guard will alert you if your email has been involved in a data breach.

6. MacKeeper customer support

Using the live chat feature, you can easily contact MacKeeper’s team through the app.

In addition, MacKeeper’s Premium Service can help you with issues that aren’t even related to the app. You can contact the team for remote support if you have problems with your device, including:

• iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Mac mini
• Apple Watch
• iPad or iPad mini
• iPhone
• Android tablet
• Printers, scanners, or cameras

7. MacKeeper interface

MacKeeper’s interface is easy to use and understand.

When you first open MacKeeper, you’ll see the app’s Find & Fix feature, with a prominent Start Full Scan button. Find & Fix runs a variety of scans in one go, allowing you to check for malware and other security issues, performance problems, privacy concerns, and areas where your Mac can be cleaned and optimized.

The MacKeeper chat is always available in the right sidebar, and the left sidebar has easy links to different tools. MacKeeper is an all-in-one solution, with all of its features included in the same app—there is no need to install other software or switch between applications.

8. How using MacKeeper affects your Mac

MacKeeper should improve your Mac’s performance. In addition to its range of security features, its cleaning tools may be able to optimize your Mac, freeing up storage space, removing unnecessary files, and clearing your RAM.

9. Advantages and disadvantages of MacKeeper

MacKeeper is a great choice for Mac users, with its range of anti-malware protections, ad blocker, VPN, data breach monitoring, and cleaning and performance tools. However, it doesn’t include parental controls or support platforms other than macOS.

Bitdefender vs MacKeeper: Final comparison

The main difference between Bitdefender and MacKeeper is that MacKeeper is also a Mac cleaner. While Bitdefender’s Windows products include optimization features, these aren’t available for macOS.

All Apple users should know how to find viruses on Mac, and Bitdefender and MacKeeper are good antivirus solutions. However, another key part of MacBook maintenance is cleaning and optimization—and Bitdefender can’t help with this.

Because of that, we’d recommend choosing MacKeeper over Bitdefender.

MacKeeper’s Antivirus is a reliable malware detection system, and its real-time monitoring and scheduled scans should keep your system safe. In addition, MacKeeper’s cleaning and performance tools should optimize your Mac and keep it running smoothly.