Bitdefender VPN is a service offered by the large cybersecurity company of the same name. It's a straightforward VPN with few additional features, but it does have split tunneling support and an ad blocker. It has servers in over 50 countries. You can connect up to 10 of your devices simultaneously, and it supports Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It's available as part of Bitdefender's All-in-One plans or as a standalone product. Bitdefender runs on WLVPN's infrastructure, a white-label VPN service whose parent company, Ziff Davis, also owns IPVanish, another VPN we've tested. Check out the Compared to Other VPNs section for more details.
Our Verdict
Bitdefender VPN is okay for torrenting. It doesn't have any data limits, and it lets you download torrents. That said, it has bad security as it leaks DNS queries and leaves some system traffic unencrypted, so it's not a good choice if you care about being protected at all times. Additionally, the kill switch doesn't work correctly, as it allows you to reconnect to the internet outside the VPN tunnel after a system reboot or a software crash. It has no registration options that preserve your anonymity, as you must provide an email address and password to create an account and use a personally identifiable payment method.
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Proper TLS implementation doesn't leave you vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.
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No registration options that preserve anonymity.
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Kill switch doesn't function reliably.
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DNS and IP leaks.
Bitdefender VPN has poor security. It leaks some system traffic and DNS queries, so your ISP, DNS provider, or another third party could log your traffic and see which sites you connect to. Additionally, the kill switch doesn't function properly, as it allows you to reconnect to the internet outside the VPN tunnel after a system reboot or software crash. Thankfully, it doesn't leave you exposed to man-in-the-middle attacks.
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Proper TLS implementation doesn't leave you vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.
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Kill switch doesn't function reliably.
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DNS and IP leaks.
Bitdefender has fast download and upload speeds, so you can download files quickly with enough bandwidth to watch 4k video. However, its latency is fairly inconsistent, with fairly frequent lag spikes that can disrupt online games or video calls.
Changelog
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
Bitdefender VPN only has one tier, but it's also included in Bitdefender's all-in-one security plans.
Compared To Other VPNs
Bitdefender VPN doesn't compare favorably to other VPNs on the market. It has bad security since it leaks your IP address and DNS queries, and its kill switch doesn't work properly. This is problematic if you're concerned with keeping your traffic encrypted at all times. Also, it doesn't have many additional features like multi-hop or obfuscation.
Bitdefender sends DNS calls and initiates a TLS connection to WLVPN, a white-label VPN service that uses IPVanish's infrastructure. WLVPN isn't listed anywhere in Bitdefender's privacy policy, which actually states that Hotspot Shield is the infrastructure provider. This means that they haven't updated their privacy policy since switching providers. This shows a lack of transparency and is a concern if you'd like your VPN provider to be upfront about who they're using to power their service.
To see which services we recommend, check out our article on the best VPNs.
Test Results
You can pay with a credit card, PayPal, or wire transfer.
This VPN leaks system DNS queries and some traffic outside of the VPN tunnel. This is a concern if you want to keep your IP address and your DNS queries hidden at all times.
The kill switch doesn't work as intended, as network traffic leaks outside the VPN tunnel after both a software crash and a system reboot. This is a concern if you need to keep all of your traffic encrypted at all times.
Like most VPN services, this VPN doesn't implement BGP properly.
While this VPN's speeds aren't the most consistent, they're fast enough for downloading files quickly and 4k video streaming.
This VPN delivers fairly quick upload speeds that are suitable for everyday browsing and relatively quick uploads.
This VPN's latency is suitable for normal internet usage. However, its latency often spikes, so you might experience some inconsistency during latency-sensitive tasks like games or video calls.
The Windows app is fairly buggy, occasionally freezing and minimizing itself. This doesn't impact its core functionality but detracts from the user experience.
This VPN has mobile apps available on iOS and Android.
