BullGuard Internet Security 2021 Test & Review
Reviews score: Very Good
Summary
BullGuard is a very capable antivirus suitable for casual users and experts alike. While it does have a handful of shortcomings, it also outperforms a lot of competitors. Plus, it’s snappy and lightweight so you won’t run into performance issues with it.
Pros:
- Very complete protection for Windows: BullGuard includes many features such as safe browsing, game booster, cloud backup, home network scanner, identity protection, and parental controls.
- BullGuard keeps your PC and Laptop fast: BullGuard has great performance scores and optimization features.
- Excellent user reviews: BullGuard has the highest user review score in TrustPilot. Very impressive.
- Great value for money: BullGuard frequently has great deals, making it a bargain compared to some competitors.
- High quality design: BullGuard is known for intuitive and beautifully designed software.
Cons:
- Limited protection for Mac: BullGuard offers only the basics on Mac
- No support for iOS: BullGuard offers no app for iPhones.
Have you see the discounts?
Navigate this page
Features
The scope of BullGuard’s features isn’t as wide as that of many of its competitors, but it does the essentials very well. On top of that, it leverages machine learning to take malware detection to the next level.
BullGuard Antivirus
BullGuard Antivirus is the company’s entry-level option. It has won multiple awards, and for good reason. The 2021 version brings with it a number of exciting updates that add layers of protection to your devices.
Triple-Layer Malware Protection
BullGuard Antivirus offers what the company called ‘next-gen antimalware.’ It continuously scans malware-related code to be certain that it can recognize a threat and neutralizes it before any damage is done. By default, BullGuard will automatically quarantine any threat found and then inform the user to see what they’d like to do with it.
The anti-phishing protection is impressive enough to block almost all threats. This can be very useful for those who aren’t well-versed on the common phishing attacks. You don’t have to be a sitting duck even if you click on something you shouldn’t.
Vulnerability Scanner
People ignore update notifications for all sorts of reasons. This is despite the fact that old versions of applications are a major source of system vulnerabilities.
BullGuard’s Vulnerability Scanner feature looks for all risky practices, the above include. It can also warn you about unsecured Wi-Fi networks and drivers that don’t have a digital signature.
Game Booster
This is the feature that makes many gamers choose BullGuard. It is designed for computers with a minimum of four core processors. When it detects the user is entering a gaming session, BullGuard moves all other applications to one or two cores, freeing up the remaining cores for the game. This makes sure the game doesn’t slow down due to applications run in the background.
BullGuard Internet Security
BullGuard takes online safety further in keeping you safe in real-time. This is achieved through sophisticated functions and algorithms to detect and identify threats. It comes with everything that you need to browse the internet safely and a little more.
Secure Browser
For the ultimate online protection, BullGuard comes with its own browser. Like all other features in BullGuard, the browser offers layered protection against some of the most dangerous types of malware in existence.
It keeps your payment data safe when shopping online, it ensures your log-in details are never hijacked, it protects you from downloading malware, safeguards your browsing history from being stolen, and defends you from fake (spoofed) websites.
Firewall
For a long time, the IT community had frowned on the fact that BullGuard didn’t have a firewall. That frown can now turn into a smile as BullGuard Internet Security now features a powerful firewall that offers end-to-end protection. It’s also not a power hog, which, as you may know, is a problem with highly capable firewalls.
Parental Controls
Many parents care a lot about web filtering and parental controls to keep their children safe online. This is why BullGuard Internet Security offers parental controls that you can immediately apply on the devices of your kids. It comes with age-based templates, whitelist and blacklist settings, and allows you to set time and maximum usage limits.
BullGuard Premium Protection
BullGuard Premium Protection comes with all the features of the other two desktop products and then some. Perhaps the most important for many consumers is the multi-platform support. It’s the only version that works on macOS, so Mac users will have to pay a little more for the privilege. The main downside is that it doesn’t come with a VPN, which Norton and McAfee do include in their top-tier package.
Identity Protection
Identity theft is a serious concern. Cyberattacks that target ID information are getting more sophisticated, against which BullGuard wants to be one step ahead. Its comprehensive identity protection protects your most important information and alarms you if any suspicious activity is detected.
Home Network Scanner
Home Network Scanner is a powerful BullGuard Premium feature that prevents unauthorized network access. The antivirus tracks all devices that are connected to a particular network in real-time to detect any unusual activity. You’ll be able to retrieve all the relevant details about every device on the network.
BullGuard Mobile Security
BullGuard Mobile Security comes with a range of features for protecting your smartphone or tablet. Unfortunately, it’s exclusive to Android at the moment.
The Mobile Security app features a cloud-based antivirus engine that takes care of all your apps and files at very low loads on the battery. It’s designed to protect your phone from a variety of threats:
- Trackware
- Adware
- SMS bombers
- Data harvesters
It also comes with an antitheft feature for locating your phone if it’s lost or stolen. In the event that you can’t find or access your device, you’ll be able to remotely lock or wipe it.
Finally, BullGuard Mobile Security offers a one-click backup that encrypts and safely stores your information. You can migrate to a new phone with ease and with all of the data on your old phone.
Security & Performance
BullGuard is an award-winning cybersecurity company that’s been around since 2001. Their primary focus is on antimalware for personal and business use. Even so, BullGuard has entered other niches such as IoT (Internet of Things) solutions.
Compared to most competitors in the tier, BullGuard has always offered some of the most affordable antiviruses. Add to that the focus on simplicity and user-friendly interfaces, and BullGuard is one of the most popular choices for casual users.
Security
Over the past few months, BullGuard has been getting perfect scores of 6.0 in AV-Test trials. This data shows that BullGuard’s security features have been keeping up with the time, which is confidence-inspiring.
Just to give you an idea, AV-Test used 402 samples to test 0-day attack protection and BullGuard was able to protect against 100% of attacks, coming from the likes of trojans, worms, and viruses. The antivirus hit the same score in the detection of prevalent malware.
Performance
As mentioned, BullGuard’s antimalware capabilities are impressive stuff. In addition, you might also be pleasantly surprised by its performance scores.
BullGuard’s light build is definitely one of its advantages. Both lab and real-life tests confirmed this. According to AV-Test, BullGuard’s impact on a system’s performance is among the lowest seen.
According to industry averages, antivirus programs have the biggest impact on the installation of commonly used apps. The average slowdown is 27%, but with BullGuard, application installation only slowed down by 16%. When confined to high-end PCs, the average is 22% and BullGuard scored much lower at 14%.