BullGuard
BullGuard an antivirus program used by millions around the world. It’s highly recommended for gamers due to its game booster security feature that optimizes your device while playing the game. Other security features include malware scan, parental control, and ID protection.
However, it’s not the best for Mac users, and it doesn’t have an iOS program, and it doesn’t include a VPN with its package. You can still purchase it aside.
Try it; there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee!
Pros
Cons
Quick Stats
BullGuard became a well-known antivirus program. How? Due to their affordable prices, friendly customer service, and constant discounts. Did we forget to mention one of the best antiviruses for gamers?
That's right; most reviews describe it as a basic but reliable protection tool. But it's more than that. It's a user-friendly antivirus with above-average results that won't impact your system.
BullGuard Security and Protection
The most important thing to look at when choosing an antivirus program is its security features. For instance, if you want a parental control feature, you would refrain from using Avira, so you might prefer using BullGuard. Let's take a look at BullGuard's main security features and security tests to help make up your mind.
1. Third-party lab test results
Third-party testing labs are experts with well-constructed criteria and testing methods for AV products, providing an unbiased opinion on product security.
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AV-Test lab
- 6/6 points for protection, as BullGuard is capable of identifying malware without fail.
- 6/6 points for performance, as to how much BullGuard takes up from the device's resources.
- 6/6 Points for usability, meaning a low false-positive rate (i.e., unlikely to mistake non-infected files for infected ones).
- 6/6 points for protection, as BullGuard is capable of identifying malware without fail.
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AV-Comparatives
- BullGuard scored 2/3 stars in the departments of malware removal.
- BullGuard antivirus scores 3/3 stars in the impact on device performance department, which means it won't take up your device's resources.
- BullGuard antivirus has a Real-World Protection Test with a 0/3 stars real-world protection score. According to a test conducted with 758 domains/files, this score checks the detection rate of malicious files and domains.
- BullGuard antivirus hasn't been tested in terms of false alarm. Therefore, there aren't any results to list here.
- BullGuard antivirus has a 1/3 score regarding malware detection. This was done by testing 11890 test cases.
- BullGuard scored 2/3 stars in the departments of malware removal.
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SE Labs
There were no test results regarding BullGuard antivirus in SE Labs' latest tests. Still, two other labs tested the product, and we can say that BullGuard rates were pretty good in both.
SE Labs rank products from AAA being the highest score, AA (intermediate), and B (lowest score).
2. Firewall and IDS protection
Firewalls are an essential system to find in your antivirus plan; it's used to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. The excellent news is BullGuard has a great firewall.
The main BullGuard dashboard has four security options in its drop-down menu:
- Manage rules: notify BullGuard which programs access the internet.
- Logs: Log all network traffic.
- Network activity: shares local and remote IP addresses in your network.
- Settings: to control certain aspects such as notifications, blocking hosts, and more.
Advanced users might benefit from these settings. Others can turn the firewall on and let it run. There's also a Network Scanner only in the Premium Protection Plan, used to display all devices connected to your wi-fi network and make sure they're safe. It will send you an email every time someone connects to your network to make sure no one hijacks your wi-fi.
Read about our top antivirus software Norton 360 and Bitdefender.
3. USB rescue toolkit
BullGuard doesn't provide users with a bootable recovery tool. However, this tool can be downloaded from Norton's website and kept on an external USB drive as a backup plan.
BullGuard Plans and Features
Are you looking to find which plan is the best for you? Well, BullGuard offers three plans that work on different devices. It's recommended for Windows users due to its many features. On the other hand, if you're a Mac user, there's limited protection.
1. Antivirus Plan
To start with, BullGuard's cheapest plan, Antivirus, only works on Windows. In addition, it only has three features, real-time virus scans and system scans, Windows and program scans for update checks, and lastly, PC Tune-Up and Game Booster. So, if you're a gamer on a budget, this might be a good choice.
2. Internet Security Plan
Secondly, the BullGuard Internet Security plan is recommended. It includes parental control, firewall, malware protection tools, and a game booster.
3. Premium Protection Plan
Lastly, Premium Protection, the advanced BullGuard plan, includes the same features as the Internet Security plan, with Network Scanner and ID protection features as an extra. The good news is that the premium and internet security plans work on Windows, macOS, and Android.
Read about our top antivirus software Norton 360 and Bitdefender.
Extra security features
The most important thing to look for when choosing an antivirus program is its security features. For instance, if you want a parental control feature, you would refrain from using Avira, and you might prefer using BullGuard instead. Let's take a look at BullGuard's principal security features:
- Malware scan.
- Firewall/network scanner.
- Game Booster/PC tune-up.
- Parental controls.
- VPN.
- Secure Browser.
- ID protection.
- Malware Scan
The malware scanner is used to catch any spyware, ransomware, malware, and rootkits installed on the computer. BullGuard's has an excellent malware scanner. Even the real-time scan is very effective in removing viruses.
Other scan options are the quick scan, full scan, and custom scan. Firstly, the quick scan to quickly scan for viruses in the usual parts like temporary files, running processes, and the registry. Then, the full scan scans the entire device. Finally, the custom scan can check a single folder, file, or any specific disk location.
However, it is slower than other antiviruses but detects any virus.
Game Booster/PC tune-up
We have mentioned above that BullGuard's Antivirus is one of the best for gaming. That's t's because it optimizes your machine while you're playing to have more processing power. It even works on dual-core devices with hyperthreading. In addition, the game booster is compatible with anti-cheat engines, supports online gaming, and is designed to ensure your streaming doesn't get interrupted and reduce video performance limitations to enjoy your gaming experience.
Other features under the PC Tune-Up function:
- Optimize: Labels and erases unnecessary background processes and PUPs.
- Cleanup helper: Clear junk files and old data on your computer.
- Boot Manager: Optimize boot sequence by analyzing startup files.
- Duplicate files: Scanning for duplicates to delete or organize them.
BullGuard's Game Booster notifies you when your game is optimized, so the framerate increases, hence, a happier player. All that, and it'll be safer to play, so why not give it a try?
Parental Control
If you're a parent, you probably worry about what your child is watching and has access to. With the Parental Control feature, you can control your child's device and limit what they can access, and even track their device's location if needed. Let's dig deeper and see BullGuard's parental control options:
- Filters: block specific types of websites.
- Access: Time restriction, limiting screen time for the day.
- Applications: Block applications by a passcode.
- Privacy: prevents specific keywords from being sent or entered into the browser.
All of this is set based on the age you choose.
Overall, it's an excellent option to limit your children's screen time and content they can access. This is very important as children nowadays spend most of their time watching YouTube or playing games on these devices.
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BullGuard VPN
Unfortunately, a virtual private network (VPN) doesn't come with the plan, but you can purchase it separately. Compared to other antiviruses, they include a VPN within their package. What's more disappointing is that it's not the best, especially if you need it for gaming; it can be a bit slow. The good news is, you can use it to access geo-blocked content on Netflix; not all VPNs have that option.
For further info, you can read our BullGuard VPN full review and analysis.
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Secure Browser
BullGuard provides a secure browsing feature that adds a security layer while searching online if you're searching for something sensitive. The secure browser option checks for DNS encryption, certificate validity and runs the site in BullGuard's database for safety.
This is important to block phishing sites or unsecured ones; it's recommended to use, especially when shopping online.
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ID protection
The ID Protection is an option only found in the Premium Protection package. It's run by an international credit corporation Experian. This identity theft tool is used to scan credit card bureaus, forums, social media, and even the dark web for any leak of your private information. The best part is that you'll get it for a lower price than by purchasing it from IdentityWorks service.
Mobile app
If you're using an Android, you can benefit from BullGuard's mobile app, which is included in both the Internet Security and Premium Protection plans.
Features included in BullGuard's mobile app:
- Antivirus scanner: real-time scanning and system scan to protect against viruses.
- Theft protection: lock, wipe, locate, or even set off an alarm if your phone gets stolen.
- Parental control: control your kids' device; it includes location tracking, block content, call monitoring, and photo monitoring.
- Cloud backup: to backup messages, calendars, and contacts to an encrypted server.
Everything works perfectly, but it lacks a remote camera access feature in the theft protection. Still, you can benefit from parental control if you have children to keep track of their location or access their photos/texts but not on their social media accounts.
User Experience
Technical issues could arise anytime, and when that happens, a responsive support team is a must. So let's see if BullGuard helps you get what you need quickly and how supportive their customer support team is.
1. Friendly user interface
BullGuard makes everything straightforward. Starting from the sign-up process till you set it up. The design is a combination of both modern and vintage.
2. Customer support
If you need any help, you can contact BullGuard's customer support via live chat that's available 24/7 or by email. Live chat is available in 12 languages and will reply within a few minutes. If they didn't know how to answer you on live chat, you'd get an email after a couple of hours with an answer.
Live chat can help with user experience inquiries; however, they have trouble answering some technical questions.
Sadly, there's no phone support. Still, live chat and email support are excellent. You can also refer to the blog or community forum for answers.
Pricing and Payments
BullGuard's three plans details:
| Plans | Antivirus | Internet Security | Premium Protection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Windows | Windows, macOS & Android | Windows, macOS & Android |
| Number of devices | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Cloud Backup | N/A | Included | Included |
| Game Booster | Included | Included | Included |
| VPN | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
| Parental Control | N/A | Included | Included |
| Free Online Support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Price (1-year subscription) | $23.99 | $29.99 | $40.00 |
Free Trial
BullGuard has a 15-day trial period on Antivirus Plan and a 30-day free trial on both Premium and Internet Security Plans, so you can try them before you decide to make a purchase.
Money-back guarantee
BullGuard provides a 30-day money-back guarantee for users to try their product out so you can decide if it's worth it or not.
Payment methods
- Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express).
- PayPal.
Final Verdict
BullGuard is an outstanding antivirus program for Android and Windows users. It includes excellent security features like parental control, malware scan, and a game booster for all the gamers out there. Moreover, it even has a mobile app for Android users with a theft protection feature, cloud backup, and many more.
All you need to do is press a few clicks, and you're ready to go.
It's your call!