Comparison

Bitdefender Central vs Phone

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Bitdefender Central

Manage and control the cybersecurity of all your Bitdefender-protected devices, both locally and across your network. This app allows remote scanning, threat detection notifications, and comprehensive management of your smart home hub for enhanced online safety.

Highlights
  • Install protection on all devices
  • Remote device scanning and optimization
  • Real-time threat notifications
  • Smart home network security management
  • Parental controls and screen time management
  • Locate and lock lost/stolen devices
Features
Read full description

Bitdefender Central places your local and network cybersecurity at your fingertips. Use it to control security for all your Bitdefender-protected devices, and to set up and manage Bitdefender BOX, the revolutionary smart home hub that secures your entire Wi-Fi network. LOCAL PROTECTION With Bitdefender Central you can: - Install Bitdefender protection on all your devices - Manage security and protect your kids online - Scan, clean and optimize any device remotely - Get instant notification whenever Bitdefender detects a threat - Quickly access your activity dashboard - Receive security updates for your devices 24/7 NETWORK PROTECTION Bitdefender Central works with BOX to secure and manage your smart home: - Get ironclad protection for all your internet-connected devices, at home and on the go - Manage all devices in your home network from a single mobile app - Protect your kids online and manage screen time with parental controls - Set up your Bitdefender BOX - Discover your devices and group them under your Bitdefender BOX network - Check protection status and connectivity status for all your connected devices - Filter your devices by status or by user - Create profiles for your family members and allocate devices to them - Get real-time notifications for threats blocked by BOX: anomaly detection, unencrypted - - Banking information sent, botnet attacks - Change your Wi-Fi name and password - Pause the internet connection on your devices PARENTAL FEATURES - Filter out inappropriate content and manage your child's internet time - Choose from 3 preset and customizable filtering modes to effectively manage your child’s online activities - Unified reporting and management across all devices PRIVACY - Locate your lost or stolen devices - Send text or sound alerts to your devices - Lock your lost or stolen devices to prevent unauthorized access Privacy Policy: https://www.bitdefender.com/site/view/legal-privacy-policy-for-home-users-solutions.html

About

Phone

This app consolidates all your calling needs, including standard phone calls, FaceTime audio, and video calls. It offers advanced features like voicemail transcription, call recording, and intelligent call screening to manage your communications efficiently.

Highlights
  • Unified calls (phone, FaceTime audio/video)
  • Voicemail transcription and summaries
  • Live call recording
  • Customizable contact posters
  • Intelligent call screening
  • Wi-Fi calling
  • Automatic mic modes
Features
Read full description

Make and receive calls with the Phone app. • Phone calls, FaceTime audio calls and FaceTime video calls all in one place. • Choose a new unified layout that brings together your Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails • Favorites offers one-tap shortcuts for calls and messages to your most important contacts. • Recents displays recent conversations and missed calls. Search for previous calls, transcribed voicemails, and contacts using a broad range of search criteria. • Voicemail Summaries powered by Apple Intelligence appear in-line with missed calls and help surface the most important information. • Keypad search lets you quickly find and call existing contacts by typing in their name or number with the alphanumeric keypad. • Contact Posters let you customize exactly how you appear when you give someone a call. Choose from various treatments for photos, Memoji and your name. • Record live calls or FaceTime audio calls from the Phone app and review the transcripts in the Notes app. When you start a recording, the Phone app automatically announces that the call is being recorded. • Visual Voicemail offers a written transcript of your voicemails. Save Visual Voicemail messages as notes, voice memos, or share them using Messages, Mail or AirDrop.* • Live Voicemail lets you see a real-time transcription as someone is leaving you a message, and you can pick up the call if it’s something you want to address in the moment. • Automatic Mic Mode picks the right Mic Mode for you. Voice Isolation blocks out ambient noise and spotlights your voice. Wide Spectrum will leave ambient noises unfiltered, allowing your voice and all the sounds around you to be heard. • Text responses make it easy to send a response in a single tap when you can’t pick up a call. Use suggested replies, or create your own custom text responses. • Remind Me Later helps you remember to return calls that you can’t pick up in the moment. • Hold Assist lets the Phone app wait on hold for you and alerts you once a live agent is available. • Call Screening lets you screen incoming calls from unknown numbers. Your phone will pick up the call for you and ask for a name and reason for the call before the phone even rings. • Call Context uses Apple Intelligence to help surface relevant information — like a confirmation code — when you call a business. • Silence Unknown Callers gives you the option to automatically send unknown numbers to voicemail. Your phone will only ring for people in your contacts, recent outgoing calls, and Siri Suggestions. • Blocked Contacts allows you to identify unwanted callers and blocks phone and FaceTime calls from those numbers. • A range of ringtones and vibrations allow you to choose distinct alerts for certain people. • Wi-Fi Calling lets you make or receive a phone call on a Wi-Fi connection, so you can stay connected in areas with little or no cellular coverage.* • Dial Assist automatically determines the correct international or local prefix when dialing. • Call Waiting allows someone to call you while you’re already on another call.* • Call Forwarding relays calls made to your number to another number that you specify.* Apple Watch Features: • Make and answer phone calls right from your wrist. • When you hear or feel the call, send the call to voicemail, answer using your iPhone or send a message. • While you’re on a call, adjust the call volume, use the keypad or even switch the call to your iPhone. • Listen to voicemails. • Ask Siri to call someone in your contacts. *Requires carrier support

Screenshots

Bitdefender Central4 screens
Phone2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bitdefender Central at 4.8 against Phone's 4.0. Bitdefender Central also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 28%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months). Phone's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bitdefender Central holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11K and 10K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Bitdefender Central's written reviews are positive against 28% of Phone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bitdefender Central ships an update every 3 weeks, Phone every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bitdefender Central versus Phone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBitdefender CentralPhone
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (11K ratings) — better4.0 (10K ratings)
Positive reviews58.8% of reviews — better28.3% of reviews
Number of ratings11K — better10K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS12.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size191 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBitdefender SRLApple

Customer experience

Bitdefender Central

All ratings10,915 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral2.2%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews539 reviews
Positive58.8%
Neutral9.6%
Negative31.5%

Phone

All ratings10,372 ratings
Positive72.0%
Neutral6.2%
Negative21.7%
Written reviews2,164 reviews
Positive28.3%
Neutral10.5%
Negative61.2%

User reviews

Bitdefender Central

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Effective protection
  • 🔒 Reliable security
  • 👍 User-friendly
  • 🚀 Thorough scanning
  • 🚀 Easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🔍 Confusing interface
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🤖 Buggy software

Phone

From 10K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 📞 Reliable for making calls
  • 🔒 Secure and private
  • 📝 Live voicemail transcription
  • 🔍 Useful for checking voicemails

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Notification issues
  • 🔇 Microphone problems
  • 🔍 Lacking advanced call screening features
  • 🕰️ Outdated UI and functionality
  • 🔀 Confusing with separate Contacts app

Bugs and requests

Bitdefender Central

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent app crashes on iOS 11+
  • Web protection randomly disabling itself
  • Inability to delete email addresses from account
  • Inconsistent behavior across different devices
  • Lack of support for older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improve mobile app responsiveness
  • Add more customization options
  • Enhance parental control features
  • Provide better visibility into device protection status
  • Improve compatibility with other VPN services

Phone

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Voicemail notification issues
  • Disappearing contact photos and information
  • Inability to make outgoing calls after updates
  • Inconsistent behavior with call log and missed call notifications

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow editing of mistyped numbers
  • Add search option in Recents tab
  • Provide option to delete/change voicemail greeting
  • Enable bulk contact deletion
  • Integrate more customization options (e.g., ringtones, backgrounds)

In-app purchases

None

Bitdefender Central

No in-app purchases

None

Phone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bitdefender Central free?
Bitdefender Central is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phone free?
Phone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bitdefender Central or Phone?
Bitdefender Central is rated higher. Bitdefender Central averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Phone averages 4.0 from 10K ratings.
Do Bitdefender Central or Phone have ads?
Neither Bitdefender Central nor Phone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bitdefender Central or Phone?
Bitdefender Central ships an update every 3 weeks, and Phone every 8 months. Most recently, Bitdefender Central was updated on September 24, 2026 and Phone on September 25, 2026.

Other comparisons