Best Chromebook Antivirus Software | Top 10 Reviewed

The best Chromebook antivirus complements Chromebook’s built-in security and protects you against cyber threats that Chromebooks are vulnerable to. While Chromebook innately protects you against malware by running pages and apps in a “sandbox” and preventing them from making changes to your system, you still need an antivirus to protect yourself from phishing, online scams, and dangerous websites.

We’ve reviewed and compared the best Google Chrome antivirus software in 2023, looking at their reliability, functionality, the level of security they provide, and pricing plans. Read on to learn how antivirus providers like TotalAV, McAfee, and Norton can help you protect your device, safeguard your data, and enhance your protection against online threats.

The Best Chromebook Antivirus 2023 | Top 10 Shortlist

When it comes to antivirus solutions for Google Chromebooks, there are a lot of providers to choose from. Our research has concluded that TotalAV is the best Chromebook antivirus in 2023. However, here’s a breakdown of the market’s top 10 antivirus apps for Chromebook:

1. TotalAV — The Best Chromebook Antivirus Overall | Try it Risk-Free With the 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee Now
2. Norton Antivirus — Powerful Antivirus With Excellent Parental Controls | Test it Out Risk-Free for 60 Days
3. Nord Threat Protection — Excellent Cybersecurity Feature With a Built-in Ad and Tracker Blocker
4. Surfshark Antivirus — An Easy-to-Use Chromebook Antivirus that Blocks Annoying Ads and Tracking Attempts
5. McAfee — Award-Winning Antivirus for Chromebook With Identity Monitoring | Start Your 30-Day Free Trial Today
6. Avast — Best Free Antivirus for Chromebook | Download Avast for Free Today
7. Kaspersky — A Feature-Rich Antivirus for Chromebook With Fully Customizable Virus Protection
8. TrendMicro — An Easy-to-Use Antivirus With Built-in Online Payment Protection
9. Bitdefender — Affordable Chromebook Antivirus With Robust Parental Controls
10. Avira — Free Chromebook Antivirus With a Built-In VPN for Added Protection

The Top 10 Chrome Antivirus Tools | Reviewed

Not every Chromebook antivirus is made equal. Some are better suited for ChromeOS than others, some offer more functionality, and some might cause your Chromebook to heat up or slow down dramatically.

Here are in-depth reviews of the best Chromebook antivirus solutions, so you can see how they compare and make an informed decision on the best one for you.

1. TotalAV — The Best Chromebook Antivirus Overall

TotalAV is a great choice for Chromebook users, given the fact that it’s resource-light and easy to use while offering superb protection against cyber threats.

The antivirus perfectly complements Chromebook’s built-in security and protects you against cyber attacks that ChromeOS is vulnerable to, such as phishing attempts, online scams, and ransomware.

TotalAV also features a browser manager and cleaner, helping you clear your browsing history, manage your cookie preferences and take full control over what data you share with the websites you visit.

You can take advantage of TotalAV’s system tune-up tools to ensure your Chromebook stays as fast as possible, making it a great option for both work and gaming.

Another reason to opt for TotalAV is a secure, fast virtual private network (VPN). With a VPN, you can bypass online censorship, access geo-restricted content, hide your IP, and prevent anyone from monitoring your online activity.

Higher subscription tiers also include an ad blocker, a secure password vault, and device protection, so you’re safeguarded if your device gets lost or stolen.

2. Norton Antivirus — Powerful Antivirus With Excellent Parental Controls 

Norton is one of the most well-known names in the antivirus industry, and for a good reason. As far as cybersecurity goes, Norton offers one of the most powerful antivirus apps, plus a myriad of advanced security features.

When it comes to protection against cyber threats, Norton relies on artificial intelligence and machine learning to scan for, detect, and remove any threats. This includes spyware, ransomware, keyloggers, and other malicious software your Chromebook is otherwise vulnerable to.

What’s great about Norton Antivirus is the fact that it offers cloud backup with all three pricing plans. Even if you opt for the most affordable option, you’ll still have 10 Gb of private cloud storage, so your important files and documents will stay safe even on the off chance that your device gets infected.

Another reason to choose Norton over other solutions is that it offers superb parental controls. If you’ve bought a Chromebook for your child and want to schedule their time online, prevent them from using the internet during school hours, and see what they search for online, Norton is the ideal solution.

On top of that, Norton has built-in webcam protection, which prevents third parties from accessing your Chromebook’s camera and taking unsolicited photographs. The antivirus will also proactively monitor the dark web and notify you the instant it detects any of your data has been compromised.

This gives you time to react and reclaim your accounts, change your login credentials, or notify your bank that your payment information has been stolen, so it can block your card and prevent hackers from stealing all your hard-earned money.

3. Nord Threat Protection — Excellent Cybersecurity Feature With a Built-in Ad and Tracker Blocker

Nord Threat Protection offers “always-on” cybersecurity that ensures you’re fully protected against cyber threats whenever you’re online.

While Nord is widely recognized for its powerful, lightning-fast VPN, it also offers superb protection against malware, blocks intrusive tracking, and ensures an ad-free online experience.

Nord Threat Protection scans all files before you download them, identifies any threats, and blocks them before they get a chance to interact with your system. It’ll even do this with websites in real-time. It’ll automatically scan any websites you visit or emails you receive for security risks. This isn’t limited to viruses either, as Nord Threat Protection can detect phishing attempts and other “soft” attacks. Alongside its Wi-Fi scanning, you can browse the internet with impunity.

One thing to note is that Threat Protection isn’t a standalone product but rather a feature you can turn on within the NordVPN app. That said, you don’t have to be connected to a VPN server to reap the benefits — Threat Protection will stay on until you manually disable it.

Another neat functionality of Threat Protection is a detailed 7-day protection summary. This weekly report shows you exactly what Nord protected you against and gives you insights into your online habits that expose your device and data to cyber threats. This will help you find out where your security awareness is lacking, as well as show you exactly what Nord Threat Protection has done for you.

4. Surfshark Antivirus — An Easy-to-Use Chromebook Antivirus That Blocks Annoying Ads and Tracking Attempts

Surfshark Antivirus is an easy-to-use app that offers advanced malware protection without hogging your Chromebook’s resources.

The app protects you from zero-day threats by removing them before they reach your device and allows you to easily remove any existing threats by scheduling smart scans or manually running full scans. You can even get it as a full software suite packing a VPN, dark web scanner, and search engine alongside the antivirus.

In addition to real-time threat protection, Surfshark Antivirus ensures your online browsing experience is free from ads and trackers, and it protects you against phishing attacks and online scams by identifying and blocking malicious websites.

As a VPN service provider, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Surfshark also hides your IP address and physical location and prevents any third party (including hackers, your internet service provider (ISP), and even the government), from monitoring your online activity.

Another incredibly useful feature of Surfshark is data breach alerts. The antivirus will proactively monitor your accounts and notify you the instant it detects your email, password, or banking information appearing in a breach.

5. McAfee — Award-Winning Antivirus Solution for Chromebook With Identity Monitoring

McAfee is an award-winning antivirus for Chromebook, offering great web protection and real-time protection against viruses, malware, and other forms of cyber threats.

With McAfee, you’ll enjoy an ad-free browsing experience, safe online shopping, and protection against phishing and online scams.

The antivirus also features a strong firewall that protects your network and prevents hackers from gaining access to your files and documents by exploiting an unsecured network connection.

What makes McAfee stand out from other leading antivirus solutions is the fact that it offers identity monitoring functionality.

This allows you to monitor up to 10 different email addresses, making sure you’re notified instantly if cyber criminals or any other unauthorized third party gets access to one of your email accounts.

Other useful features of McAfee include a password manager and a file shredder.

What we love most about McAfee is the fact that you can see your protection score at any time, identify any vulnerabilities, and fix any weak points to ensure you’re 100% protected on all fronts.

6. Avast — Best Free Antivirus for Chromebook

Avast is the best free antivirus for Chromebook, providing excellent protection against malware and viruses, securing your Wi-Fi network, and adding an extra layer of ransomware protection even with the free plan.

That said, the level of protection you get for free might not be enough if you want to stay 100% protected on the internet.

If you upgrade to one of the paid plans, you’ll enjoy the much-needed online shopping protection, which is crucial for preventing cyber criminals from stealing your financial data when shopping online.

Other key features you’d have to pay for include webcam protection, an advanced firewall that protects your network, system clean-up tools, and the Avast SecureLine VPN.

These features are all essential for safeguarding your identity, protecting your sensitive data, and bypassing online censorship.

That’s why we recommend using Avast’s free plan as an unlimited free trial and upgrading to a paid plan if you’re satisfied with Avast’s performance after testing it out in practice for a few months.

7. Kaspersky — A Feature-Rich Antivirus for Chromebook With Fully Customizable Virus Protection

Kaspersky is a feature-rich antivirus software that offers real-time antivirus safeguarding, online payment protection, and performance optimization tools even on the basic subscription plan.

The antivirus relies on state-of-the-art AI to scan Chrome for malware, viruses, ransomware, and other forms of cyber threats and neutralize them before they can damage your device.

On top of that, the AI will automatically block any unauthorized attempts to access your webcam, as well as scan all websites and incoming emails to ensure they don’t contain malicious links or attachments.

What’s great about Kaspersky is that you can fully customize your protection by choosing which components you want to install, and you can always enable or disable particular elements later to choose what you want to stay protected from.

With a higher-tier subscription, you’ll also have access to an unlimited, secure VPN, so you’ll be able to bypass geographic restrictions and access your favorite content online, as well as hide your IP address, block tracking attempts, and prevent anyone from monitoring your online activity.

Kaspersky also offers identity protection, encrypting your valuable documents and data and ensuring cyber criminals can’t abuse your information even if they somehow manage to break through all the layers of protection.

8. TrendMicro — An Easy-to-Use Antivirus With Built-in Online Payment Protection

TrendMicro is a simple, easy-to-use antivirus software that provides essential protection against viruses, malware, spyware, and ransomware.

The app relies on advanced AI learning to keep you protected from ever-evolving cyber threats, ensuring your device and data stay safe even against the newest types of viruses.

In addition to real-time threat protection, TrendMicro protects you against online and email scams by scanning websites for malicious codes, checking all email attachments, and flagging email addresses associated with malicious individuals or groups.

What makes TrendMicro stand out from other antivirus software solutions for Chromebook is the fact that it offers Pay Guard — a feature that ensures your banking information is 100% protected when you’re shopping online.

If you opt for one of the higher tier plans, you’ll also be able to leverage parental controls, ensure your and your children’s privacy on social media, and use a password vault to protect and easily manage all your accounts and login credentials.

9. Bitdefender — Affordable Chromebook Antivirus With Robust Parental Controls

Bitdefender is an affordable antivirus solution that runs daily scans and ensures your device is protected at all times without pestering you with invasive notifications or slowing down your CPU.

In addition to real-time cyber threat protection, Bitdefender includes a powerful firewall that protects you from network attacks, as well as privacy protection features that prevent unauthorized access to your microphone and webcam.

Besides this, the app also protects you from other forms of cyber threats, including phishing attacks, adware, ransomware, and online scams.

If you opt for the more expensive pricing plan, you’ll also have access to robust parental control features, so you can see exactly how your children are using the internet and what content they interact with, as well as restrict access to certain websites and ensure they stay safe online.

On a final note, we also find it great that Bitdefender allows you to protect up to five different devices, making it one of the most cost-effective antivirus solutions for Chromebook on the market.

10. Avira — Free Chromebook Antivirus With a Built-in VPN

Avira is a free antivirus option for Chromebook users that merges antivirus protection with a strong VPN, identity protection features, and system optimization tools.

The antivirus blocks all online threats, including malware, ransomware, and spyware, while also protecting you from malicious websites, online scams, and identity theft.

Avira also includes tools that ensure safe online shopping by preventing third parties from accessing your payment information.

On top of all of this, the free VPN is limited to 500 MB/month, but it’s still a decent way to bypass online censorship and access websites that are otherwise unavailable in your region.

Another reason to opt for Avira for your Chromebook is the app’s battery saver and startup optimizer, which ensure you’re only running the apps you’re actively using and not having them running in the background and hogging your resources.

If you decide to upgrade to a paid plan, you’ll remove any limits on the VPN and you’ll have access to additional security features, such as a password vault, real-time data breach alerts, and gaming performance optimization tools.

The Best Antivirus for Chromebook | Top 10 Compared

Here’s a quick head-to-head comparison to help you compare the key factors discussed in our reviews section:

How Does an Antivirus Work?

An antivirus scans all applications, downloads, and existing files for malicious code.

It compares the scanned code to a vast database of known malicious software, flags any potentially dangerous programs and files, and removes them from your device.

Most antivirus solutions also apply this principle to online websites and email addresses, preventing you from phishing, scams, fraud, and other forms of cyber threats.

Do I Need an Antivirus for Chromebook?

Chromebook is based on a Linux kernel, so it’s a lot safer than Windows and macOS since not many viruses are coded for it. It also comes with a built-in antivirus, so many people mistakenly believe that a separate antivirus solution for Chromebook isn’t necessary.

The trouble is, malware and viruses are just two types of cyber threats. Without a powerful antivirus, you’ll still be vulnerable to ransomware, keyloggers, malicious links, online scams, phishing attacks, etc. Furthermore, as Linux devices become more and more popular, viruses will rise with them.

Here are the main advantages of installing an antivirus program on your Chromebook:

Multiple Layers of Protection

The best antivirus for Chromebook isn’t meant to replace the device’s inherent protection, but rather to complement it.

While Chromebook’s antivirus protects you from malware and viruses, an antivirus adds another crucial layer of protection, safeguarding your payment information, preventing tracking and phishing attempts, and helping you avoid online scams and fraud attempts.

Secure Online Payments

If you use your Chromebook to shop for stuff online, antivirus software is absolutely necessary. While Chromebook security is generally good, it doesn’t offer the same level of payment protection as a dedicated antivirus.

Whether you’re purchasing stuff from Amazon, AliExpress, or eBay, it’s always a good idea to opt for an antivirus solution like Kaspersky that lets you open any website’s checkout page in a secure, protected browser.

This stops browser hijackers in their tracks and ensures hackers can’t exploit your internet connection to gain access to your payment information, so you can shop freely.

Parental Controls

The best antivirus programs offer a lot more functionality on top of protection against cyber threats. If you want to ensure your child is safe on the internet, see what they search for, who they talk to on social media, and restrict which websites they can visit, parental controls are crucial.

The best antivirus solutions for Chromebook even allow you to schedule their internet use, prevent them from accessing the web during school hours, and gain valuable insights into their online habits. This will let you monitor your children closer, in addition to providing them with a safeguard against online threats.

Free Chromebook Antivirus VS Paid Antiviruses

There are many great free antivirus solutions on the market, with the best ones being Avast and Avira. That said, free antiviruses for Chromebook don’t make much sense, given the fact that ChromeOS already comes with a built-in antivirus.

Even the best free Chromebook antivirus, Avast, offers limited functionality on the free plan. Given that you don’t get anything apart from real-time antivirus protection, which you already have with ChromeOS. Notably, awry free Chromebook antivirus solutions have been known to sell user data.

Paid antivirus solutions offer far more functionality and complement Chromebook’s innate antivirus by protecting your device against other forms of cyber threats, such as phishing, ransomware, email scams, and malicious websites.

As we mentioned, paid antiviruses also come with a variety of other useful features, including parental control, plus online payment, and webcam protection. That’s why we firmly recommend paid antivirus software for Chromebook over a free one. If you’re still unsure, do note that our top antivirus solutions all have a free trial so you can see if the paid protection is worth it before committing to a purchase.

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Antivirus for Chrome

When choosing an antivirus solution for Chromebook, you should be looking beyond real-time protection from viruses and malware, given that ChromeOS does a fairly decent job at that already.

Instead, you should consider what additional security features the antivirus provider offers and how much value you’ll get for your money. Here are the main factors to consider when choosing the best Chromebook antivirus:

• Do you have access to parental controls?
• What other operating systems does it support?
• How many devices can you install the antivirus on?
• Does it offer online protection against scams, phishing, ransomware, etc.?
• Can you test it out in practice with a free trial or a money-back guarantee?
• Is there real-time scanning?
• Can you get the antivirus’ full features on a Chromebook?
• Does it offer system tune-up tools (file cleaner, file shredder, browser manager, etc.)?
• Do you want access to a powerful, fast virtual private network (VPN)?

Chromebook Antivirus FAQs