what is the best antivirus for chromebook
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7 Best Antivirus for Chromebook Reviews in 2021 | Our Up To Date Virus Blocker Lineup

7 Top Picks

4 Reviewers

30 Hours of Research

30 Options Considered

Picking an anti-virus is not easy. There are dozens out there and it is hard to tell which one is the right one for you. Here at VSS Monitoring, we designed an easy-to-take quiz that should only take 1 minute to answer. Completing the quiz will help to determine the #1 antivirus for you based off of your needs.

Need the best antivirus for Chromebook? You have come to the right place. The antiviruses that I have listed here use advanced technology to secure your devices from any online threats. Some of those not included here are antivirus tools which include VPN, or antivirus suites for gamers. In addition, for the vast number of Windows users, check out the Windows 10 antivirus tools we reviewed.

I ran several tests on their speed, security, functionality. They earned perfect scores on all of my tests. In this article, I will discuss their features, price, pros, and cons so keep reading to learn more. I have also included a comprehensive buying guide to help with your decision making.

3 Top Antivirus for Chromebook

kaspersky protection

1. [Best Antivirus for Chromebook Overall]

 Kaspersky

4.9/5

If you own a Chromebook, you should know that it is running on Chrome OS plus could have an android app/s.

The android apps are susceptible to the same threats that your phone faces.  

The threats include ransomware, spyware, viruses, adware, and malicious apps.

Receive world-class security with Kaspersky.

  • Offers data back up so you can retrieve in case it’s lost
  • A privacy cleaner to permanently delete your data and make it inaccessible by the third party·     
  • A password manager to save all of your personal information
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bitdefender protection

2. [Best For The Money] Bitdefender

4.8/5

Best Antivirus Software Company Worldwide

Bitdefender is one of the top software companies in the world.  It uses artificial intelligence to identify and block threats.  

If your Chromebooks happens to be infected with a virus, this antivirus for Chromebook will remove for you.


  • Gives a safer web browsing experience with its web protection feature
  • Comes with the best VPN to hide your identity online
  • Bitdefender has a gamer feature so you can play your games with no interruptions
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malwarebytes protection

3. [Best For The Safe Web Browsing] Malwarebytes

4.7/5

My personal favorite Malwarebytes feature is real-time protection that will block malware before it has a chance of infecting your Chromebook.  It is a cloud-based antivirus hence you will download a small client program in your device that is lightweight.


It comes with a VPN to protect your identity online. It will give you a virtual IP address that you can use to browse making it hard to be tracked by hackers.


  • It uses artificial intelligence technology to identify and block malware

  •  You will also get server and endpoint protection. Server attacks are dangerous, this feature stops hackers that can access your server and steal data
  • It is easy to use and install
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Here are Top 7 Antivirus Software for Chromebook at a Glance

The Best Antivirus for Chromebook Reviews

[Best Antivirus for Chromebook Overall]

1. Kaspersky

4.9/5

I have identified Kaspersky as the best antivirus for Chromebook because of its superior ability to identify and block threats, have perfect scores from independent labs, come with browser extensions in its pricing plans, and many great features.

kaspersky protection

Decent Malware Protection

If you own a Chromebook, you should know that it is running on Chrome OS plus could have an android app/s.

The android apps are susceptible to the same threats that your phone faces.  

The threats include ransomware, spyware, viruses, adware, and malicious apps.

Receive world-class security with Kaspersky. Whether you want to shop, or bank online, this software will give you peace of mind.

Other Great Features

This is a lightweight antivirus that is packed with a lot of great features that includes;

  • Offers data back up so you can retrieve in case it’s lost
  • A privacy cleaner to permanently delete your data and make it inaccessible by the third party·        
  • A password manager to save all of your personal information
  • This Antivirus for Chromebook also comes with a VPN to hide your identity online
  • Has multiple scans such as quick scan, full scan, and vulnerability scan
  • Apart from your Chromebooks, you can cover your mobile devices and PCs. In other words, you can protect many devices with 1 license
  • You will have the best webcam protection. Hackers will not be able to spy on you while working or relaxing at your home or office.

Kaspersky Pros

  • Kaspersky uses artificial intelligence and cloud computing to offer safety
  • Since it is lightweight, you will not experience any slow down when working with your device
  • You will be able to secure your sensitive data with its built-in password manager
  • Has a VPN to offer anonymity when surfing
  • It has a 100% malware detection rate
  •  It has many users and this shows that this app is trusted by many people worldwide

Kaspersky Cons

  • Its basic plan comes with fewer features. This is enough if you are looking for basic protection against virus
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[Best for The Money]

2. Bitdefender

4.8/5

This is another personal favorite antivirus for Chromebook. It offers a plethora of features to secure your Chromebook.  

bitdefender protection
It is also safe, worth your cash, comes with a browser extension, offers real-time protection, and is lightweight.

Best Antivirus Software Company Worldwide

Bitdefender is one of the top software companies in the world.  It uses artificial intelligence to identify and block threats.  

If your Chromebooks happens to be infected with a virus, this antivirus for Chromebook will remove for you.

Its various protection features include;

  • Browser protection
  • Anti-phishing protection
  • Virus Protection
  • Back and data protection
  • Network Protection

Bitdefender Pros

  • Gives a safer web browsing experience with its web protection feature
  •  It is a lightweight antivirus hence you will not experience any slow down when working with your Chromebooks
  • Comes with the best VPN to hide your identity online
  • Bitdefender has a gamer feature so you can play your games with no interruptions
  • You will also have a password manager to store your sensitive information
  • Has multiple scan options to check if your Chromebook has a virus
  • You can control what your kid does online by using its built-in parental control feature
  • Has a webcam protection feature to block hackers from accessing your Chromebook webcam
  • This app is easy to use and install
  • Bitdefender has free and paid plans. Install the free version to have an idea of how the software works and if it causes system slowdown

Bitdefender Cons

  • Its free plan is pretty basic. For powerful advanced features, subscribe to one of its affordable paying plans
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[Best for The Safe Web Browsing]

3. Malwarebytes

4.7/5

The need for cybersecurity is extremely crucial if you use your Chromebook for work or just casual web browsing.  Malwarebytes is one of the best Chromebook antiviruses that will give you the peace of mind that you need most.  

It is packed with a lot of useful features to find and remove malware such as adware, browser hijackers, ransomware, virus, etc.

malwarebytes protection

Malwarebytes Features

My personal favorite Malwarebytes feature is real-time protection that will block malware before it has a chance of infecting your Chromebook.  It is a cloud-based antivirus hence you will download a small client program in your device that is lightweight.

It comes with a VPN to protect your identity online. It will give you a virtual IP address that you can use to browse making it hard to be tracked by hackers.

With its browser guard or built extension, shop and bank safe online without worrying about phishing sites collecting your personal information.

Malwarebytes Pros

  • It uses artificial intelligence technology to identify and block malware
  • Comes with advanced ransomware protection to prevent your files from held for ransom by cybercriminals
  •  Malwarebytes android will block every app that seems malicious in your Chromebook
  • This app gives a browser extension to block annoying pop-ups and ads. This is a free feature that you can install on your computer
  •  You will also get server and endpoint protection. Server attacks are dangerous, this feature stops hackers that can access your server and steal data
  • It is a lightweight Chromebook antivirus hence you will not experience any system slow down when using it
  • It is easy to use and install

Malwarebytes Cons

  • I honestly did not find any limitation with this antivirus software
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4. Avira Antivirus Security

4.6/5

I trust this Chromebook antivirus software to cover my devices especially the one running the Chrome operating system. This is because they are vulnerable to attacks and even data breaches, just like any other computer out there.

It is easy to install, lightweight, worth your money, and blocks all viruses.

avira security

Its Plans are Well-Priced

If you are looking for an affordable antivirus app, choose this one. First of all, it has a free version which you can get for your Windows, Mac, IOS, and Chromebook operating system.

It has a free VPN so you can bypass censorship and unblock content that is blocked in certain countries.  

Avira security plans include; 

Avira antivirus pro that costs $35.99, Avira Internet security that costs $46.99, and Avira Home that costs $79.99.

Avira Antivirus Security Pros

  • This Chromebook antivirus app comes with browser extensions in its plans to block annoying apps and Phishing sites
  • You will get an alert in case your email is leaked when there is a data breach
  • You will get access to the top VPN that will safeguard your privacy online
  •  It boosts the performance of your Chromebook and optimizes its storage and memory
  •  It is also able to increase the speed of your web browsing by blocking annoying ads and pop-ups plus reducing lag
  • It is a great program for Chromebooks that run on operating systems since it supports all kinds of computers
  • It has a free version, affordable pricing plans, and many users

Avira Antivirus Security Cons

  • I did not experience any when I was testing it
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5. Eset

4.5/5

I spent several hours testing Eset and can recommend it to any Chromebook user since it is easy to install, and its detection rate of the virus is high. This antivirus software internet also uses machine learning to identify and block viruses.

ESET pricing plans

Covers all Devices

If you own a computer with windows, Chromebook with Google apps, Mac, smartphones that have an android or IOS operating system, you will find this antivirus useful since it is able to secure all of them with 1 subscription.

Computer Scan

During my tests, this software was able to scan and clean all threats including viruses, ransomware, spyware, and rootkits.

Eset Pros

  • It will scan every single file on your computer that uses chrome
  • It has a great browser extension to make sure phishing sites do not steal your personal information
  • Has the best-advanced machine learning to detect and block the virus
  • It is one of the best Chromebook antiviruses since it comes with more built-in useful tools such as a VPN to hide your identity online and even parental control to regulate what content your kids watch or the time they spend online
  • Has real-time protection and browser extensions in its pricing plans

Eset Cons

  • There is no live support offered by Eset. However, one can use email, and even forums to reach their support and they take little time to reply to their users
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6. Norton

4.5/5

Norton is also one of the top-performing Antivirus for Chromebooks we have in the market right now.  It is very affordable and will let you know when your device and other devices have vulnerabilities.

norton deluxe

Chromebook Security

Your purchase of the Norton app also includes mobile security, privacy audit, and even security audit.  It will proactively identify and block malware such as adware, virus, ransomware, Trojans, etc.

Wi-Fi Security

If your Wi-Fi is at risk, you need this feature to secure it. Cybercriminals are known to gain access to sensitive personal or financial information through your router if it is not secure.
Norton app will let you know when your router has vulnerabilities so you can take the necessary measures to protect it.

Norton Pros

  •  It is actually worth your money because it will safeguard you 100% from malware
  • This company is one of the familiar names in internet security
  • Norton is safe, good and includes a VPN in all of its packages to hide your identity online
  • It has over 28 years of experience and serves more than 50 million users worldwide
  •  Comes with built-in browser extensions in its pricing plans

Norton Cons

  •   It covers a limited number of devices
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7. TotalAV

4.4/5

You may want to try out TotalAV if you are looking for the best Chromebook antivirus that has real-time antivirus protection. 

total av protection
It runs in the background making sure that you are safe from malware.

Offers Protection for Android Devices

Stay safe with the top security for android devices.

Since your Chromebook might be running Android apps from Google play or play store, you will benefit a lot from this anti-malware.

It is also able to perform a privacy audit of every android app on your device to make sure that your sensitive information is not shared out.

TotalAV Pros

  • It is a very good internet security software that makes sure you are safe
  •  It comes with anti-malware, anti-ransomware, anti-spyware, and anti-adware to safeguard all of your devices including your Chromebook
  • Comes with a safe site browser extension to block phishing sites
  •  It comes with a free version and an affordable pricing package

TotalAV Cons

  • I did not experience any
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Top Antivirus for Chromebook Buying Guide

You have come to the right place if you are wondering if your Chromebook needs an antivirus or if it can be infected by malware, etc.

Do You Need Antivirus Software on a Chromebook?

A Chromebook is just like any other computer and it can be hacked. You may hear a statement that a Chromebook does not require any antivirus since it has built-in protection but it does.

Chromebook security features are not full-proof; criminals can find a way to access your computer. Do not trust the Chrome OS too much, install a good antivirus to protect your machine from a virus.

Can You get Viruses on a Chromebook?

Just like I have mentioned before, Chromebooks run apps from Google and many of them have been found to have unwanted programs such as adware and even viruses. I don’t know how they make their way into the Play Store despite being checked admitted by Google.  

When you install infected apps, malware will also get into your machine and this will ruin your Chromebook experience.  Also, since the OS of Chromebooks is a browser, many extensions had adware that was found to be spying on users.

A good example is the GalComm registrar that had Chrome OS add-ons that were collecting user data and selling it to the third party. You need the best antivirus for Chromebook to protect yourself against these malicious people or viruses.

How do I Secure my Chromebook?

To secure your devices, choose an antivirus that comes with great features such as browser extensions in its plans, VPN, password manager, real-time protection, ransomware, and adware protection, just to mention a few.

If it offers a free trial, the better so you can get an idea of how it works.

Make sure that it has anti-malware defenses, has privacy features and it supports all operating systems such as android, IOS, and even Google apps.

 The best antiviruses will keep you safe from hackers that love gaining access to private information. They will also block annoying ads and pop-ups.

Can Chromebooks get Hacked?

Yes, Chrome OS can get hacked.  Although it has closed most entry points for malware, hackers always invent new malicious codes and some of them can infect your machine. You will mostly notice this after the verified boot of your Chromebooks. Cybercriminals mostly exploit the Chrome OS.

They can hold ransom your browser or a crucial app on your Chromebook and leave it stuck until you pay a certain amount of cash. Do not be a victim of these malicious people.  You need an Antivirus for your device and you will be safe.

How secure is a Chromebook?

Chrome OS is more secure than other popular operating systems, but no operating system is completely secure. Indeed, as with nearly everything else about Chrome OS, it's simple. After reinstalling Windows, you must manually reinstall the majority of the programs that were previously installed on your Windows machine.