The Best Antivirus for Chromebook in 2024

• Real-time antivirus protection – Installing TotalAV Mobile Security on a Chromebook device allows you to use its real-time antivirus protection to block all the threats that ChromeOS is vulnerable to.
• Security Features – The app lets you use TotalAV’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) and device optimization tools to enhance your privacy and speed up your ChromeOS device. There’s also a dark web monitoring feature, which will alert you if your details have been leaked in a data breach, a Chrome-compatible password manager, and an app lock, which allows you to set a PIN on Chromebook apps you specify.
• Total WebShield Chrome browser extension – Besides the Android app, TotalAV offers a Chrome browser extension. Total WebShield is an invaluable addition for Chromebooks and protects against viruses, phishing attacks, intrusive ads, and potentially unwanted programs. The extension alerts you if you click on links pointing to shady sites, such as a fake online shop or a website selling on user information.

TotalAV for Chromebook is available for $19/year, with all the core features included. Upgrading to Internet Security ($39/year) gets you a VPN, while Total Security ($49/year) provides an ad blocker and password manager.

TotalAV is a great premium antivirus. It’s ideal for comprehensive protection and will serve you well in the long term. It has excellent detection rates, and Total WebShield is ideal for ChromeOS security. I rate it as the overall best antivirus for Chromebooks.

• Website Rating Scores – The Norton extension displays website rating scores for each site you open and will alert you if a link in chats or email points to a fraudulent site.
• Norton Antivirus for Chromebook App – While the extension is enough to block new threats reaching your Chromebook, Norton Antivirus for Chromebook is also available via a Google Play Android app, which can search for threats on your device. The app takes a few more steps to install than Surfshark and McAfee, but it’s intuitive and easy to use. The Norton Antivirus Chromebook app also has the superb Virus Protection Promise, guaranteeing a refund if Norton is unable to remove a virus from your devices.
• Norton Family Parental Control App – Norton for Chromebook is one of the rare antiviruses to also provide parental controls via its dedicated Family Parental Control app. It can help you monitor your children’s devices and help them steer clear of potentially dangerous and inappropriate websites.
• Additional Security Features – The Norton 360 plans offer a comprehensive service and include dark web monitoring, identity theft prevention tools, and a reliable VPN. The Norton Password Manager is another bonus and is one of the best password managers around. Norton splits its security tools into separate apps, though, so you’ll need to download individual apps if you want the full Norton 360 experience.

The entry-level Norton AntiVirus Plus plan ($29.99/year) offers protection for one device. You can increase this to five devices for $10/year so you can protect your Chromebook, phone, and more.

Upgrading to the Deluxe, Select, Advantage, and Ultimate Plus plans will add features like a VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls, identity protection tools, and additional cloud storage, up to 500GB.

Not only does Norton 360 work on Chromebook, but it’s a great purchase and will ensure your device is secure and working at peak performance.

Norton provides an excellent set of online security tools for ChromeOS and is widely recommended. It’s also often rated as the best antivirus for Chromebook by Reddit users.

• Malware and Phishing Blocking – Threat Protection is an excellent pick for stopping online threats, such as malicious websites and phishing scams. It continuously updates its database of fraudulent, fake, and scam sites to block potential hazards.
• Security Features – In testing, I found Threat Protection blocks more intrusive ads than other providers on the list, and its VPN feature was easier to use. There’s also a data breach monitor, which will let you know if any of your details have been leaked online on the dark web. You can also make use of the NordPass password manager, one of the best business password managers, to add another layer of protection for yourself.
• Privacy Protection – Nord Threat Protection is ideal for users who spend most of their time online, as it’ll protect your privacy, provide DDoS attack protection, and help you keep your Chromebook malware-free by blocking malicious sites.

NordVPN Plus costs $3.99/month on a two-year plan. This gets you the VPN, malware protection, an ad and tracker blocker, and a password manager for use across ten devices. You can also subscribe for one year ($5.99/month) and monthly ($13.99/month).

The $5.99/month (two years) Ultimate plan adds 1TB of secure storage and identity protection tools.

NordVPN Threat Protection is a great solution for Chromebook browser security. It also comes with one of the fastest VPNs around, which has an enormous server network with more than 6,400 servers in 110+ countries.

• Schedule Scans – Malwarebytes makes it easy to schedule scans so you can have your Chromebook make repairs while you’re away, avoiding any system slowdowns or interruptions.
• App Audit Scan – You can also run an app audit scan with Malwarebytes. The scan examines every installed app, determining what permissions they need and revoking anything unnecessary, ensuring unauthorized parties don’t have access to your data.
• Chrome extension – The Browser Guard Chrome extension is excellent for users looking for a high-quality ad blocker. It’ll also prevent you from falling victim to phishing scams and cryptojacking and can accelerate Chrome by up to four times by disabling third-party trackers often found on websites.

Malwarebytes Basic Security costs $3.75/month and includes core security features as well as ad blocking and ransomware and phishing protection.

You can upgrade to add a VPN for $5/month and to Complete Protection for $10/month for social media monitoring, identity protection, and data breach monitoring.

Malwarebytes is a great provider with a dedicated Chromebook antivirus app, and it’s a top pick for users looking for browser and system protection and tools to combat ransomware.

• Usability – In testing, I found that Surfshark has an intuitive, modern interface for Chromebook devices. The antivirus tools are easy to find and use and are ideal for first-time users. Running Surfshark won’t impact your device’s performance, either, and you can trust its real-time protection capabilities to stop known and emerging threats.
• Dark Web Monitoring – Surfshark’s data breach monitoring feature actively monitors the internet for leaks of your passwords, usernames, and email addresses, as well as your credit card details and government documents. It’ll also alert you if your credentials have appeared in data leaks, allowing you to reinforce your security.
• Email Masking – To protect your identity online, Surfshark also enables you to create an alternative email and billing profile so you can stop spam emails and data brokering firms collecting your data.
• VPN – Installing Surfshark on your Chromebook also means you can use its excellent VPN to securely and anonymously access the web and block network throttling and third-party monitoring.
• Surfshark Search – ChromeOS users also get access to Surfshark Search, a secure browser search tool that helps you avoid trackers and ads and to access the internet without leaving a digital footprint.

The Surfshark One plan, including the VPN and antivirus tools, costs $2.69/month on a two-year plan. You can also upgrade to Surfshark One+ ($4.29/month for two years) for data removal tools or subscribe to annual or monthly plans at higher rates.

Surfshark is perfect for anyone looking for a Chromebook antivirus with a powerful VPN. It offers the fastest VPN services on this list, as well as a whole host of additional security tools. All in all, it’s a great package for Chromebook security.

• Protection Score – McAfee’s Google Play app will detect and block potentially dangerous apps and add them to its Threat List to help you avoid them in the future. The app has tons of features, notably including the McAfee Protection Score. Your overall security is rated on a scale from 1 to 1,000. The results are displayed in a dashboard that highlights issues such as weak passwords and credentials exposed in data breaches to give you actionable security insights.
• Vulnerability Scanner – There’s also a vulnerability scanner, which looks for essential security patches and notifies you if any of your apps need to be updated – enabling you to remedy weak points in your device’s security.
• Additional Security Features – McAfee also helps you stay safe online with an unlimited VPN and a safe browsing engine. These features make it hard for third parties to collect your information as you browse the web, and its Personal Data Cleanup feature helps you delete your personal information from the internet to protect and maintain your privacy.

The Essential plan is available for $39.99/year with a two-year subscription. This covers five devices and includes a VPN and password manager.

You can also sign up for the Premium ($49.99/year) and Advanced ($89.99/year) plans for additional privacy and identity protection tools.

McAfee’s features are easy to use on ChromeOS devices, and the provider has a help center packed with tutorials and how-to guides. This makes it an ideal Chromebook antivirus for beginners.

• Malware Detection Rates – Avast scores 100% malware detection rates with AV-Test on Windows and Android and has earned itself a “Top Product” certificate. Its plans offer various advanced features, including system tune-up tools, Wi-Fi scanning, a VPN, and a Web Shield to block malicious sites and links.
• Device Protection – With Avast, you can clean your ChromeOS device of junk and duplicate and obsolete files in seconds. You’ll also get peace of mind knowing that any Wi-Fi network you join is suitably secure, and you can use the VPN to encrypt your connection if you’re in any doubt.
• Dark Web Scanner – Avast for Chromebook also includes a data breach scanner that checks the dark web to ensure your credentials haven’t been compromised and leaked, and while it’s not as in-depth as McAfee, it’s a great addition.
• Google Chrome Browser Extension – The Avast Google Chrome browser extension, meanwhile, helps you stop websites collecting and selling your data. It also blocks trackers and phishing sites and automatically dispatches requests to firms to stop selling your information. The extension also displays website scores to help you avoid malicious sites.

The Avast free antivirus for Chromebook is a great starting point for ChromeOS, but upgrading to Premium Security ($49.99/year for one device, $69.99/year for ten) will add webcam and microphone protection, system optimization, and a firewall, making it a great purchase.

The Ultimate plan is available at the same price, with its introductory offer, and also includes a VPN and tracker blocking. Given this, it’s worth considering the best free antivirus software for Chromebook, but you should look at upgrading when you’re ready.

Avast isn’t necessarily as lightweight as TotalAV or Surfshark, but I rate it as the best free antivirus for ChromeOS. With its excellent set of security tools, it’s definitely worth testing.

• Antivirus Scans – I found Trend Micro’s scanning capabilities to be impressive. Its quick Chromebook virus scan inspects the most commonly infected folders on your device and checks background processes and the registry. It takes just a few minutes to detect and remove even the most persistent malware.
• Social Media Security – The Trend Micro Chromebook antivirus app notably includes a social media security feature. It scans your social media profiles for privacy issues, such as sensitive information being exposed to search engines and the capacity for your profile to be targeted for advertising without your knowledge.
• System Optimization – The antivirus can detect junk, duplicate, and unusable files, and it removes them from your device, boosting its speed and freeing up space.
• Pay Guard – Besides its standard antivirus features, Trend Micro also includes a Pay Guard feature, which goes beyond what most providers offer. This opens a secure version of your browser each time you check out while shopping online. You can then log into your bank account and fill out the payment details without fear of spyware, keyloggers, or viruses.

For Chromebook protection, you’ll need to subscribe to Trend Micro’s Maximum Security ($49.95) plan or the Premium Security Suite ($54.95/year).

These plans cover five and ten devices, respectively, and include parental controls, a password manager, system memory optimization, and payment safety features. The Security Suite adds dark web monitoring, a VPN, and identity protection.

Trend Micro is a great pick for blocking potentially malicious apps on Chromebook and protecting you from malicious code. It also has a huge range of security tools, making it excellent value for money.

• Antivirus Scans – The Chromebook app offers real-time antivirus scanning and security reports. Unusually, it also offers a USB scanner, which is very useful as it can stop external devices from spreading malware to both your Chromebook and devices like smart TVs.
• Performance and Malware Detection – During my testing, ESET’s real-time antivirus protection and scans consumed minimal resources and didn’t reduce the battery life of my Chromebook. ESET also gets excellent results for malware and ransomware protection under independent testing.
• Anti-Theft Feature – Setup on your Chromebook is simple, and there’s an anti-theft tool to help you recover stolen devices. This lets you locate and even remotely control your device. If the device is connected to a Wi-Fi network, you’ll also be sent the IP address assigned to it, which can assist you in finding your lost Chromebook.
• Security Features – Other ESET features include a network inspector and app lock, which allow you to identify network vulnerabilities and set extra security on specific apps. Like its competitors, ESET also offers phishing protection to help you avoid scams and fraudulent websites. If you upgrade, ESET’s standalone password manager will be added to your package.

The ESET NOD32 Antivirus starter plan is only available for Windows and Mac, so you’ll need to get at least the Essential plan for $49.99/year.

You can upgrade to Premium ($59.99/year) for a password manager and encryption tools and Ultimate ($179.99/year) for a VPN, identity protection tools, and support for five or more devices.

ESET is a great option for ensuring network security. The ability to find lost devices could also be invaluable for recovering your Chromebook if it’s lost or stolen.