The 6 Best Antivirus Software for Chromebooks in 2020
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Kaspersky Internet Security takes our top overall pick for the best antivirus for Chromebook due to its overall excellent level of malware protection and suite of other useful tools. It even has a free version, so you can check it out and take it for a test drive without paying anything upfront.
Kaspersky consistently receives top marks from independent antivirus test labs, and their Android product is no exception. Kaspersky Internet Security for Android will run on your Chromebook if it's capable of running Android apps, and it has received high ratings from both AV-Comparatives and AV-Test for providing a high level of protection against all sorts of malware.
In addition to stamping out malware with a real-time scanner that runs in the background, Kaspersky also includes anti-theft tools, anti-phishing measures, and even a web filter to keep you safe online.
Kaspersky is also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS, and the same app will run on both your Chromebook and Android phone, so you can rely on the same antivirus suite to protect all your devices.
Avast Free Antivirus is one of the best free antivirus tools for Windows and Mac, and Avast Mobile Security is our top pick for the best free Chromebook antivirus as well. This excellent free security tool scans for malware, protects your privacy, secures your data, and can even boost the performance of your device.
Avast Mobile Security starts with a malware scanning tool that scans apps and files in real-time to identify threats, scans Wi-Fi networks for security problems, and even identifies malicious apps before you ever install them. It’s also includes a variety of other useful security, privacy, and performance-related utilities.
The free version of Avast Mobile Security is supported by in-app advertisements, but that is the only real downside of this app. If you don’t want to view ads, then you can pay to upgrade to the premium version and get extra features like a VPN.
Avast runs on Chromebooks that are compatible with Android apps, and the same app also runs on Android phones and tablets. It’s also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS.
Avira is a great overall antivirus and security product, and it takes our pick for the best Chromebook antivirus with built-in ransomware protection. In addition to scanning apps, local files, and even external devices for malware, the built-in ransomware protects your local data from devastating attacks.
If you store important data on your Chromebook, and you’re worried about it falling victim to ransomware, the best thing you can do is make sure that data is automatically synchronized to your Google Drive. Failing that, Avira’s ransomware protection can prevent malware from encrypting your data and then extorting you for the decryption key.
Avira also provides an excellent malware scanner with real-time protection, automatically rates apps based on privacy concerns, protects your identity by monitoring data breaches for your information, and even offers a free version.
In addition to the Android app, which works on Chromebooks, Avira is also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS.
Bitdefender takes our top pick for the best Chromebook antivirus with a built-in VPN. The best part about this fantastic feature is that it’s available in both the free version of Bitdefender and the premium version, although the free version does have limitations.
Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus is an Android app that runs great on Chromebooks, expanding out to a full screen interface that’s easy to use. Its key feature is a built-in VPN that provides you with 200 MB of traffic per day without any payment required. Upgrade to the premium version of Bitdefender, and you get unlimited bandwidth and the ability to select VPN locations from around the world.
In addition to its excellent built-in VPN, Bitdefender also provides top notch protection against malware, an autopilot function that helps you patch security holes, and even a monitoring feature that alerts you if your email account is ever included in a data breach.
Bitdefender is also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS, and you can run the same exact app on both your Chromebook and your Android phone.
Malwarebytes provides excellent protection against adware and malware, but it deserves special attention for its privacy audit feature. This feature allows you to check the access privileges of every single app on your Chromebook, and it’s the reason that Malwarebytes is our top pick for Chromebook privacy protection.
When you run the Malwarebytes privacy audit, the app provides you with an exhaustive list of permissions with specific information about which apps have been granted each permission. This provides a quick and easy way to see which apps can access your network, control your hardware, track your location, and more. If you don’t like what you see, you can revoke permissions or uninstall the offending app.
In addition to protecting your privacy, Malwarebytes also offers an excellent level of protection against all sorts of adware and malware. The app provides real-time protection, which means it’s capable of scanning new files and apps in real time and identifying threats before they become an issue.
Malwarebytes also has an excellent Chrome extension to protect you while you’re browsing on your Chromebook, Malwarebytes Support Tool and the main app is available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus takes our top pick for the best Chromebook antivirus for beginners due to its intuitive interface. Some Chromebook antivirus apps are limited to a cramped portrait mode that’s designed for phones, but Eset sprawls out in a full-screen experience that’s as attractive to look at as it is easy to use.
The ESET app comes with a free 30-day trial, but there is no totally free version. That makes it a good candidate for beginners looking to try out a fully-featured Chromebook antivirus without paying a bunch of money up front.
In addition to an excellent malware scanner, ESET comes packed with a lot of extra features. Anti-phishing measures protect you from malicious websites, a network scanner can look for vulnerabilities on your home Wi-Fi network, the security audit feature checks all of your apps to see if they pass muster. You also get a number of anti-theft features that are primarily designed with phones in mind.
In addition to working on Chromebooks and Android, ESET is also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS.
Kaspersky
Kaspersky Internet Security takes our top overall pick for the best antivirus for Chromebook due to its overall excellent level of malware protection and suite of other useful tools. It even has a free version, so you can check it out and take it for a test drive without paying anything upfront.
Kaspersky consistently receives top marks from independent antivirus test labs, and their Android product is no exception. Kaspersky Internet Security for Android will run on your Chromebook if it's capable of running Android apps, and it has received high ratings from both AV-Comparatives and AV-Test for providing a high level of protection against all sorts of malware.
In addition to stamping out malware with a real-time scanner that runs in the background, Kaspersky also includes anti-theft tools, anti-phishing measures, and even a web filter to keep you safe online.
Kaspersky is also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS, and the same app will run on both your Chromebook and Android phone, so you can rely on the same antivirus suite to protect all your devices.
Avast
Avast Free Antivirus is one of the best free antivirus tools for Windows and Mac, and Avast Mobile Security is our top pick for the best free Chromebook antivirus as well. This excellent free security tool scans for malware, protects your privacy, secures your data, and can even boost the performance of your device.
Avast Mobile Security starts with a malware scanning tool that scans apps and files in real-time to identify threats, scans Wi-Fi networks for security problems, and even identifies malicious apps before you ever install them. It’s also includes a variety of other useful security, privacy, and performance-related utilities.
The free version of Avast Mobile Security is supported by in-app advertisements, but that is the only real downside of this app. If you don’t want to view ads, then you can pay to upgrade to the premium version and get extra features like a VPN.
Avast runs on Chromebooks that are compatible with Android apps, and the same app also runs on Android phones and tablets. It’s also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS.
Avira
Avira is a great overall antivirus and security product, and it takes our pick for the best Chromebook antivirus with built-in ransomware protection. In addition to scanning apps, local files, and even external devices for malware, the built-in ransomware protects your local data from devastating attacks.
If you store important data on your Chromebook, and you’re worried about it falling victim to ransomware, the best thing you can do is make sure that data is automatically synchronized to your Google Drive. Failing that, Avira’s ransomware protection can prevent malware from encrypting your data and then extorting you for the decryption key.
Avira also provides an excellent malware scanner with real-time protection, automatically rates apps based on privacy concerns, protects your identity by monitoring data breaches for your information, and even offers a free version.
In addition to the Android app, which works on Chromebooks, Avira is also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS.
Bitdefender
Bitdefender takes our top pick for the best Chromebook antivirus with a built-in VPN. The best part about this fantastic feature is that it’s available in both the free version of Bitdefender and the premium version, although the free version does have limitations.
Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus is an Android app that runs great on Chromebooks, expanding out to a full screen interface that’s easy to use. Its key feature is a built-in VPN that provides you with 200 MB of traffic per day without any payment required. Upgrade to the premium version of Bitdefender, and you get unlimited bandwidth and the ability to select VPN locations from around the world.
In addition to its excellent built-in VPN, Bitdefender also provides top notch protection against malware, an autopilot function that helps you patch security holes, and even a monitoring feature that alerts you if your email account is ever included in a data breach.
Bitdefender is also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS, and you can run the same exact app on both your Chromebook and your Android phone.
Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes provides excellent protection against adware and malware, but it deserves special attention for its privacy audit feature. This feature allows you to check the access privileges of every single app on your Chromebook, and it’s the reason that Malwarebytes is our top pick for Chromebook privacy protection.
When you run the Malwarebytes privacy audit, the app provides you with an exhaustive list of permissions with specific information about which apps have been granted each permission. This provides a quick and easy way to see which apps can access your network, control your hardware, track your location, and more. If you don’t like what you see, you can revoke permissions or uninstall the offending app.
In addition to protecting your privacy, Malwarebytes also offers an excellent level of protection against all sorts of adware and malware. The app provides real-time protection, which means it’s capable of scanning new files and apps in real time and identifying threats before they become an issue.
Malwarebytes also has an excellent Chrome extension to protect you while you’re browsing on your Chromebook, Malwarebytes Support Tool and the main app is available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
ESET
ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus takes our top pick for the best Chromebook antivirus for beginners due to its intuitive interface. Some Chromebook antivirus apps are limited to a cramped portrait mode that’s designed for phones, but Eset sprawls out in a full-screen experience that’s as attractive to look at as it is easy to use.
The ESET app comes with a free 30-day trial, but there is no totally free version. That makes it a good candidate for beginners looking to try out a fully-featured Chromebook antivirus without paying a bunch of money up front.
In addition to an excellent malware scanner, ESET comes packed with a lot of extra features. Anti-phishing measures protect you from malicious websites, a network scanner can look for vulnerabilities on your home Wi-Fi network, the security audit feature checks all of your apps to see if they pass muster. You also get a number of anti-theft features that are primarily designed with phones in mind.
In addition to working on Chromebooks and Android, ESET is also available for Windows, macOS, and iOS.
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