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Best Antivirus For Chromebook in 2022

Protect your Google machine at all costs
Last Updated on August 19, 2022
best antivirus for chromebook

Having antivirus software on your PC is very important. Not only can it deal with any potentially harmful malware once it is downloaded onto your PC, but it can also stop viruses at the door so they don’t get onto your computer in the first place.

You might make the mistake of thinking that a Chromebook is safe from having malicious software due to its unique design – but you’d be wrong. Having each application kept within its own separate zone does lower the risk of getting malware. Also, the fact that .exe files won’t work on a Chromebook severely reduces the risk of it crashing or experiencing flaws.

However, Chromebooks are very susceptible to viruses, and you might have experienced this already. You can have trackers upload themselves onto your computer and very quickly compromise the security of your files. It can be downloaded from third-party sources or operate from websites you’re visiting.

Have you suffered from malware attacks on your Chromebook and are looking for that extra level of protection? Well, we understand how hard it is to find software that is compatible with your Chromebook and also software that you can trust.

Where can you find the best antivirus software for your Chromebook? What unique features should your antiviral software have to give you complete protection from many harmful online threats? How much should you have to pay for decent antivirus software?

Well, don’t worry, because we’ve got all the answers to your burning antivirus questions. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best antivirus software currently available on the market, along with what they offer in terms of a subscription and in what ways they’ll help protect your Chromebook.

Then we have a buyer’s guide that will help you to identify what you should be looking for in malware protection for a Chromebook. We then have some frequently asked questions that will hopefully allay some of your concerns when it comes to antivirus software.

Products at a Glance

Our Recommended

Best Antivirus For Chromebook in 2022

1
PROS
  • This is a great unit to use if you want the app to do a lot of the work for you - perfect if you aren’t technologically literate but you still want first-rate protection.
  • This will notify you straight away if anyone outside of your home wifi is trying to access your computer.
  • This has the potential to run on multiple different devices, which is great if you want to check your Chromebook’s protection from your mobile phone.
  • You can also lock your Chromebook from another source such as your mobile or tablet device, this is great for having that completely hands-free protection.
CONS
  • You have only 200MB of protected data per day, which will be an issue if you are video editing large sizes of files.
2
PROS
  • This is great for isolating certain apps to check whether or not they are generally compromising your overall system. This is very often the source of any crashing or slow speeds on your Chromebook.
  • This software is perfect for entry-level computer users who might not be that intelligent when it comes to coding and other complicated firewall setups.
  • This is a very basic software but it offers you very rounded protection for the Chromebook.
  • There are a lot of free apps online that will give you that total, password-protected coverage that a lot of the more expensive antivirus software provides.
CONS
  • This does not have any VPN software, so the outside world will still have access to your connection and activity history, which is not great for keeping out bad actors.
3
PROS
  • This has a very hands-on approach to virus scanning, allows you to manually instigate scans as and when you need to.
  • This will scan the entirety of your device, including individual apps that might contain malware that might be leaking data to the outside world.
  • This will give you a comprehensive list of apps that are displaying suspicious activity, so you can delete them if you feel that they are draining too much power or causing you repeating glitches.
  • You can use this antivirus will any type of browser, all you have to do is fire up Chrome and it will pre-upload all your websites first before allowing you to access them, virus-free.
CONS
  • You cannot schedule any virus scans with this software, which might not be that useful for the particularly forgetful Chromebook user.
4
PROS
  • This gives you protection as you browse, which is perfect if you like the freedom to wander the web without having to worry about malware attacking your computer. This will notify you of any suspicious activity.
  • There are a few tools that this antivirus software has that will give you everything that you need to scan for vicious code that might be trying to attack your computer.
  • This comes a VPN, so you can be sure of no connection or activity logging, which will be great if you are wanting that completely secure browsing experience with your Chromebook.
  • It’s free! - This is probably the main selling point of this software, you can have all the luxury protection of the paid subscriptions for absolutely nothing at all.
CONS
  • The level of VPN data that you can protect is limited to around 200MB a day, which will certainly be an issue for anyone who is streaming large video files.
5
PROS
  • This will scan most apps and websites before and after accessing, which is great if you want to keep track of everything that goes onto your operating system.
  • This has a very in-depth virus scanner, giving you the ability to be able to translate any malicious coding or software with a quick notification system.
  • This will stop malware from getting through the gate at Google Play, which is where you can often find malware trying to enter your computer.
  • It’s free again! - This is another major reason that you’ll want to pick up this software. It is very basic, but it’ll give your Chromebook decent coverage.
CONS
  • This is very basic antivirus software, so if you want scheduled scanning and VPN protection, then we would recommend that you opt for a paid service.

Why Do You Need Antivirus For A Chromebook?

Even though a Chromebook does limit the number of files you can download and does not run .exe files, you are still at risk of attack by viruses, spyware, malware and codes that will make your computer run super slow.

You might not need the extensive range of coverage that some antivirus software offers you, although the ability to be able to screen and scan viruses will be very important for your Chromebook. This will prevent your computer from running at super slow speeds.

What Is Better: Paid Or Free Antivirus Software?

When it comes to the basic features, they are more or less the same. In terms of scanning programs and filtering out bad actors, both paid and free antivirus software does a pretty good job.

However, if you want features such as scheduled scans and automatic notifications of any suspicious activity, we would recommend that you pay money for a monthly subscription. If you are paying, that also means that you are eligible for upgrades that might occur monthly.

Our Verdict

We hope that our list of the best antivirus for Chromebook has helped you narrow it down to a few options, depending on what you need. Our top tip for starting is that you get free antivirus software, so you can get to grips with the basics before graduating to a paid subscription if you feel like you need it.