8 Best Antivirus for Chromebook of 2026

Trend Micro Maximum Security is the most direct answer to the Chromebook question because Trend Micro lists Chromebook next to Windows, Mac, Android and iOS on its US product page. Its help center article TMKA-12855, updated in September 2026, explains the setup: you sign in to your Trend Micro Account on the Chromebook, download Maximum Security, and the protection appears as a Trend Micro icon in the browser, with an extension you may need to enable. The guide also says you need Trend Micro already installed on another computer or phone first, so this is built for households rather than a Chromebook on its own. The suite adds Pay Guard for banking sites, AI-powered scam website and phishing email checks, parental controls with time and content limits, a password manager and identity monitoring for leaked email addresses and card numbers. The first year costs $74.95 for 5 devices and renewal is $104.95, which is fair per device but expensive if the Chromebook is your only machine.

Bitdefender Mobile Security is the cheapest way to add a paid scanner to a Chromebook that runs Android apps. You install it from the Google Play Store, and it scans each Android app as it installs, runs on-demand scans, and uses App Anomaly Detection to catch apps that turn malicious later. Web Protection checks the pages you open for phishing and fraud, App Lock puts a PIN in front of sensitive apps, Account Privacy checks whether your email appears in a breach, and the bundled VPN allows 200 MB of encrypted traffic a day. Bitdefender is candid about the limits: on its community forum, a Bitdefender admin says the app can be installed on a Chromebook but scanning is available only for other Android apps, so it does not give full coverage. Phone features such as call blocking and anti-theft also matter less on a laptop. At $17.99 for the first year, it is still the best value if Android apps are your main worry.

Malwarebytes Browser Guard targets the threats a Chromebook actually faces. It is a free Chrome extension that blocks malicious websites and phishing attempts, stops credit card skimmers from capturing payment details at checkout, and removes ads, trackers, pop-ups and cookie banners. Because it runs in the browser, it works on Chromebooks that cannot install Android apps, including many school and work devices where the Play Store is turned off but approved extensions are allowed. Malwarebytes lists a longer set of protections, such as advanced phishing protection and suspicious download protection, as part of its paid plans, so the free version is a solid baseline rather than the whole package. It does nothing for Android apps you install, so pair it with an Android scanner if you sideload apps or install many from outside well-known developers.

Avast One Mobile is the strongest free Android app for a Chromebook that runs Google Play apps. The free version includes real-time scanning for viruses and other malware, Web Guard to flag scam websites, and the AI-powered Avast Assistant, which gives scam guidance on messages and links you are unsure about. It also checks your home Wi-Fi for security risks and frees up storage. Like every Android app here, it only sees the Android side of the Chromebook, so treat it as protection for apps you install from Google Play rather than a full system scanner. If you also own a Windows PC or Mac, Avast Premium Security covers 1 PC plus 1 mobile device for $49.08 in the first year and renews at $77.99, and Avast offers a 30-day trial. Many phone features in the paid tier, such as scam SMS and call blocking, matter less on a laptop.

Norton Mobile Security for Android installs from Google Play, so it can run on Chromebooks that support Android apps, although Norton's own page talks only about Android phones and tablets and does not mention ChromeOS. Its system requirements are Android 10.0 or later, the Google Play app and 50 MB of storage, and multi-user mode is not supported, which matters on a shared family Chromebook. The useful parts on a laptop are Safe Web, which helps block fraudulent and malicious sites when you use your browser, apps, SMS or email, Wi-Fi Security, which alerts you when a network is dangerous or under attack, and App Advisor, which checks apps for malware and privacy risks. A device report summarizes 30 days of scanned networks, sites and risky apps. The plan costs $29.99 for the first year for 1 mobile device and comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it on your model before committing.

ESET Mobile Security is a lighter alternative to Avast for a Chromebook that runs Android apps. ESET says the free version gives basic protection with antivirus and real-time scanning, and you can upgrade in the app to get Premium free for 30 days. Premium adds Anti-Phishing, Anti-Theft, Payment Protection and App Lock. Payment Protection is the most relevant on a laptop: it stops malicious apps from reading or replacing on-screen information when you use financial apps. ESET lists Android 9.0 or higher, 512 MB of RAM, Google Play and Accessibility services as requirements, and rooted devices are not supported. ESET does not mention Chromebooks on this page, and Anti-Phishing being paid means the free tier does less for web threats than Malwarebytes Browser Guard. We could not confirm a USD Premium price from our location, so check the price in the app.

Malwarebytes Mobile Security is the Android app Malwarebytes now offers to Chromebook owners: its old Chromebook web address opens the Android product page, and the app is available only on Google Play. Malwarebytes says it can detect trojans, spyware and ransomware before they install, and it adds Scam Guard, an AI chat companion where you upload a suspicious text, link or screenshot to get advice, plus SMS and web protection. The app is sold inside Malwarebytes plans rather than alone. Standard costs from $59.99 per year and covers 3 devices across PCs, tablets and phones, while Plus adds the VPN from $79.99 per year. That makes it good value if the Chromebook sits next to a Windows laptop and a phone, and poor value for a single Chromebook. Pair it with the free Browser Guard extension to cover Chrome itself.

Avira Security for Android packs the most free extras of the Android apps here, but fewer of them help on a Chromebook. The free app includes Smart Scan for threats and privacy risks, App Lock, a Permissions Manager that rates how much data your apps collect, Identity Safeguard breach alerts and a Network Scanner that checks smart devices on your home network. A free VPN is included with a limit of 100 MB per day, with unlimited data in the separate Phantom VPN Pro. The catch for Chromebook users is that web protection, which blocks infected and phishing sites, sits in Antivirus Security Pro, an in-app purchase, along with camera and microphone protection. Storage cleanup and performance boosting are aimed at phones. Avira requires Android 9 or later and does not mention Chromebooks on this page. We could not confirm a USD price for Pro from our location.