Whether or not you’re looking for a budget-friendly laptop computer for college or a smooth machine for on a regular basis productiveness, one of the best Chromebooks can provide shocking performance for the value. Chromebooks have come a great distance from their early days as web-only gadgets. Now, many Chromebook fashions function highly effective processors, premium shows and even touchscreen help, making them a compelling different to a daily laptop computer for loads of customers.
There are extra choices than ever too, from light-weight clamshells to high-end, 2-in-1 designs that may simply substitute your each day driver. Whether or not you are after a brand new Chromebook for streaming, work or staying on prime of emails, there’s doubtless a mannequin that matches each your price range and your workflow. We’ve examined the highest Chromebooks in the marketplace that can assist you discover the best one — whether or not you’re after most worth or top-tier efficiency.
Editor’s be aware (7/16/25): Whereas I nonetheless suggest every thing on this information, there’s one very intriguing new Chromebook I’m within the technique of testing. Lenovo, who makes our decide for greatest total Chromebook, simply launched a brand new premium mannequin. The Chromebook Plus 14 begins at $649 and is the one of many first to make use of the ARM-based MediaTek Kompanio Extremely 910 chip. Most different performance-focused Chromebooks run on Intel or AMD chips, however to this point the Kompanio Extremely has been greater than as much as what I’ve thrown at it. And the opposite profit is battery life — Lenovo guarantees as much as 17 hours. I haven’t absolutely examined this but, however from what I’ve seen the ARM chip is unsurprisingly far more environment friendly than the Intel ones I exploit on most different Chromebooks. I’m hopeful that this laptop computer will final for 10 hours of actual use, not simply enjoying again video or another low-power job.
Design-wise, it has extra in widespread with Google’s previous Pixelbook Go or perhaps a MacBook Air than most different Chromebooks. It is pleasantly skinny (.63 inches) and lightweight (2.58 kilos). It additionally encompasses a 14-inch OLED show, 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. The mannequin I’m testing prices $749, however there’s additionally a $649 configuration with 12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and no touchscreen — nevertheless it makes use of the identical chip, nonetheless has an OLED display screen and may get equally lengthy battery life. The comparatively excessive worth makes me hesitate on calling this one of the best Chromebook for everybody, nevertheless it’ll virtually actually be the Chromebook to purchase if you happen to care about battery life. I’ll replace this information once more as soon as I end my testing.
Desk of contents
Greatest Chromebooks in 2025
Photograph by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display measurement: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.52 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, MicroSD card slot (SD 3.0), Headphone jack, Kensington Naon safety slot | Drive capability: 128GB | Battery life: 6 hours as examined
Lenovo has been making among the greatest inexpensive Chromebooks you should purchase for a number of years now, and its 2023 IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus remains to be an inexpensive possibility that gives nearly every thing you can need in a primary Chromebook. (We’re calling it the Flex 5i from right here.) The 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen is each bigger and taller than final 12 months’s mannequin. This implies you get extra vertical display screen actual property, which is one thing I admire over a normal 1080p show. This Lenovo mannequin hits the Chromebook Plus advisable specs with a Thirteenth-generation Intel Core i3 processor plus 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. That’s a bump up from the Eleventh-generation processor within the 2022 mannequin, and the RAM and storage must be loads, so that you’ll get good efficiency from this machine.
Sadly, the battery life is pretty mediocre — I bought about six hours of standard use out of it. My workflow features a ton of Chrome tabs, plus internet apps for issues like Slack, Todoist, Trello, Google Maintain and YouTube Music. I often take a couple of video calls in the course of the day, so if you happen to’re not on digital camera a lot you would possibly get a bit extra time from the laptop computer. I want it lasted longer, however I can’t knock it an excessive amount of contemplating the Flex 5i’s worth.
The backlit keyboard and trackpad are superb and really feel significantly better than I’d anticipate on a reasonably inexpensive machine. The keys have good journey and the trackpad is giant and responsive. Although it has a 1080p webcam, I can’t say that I seemed all that nice within the video calls I took. It does the job, however not far more.
Different issues within the Flex 5i’s favor embody each USB-C and USB-A ports, a microSD card slot and a safety lock. It additionally comes with built-in Wi-Fi 6E to satisfy the most recent Wi-Fi customary. At 3.5 kilos and 0.78 inches thick, it’s positively not the lightest or slimmest possibility on the market. It’s a utilitarian slab of a laptop computer, however that’s OK. Lastly, the Flex 5i will obtain software program and safety updates till June of 2032, so you should purchase this laptop and have it coated for years to come back.
For me, the $500 Ideapad Flex 5i is the best Chromebook, and the excellent news is that it’s often on sale for fairly a bit much less. I’ve seen it as little as $350 in current months. It’ll hit the candy spot for lots of consumers on the market, offering a degree of high quality and efficiency that’s fairly uncommon to seek out at this worth level. That stated, it’s getting lengthy within the tooth in comparison with the remainder of our picks, so I’m maintaining a watch out for an replace from Lenovo or a substitute from one other producer.
- Good total efficiency for the value
- Good show
- Strong keyboard and trackpad
- Mediocre battery life
- A 12 months older than our different picks
$460 at Amazon
Photograph by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display measurement: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,920 x 1,080 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.15 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI port | Drive capability: 128GB | Battery life: As much as 11 hours
When Google first launched the Chromebook Plus line virtually a 12 months in the past, fashions with that designation began at $400 — however since, issues have gotten cheaper. Acer’s just-released Chromebook Plus 514 hits all the important thing specs, together with a Thirteenth-gen Intel Core i3-N305 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 1080p show and webcam. None of that is something to jot down residence about, however you’re getting a whole lot of worth for a laptop computer priced at $380. It additionally contains the aforementioned AI options and a 12 months’s value of the $20/month Google One AI Premium plan, which features a beneficiant 2TB of cloud storage on your pictures, Drive and Gmail information.
Design-wise, the Plus 514 is fairly primary, nevertheless it will get the job finished; it’s your customary laptop computer with a 14-inch show. It’s neither overly skinny (.81 inches) or mild (3.15 kilos), however these specs are completely affordable for a sub-$400 laptop computer. (It’s really ever-so-slightly lighter than the extra premium Spin 714.) Similar goes for the display screen — it’s a touchscreen, and its 1,920 x 1,080 decision is ok, however I do miss the additional vertical pixels you’ll get with our different picks on this information. The show is in any other case good, and the keyboard and trackpad are likewise greater than ok for a laptop computer at this worth.
Total, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a stable possibility if value is your fundamental concern — nevertheless it’s additionally value noting that the Lenovo mannequin we picked as one of the best total Chromebook is commonly on sale, generally for beneath $400 as nicely. In that case, the value distinction between the 2 laptops is shut sufficient that it’s value springing for the higher show you’ll get with the Lenovo. However I’ve additionally seen the Plus 514 promoting for as little as $330, which is a good deal for a succesful Chromebook.
- Cheap
- Efficiency, specs and constructed high quality are all good for this worth
- Strong show and webcam
- 1080p show generally feels cramped
$275 at Amazon
Photograph by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display measurement: 14 inches | Display decision: 1,980 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.02 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C / Thunderbolt, HDMI, Headphone jack | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 7.5 hours as examined
Acer’s Chromebook Spin 714 has lengthy been the most effective premium Chromebook choices on the market, and the most recent mannequin launched this spring is not any exception. The Chromebook Plus Spin 714 encompasses a 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen. Just like the display screen on Lenovo’s mannequin, this works out to a taller 16:10 side ratio than you’ll get from the 1080p panels on most laptops. I’m a giant fan of taller laptop computer screens, and whereas this isn’t as luxurious because the few 3:2 ratio Chromebooks in the marketplace, it’s nonetheless a cushty and prime quality display screen. It’s additionally a bit of bit brighter than the display screen on the Lenovo (340 nits vs. 300).
One noteworthy function is the 2K webcam included within the Spin 714. In a world the place we’re all doing extra video calls than we’d like, having a digital camera that doesn’t scale back you to a blurry spot is certainly appreciated. It’s a much better digital camera than the one on our prime decide, too.
As for the remainder of the {hardware}, the Spin 714 bests the Lenovo in a couple of methods. It options Intel’s newest Core Extremely 5 115U processor, together with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of native storage. It additionally has higher battery life in my testing — I usually bought about eight hours utilizing it beneath my regular workload. That’s not distinctive, nevertheless it’s in keeping with what I’ve seen on different Intel-powered Chromebooks.
Simply because the identify suggests, the Spin 714 has a 360-degree hinge which helps you to use the laptop computer in pill mode. I’m not a fan of this convertible design – I don’t know who desires to make use of a 3-plus pound pill, nevertheless it’s there if you happen to want it. That stated, for a $700 laptop computer, it’s comparatively skinny (.7 inches) and lightweight (3.2 kilos), so for portability functions, it’s exhausting to complain. However Acer has been utilizing this similar primary design for a couple of generations now, so I’m beginning to suppose they might redesign the chassis for the following mannequin.
The newest Spin 714 prices $700 – not an unreasonable worth for a pc with these specs and constructed high quality. Should you’re a critical multitasker, need a greater show and keyboard, or simply need a pc that’ll final so long as potential (Google says it’ll obtain software program updates by June of 2034), the Acer Spin 714 is simple to suggest.
- Nice display screen
- Clear webcam
- Loads of energy and space for storing
- Snug keyboard and trackpad
- Just a little expensive
- Mediocre battery life
$599 at Greatest Purchase
Photograph by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display measurement: 16 inches | Display decision: 2,560 x 1,600 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.75 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI, Headphone jack, Ethernet | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 9 hours (producer estimate)
Acer first launched the Chromebook 516 GE within the fall of 2022 as a part of Google’s push to make gadgets appropriate for cloud gaming and simply up to date it for 2024. The excellent news is that you just don’t should be a gamer to understand the Chromebook Plus 516 GE. For $650, you’ll get a 16-inch show with a 2,560 x 1,600 decision and a 120Hz refresh fee. NVIDIA’s GeForce Now gaming service helps as much as 4K visuals at 120Hz on its Final tier so that you’ll get to see these advantages. This laptop computer additionally helps Steam, but one more reason avid gamers may be involved in making an attempt it. However even non-gamers ought to benefit from the Plus 516 GE’s crisp and clear display screen and refined {hardware}.
It additionally contains Intel’s Core 5 120UL chip, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Given the laptop computer’s measurement, it’s good that Acer didn’t skimp on ports right here: there’s an HDMI port, USB-C, USB-A, ethernet and a headphone jack. The keyboard has gamer-friendly LED lights you can customise, however extra importantly, it’s only a stable and comfy keyboard for taking part in video games or simply typing up reviews. The trackpad is giant and responsive as nicely.
The 516 GE weighs 3.8 kilos – fairly mild for a laptop computer with a 16-inch display screen. We haven’t examined the 2024 mannequin but, so I can’t verify the battery life; Acer claims 10 hours, a determine that’ll certainly dip if you happen to’re doing greater than watching movies or informal internet looking. Between the highly effective {hardware}, stable design, good trackpad and keyboard and nice display screen, anybody who desires a much bigger Chromebook will doubtless be proud of this mannequin. As for help, Google says the Plus 516 GE will obtain updates till June of 2032.
- Massive, high-resolution display screen with a quick refresh fee
- Loads of ports
- Core 5 chip supplies loads of energy
- Massive and spacious keyboard
- Comparatively light-weight for a big-screen laptop computer
- Not everybody will admire the gamer aesthetic
$649 at Greatest Purchase
Greatest Chromebooks FAQs
What’s Chrome OS, and why would I exploit it over Home windows?
That is in all probability the primary query about Chromebooks. There are many cheap Home windows laptops in the marketplace, so why trouble with Chrome’s working system? Glad you requested. For me, the easy and clear nature of Chrome OS is a giant promoting level. Chrome OS is predicated on Google’s Chrome browser, which suggests a lot of the packages you possibly can run are internet primarily based. There’s no bloatware or undesirable apps to uninstall such as you typically get on Home windows laptops, it boots up in seconds, and you may fully reset to manufacturing facility settings virtually as shortly.
In fact, simplicity will even be a significant disadvantage for some customers. Not having the ability to set up native software program could be a dealbreaker if you happen to’re a video editor or software program developer. However there are additionally loads of individuals who do the vast majority of their work in an online browser, utilizing instruments like Google Docs and spreadsheets for productiveness without having a full Home windows setup.
Google and its software program companions are getting higher yearly at supporting extra superior options. For instance, Google added video modifying instruments to the Google Photographs app on Chromebooks – it received’t substitute Adobe Premiere, nevertheless it must be helpful for lots of people. Equally, Google and Adobe introduced Photoshop on the net in 2023, one thing that brings a lot of the facility of Adobe’s desktop apps to Chromebooks.
Chromebooks can even run Android apps, which enormously expands the quantity of software program accessible. The standard varies extensively, nevertheless it means you are able to do extra with a Chromebook past simply web-based apps. For instance, you possibly can set up the Netflix app and save movies for offline watching. Different Android apps like Microsoft Workplace and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly succesful as nicely. Between Android apps and a normal enchancment in internet apps, Chromebooks are extra than simply portals to a browser.
What do Chromebooks do nicely?
Put merely, internet looking and actually something internet primarily based. On-line purchasing, streaming music and video and utilizing numerous social media websites are among the many most typical each day duties individuals do on Chromebooks. As you would possibly anticipate, in addition they work nicely with Google providers like Photographs, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Maintain and so forth. Sure, any laptop that may run Chrome can do this too, however the light-weight nature of Google Chrome OS makes it a responsive and secure platform.
As I discussed earlier than, Chrome OS can run Android apps, so if you happen to’re an Android consumer you’ll discover some good ties between the platforms. You will get a lot of the similar apps which might be in your telephone on a Chromebook and preserve information in sync between them. It’s also possible to use some Android telephones as a safety key on your Chromebook or immediately tether your 2-in-1 laptop computer to make use of cellular knowledge.
Google continues to tout safety as a significant differentiator for Chromebooks, and it’s positively an element value contemplating. Auto-updates are the primary strains of protection: Chrome OS updates obtain shortly within the background and a quick reboot is all it takes to put in the most recent model. Google says that every webpage and app on a Chromebook runs in its personal sandbox as nicely, so any safety threats are contained to that particular person app. Lastly, Chrome OS has a self-check referred to as Verified Boot that runs each time a tool begins up. Past all this, the easy reality that you just typically can’t set up conventional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer methods for unhealthy actors to entry the system.
Should you’re involved in Google’s Gemini AI instruments, a Chromebook is an effective possibility as nicely. Each Chromebook in our prime picks comes with a full 12 months of Google’s AI Professional plan — this combines the same old Google One perks like 2TB of storage and 10 p.c again in purchases from the Google Retailer with a bunch of AI instruments. You’ll get entry to Gemini in Chrome, Gmail, Google Docs and different apps, Gemini 2.5 Professional within the Gemini app and extra. Provided that this plan is $20/month, it’s a reasonably stable perk. Chromebook Plus fashions additionally embody instruments just like the AI-powered “assist me write,” the Google Photographs Magic Editor and generative AI backgrounds you possibly can create by filling in a couple of prompts.
As for when to keep away from Chromebooks, the reply is straightforward: Should you rely closely on a selected native software for Home windows or a Mac, likelihood is you received’t discover the very same possibility on a ChromeOS system. That’s most true in fields like picture and video modifying, nevertheless it will also be the case in legislation or finance. Loads of companies run on Google’s G suite software program, however extra nonetheless have particular necessities {that a} Chromebook won’t match. Should you’re an iPhone consumer, you’ll additionally miss out on the best way the iPhone simply integrates with an iPad or Mac. For me, the large draw back just isn’t having the ability to entry iMessage on a Chromebook.
Lastly, gaming Chromebooks aren’t ubiquitous, though they’re changing into a barely extra affordable possibility with the rise of cloud gaming. In late 2022, Google and a few {hardware} companions introduced a push to make Chromebooks with cloud gaming in thoughts. From a {hardware} perspective, meaning laptops with greater screens which have greater refresh charges in addition to optimizing these laptops to work with providers like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Sport Cross and Amazon Luna. You’ll clearly want an web connection to make use of these providers, however the excellent news is that enjoying trendy video games on a Chromebook isn’t unimaginable. It’s also possible to set up Android video games from the Google Play Retailer, however that’s not what most individuals are pondering of after they wish to recreation on a laptop computer.
What are an important specs for a Chromebook?
Chrome OS is light-weight and runs nicely on pretty modest {hardware}, so an important factor to search for won’t be processor energy or space for storing. However Google made it simpler to get constant specs and efficiency late final 12 months when it launched the Chromebook Plus initiative. Any system with a Chromebook Plus designation meets some minimal necessities, which occur to be similar to what I’d suggest most individuals get in the event that they’re in search of one of the best laptop computer they’ll use day-after-day.
Chromebook Plus fashions have no less than a Twelfth-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 sequence processor, each of which must be greater than sufficient for most individuals. These laptops even have a minimal of 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, which ought to do the trick until you’re actually pushing your Chromebook. All Chromebook Plus fashions need to have a 1080p webcam, which is good in today of fixed video calling, they usually additionally all need to have no less than a 1080p FHD IPS display screen.
In fact, you will get greater specs or higher screens if you happen to want, however I’ve discovered that principally every thing included within the Chromebook Plus goal specs makes for an excellent expertise.
Google has an Auto Replace coverage for Chromebooks as nicely, and whereas that’s not precisely a spec, it’s value checking before you purchase. Final 12 months, Google introduced that Chromebooks would get software program updates and help for a powerful 10 years after their launch date. This help web page lists the Auto Replace expiration date for nearly each Chromebook ever, however a superb rule of thumb is to purchase the most recent machine you possibly can to maximise your help.
How a lot ought to I spend on a Chromebook?
Chromebooks began out notoriously low cost, with listing costs typically coming in beneath $300. However as they’ve gone extra mainstream, they’ve transitioned from being primarily trendy netbooks to among the greatest laptops you’ll wish to use all day. As such, costs have elevated: At this level, it is best to anticipate to spend no less than $400 if you’d like a stable each day driver. There are nonetheless many Chromebooks on the market accessible at a low worth that could be appropriate as secondary gadgets, however a superb Chromebook that may be an all-day, every-day laptop computer will value extra. However, notably, even one of the best Chromebooks often value lower than one of the best Home windows laptops, and even one of the best “common” laptops on the market.
There are a handful of premium Chromebooks that strategy and even exceed $1,000 that declare to supply higher efficiency and extra processing energy, however I don’t suggest spending that a lot. Usually, that’ll get you a greater design with extra premium supplies, in addition to extra highly effective internals and further space for storing, like a higher-capacity SSD. In fact, you additionally generally pay for the model identify. However, the specs I outlined earlier are often sufficient, and there are a number of good premium Chromebooks within the $700 to $800 vary at this level.
See Additionally:
Different Chromebooks we examined
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus
Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook Plus, launched in late 2024, is without doubt one of the extra distinctive Chromebooks on the market. It’s extraordinarily skinny and lightweight, at 0.46 inches and a couple of.6 kilos, nevertheless it manages to incorporate a 15.6-inch show in that body. That display screen is a 1080p panel that’s sharp and vibrant, however its 16:9 side ratio made issues really feel a bit cramped when scrolling vertically. Efficiency is excellent, and the keyboard is stable, although I’m not a fan of the quantity pad because it shifts every thing to the left. At $700 it’s not low cost, however that feels truthful contemplating its measurement and capabilities. Should you’re in search of a giant display screen laptop computer that can be tremendous mild, this Chromebook deserves consideration, even when it’s not the most suitable choice for everybody.
