Most of them under $500, web-centric Chromebooks are competent computers that can save you money. Here's how to buy the right Chromebook, backed by deep reviews of today's top models.
I have been a technology journalist for almost 30 years and have covered just about every kind of computer gear—from the 386SX to 64-core processors—in my long tenure as an editor, a writer, and an advice columnist. For almost a quarter-century, I worked on the seminal, gigantic Computer Shopper magazine (and later, its digital counterpart), aka the phone book for PC buyers, and the nemesis of every postal delivery person. I was Computer Shopper's editor in chief for its final nine years, after which much of its digital content was folded into PCMag.com. I also served, briefly, as the editor in chief of the well-known hardcore tech site Tom's Hardware.
I’m the deputy managing editor of the hardware team at PCMag.com. Reading this during the day? Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of laptops, desktop PCs, and tons of other personal tech. (Reading this at night? Then I’m probably dreaming about all those cool products.) I’ve covered the consumer tech world as an editor, reporter, and analyst since 2015.
Plenty of laptops, from budget to deluxe, are available in all shapes and sizes. But what if you spend most of your computing time online, surfing the web or answering emails or creating documents and spreadsheets in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office Online? What if you'd rather spend a few hundred dollars than $1,000 or more? A Chromebook could be right for you.
Chromebooks don't offer libraries of powerful programs like Windows or macOS laptops, but their web-centric operation—most of what they do happens in the Google Chrome browser—and affordable prices make them ideal for streaming and social media and online productivity (though they do let you work on documents offline). Wildly popular in K-12 classrooms, they've also made inroads in corporate offices for their easy manageability. We've listed some of our favorite Chromebooks in different categories below. Check them out, then keep reading for guidance on choosing the right model for you.
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Best Chromebook for Most People
The "5" in the model number of Acer's Chromebook Spin 514 indicates it's a middle or mainstream model—the company's economy and deluxe systems start with "3" and "7," respectively—and the "14" signifies its 14-inch screen size, also a middle choice between compact and desktop-replacement displays. If you're starting to think of the Spin 514 as a Goldilocks Chromebook, one that's just right for most consumers, you're on the right track: This 3.6-pound machine offers a splendid mix of performance, portability, and affordability, as well as being a versatile 2-in-1 convertible for occasional presentations or use as a tablet.
The Spin 514's quad-core AMD Ryzen CPU outruns the Intel Celeron and ARM processors of many low-cost Chromebooks; its standard memory, storage, keyboard, and screen are all above average; and it has an HDMI port for plugging in an external monitor instead of making you fuss with a USB-C adapter as most Chromebooks do. It's a terrific all-around option for students, families, and kids.
Both its price ($699.99) and weight (3.2 pounds) are high enough to make you hesitate a moment instead of making an impulse buy, but the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is as good as Chromebooks get if you're looking for a genuine alternative to a Windows convertible laptop. The system's flagship feature is a 13.5-inch high-resolution touch screen with a squarish 3:2 aspect ratio that gives you ample views of documents or webpages with less scrolling, and it combines a speedy 11th Generation Intel Core i5 processor with a faster, roomier 256GB solid-state drive instead of the skimpy eMMC flash storage of many Chromebooks. State-of-the-art Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and USB Type-A ports are provided, too, though a stylus pen isn't.
The Spin 713 is a productivity powerhouse; it's overkill for casual surfing and email (and shorter 16:9 aspect ratio screens are arguably better for streaming video). But while it's too much laptop for grade schoolers, it's an ideal choice for small business entrepreneurs or combined home and office duty.
As with Windows, most 2-in-1 Chromebooks are convertibles whose keyboards flip and fold under their displays. Lenovo's IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is a detachable that jettisons its keyboard to become a genuine tablet—and a stunning one, with an ultra-colorful, ultra-high-contrast 13.3-inch OLED touch screen. Considering that it costs less than $500, the Duet 5's display puts even Microsoft's ritzy Surface Pro 8 Windows tablet to shame. It makes up for the facts that its Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU isn't the fastest and Lenovo charges an extra $33 for a stylus (but, unlike Microsoft, includes the keyboard cover).
With impressively sharp 5-megapixel front and 8-megapixel rear cameras, the IdeaPad Duet 5 is a nifty 1.54-pound tablet that turns into a handy 2.24-pound laptop when you attach its keyboard cover and kickstand. (The former isn't a match for a real laptop keyboard, but tablet keyboards never are, and its typing feel is actually pretty good.) It's a bargain alternative to a Surface Go 3 or Apple iPad Air for students and families.
Don't confuse the Lenovo Chromebook Duet with the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook we just discussed—it's a smaller 10.1-inch tablet with detachable keyboard and back-panel kickstand, and its screen uses the familiar IPS instead of fancy OLED technology. But the Chromebook Duet is a thrifty $299.99, has a relatively generous 128GB of eMMC onboard storage, and gives you a more than generous 13-plus hours of battery life.
It's short on ports (just one USB-C, with a 3.5mm audio adapter for your headphones), but the Duet is a versatile, affordable gadget with more functionality than an Android-only tablet. It's a great classroom companion.
Torn between Apple's 10.9-inch iPad Air and HP's 11-inch Chromebook x2? Both are lightweight tablets (1 pound for the Apple, a pound and a quarter for the HP) you can operate with your fingers or with a stylus or snap-on keyboard cover, and each costs $599. But the Chromebook x2 comes with the stylus and keyboard, while the iPad Air charges an extra $428 for them. Decided yet?
The Qualcomm-powered HP is slower than a conventional Chromebook laptop at the same price, and it doesn't have a headphone jack. But it's available with LTE mobile broadband for connectivity when you're away from Wi-Fi hotspots, and its Gorilla Glass touch screen with 3:2 aspect ratio is both pleasing to the eye and easy to hold. If you're seeking an iPad alternative for on-the-go productivity, especially with LTE, it fills a nifty niche.
The ThinkPad brand tells you you're getting a first-rate business laptop, with a superb keyboard (and cult-favorite TrackPoint pointing stick) and quality construction that's passed MIL-STD 810G torture tests. That holds true for Lenovo's ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook as well as its Windows corporate classics. This 13.3-inch convertible offers a snappy AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, a fast and roomy solid-state drive (instead of eMMC flash storage), and great connectivity, including an HDMI port. And it's available with a gorgeous 4K OLED display.
Companies that have adopted Google Workspace will be delighted with the C13 Yoga Chromebook, and small-office entrepreneurs and consumers who can swing its, well, ThinkPad-class price tag will find it a brilliant productivity partner.
School districts and parents have plenty of bargain-priced Chromebooks to pick from. Those choosing Dell's Chromebook 11 (model 3100) for their grade-school scholars will get a lot for their $239: an 11.6-inch laptop with corner bumpers designed to survive 30-inch drops onto a steel surface, as well as water or juice-box keyboard spills. Its rugged construction makes the 3100 kind of bulky for its screen size, but it's handsomely finished in black textured plastic and offers a comfortable typing experience and no fewer than four USB ports.
It's hard to get excited about its small, low-resolution display, but the Dell Chromebook 11 combines reasonably peppy browsing performance with sturdy design (made even more reassuring by the low $60 price for four years of accidental damage protection). Give it to your kids and let them have at it.
Can't decide between a laptop and tablet for your everyday surfing and email sorting? Wallet not exactly overflowing? The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 will make your friends think you spent a lot more than $429. This convertible has a handsome 12-inch touch screen with a squarish 3:2 aspect ratio and is exceptionally trim at 2.5 pounds, a pound or more lighter than 2-in-1's that can be no fun to hold in tablet mode. We've noted that Chromebooks with ARM processors, though adequate, tend to be slower than systems with Intel or AMD x86 chips, but the Asus is one of the peppier ARM systems we've tested.
Consumers and students seeking convertible versatility on a budget will find the Flip CM3 easy to like. Its battery life could be better (we saw just under six and a half hours of video playback), but it's a capable choice for online productivity and entertainment.
Chromebooks are about the only laptop segment where you'll still see ultra-compact 11.6-inch systems, and 15.6-inch desktop replacements are rarer than they are in the Windows marketplace—13.3- and 14-inch displays dominate. But Acer hasn't forgotten fans of jumbo 17.3-inch panels—the company's Chromebook 317 is an inexpensive unit with a modest Intel Celeron processor and eMMC storage instead of a solid-state drive, but its plus-size screen offers full 1080p resolution for enjoying streaming video or simply serving as a family-room internet kiosk and homework station.
At 5.18 pounds, this is among the heftiest Chromebooks you can buy, but it's still easy to move from room to room if not to work on an airline tray table. If you spend many happy hours logged into Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Peacock, or just appreciate an extra-large view of Google Docs (some of us wear bifocals, you know), the big Acer could be just the ticket.
A Solid Alternative to the Spin 514
Did you think the Acer Spin 514 would be the only all-around appealing Chromebook on our list? Attention, Costco shoppers: The $549.99 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook with Intel Core i3 CPU is not only a superior alternative to Celeron-powered base models sold elsewhere but one of the nicest Chromebook convertibles we've seen. This 13.3-inch laptop profits from an ample 8GB of memory and 128GB NVMe solid-state drive yet comes in at under 3 pounds (2.97 pounds if you have a butcher's scale handy). Its handsome Abyss Blue design boasts a backlit keyboard and USB-A and two USB-C ports (though an HDMI port and included stylus would have been welcome).
Though aimed at consumers, the IdeaPad Flex 5 is not half bad as a budget-minded businessperson's substitute for another of our favorites, Lenovo's ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook. It would also stand head and shoulders above many of the modest Chromebooks found in K-12 classrooms.
Most Chromebooks don't pack impressive hardware compared to gaming laptops or mobile workstations, but they rarely require it. Because you'll be visiting websites and running apps within Chrome OS, which is basically a souped-up version of the Chrome browser, the technical barrier to entry is low. This also means you don't have to deal with downloading and installing traditional software; if you can't do something from a standard webpage, chances are you'll be able to from one of the thousands of apps and extensions available to Chrome OS users.
With just a few clicks, your Chromebook can have almost as much functionality as a budget Windows laptop, and you even can install any app designed for the Android mobile OS on most recent Chromebooks. (Older or deeply discounted Chromebooks may lack Android support; you can check this list(Opens in a new window) for the model you're considering.) This means both the browser-based and Android versions of Microsoft Office are available if you want an alternative to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
One primary benefit of running web-based software is security. For all intents and purposes, Chromebooks are immune to the viruses and other malware that often plague vulnerable Windows systems. Chrome OS updates also take just seconds to complete, rather than the minutes or hours you may have to wait for macOS and Windows to do their update thing. And although easy access to an always-on internet connection is a must for Chromebooks, you're able to perform most standard tasks offline and sync up later on, so you don't have to slow or stop your work if there's a Wi-Fi connectivity glitch.
IT management is also easier on Chrome. Schools have long taken advantage of Chrome's easy-to-use fleet management tools, but business users got a huge boost when Intel launched vPro Enterprise for Chrome. Intel-powered Chromebooks can now enjoy the same security and management tools offered on other business laptops, without the hassle of Windows. If Chrome has been looking like a good fit for your business, it just got even better.
When shopping for a Chromebook, you'll note less hardware variety than with Windows machines. These are the most important specs and factors to be aware of.
SCREEN RESOLUTION. The usual native display resolution on a Chromebook will be 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, otherwise known as 1080p, but a few cheaper Chromebooks may be lower-resolution, and the very highest-end models may be higher-resolution. For most midsize Chromebooks with screens from 13 to 15 inches, 1080p is just fine. A resolution of 1,366 by 768 pixels, common in cheap Chromebooks, can look coarse and is only really suited for laptops with screens smaller than the 12-inch size class. Avoid this resolution if you can in any 13-inch or larger screen, and proceed with caution on a smaller one. (Try to eyeball the screen in person before buying to avoid disappointment.)
PROCESSOR. A low-end CPU like an Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium, or AMD A-Series will serve you just fine if all you do is browse with a tab or two open. Chromebooks based on Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processors will allow for more able multitasking. They will also be more expensive, all else being equal. Note: AMD these days offers a handful of "C" series processors in its mobile Ryzen line that are designed specially for Chromebooks.
A $300 Windows laptop with an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of memory might be unpleasantly sluggish in everyday use under Windows, but a Chromebook with those same specs should offer a fine user experience for basic tasks. If you tend to be a multitasker, though, consider a Core or a Ryzen chip. It's an even bigger concern for gaming on a Chromebook.
STORAGE CONSIDERATIONS. Most of your files on a Chromebook will be stored in the cloud, so Chromebooks, with a few exceptions, include only a small serving of eMMC-based storage, usually 32GB or 64GB, on which to save your local creations. Note that eMMC can be more sluggish than what you're used to if you compute on an SSD-equipped PC. Look for an SD card slot if you think you'll want to save more files on the device. A "true" SSD (usually 64GB or 128GB) is the mark of a premium Chromebook.
CONNECTIVITY. Most Chromebook connections are wireless, as you'll use the machine almost exclusively when attached to Wi-Fi. Ethernet ports are not common, but support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi is what you'll find in most current-generation machines, with Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) in emerging and leading-edge models, especially in the growing number of decidedly corporate Chromebooks.
If you'll need to give presentations from your Chromebook, look for a video output port, such as HDMI, that matches what displays you will have at your disposal. Also look for a USB port or two if you'll want to attach a mouse or other peripheral by wire.
The newest Chromebooks have stepped up from being basic systems running Chrome OS to being elegant computers that offer surprisingly rich capabilities. A few sport carbon-fiber chassis or use a lightweight magnesium-alloy frame with a glossy white plastic exterior. Others add a bright in-plane switching (IPS) display, which offers sharp images and wide viewing angles, and a few elite models swap out the standard eMMC-based storage for a speedier, roomier 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). The top models have premium styling that even owners of high-end laptops would envy.
Over the last few years, the Chromebook category has matured beyond basic functionality, and the real competition is now based on features. We're seeing more options that previously were available only on Windows laptops. For one thing, some Chromebooks now have touch displays, and Chrome OS itself is now optimized for touch input. That's handy when you're tapping away at Android apps, which are designed from the outset for touch.
With a mix of browser-based games, touch and tablet options that support Android apps, and streaming services that can pipe big-budget games into the meekest of machines, gaming on Chromebooks is also a possibility now.
Various screen sizes are available, too, from 10 inches up to 17 inches. (The latter size is a recent development; before that, Chromebook displays topped out at 15.6 inches.) The classic clamshell-laptop design is the Chromebook norm, but some models sport convertible designs that let you fold the Chromebook into modes for laptop, tablet, or presentation use, along the lines of 360-degree-rotating models like Lenovo's Yoga or HP's x360 families. A handful of models now even let you detach their keyboards to use them as true tablets, just as you can with Windows tablets.
The result is that these days, a budget Windows-based laptop and a similarly priced Chromebook can look far more alike than you might expect.
Whether you're a Facebook addict or you just need a machine for checking email and working in Google apps, Chromebooks are easy to use, convenient to take on the go, and inexpensive. If you think a Chrome OS laptop is right for you, check out the detailed spec chart and reviews below for the top-rated Chromebooks we've tested. If you absolutely need Windows and don't have an unlimited budget, our lists of the best cheap laptops and the best laptops for college students are worth a look, too. And for more general laptop buying advice, check out our comprehensive buying guide with today's top laptop picks, regardless of price.
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I have been a technology journalist for almost 30 years and have covered just about every kind of computer gear—from the 386SX to 64-core processors—in my long tenure as an editor, a writer, and an advice columnist. For almost a quarter-century, I worked on the seminal, gigantic Computer Shopper magazine (and later, its digital counterpart), aka the phone book for PC buyers, and the nemesis of every postal delivery person. I was Computer Shopper's editor in chief for its final nine years, after which much of its digital content was folded into PCMag.com. I also served, briefly, as the editor in chief of the well-known hardcore tech site Tom's Hardware.
During that time, I've built and torn down enough desktop PCs to equip a city block's worth of internet cafes. Under race conditions, I've built PCs from bare-board to bootup in under 5 minutes.
In my early career, I worked as an editor of scholarly science books, and as an editor of "Dummies"-style computer guidebooks for Brady Books (now, BradyGames). I'm a lifetime New Yorker, a graduate of New York University's journalism program, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
I’m the deputy managing editor of the hardware team at PCMag.com. Reading this during the day? Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of laptops, desktop PCs, and tons of other personal tech. (Reading this at night? Then I’m probably dreaming about all those cool products.) I’ve covered the consumer tech world as an editor, reporter, and analyst since 2015.
I’ve evaluated the performance, value, and features of hundreds of personal tech devices and services, from laptops to Wi-Fi hotspots and everything in between. I’ve also covered the launches of dozens of groundbreaking technologies, from hyperloop test tracks in the desert to the latest silicon from Apple and Intel.
I've appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news.
Before I joined the tech-journalism ranks, I wrote on topics as diverse as Borneo's rain forests, Middle Eastern airlines, and Big Data's role in presidential elections. A graduate of Middlebury College, I also have a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University.
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