Whether or not you’re purchasing for a budget-friendly laptop computer for college or a smooth machine for on a regular basis productiveness, the very 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 assist, 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 day by day driver. Whether or not you are after a brand new Chromebook for streaming, work or staying on high of emails, there’s doubtless a mannequin that matches each your finances and your workflow. We’ve examined the highest Chromebooks available on the market that will help you discover the proper one — whether or not you’re after most worth or top-tier efficiency.
Desk of contents
Finest Chromebooks in 2025
Display screen measurement: 14 inches | Display screen decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 8GB | Weight: 3.09 lbs | Out there ports: 2 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, HDMI 1.4, Headphone jack, Kensington Nano safety slot | Drive capability: 512GB | Battery life: 8 hours as examined
Acer has reliably produced a few of my favourite Chromebooks for years now, and with the newest Chromebook Plus 514 mannequin, they’re actually hitting the candy spot of worth and efficiency. At solely $350, it’s cheaper than my earlier decide for the very best Chromebook (Lenovo’s IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus) and improves on it in a number of methods.
The massive spec enhancements are a more moderen processor (Intel’s Core 3-N355 chip) and a spacious 512GB solid-state drive. It’s additionally lighter than Lenovo’s machine and has a fairly spectacular array of ports, together with two USB-A and an HDMI port along with the anticipated USB-C jacks. The 14-inch touchscreen is vibrant and clear and has the marginally taller 16:10 side ratio that you simply don’t usually discover in laptops at this worth level – they’re normally caught with narrower 1080p shows. One factor the Acer offers up compared to the Lenovo is a 360-degree hinge, however I’ve all the time discovered that to be a fairly area of interest function that isn’t a compelling promoting level.
Design-wise, it is a utilitarian slab of a laptop computer, however it’s simply skinny (0.71 inches) and lightweight (3.1 kilos) sufficient to really feel compact and straightforward to journey with. The keyboard and trackpad, in the meantime, really feel a lot better than I’d anticipate on a laptop computer at this worth. The backlit keys are massive and have satisfying journey, making it nice to kind away on for hours at a time. And the glass-covered trackpad is easy and huge; my solely grievance is that it often was activated by the facet of my palm whereas typing.
The principle downsides are that the audio system and webcam are fairly mediocre. Audio is tinny and lacks depth, whereas video calls confirmed a definite lack of dynamic vary within the digicam. They’ll definitely do in a pinch, and they’re anticipated corners to be reduce on a reasonably budget-priced laptop computer – however when you take numerous video calls or need higher onboard audio output, look elsewhere.
Battery life is about what I anticipated for an Intel-powered Chromebook. It lasted over eight hours whereas enjoying again a locally-stored video file, and I acquired slightly below seven hours whereas going by my regular workday (a number of Chrome tabs, a handful of net and Android apps like Hold, Google Chat, YouTube Music, Lightroom and Todoist). That’s not distinctive, however until you actually have to be away from energy for lengthy durations frequently it needs to be ok (particularly at this worth).
As this Chromebook was simply launched this summer time, Google is promising software program and safety updates till June of 2035. (In the event you’re nonetheless utilizing this laptop computer 10 years from now, I applaud you.) Given the combo of efficiency and functionality at this worth level, Acer’s newest Chromebook Plus 514 is straightforward to advocate for anybody who needs a no-nonsense laptop computer. However when you’re the form of one that plans to make use of their Chromebook all day, day-after-day, you would possibly wish to take into account our improve picks.
- Comparatively compact and lightweight
- First rate efficiency and battery life for the value
- Massive storage cap
- Strong keyboard, trackpad and show
- Tinny audio system
- Mediocre webcam
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Display screen measurement: 14 inches | Display screen decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 12GB | Weight: 3 lbs | Out there ports: 2 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, Headphone jack, Kensington Nano safety slot | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 13 hours as examined
Acer’s brand-new Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is reduce from a really comparable material as the usual 514 we advocate, however below the hood there are some main upgrades. It’s one of many first Chromebooks to make use of MediaTek’s Kompanio Extremely 910 chip, fairly than the usual Intel or AMD fare. This makes a serious distinction in how the Spin 514 performs. There are not one of the occasional slowdown or hiccups that also occur on Intel-based fashions you probably have too many home windows or apps open. Tabs not often have to reload and pop again up rapidly on the uncommon event that they do. Music or video playback by no means skipped no matter what else I used to be doing, and Android apps like Lightroom labored swiftly and easily.
Maybe extra importantly than the way it feels now, the Spin 514 ought to really feel snappy for years to return. There’s simply extra room for this chip to deal with rising efficiency calls for over time. Benchmarks from the Android model of Geekbench 6 assist illustrate this: the Spin 514 scored 2,526 on the single-core CPU check, 7,687 on multi-core and 18,020 on the GPU check. For comparability, Acer’s recently-released Chromebook Plus 514 with an Intel Core 3 chip scored 1,150, 4,407 and 5,932 respectively. Clearly, benchmarks don’t inform your complete story, however it’s illustrative of how performant this chip is.
This goes for AI-related duties, as properly – the MediaTek chip consists of the corporate’s NPU 890, which is rated at 50 TOPS (trillion operations per second). In apply, meaning the assorted Gemini-powered AI instruments in ChromeOS will run quicker than they do on an Intel machine. In the event you’re eager to strive these types of options, the Spin 514 is an efficient possibility.
Past the MediaTek chip, you’ll discover 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage; I’m shocked that it has much less storage than a laptop computer that prices half as a lot, however 256GB is mostly a lot for ChromeOS because it depends totally on the cloud. The keyboard, trackpad and touchscreen show are all glorious, and battery life is phenomenal. I acquired greater than 14 hours of video playback from the Spin 514, and hit over 9 hours of use if I wasn’t pushing issues too exhausting.
The audio system are additionally a step up over those in the usual Chromebook Plus 514; whereas they’re not the very best laptop computer audio system I’ve ever heard, they’ve a considerably fuller tone that’s much less tinny. Sadly, I can’t decide the webcam at this level because the mannequin I reviewed didn’t have the ultimate webcam {hardware} in place. Mine has a regular 1080p digicam, however the last mannequin promoting in Finest Purchase steps as much as a 5-megapixel webcam. That ought to provide considerably higher video name high quality, however with out testing it I can’t say the way it seems to be in apply. That stated, the 1080p webcam on the pc I examined had strong colour steadiness and was a lot sharp for my makes use of.
The mannequin I examined is promoting at Finest Purchase for $700, a excessive worth that feels honest given the standard of this pc. Acer additionally plans to promote the Chromebook Plus Spin 514 straight from its web site with 16GB of RAM and a high-res, 2,880 x 1,800 display for $750. That’s a pleasant display for that worth, however I wager most individuals might be proud of this mannequin. And whereas this pc simply got here out, we’ll be keeping track of Finest Purchase to see if it will get any worth reductions within the coming months, as a result of then it’ll be even simpler to advocate.
- Nice battery life
- Glorious efficiency
- Strong keyboard, trackpad and show
- Moderately skinny and lightweight for the value
- Costly
- I want there have been USB-C ports on either side
- Audio system and webcam are simply okay
Picture by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Display screen measurement: 16 inches | Display screen 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 up to date it in 2024 with Intel’s Core 5 120U chip. The excellent news is that you simply don’t have to 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 occupied with attempting it. However even non-gamers ought to benefit from the Plus 516 GE’s crisp and clear display and refined {hardware}.
It additionally consists of Intel’s Core 5 120U 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 which you can customise, however extra importantly, it’s only a strong and comfy keyboard for enjoying video games or simply typing up experiences. The trackpad is massive and responsive as properly.
The 516 GE weighs 3.8 kilos – fairly mild for a laptop computer with a 16-inch display. 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 when you’re doing greater than watching movies or informal net looking. Between the highly effective {hardware}, strong design, good trackpad and keyboard and nice display, anybody who needs a much bigger Chromebook will doubtless be proud of this mannequin.
As for assist, Google says the Plus 516 GE will obtain updates till June of 2032. That shorter assist timeline is my primary concern about this laptop computer at this level — I’m retaining my eye out to see if Acer updates this mannequin quickly or if there’s one other newer decide with an extended assist window.
- Massive, high-resolution display with a quick refresh fee
- Loads of ports
- Core 5 chip gives loads of energy
- Massive and spacious keyboard
- Comparatively light-weight for a big-screen laptop computer
- Not everybody will admire the gamer aesthetic
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Display screen measurement: 14 inches | Display screen decision: 1,920 x 1,200 | Put in reminiscence: 16GB | Weight: 2.75 lbs | Out there ports: 1 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, Headphone jack | Drive capability: 256GB | Battery life: 14 hours as examined
Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is a wonderful laptop computer – but when I used to be going to select one Chromebook to make my major pc, it could be Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus 14. To me, it feels just like the replace to Google’s own Pixelbook Go that we by no means acquired. Which means it’s skinny (0.62 inches), mild (2.75 kilos) and solidly constructed with out being terribly flashy. However it feels way more attention-grabbing than the generic laptop computer vibes I can’t assist however get from Acer; smaller bezels across the show and the ridged, textured underside of the laptop computer make it really feel extra premium and distinctive.
The OLED touchscreen is a standout. Whereas it’s the identical decision because the Spin 514, it’s noticeably brighter and colours are extra vivid with out feeling blown out. I’d be glad to see it in a better decision, however I feel it strikes a very good steadiness between sharpness and general high quality with out going to 4K the place battery life may be affected.
I additionally love the keyboard and trackpad, each of which simply really feel barely nicer than these on the Acer. The keys don’t have fairly as a lot journey, however they really feel extra strong and barely much less wobbly. It may be a matter of private choice at this level as each keyboards are superb, however I really feel like I can kind quicker and extra precisely on the Lenovo. The trackpad can be much less vulnerable to unintentional enter from my palm once I’m typing. There’s a fingerprint reader beneath the keyboard for biometric authentication too, which is one other good luxurious to have. The trackpad is easy and fairly massive, nearly as massive because the one on my MacBook Professional.
Different particulars just like the webcam and audio system are properly executed right here, as properly. The 5-megapixel digicam is my favourite out of the assorted Chromebooks I’ve examined, with correct colour replica and a pointy image general. The audio system are additionally the very best I’ve examined on this newest roundup, with spectacular music playback regardless of the laptop computer’s skinny measurement. Lenovo says these audio system assist Dolby Atmos, and music had extra depth and element when enjoying Atmos tracks from Apple Music. However even with out enjoying Atmos content material, the Lenovo’s audio system merely sounded superb.
As for efficiency, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 runs the identical MediaTek Kompanio Extremely 910 chip as Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 514, so all the great issues I needed to say about it apply right here as properly. It’s extraordinarily responsive in everyday use and may carry out properly for years to return; AI efficiency utilizing numerous Gemini instruments was additionally fairly snappy. And the Lenovo’s battery life is the very best of any Chromebook I’ve examined, lasting over 14 hours in our video playback check and about 10 hours of normal utilization throughout my typical workday.
Total, the Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus 14 and Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 14 are very comparable and you may’t go improper with both if you’re on the lookout for a high-quality laptop computer that’ll work properly now and into the long run. I worth the Lenovo’s OLED display, keyboard and higher audio system over the Spin’s 360-degree hinge, however your mileage could range. For me, although, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is the very best Chromebook you should buy.
- Nice battery life
- Glorious efficiency
- OLED show is sharp and vivid
- My favourite keyboard on a Chromebook
- Premium design is skinny, mild and fashionable
- Costly
- Small variety of ports
Finest Chromebooks FAQs
What’s Chrome OS, and why would I take advantage of it over Home windows?
That is most likely the primary query about Chromebooks. There are many cheap Home windows laptops available on the market, so why trouble with Chrome’s working system? Glad you requested. For me, the straightforward and clear nature of Chrome OS is an enormous promoting level. Chrome OS relies on Google’s Chrome browser, which implies a lot of the packages you’ll be able to run are net primarily based. There’s no bloatware or undesirable apps to uninstall such as you usually get on Home windows laptops, it boots up in seconds, and you may fully reset to manufacturing facility settings nearly as rapidly.
After all, simplicity may even be a serious downside for some customers. Not having the ability to set up native software program generally is a dealbreaker when you’re a video editor or software program developer. However there are additionally loads of individuals who do nearly all 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 gained’t substitute Adobe Premiere, however it needs to 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 out there. The standard varies broadly, however it means you are able to do extra with a Chromebook past simply web-based apps. For instance, you’ll be able to set up the Netflix app and save movies for offline watching. Different Android apps like Microsoft Workplace and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly succesful as properly. Between Android apps and a normal enchancment in net apps, Chromebooks are extra than simply portals to a browser.
What do Chromebooks do properly?
Put merely, net looking and actually something net primarily based. On-line buying, streaming music and video and utilizing numerous social media websites are among the many commonest day by day duties individuals do on Chromebooks. As you would possibly anticipate, additionally they work properly with Google companies like Photographs, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Hold and so forth. Sure, any pc that may run Chrome can do this too, however the light-weight nature of Google Chrome OS makes it a responsive and steady platform.
As I discussed earlier than, Chrome OS can run Android apps, so when you’re an Android consumer you’ll discover some good ties between the platforms. You will get a lot of the identical apps which are in your telephone on a Chromebook and maintain information in sync between them. You may as well use some Android telephones as a safety key in your Chromebook or immediately tether your 2-in-1 laptop computer to make use of cell information.
Google continues to tout safety as a serious differentiator for Chromebooks, and it’s positively an element price contemplating. Auto-updates are the primary strains of protection: Chrome OS updates obtain rapidly within the background and a quick reboot is all it takes to put in the newest model. Google says that every webpage and app on a Chromebook runs in its personal sandbox as properly, so any safety threats are contained to that particular person app. Lastly, Chrome OS has a self-check known as Verified Boot that runs each time a tool begins up. Past all this, the straightforward truth that you simply usually can’t set up conventional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer methods for unhealthy actors to entry the system.
In the event you’re occupied with Google’s Gemini AI instruments, a Chromebook is an efficient possibility as properly. Each Chromebook in our high picks comes with a full yr of Google’s AI Pro plan — this combines the standard 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. On condition that this plan is $20/month, it’s a fairly strong perk. Chromebook Plus fashions additionally embrace instruments just like the AI-powered “assist me write,” the Google Photographs Magic Editor and generative AI backgrounds you’ll be able to create by filling in a couple of prompts.
As for when to keep away from Chromebooks, the reply is straightforward: In the event you rely closely on a selected native software for Home windows or a Mac, likelihood is you gained’t discover the very same possibility on a ChromeOS machine. That’s most true in fields like picture and video modifying, however it can 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. In the event you’re an iPhone consumer, you’ll additionally miss out on the way in which 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 are usually not 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 larger screens which have greater refresh charges in addition to optimizing these laptops to work with companies like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Sport Move and Amazon Luna. You’ll clearly want an web connection to make use of these companies, however the excellent news is that enjoying fashionable video games on a Chromebook isn’t unattainable. You may as well set up Android video games from the Google Play Retailer, however that’s not what most individuals are considering of once they wish to sport on a laptop computer.
What are a very powerful specs for a Chromebook?
Chrome OS is light-weight and runs properly on pretty modest {hardware}, so a very powerful factor to search for won’t be processor energy or cupboard space. However Google made it simpler to get constant specs and efficiency late final yr when it launched the Chromebook Plus initiative. Any machine with a Chromebook Plus designation meets some minimal necessities, which occur to be similar to what I’d advocate most individuals get in the event that they’re on the lookout for the very best laptop computer they’ll use day-after-day.
Chromebook Plus fashions have not less than a Twelfth-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 collection processor, each of which needs to 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 should have a 1080p webcam, which is good in nowadays of fixed video calling, and so they additionally all should have not less than a 1080p FHD IPS display.
After all, you may get greater specs or higher screens when you need, 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 properly, and whereas that’s not precisely a spec, it’s price checking before you purchase. Final yr, Google introduced that Chromebooks would get software program updates and assist for a powerful 10 years after their launch date. This assist web page lists the Auto Replace expiration date for just about each Chromebook ever, however a very good rule of thumb is to purchase the most recent machine you’ll be able to to maximise your assist.
How a lot ought to I spend on a Chromebook?
Chromebooks began out notoriously low-cost, with listing costs usually coming in below $300. However as they’ve gone extra mainstream, they’ve transitioned from being basically fashionable netbooks to a number of the finest laptops you’ll wish to use all day. As such, costs have elevated: At this level, it is best to anticipate to spend not less than $400 if you would like a strong day by day driver. There are nonetheless many Chromebooks on the market out there at a low worth that could be appropriate as secondary gadgets, however a very good Chromebook that may be an all-day, every-day laptop computer will price extra. However, notably, even the very best Chromebooks normally price lower than the very best Home windows laptops, and even the very best “common” laptops on the market.
There are a handful of premium Chromebooks that method and even exceed $1,000 that declare to supply higher efficiency and extra processing energy, however I don’t advocate spending that a lot. Usually, that’ll get you a greater design with extra premium supplies, in addition to extra highly effective internals and additional cupboard space, like a higher-capacity SSD. After all, you additionally typically pay for the model title. However, the specs I outlined earlier are normally 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
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
This was our decide for finest general Chromebook for years, and it’s nonetheless one of many higher choices you could find for a primary laptop computer that doesn’t break the financial institution. It’s a couple of years older than our present high decide, so its processor isn’t contemporary and it solely has 128GB of storage. It additionally gained’t get updates from Google so long as newer fashions. However it nonetheless combines a pleasant display and keyboard with strong efficiency. This laptop computer sometimes prices $500, which feels excessive given its a couple of years outdated and Acer’s Chromebook Plus 514 is simply $350, but when you could find it on sale and may’t discover the Acer it’s price a glance.
ASUS CX15
This Chromebook is extraordinarily reasonably priced – you’ll be able to at the moment decide it up for under $159 at Walmart. That worth and its massive 15.6-inch display is principally what it has going for it, because the Intel Celeron N4500 chip and 4GB of RAM powering it doesn’t present good efficiency when you’re doing something greater than looking with a couple of tabs open. In the event you’re purchasing for somebody with extraordinarily primary wants and have a small finances, the CX15 would possibly match the invoice. However simply remember that you simply get what you pay for.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus
Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook Plus, launched in late 2024, is likely 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, however it manages to incorporate a 15.6-inch show in that body. That display 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 superb, and the keyboard is strong, 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 honest contemplating its measurement and capabilities. In the event you’re on the lookout for an enormous display laptop computer that can be tremendous mild, this Chromebook deserves consideration, even when it’s not the best choice for everybody.
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