The Best Chromebooks for Every Budget
Chromebooks will always be known for covering the very lowest budgets, even under $200. But these days, the best Chromebooks can be real alternatives to Windows laptops and MacBooks. Throw in a fresh focus on handy AI features, and you have a range of affordable computers that make a strong case for replacing your aging machine.
ChromeOS still doesn’t compete with Windows and Macs for heavy-duty stuff like gaming and video editing, but it isn’t trying to. The beauty of Chromebooks is that they offer a lightweight portal to the things that most people need a computer for, without any extra fluff. If you spend all day in a web browser, work with Google apps, and do some occasional light photo editing, a solid Chromebook could be all you need. WIRED has tested Chromebooks for more than a decade, and we’re always on the lookout for the best ones to spend your hard-earned money on. These are the models we recommend right now.
Be sure to read through our Best Cheap Laptops, Best Laptops, Best 2-in-1 Laptops, and Best MacBooks guides for more.
Updated August 2025: We've added the Asus Chromebook CX14.
What Specs Should You Look for in a Chromebook?
The price for Chromebooks can range wildly, from $150 up to $800, and therefore the specs can vary.
Processor: For the best experience, you should avoid older Chromebooks with Intel Celeron processors. The Chromebook Plus specifications offer a good baseline to guarantee speedy performance, and I’d recommend going with at least an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 processor. Just watch out for overspending on configurations with Intel Core i7 processors unless you need the extra horsepower for multitasking, Android games, Linux apps, and dozens of Chrome tabs. While Intel and AMD dominate the processor scene, you’ll occasionally find Chromebooks using ARM processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2. These can be fine for very basic tasks, but they won’t fare as well under sustained, intense loads. That said, a new generation of ARM chips are on the way, like the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 powering the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14.
RAM: Always opt for at least 8 GB of RAM if you can afford it. You won’t find 4 GB of RAM in anything other than basic, super-budget Chromebooks, but it severely limits your ability to multitask. If you want to avoid slowdowns, 8 GB of RAM is the standard you should aim for, though if you're budget is under $300, that may be difficult.
Storage: Unlike a Mac or Windows PC, much of your Chromebook work will be stored on the web. This means you can typically get away with less storage, but I wouldn’t recommend going below 128 GB. If you can afford it, you’ll be much more comfortable with at least 256 GB. You’ll get the best speed out of an NVMe solid state drive, so look out for that on the spec sheet when you’re comparing models.
Screen: The vast majority of Chromebook displays you’ll find will be IPS LCD panels, and that’s just fine. OLED displays are finally starting to show up on Chromebooks, though IPS LCD screens are more common and offer a good balance of brightness, contrast, and color accuracy. If you’re shopping in the extreme budget range, watch out for TN LCD panels, as they’re generally lower quality and offer worse viewing angles. For resolution, a 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution (or 1200p for 16:10 aspect ratio) should be your standard. You’ll get crisp visuals at 13- and 14-inch screen sizes, and it’s passable at 15 inches. Higher resolutions will look even better, but they are fairly uncommon in Chromebooks.
Ports: USB-C ports have become commonplace on Chromebooks, so there’s no longer any excuse to buy one without them. Try to get one that charges over USB-C so you can recharge with a portable power bank when you’re on the go. A microSD card slot can also be beneficial if you want an easy way to expand your storage on the fly. You’ll find that some Chromebooks support Thunderbolt 4 over their USB-C ports as well. While that’s an excellent option to have if you plan to plug your Chromebook into some high-end monitors, it isn’t necessary for most people. Instead, you can get similar external monitor support (and spend a lot less) with an HDMI port or DisplayPort over USB-C support.
What Is Chromebook Plus?
Almost every Chromebook we recommend below has “Chromebook Plus” in the name. This is an initiative Google launched in late 2023 with its hardware partners to offer a new category of Chromebooks designed for a better, more premium experience. To be deemed a Chromebook Plus, a laptop has to meet or exceed the following hardware requirements:
- CPU: Intel Core i3 12th Gen or above; AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series or above
- RAM: 8 GB or more
- Storage: 128 GB or more
- Webcam: 1080p or higher with Temporal Noise Reduction
- Display: Full HD (1080p) IPS or better
The result? A new baseline that guarantees a certain level of performance when you see the Chromebook Plus name. With the rise in remote work, Google is particularly focused on ensuring Chromebook Plus laptops offer a superior video calling experience, featuring higher standards for webcams and AI-powered camera enhancements. It’s also gradually folding new AI features into ChromeOS that benefit from the added hardware heft. In fact, when you buy a new Chromebook Plus laptop, you currently get a free 12-month subscription to Google AI Pro, which gives you access to AI features like NotebookLM and Gemini, as well as 2 TB of cloud storage.
Regular Chromebooks haven’t disappeared, and you’ll still find super-budget Chromebook models without the “Plus” moniker. Chromebook Plus models start at $399 and range up to $800, though you’ll often find them on sale for less. Expect non-Plus Chromebooks focused on more basic needs to continue to hit store shelves in the sub-$300 range.
How Long Do Chromebooks Get Updates?
In 2023, Google announced a new policy that guarantees 10 years of automatic updates for any Chromebooks released in 2021 or later. That’s probably far beyond the usual upgrade cycle for most people, but it ensures secondhand Chromebooks and those used in schools continue to stay secure and get new features for a long time. When a Chromebook gets its final automatic update, ChromeOS will send you a notification to let you know it’s time to throw in the towel.
The 10-year automatic update timer starts from when a Chromebook is first released. You can check when your Chromebook is set to receive its final update at any time in the “Update schedule” section of its settings menu (Settings > About ChromeOS > Additional details > Update schedule). Google also keeps a handy running list of automatic update timelines for every Chromebook model on its support site.
What's the Downside of a Chromebook?
There are lots of things you can't do on a Chromebook. While you can download and organize files, you can't install applications as you can on a MacBook or Windows laptop. Everything you do must happen in a web browser. You can open Chrome windows and tabs to your heart's content, but when you go to download the desktop version of Photoshop or Microsoft Word, you're stuck. Proprietary school or work applications likely won't work, and you certainly can't play Steam games. You might surprise yourself by just how much work you actually accomplish in a browser window these days though.
Android apps can, however, fill in some of the gaps. With access to the Google Play Store, you can install Android games or use some of the Android versions of apps. This can be helpful in a pinch, though I've often found that the web-based versions of these apps work better on Chromebooks if they're available. (Google recently announced a plan to merge ChromeOS and Android on its laptops, so stay tuned for future improvements here.)
Other downsides of Chromebooks comes down to hardware. Most Chromebooks are made of plastic and use cheaper components. Like many budget laptops, touchpads and displays tend to be areas where laptop manufacturers make compromises. While Chromebook Plus laptops have made a noticeable change to this trend, it's still true that truly high-end hardware is often unavailable on Chromebooks.
Lastly, it's possible that you may run into some compatibility issues with certain accessories. Standard peripherals such as mice, keyboards, and external storage shouldn't give you issues, and even most printers are compatible. It's the more niche peripherals designed for highly specific uses that just won't work. For example, I use a USB colorimeter to test display quality that isn't supported on Chromebooks.
Best Chromebook Overall
Lenovo was one of the first to release a Chromebook Plus model, and so it seems fitting that it would also perfect the formula. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is quite simply the best Chromebook I've ever used. It avoids the trade-offs that many laptops under $700 fall into, like ugly screens and clunky touchpads. The Chromebook Plus 14 bucks this trend, adding a gorgeous OLED panel and a smooth touchpad that feels premium. It even comes with a decent sound system and webcam, elements of cheap laptops that are often ignored.
With some new Windows laptops encroaching on Chromebook territory in terms of price, it was beyond time we got something that upped the ante—and that's exactly what the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 does. Throw in some great performance, exclusive AI features, and a long-lasting battery, and you've got the makings of something special. My only real complaints are that I wish it had a couple more ports, and it's difficult to open with one hand. For $650, though, I can't recommend it highly enough.
Specs Display: 14 inches, 1,920 x 1,200 OLED CPU: MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 RAM: 12 or 16 GB Storage: 128 or 256 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Vibrant OLED screen
- Full-bodied speakers
- Loads of RAM
- Impressive performance
- Comfortable keyboard and touchpad
TIRED- Minimal ports
- Takes two hands to open
Best Chromebook Under $500
- Photograph: Luke Larsen
- Photograph: Luke Larsen
- Photograph: Luke Larsen
- Photograph: Luke Larsen
This list is full of great Chromebook Plus models, but many people searching for a Chromebook are likely looking for something cheap. The issue is that when prices get that low, quality tends to drop like a rock. The Asus Chromebook CX14 (6/10, WIRED Review) (as well as the larger CX15, listed below) is a fantastic antidote to this problem.
This new 2025 release is a surprisingly solid laptop, featuring a 1080p display that goes up to 300 nits of brightness. Although it's plastic, it feels sturdy and well built in the hand. As is typical with laptops of this price, the colors on the screen are a bit off, and the touchpad can be finicky. But the rest of its capabilities are surprisingly well balanced. If you're deciding between the CX14 and the CX15, the CX14 is more portable, has a faster CPU, and a sharper screen (due to the smaller size).
Specs Display: 14 inches, 1,920 x 1,080 IPS LCD CPU: Intel Core 3 Series 1 RAM: 8 GB Storage: 128 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Attractive design
- Lots of ports
- Decent keyboard
- Supremely affordable
TIRED- Poor display
- Touchpad feels clumsy to use
Best Big-Screen Budget Chromebook
If you want a larger-screen laptop, or maybe a number pad on the keyboard, that doesn't mean you need to spend a lot of money. The CX15 is a larger version of the CX14, adding a full-size keyboard and more screen real estate via the 15.6-inch screen.
The Intel Celeron N4500 inside isn't the most impressive chip in the world, and I have some gripes with the touchpad, which feels clunky. Like the CX14, the screen's colors are a bit off, too, which is no surprise for a laptop at this price. But for well under $300, you won't find a better big-screen computer, especially with sale prices sometimes dipping under $200. You'll get a better experience if you can spend a few hundred more, but it's hard to deny the value proposition of the Asus Chromebook CX15.
Specs Display: 15.6 inches, 1,920 x 1,080 LCD CPU: Intel Core Celeron N4500 RAM: 4 GB Storage: 128 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Playful design
- Solid battery life
- Large screen
- Lots of ports
TIRED- Colors of display are off
- Clunky touchpad
Best $500 Chromebook
The sweet spot for Chromebook Plus laptops is around $500. They have premium features and build quality, but don't charge more than what people are willing to pay for a ChromeOS device. Among the many options, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (8/10, WIRED Recommends) stands out. It's still one of the fastest, most versatile Chromebooks we’ve tested. While it isn’t necessarily a looker, its beefier hardware, 2-in-1 design, and $499 price make it a great overall choice for most people.
The 14-inch 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution screen ensures it feels modern, a taller screen being great for working on documents and browsing the web. The Intel Core i3 processor and flash storage never struggle to keep up, even if you find yourself drowning in dozens of open tabs. The battery life is the only slight weakness, but it should still get you through a full workday. Just don’t expect to get much farther without pulling out the charger. The port selection is solid, with two USB-C ports and one USB-A on board. There's a microSD card slot, too, if you find the 128 GB of flash storage to be claustrophobic.
Specs Display: 14 inches, 1,920 x 1,200 LCD CPU: Intel Core i3-1315U RAM: 8 GB Storage: 128 or 256 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Top-notch value
- Solid IPS display
- Good specs for a Chromebook
- Decent battery life
TIRED- Too thick
- No HDMI port
Another Great Chromebook Plus Laptop
If you want a snappy laptop but don’t want to spend the extra cheddar on some of our other top picks, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) will do the job. It’s not stylish, but it keeps the price low by sticking to the basics. Inside is an Intel Core i3-1215U processor, which handles ChromeOS and up to 20 open tabs with ease. Battery life is also good enough to get you through a workday, and it handled 8.5 hours of full-screen video before calling it quits in our testing. The 15-inch 1920 x 1080-pixel screen is nothing to write home about, but it’s crisp and won’t strain your eyes.
There’s no touchscreen, but the two DisplayPort-capable USB-C ports, one HDMI 1.4 jack, and one USB-A port give you plenty of options for hooking up an external monitor.
Specs Display: 15.6 inches, 1,920 x 1,080 LCD CPU: Intel Core i3-1215U RAM: 8 GB Storage: 256 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Spacious screen and keyboard
- Feels rugged and durable
- Plenty fast
- Quite affordable
TIRED- Not pretty
- A bit thick and chunky
Best Chromebook Upgrade
Acer’s Chromebook Spin line has made a name for itself over the years, and its latest entry, the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (9/10, WIRED Recommends), keeps that reputation alive. For $699 (or less if you find it on sale), Acer packs a surprising amount of power into this laptop thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 115 processor. It showcased breezy performance in my testing, and the chip’s dedicated AI processing power is a perfect complement to the AI features Google is sprinkling into ChromeOS.
Aside from its processing power, the base Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 comes with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage. The laptop is packed in a pleasantly premium body with a vibrant 14-inch touchscreen that rotates on a pair of gold-accented hinges. Two Thunderbolt 4-capable USB-C ports, an HDMI port, and one USB-A port give you plenty of connectivity options as well. The one major area where the Spin 714 is a letdown is sound quality. Simply put, the speakers are awful, which hinders an otherwise great laptop for Netflix and YouTube binges. Plan on pairing this laptop with a good set of earbuds or computer speakers to get the most out of it.
Specs Display: 14 inches, 1,920 x 1,200 LCD CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 115 RAM: 8 GB Storage: 256 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Chassis feels premium
- Really fast
- On-device AI features
- Good port selection
TIRED- Awful speakers
- Too expensive
Thinnest and Lightest Chromebook
If you're looking for portability in a Chromebook, look no further. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the thinnest Chromebook we've ever reviewed, measuring an insane 0.47-inch thick and 2.58 pounds. Aside from the MacBook Air, this is one of the thinnest laptops you can buy. Despite its portable bona fides, Samsung manages to pack the Galaxy Chromebook Plus full of impressive hardware. It's powered by an Intel Core 3 100U processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256-GB solid state drive. It’s enough to keep up with ChromeOS, and an impressive number of ports (two USB-C, one USB-A, one HDMI, and one microSD) make it more flexible than you’d expect from such a thin device.
The Galaxy Chromebook Plus was among the first Chromebooks to offer an OLED screen, which has fortunately caught on with newer devices like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. The screen technology makes everything pop, with vibrant colors and great contrast. The only problem is that the large 15.6-inch screen is only 1080p and in a 16:9 aspect ratio. The taller 16:10 shape is more modern, and a sharper resolution would have been great to see for a Chromebook like this.
Specs Display: 15.6 inches, 1,920 x 1,080 AMOLED CPU: Intel Core 3 100U RAM: 8 GB Storage: 256 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Thin, light, and modern
- AMOLED display is vibrant
- Fast and long-lasting
TIRED- 16:9 aspect ratio feels old-school
- No touchscreen
Best 2-in-1 Chromebook
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of my favorite Chromebooks, and it’s easy to see why. The ultra-portable detachable has excellent battery life thanks to its MediaTek Kompanio 838 processor, regularly getting nearly 10 hours on a charge in my testing. It’s also plain fun to use—since it’s in such a small package, you can easily toss it in a bag and take it anywhere. The display detaches from the keyboard, perfect for when you want to curl up on the couch with the Netflix Android app.
You can get this Lenovo with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC storage, but I recommend upgrading to 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. A Lenovo stylus comes in the box and can be easily tucked away into a magnetic spot on the back of the display (which looks great, by the way). The whole package feels great to use; just be aware that there are only two USB-C ports, and the smaller keyboard and trackpad take some getting used to.
Specs Display: 11 inches, 1,920 x 1,200 LCD CPU: MediaTek Kompanio 838 RAM: 8 GB Storage: 128 GB (eMMC) WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Incredibly portable
- Pretty display
- Keyboard cover comes bundled
- 10 hours of battery life
TIRED- Keyboard and touchpad feel cramped to use
- Only two USB-C ports
-Front-Reviewer-Photo-(no-border)-SOURCE-Daniel-Thorp-Lancaster.jpg)
Another Reliable 2-in-1 Chromebook
I've had an excellent time using this 2-in-1 Chromebook Plus as my go-to laptop when traveling. The x360 is fairly nondescript, but it's lightweight, and because of the 2-in-1 design, I can flip the screen into tent mode to watch 3 Body Problem without a keyboard in the way. The speakers sound decent and get surprisingly loud, and the 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution is sharp on this 14-inch IPS LCD panel. The touchscreen is a nice option when I need to make a quick adjustment, though I wish ChromeOS had slightly larger touch targets. I'm quite happy with the keyboard's key travel, though I've run into a small issue where the trackpad sometimes doesn't register a press. It didn't happen often enough to pose a serious problem.
The Intel Core i3 inside this machine is snappy; it didn't break a sweat when I was running more than 20 tabs and had it connected to an external monitor. Battery life isn't anything to write home about, but it more or less got me through a full workday, not much more. I wish there were a fingerprint sensor or some kind of biometric authentication so I didn't have to keep typing in a password to unlock this laptop. —Julian Chokkattu
Specs Display: 14 inches, 1,920 x 1,200 LCD CPU: Intel Core i3-N305 RAM: 8 GB Storage: 128 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Lightweight and portable
- Decent, loud speakers
- There are some deep discounts
- Performance feels solid
TIRED- Battery life doesn't impress
- Some touchpad problems
Best Chromebook for Gaming
Chromebooks aren’t usually what you’d consider gaming laptops, but they’ve made gains in that segment over the past couple of years with the rise of cloud gaming. The best of the bunch is the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which works perfectly with streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now. You can even use the Steam beta for Chromebooks, but I found this was only good for light indie titles.
I love the 516 GE’s large, vibrant 16-inch screen, and it can push some serious frame rates with its 120-Hz refresh rate. A faster refresh rate makes all the animations on-screen feel smoother, which is a boon for gaming. The laptop doubles as a solid productivity machine, too, thanks to its comfortable keyboard, 8 GB of RAM, and an Intel Core 5 120 U processor that can handle plenty of open tabs and apps. There’s even a dash of RGB for the keyboard backlighting to add some extra gaming flavor, though it’s not as flashy as the RGB lighting on dedicated gaming keyboards.
Specs Display: 16 inches, 2,560 x 1,600 LCD CPU: Intel Core 5 120U RAM: 8 GB Storage: 256 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Large, sharp display
- 120-Hz refresh rate feels great
- Fast performance for a Chromebook
- Thin bezels offer a modern look
TIRED- Gaming on Chromebooks is a niche use case
- Speakers should be better
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Julian-Chokkattu.png)
The Prettiest Chromebook
Chromebooks don’t tend to be lookers, but Asus breaks tradition with the Chromebook Plus CX34 (7/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s wrapped in a gorgeous white shell that, while plastic, felt durable in my testing. I’ve reviewed many bland, gray Chromebooks, and I found myself reaching for the CX34 more because of its attractive design.
The hardware in the CX34 is typical for a Chromebook Plus, and it felt responsive even when I had my usual complement of more than a dozen tabs and a handful of apps running. Unfortunately, this model doesn’t come with a backlit keyboard, and its 14-inch, 16:9 display feels cramped compared to other Chromebooks I’ve used with taller 16:10 screens. If you can look past those shortcomings, though, the CX34 is a solid little workhorse that stands out.
Specs Display: 14 inches, 1,920 x 1,200 IPS LCD CPU: Intel Core i3-1215U RAM: 8 GB Storage: 256 GB WIRED/TIREDWIRED- Clean, white aesthetic
- Performance is fast and fluid
- Tons of ports
- High-quality 1080p webcam
TIRED- No backlit keyboard
- 16:9 aspect ratio display feels odd
- Screen isn't very bright
Other Good Chromebooks We've Tested
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 for $339: As the slightly smaller sibling to Acer’s Chromebook Plus 515, the Chromebook Plus 514 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) offers a similarly great experience for budget-conscious buyers. It’s not the prettiest Chromebook out there, but it speeds through most tasks with its Intel Core i3-N305 processor and 8 GB of RAM. Best of all, you can frequently find it on sale for less than its usual $399 price.
Asus Chromebook CM14 for $162: If you only need the most basic bare-bones Chromebook, the Chromebook CM14 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a solid contender. It’s firmly in the extreme budget end of the category, and the dull 14-inch display and stifling 64 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM are anything but fancy. However, the MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor consistently gave me an impressive 10 to 11 hours of battery life, which is great for a laptop often under $200.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 13 Inch for $499: It’s a little on the older side now, but the Chromebook Duet 5 is still a solid pick if you want the detachable form factor of the Chromebook Duet Gen 9, but with a larger screen. Instead of an 11-inch display, you get an excellent 13-inch screen with the Duet 5, with great battery life from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor. Just don’t expect the slightly older hardware to pull miracles with Google’s new AI features, and you should be happy with this pretty capable portable companion. Try to catch it on sale for under $300.
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