The best Chromebooks offer an accessible, family-friendly, and typically more affordable alternative to Windows laptops and MacBooks – all while still offering the strong performance and lightweight designs needed to get ahead in school or work.
Have a look at the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, for example. Packing a 12th-gen Intel processor and an excellent 1080p display, it’s the perfect laptop for anyone who just needs a straightforward device for browsing the web, answering emails, and editing documents. The cloud-based nature of ChromeOS means it’s fast and responsive even on lower-end hardware, so you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a laptop that feels great to use.
Because of this, many Chromebooks will offer better value for money than the best Windows laptops despite providing similar everyday performance. Since Google unveiled its new Chromebook Plus format last year (and more recently pushed ahead with implementing its Gemini AI into ChromeOS), there are now more Chrome-powered laptops on the market than ever.
I’ve personally reviewed a good number of Chromebooks over the years – and the TechRadar team as a whole has reviewed dozens, so we’re here to use our many years of combined experience to help you find the best Chromebook for your needs and budget.
The quick list
Want to cut to the chase and find out what the best Chromebooks are? Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices, and you can jump to a more detailed review of every pick, along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.
Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023)
The best Chromebook overall
If you’re on a budget but still want decent performance and a Full HD resolution display, not to mention that versatile 2-in-1 form factor, then consider the Spin 314 (2023).
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Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook
The best budget
The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook teams rugged build quality with a whopping 16-hour battery to make a laptop that’s well-suited for younger users.
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HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
The best high-end Chromebook
The HP Elite Dragonfly is one of the most powerful Chromebooks we’ve ever tested. If you want a machine that can cut it for work and play, it’s this one.
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The best for gaming
Can you game on a Chromebook? This Acer suggests you can, thanks to a QHD 16:10 display, gamer-friendly features and great battery life.
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The best for students
Balancing performance with budget, not to mention some eco-friendly materials, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is more than enough computer for most people’s day-to-day needs.
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Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023)
The best 2-in-1
If you want plenty of power, a nice touch display, and a high-resolution webcam, then the Spin 714 might be for you.
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Christian Guyton
I’ve spent more than seven years of my life testing and reviewing every type of computer under the sun, from high-end gaming desktops to detachable Chromebook tablets, so you can trust that the laptops I recommend are ones I genuinely believe are worth buying. You won’t find me playing favorites or pushing dodgy Amazon brands you’ve never heard of – these Chromebooks are the real deal.
The best Chromebooks in 2024
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Below you’ll find full write-ups for each of the best Chromebooks in our list. We’ve tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best Chromebook overall
Buy it if:
✅ You’re on a budget
Acer keeps it simple but sweet here: this is a plain laptop that is designed to get you through the day, and for the price you’re getting a good, reliable product.
✅ You’re often on the move
There are lighter machines and smaller machines, but for a 14” laptop this is tough (and cheap) enough to happily withstand the hustle and bustle of commuting.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need more computing power
If you need a machine to run statistical programs or withstand some heavy-duty workloads, this isn’t for you.
❌ You need to use specific programs
If you need to use rendering software, want to dive into animation, or play the latest games, you’re not going to be doing that on this.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023) is ideal for those who just want a straightforward and cheap solution to getting that full laptop experience. Unlike other budget-level ChromeOS models, it comes with a 14-inch 1080p display and enough power to do everyday tasks.
In fact, it handled day-to-day performance well when tested. Of course, we were not so impressed by its 128GB of storage. But, that’s one of the compromises here. Along with the fact that it can get a little warm if you push it beyond its limits as it’s powered by an Intel Pentium chip and 4GB of RAM.
Keeping in mind its price, we like how portable it is. At just under three and a half pounds, chucking it in a backpack or messenger bag is no work at all. Add in a solid typing experience and battery life, and you could take this anywhere to get some work done. If you do want to get a little spicy, the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023) does have that 2-in-1 form factor so it can easily double as a tablet if you so choose.
Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023) review
The best budget Chromebook
Buy it if:
✅ You’re looking for true all-day battery life: The Flex 3 is good for working mains-free or surviving a long day of college and commuting with over 16 hours of video playback.
✅ You’re after a fantastic value 2-in-1 Chromebook: The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 really is an awful lot of machine for the money and performs much better than the on-paper specifications imply, the perfect college companion.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You value sleek, contemporary design: With fat bezels and dowdy styling, the Flex 3 looks like something from last decade.
❌ You need a device with decent CPU and storage performance: It would be a poor choice for anything more demanding.
We’re always learning, but some of us are learning more than others. Younger students are sure to benefit from the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3, which packs a rather rugged build quality that is well-suited for users who want to quickly stuff everything in their backpack or are likely to drop things on the floor. The keyboard base is solid and the hinge is very robust, enabling it to survive any amount of careless handling.
This isn’t the most powerful Chromebook, but students need reliability more than power – especially if they’re only really using it for homework, note-taking, and perhaps the occasional bit of Netflix. Fortunately, the IdeaPad Flex 3 has a seriously impressive battery life – our testing yielded a whopping 16-hour-and-20-minute result – which will allow them to make it through a whole day of school without needing to plug in. It’s also very affordable, which should provide a nice bit of financial relief for parents who need to buy their kids a school laptop.
Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook review
The best premium Chromebook
Buy it if:
✅ You want the best enterprise Chromebook: Between the security features, performance, and connectivity options, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better Chromebook for your business.
✅ You want a great-looking Chromebook: The Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is gorgeous inside and out and will stand out in any meeting room.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a tight budget: This Chromebook starts at more than a grand, so its easily the most expensive Chromebook out there.
❌ You need exceptional battery life: If battery life is important to you, you can find better longevity for much cheaper.
The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is still the best Chrome-powered laptop on the market – even if its pricing means that it won’t be the best pick for everyone, at least not in its higher-end configurations. While it’s probably the most premium Chromebook ever to hit retail, there are a few more affordable entry-level models that will make a strong case for any students looking for a slick, powerful laptop with Chrome OS.
It’s one of the most powerful Chromebook we’ve ever tested. In fact, it’s the best scoring Chromebook in our Kraken and Jetstream 2 tests, beating out the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 by nearly 200 points. Even the entry-level 12th-gen Core i3 configuration still packs some seriously solid specs that would make a lot of other Windows and macOS laptops blush.
Featuring some of the best security features we’ve ever seen on a Chromebook, including the first Chromebook to ever come powered by Intel vPro, this is the perfect lightweight and portable productivity Chromebook. Just be prepared to spend a whole lot of money for the privilege.
Read our full HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook review
The best Chromebook for gaming
Buy it if:
✅ You need excellent game streaming performance: If you already have or were thinking about getting a game streaming service like Nvidia GeForce NOW, this is the perfect machine to utilize it.
✅ You want a great battery life: The battery life beats out the vast majority of gaming laptops on the market, lasting seven hours during a normal session.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want to use Steam directly: There’s no way to currently install Steam on this Chromebook, so using a game streaming service is the only way to game on it.
❌ You need good sound quality: The sound quality is pretty bad, especially at louder volumes, which means you need a gaming headset.
‘Gaming Chromebooks’ are still a topic of some debate. Many will argue that they’re not truly gaming devices, since they rely on cloud-based game-streaming services – such as Nvidia GeForce Now – to actually run the latest games without the need for powerful local hardware. By this metric, any Chromebook can be a gaming Chromebook.
With the 516 GE, though, Acer is making a surprisingly strong case for this new breed of Chromebooks. GE naturally stands for ‘Gaming Edition’, and this is just that: a solid Intel-powered Chromebook, with some slick new features added in to appeal to the gaming audience.
Chief among these is this display, a crisp and colorful QHD panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio to provide more screen real estate. With 100 sRGB color reproduction and good maximum brightness, it’s one of the best screens we’ve ever seen on a Chromebook. The 120Hz refresh rate is also vital for ensuring a smooth framerate during intense gameplay.
The speakers have seen an upgrade, we’ve got Wi-Fi 6E and a physical Ethernet port to ensure a speedy connection, and the keyboard has been given a gamer-inspired RGB makeover. The only real downside here is that you’ll need to pay for a subscription service like GeForce Now or Amazon Luna, but there’s some good news – Google is handing out three-month subscriptions for free with gaming Chromebook purchases!
Read our full Acer Chromebook 516 GE review
The best Chromebook for students
Buy it if:
✅ If you need a productivity machine
This is definitely meant as a productivity machine, not only thanks to its extremely fast startup and ability to juggle multiple tasks without breaking a sweat.
✅ You’re eco-conscious
Google has put plenty of effort into making the Chromebook as eco-friendly as possible, with the recycled glass trackpad and the use of recycled plastics in the chassis and keycaps.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a very powerful device
While the specs on this one are higher than many previous models, if you need processing power for creative works and hardcore editing then this isn’t the laptop for you.
❌ You need specific software or programs
Chromebook OS is limited to what is available on the Play Store in terms of software, so if you need to use very specific numeric, scientific, or creative programs, look elsewhere.
Just because the bar is a bit lower performance-wise with Chromebooks doesn’t mean you should live with a sluggish laptop. The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 may just about hit that budget-level price range, but with its 12th-gen Intel Core i3 and 8GB of RAM, it’s more than enough power to get most users through their day-to-day needs.
When we tested it, we found it to not only do wonderfully with those everyday tasks. But, it was powerful enough to run Adobe Photoshop, newly available on ChromeOS, as well as the Nvidia GeForce Experience, meaning you can use this for some forms of gaming.
The battery life is a bit underwhelming for a Chromebook. When tested, it lasted only five of the ten advertised hours in our battery test. But, at least, it takes less than an hour to charge back up. The rest of the package here is strictly on the positive side as the keyboard and touchpad are satisfying to use and the 15.6-inch 1080p touch display offers quite a bit of screen real estate.
Oh, and if you’re environmentally conscious, you’ll be happy to know that quite a few materials are made of recycled materials.
Read our full Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review
The best 2-in-1 Chromebook
Buy it if:
✅ You want a Chromebook that can perform
This portable is powerful and can get you through just about any task you could run on a ChromeOS-powered machine.
✅ You want a more premium feeling Chromebook
While this is a mid-range laptop, it has some premium appointments from its sturdy hinges and reasonably powerful specs to the WUXGA 16:10 touch screen.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want to run demanding tasks
There are certain things that these types of laptops just can’t do such as high-level gaming or video and photo editing.
❌ You’re on an extreme budget
$699.99 is a very good price for this laptop, but there are cheaper, more stripped down options that still work well.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) may be a little pricier than many Chromebooks, but that’s because it comes with just a bit more power. And, if you’re using one of these notebooks for work, it’s better to have too much than not enough.
In fact, when we tested it, its 13th-Gen Intel Core i5 and 8GB or RAM easily handled running 20 Chrome tabs, including three streaming ones, at once without any noticeable slowdown. Of course, that slightly more powerful hardware is also there to power the 1920 x 1200p touch display as well as its stunningly clear 1440p webcam.
While we found the speakers to be a bit of a weak point due to their hollow audio quality and we wish the keyboard was a little more pleasing to type on, At least, its battery life is very good. While not the 15 hours advertised, this Chromebook lasted a good 12 hours during our battery life benchmark. Since its hinge is rock solid, anyone wanting to use this in the various modes that you get with a 2-in-1 will find it to be very sturdy whether it’s in tent or display mode.
In essence, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) is worth the extra cash. It’s a more premium looking, feeling, and performing device than many of the alternatives.
Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) review
The best Chromebook: FAQs
What is a Chromebook?
But, what is a Chromebook exactly, and how is it different from other notebooks? In simple terms, a Chromebook is a device (usually but not exclusively a laptop) that runs the lightweight ChromeOS rather than Windows or macOS. This operating system relies heavily on Google’s Chrome browser and connectivity to the Internet for most of its tasks, which means that it requires less power and storage space when performing those tasks.
It doesn’t allow for quite the same degree of utility and user customization as Windows 10/11. However, it’s just as capable of seeing its users through their daily multi-tasking needs, whether it’s doing productivity work all day while streaming shows and movies, getting through a bunch of school assignments, or even some photo editing and gaming. Just bear in mind that because of ChromeOS’s lower hardware requirements, Chromebooks tend to be technically less powerful than Windows laptops and MacBooks.
More recently, it’s even expanded to run Android and Linux apps without internet connectivity, which means that its users are no longer limited to the Chrome browser. Finally, the lightweight nature of the operating system also lets the best Chromebooks beat out traditional laptops in some key areas, like portability and battery life.
Which is better, a Chromebook or a laptop?
Knowing which is better, a Chromebook or a laptop with a more traditional OS like Windows or macOS, really comes down to your needs and how you intend to use your laptop.
If you do almost all of your work and play online using web apps like Google Docs, SalesForce, GeForce Now, or other similar products, then a Chromebook is just as good at handling that kind of work as a more traditional laptop, since all of the actual application processing takes place in the cloud, which then displays the contents in a browser.
If you have a fast enough internet connection, you basically won’t be able to tell the difference between a Chromebook and a fully-featured Windows laptop or a MacBook.
If you plan on using locally installed apps like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, or Steam, then you’re going to find Chromebooks simply aren’t well-equipped to deal with that. The Android apps available through the Google Play marketplace are great, but they aren’t as fully featured as similar desktop software. In most cases, Chrome OS simply can’t run most of the installable software you’d find on a Windows laptop or a MacBook, so a Chromebook would be a bad choice for anyone hoping to use major flagship software offline.
How is a Chromebook different from a laptop?
A Chromebook is different from a laptop in a few key ways, but it’s important to note that Chromebooks are laptops, they just function differently. What you’re using a laptop for will ultimately determine whether or not you should invest in a Chromebook or something more powerful with better processors and graphics cards.
Chromebooks run on Chrome OS, which is a web-based operating system very similar to Google Chrome, so if you’re familiar with Google Chrome, a Chromebook might be a good option for you. Traditional laptops typically run the Windows operating system, and Macbooks run macOS, and will usually be full of RAM to make sure the laptop runs without lag or performance issues – something Chromebooks don’t have to worry about.
If you’re going to university, you may want to consider getting the best Chromebook as a student laptop because it’s lightweight – plus the cloud storage means you won’t have files clogging up your computer. However, if you’re planning on studying something like graphic design you’ll want to invest in something more powerful than a Chromebook that can handle design software.
A slight drawback to Chromebooks is that they don’t have the same programs available as other laptops, so for example you can’t get the full Microsoft Office suite, but you can open, edit, and convert files to and from Microsoft Office with Google Drive apps, or use Microsoft’s own Office web apps. Skype will work on a Chromebook because it’s available as an app on the Google Play Store, but iTunes will not work.
If you tend to want to play PC games on your laptop or do more energy-consuming tasks like photo and video editing, you may want to look into other laptop options like gaming laptops. But, if you’re in the market for the best Chromebook to help you accomplish daily tasks or business-related tasks, check out our list on this page.
How to choose the best Chromebook for you
When it comes to choosing the best Chromebook, price is most people’s first consideration. That’s because a lot of these laptop alternatives end up in the hands of more casual users who don’t need a whole lot from their PC. In such a case, a cheaper yet still capable option is the better value – one of the best cheap Chromebooks, perhaps.
Of course, if you have more demanding needs, there are pricier options as well, and they will come with higher-end specs like more RAM, better processors like Intel Core CPUs, and perhaps more storage space. So, if you want to save more files, do some light photo editing, or play some games, you’ll want to splurge a little for better specs.
It’s not just the reasonable price tag that most Chromebooks have that make them top contenders, especially as laptops for kids and as student notebooks. You have to consider its design. Most boast impressively long battery lives while some are built to withstand abuse better than others – any gear you put into a kid’s hands needs to be able to absorb some bumps, after all. Others come with that 2-in-1 form factor and touchscreen capability that makes them so versatile.
Just like with the laptops, size is a crucial factor as well. You might want a larger display for more screen real estate or you might want something smaller for easier portability. Since most of these portables fall somewhere between 10 to 15 inches in terms of screen size, they’re all going to be easier to lug around than the competition.
How we tested our best Chromebook picks
Testing Chromebooks isn’t too different from testing laptops and gaming laptops, though perhaps the paces are a little less intensive or game-heavy.
Since Chromebooks rely heavily on the Chrome browser, we push that browsing prowess to its limits, opening 20 or more browser tabs on different types of websites, from productivity ones like Google docs to streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu. For good measure, we try to play media on those streaming services simultaneously. Because Chromebooks are now much more capable of running apps, we also open and use several apps at the same time.
Of course, we also run synthetic benchmarks like Kraken JavaScript, Octane 2.0 JavaScript, and Jetstream 2 as well as the TechRadar movie test to measure its battery life.
Because a Chromebook is only as good as its peripherals, we take a look at its display, keyboard, availability of ports, and how good its overall design is. We also test its webcam and touchscreen capabilities, if they’re on hand.
We then take everything we’ve learned about the Chromebook and compare it to its price – whether or not it’s performance and features are worth that price tag, and whether or not it offers the best value to customers.
Today’s best Chromebook deals
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