The best Chromebook to buy in 2026: From the cheapest to the no-compromise laptop

Is any Chromebook good enough, or do you need something special? Well, like most things in life, it depends. Not all Chromebooks are created equal, despite the ridiculous number of them looking like a homogenous gray slab. It’s hard to tell from a spec sheet how it’ll feel to type on, or how long the battery will last. But after weeks of testing, we can attest to the quality of the Chromebooks on this list.

All of these Chromebooks boast strong performance for their respective prices, and great keyboards for all levels of comfort. The important questions you need to ask yourself is: what are you going to use it for? Do you need all the bells and whistles? Or do you just need something that works? It’s likely you only need the latter, but there’s something for everyone on this list.

Before you take the Chromebook plunge, though, just keep the budget question top of mind. Specifically, if you're spending more than $400, you should really look at Windows laptops or the new MacBook Neo , both of which will offer more versatility for the money.

But if you're ready to take the Chromebook plunge, let's look at your options.

The best Chromebook overall

The other Chromebooks we recommend for 2026

How we tested Chromebooks

The most important approach we bring to our testing is use-case. Who is this for and how are they going to use it? That mostly comes down to price and specs, so while we use all the devices similarly, how we consider their efforts will depend on how they’re meant to be used. We’re not expecting a sub-$200 Chromebook to run as fast as a $700 one. If it works for the most casual user, then that’s what matters.

We spend at least a week with each Chromebook we test, taking it through our workdays and our time off the clock. I’ve spent many an evening watching Frozen and Tangled with my three-year-old just to get an idea of the battery life and how the screen looks. And I’ll run my Chromebooks through the wringer with the insurmountable number of tabs I need open on a daily basis (seriously, it’s scary).

One aspect I don’t like compromising on, no matter the price, is the keyboard and touchpad experience. I say this because I’ve tested super-comfortable Chromebooks that cost less than $200, and uncomfortable ones that cost nearly four times as much. So if my fingers don’t ache after a week of typing away like a person possessed, then it passed the test.

FAQs

Why get a Chromebook (versus Windows or Mac)?

As the name suggests, Chromebooks are laptops powered by Google's Chrome operating system, which is effectively a cloud-based OS similar to the search giant's Chrome web browser. Unlike systems running the Windows, Mac or Linux operating systems, Chromebooks are designed to instantly access your Google Cloud account the moment you sign in with your Gmail username and password.

While you can store local files on a Chromebook, the whole system is designed to be very online-forward. To that end, you can log out of your Chromebook account and pass the laptop to anyone else with a Gmail account, and they can be up and running with access to their own online documents the minute they sign in, too. That's one reason that Chromebooks are a favorite of schools — the hardware can be passed among dozens of students with very little maintenance or modification.

But that strength — instantaneous cloud access — can also be a weakness. The Chromebook more or less demands that everything happen in a browser window. That's great if everything you need is online — ChatGPT, email, YouTube, Spotify, Facebook — but it's a problem if you need installable applications like Photoshop, video editors or any specialty software.

Likewise, gamers will find their options limited on a Chromebook. Yes, you can game through cloud streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, but it'll require lightning fast internet and always be prone to lag.

How much should I pay for a Chromebook?

One of the big attractions to Chromebooks when they first launched in 2011 was the low price: They generally retailed for $400 or less. Since then, prices on many models have crept up to $600 or more.

That said, if you’re looking for a Chromebook because you need something affordable and works, you shouldn’t be spending more than $500. There are some really cheap Chromebooks, like the Asus Chromebook CX15, that are a good option for extremely casual users — think web browsing, email, YouTube videos, and not much else.

However, if you want a quality experience with an attractive design and display, then you’ll find the more premium options to be closer to $700 or more. For many, that's going to be a dealbreaker, as it's in the same price threshold as decent Windows and Apple laptops, which can do everything Chromebooks can, but offer the greater flexibility of installing local apps (paired with better and faster hardware, in most cases).

How long will a Chromebook last?

Chromebooks have the potential to last longer than most Windows or macOS devices because of their bare-bones operating system. Basically, ChromeOS has less going on to slow them down, so the hardware isn't as burdened by operating system updates.

However, after a period where Chromebooks were getting a reputation for being semi-disposable, Google elevated the attention to the category's Auto Update policy , which details exactly how long each Chromebook will receive software support. For example, the cheapest laptop on this list, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, will be supported until June 2032. That doesn’t mean the laptop will stop functioning thereafter, but it does mean that Google and Asus can't guarantee it will have the necessary security updates after that point.

You should always verify the Auto Update timeframe on a new or used Chromebook you purchase. Be aware that many ultracheap Chromebook deals online are often priced as such because the software update cutoff is imminent — or may have even already passed.

What are the important specs to consider when shopping for a Chromebook?

When you’re shopping for a Chromebook, or any device really, think about how you’ll be using it. If you’re a super casual user who only wants to do light web surfing, it’s unlikely that you need to worry about specs. However, if you’re typing up a 100-page-long thesis or juggling an ungodly number of spreadsheets, you might need something stronger.

Anything with an Intel Core 3 or AMD Ryzen 3 and 8GB of RAM or more will be the greater of mid-range options. Some premium Chromebooks will go to Intel Core 5 or AMD Ryzen 5, or feature a MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chip, like some on this list. They might even have an SSD, which is the speediest storage solution.

I wouldn’t get caught up in which storage type your Chromebook has, as you’ll be working mostly in the cloud. I also don’t think storage size matters much, unless you know for sure you’ll be downloading a bunch of apps. Photos and videos can go into the cloud, and if there’s a browser version of an app you use, it’ll run better than the emulated Android alternative. And if you're really sweating the specs, you should probably be considering a more capable Windows or Mac laptop, anyway.

Aside from the aforementioned Auto Update cutoff, the most important spec, one that may or may not be listed, is battery life. Anything in the double digits is great, but we’ve seen the longest lasting Chromebooks hit over 16 hours.

What's the deal with Android apps on Chromebooks?

Chromebooks have long had the ability to run Android apps, but that doesn't mean that these laptops are as capable as the average Android phone. We suggest treating it more as a "nice to have" rather than a mission-critical feature of a Chromebook.

If you need an app that’s not available on Chrome, you can download it from the Google Play Store, and it’ll likely work fine. But because the Chromebook is emulating or streaming the apps, not all of them will function as intended. Text might look off or some functions may not be available. In my experience, though, you’ll need to put in some elbow grease to make it function properly. One of the most common issues is needing to resize the app.

Other Chromebooks we tested

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714

This is the successor to the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 we have on this list, and it could have easily replaced its predecessor if not for its battery life. It offered all the same bells and whistles, from an excellent keyboard to its strong performance, as well as a pretty design. Unfortunately, it lasted only a little over 8 hours during our testing. That’s 5 hours less than its predecessor. That’s why we had to kick the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 to the curb. The ironic part is that the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is more expensive than the 514. Sometimes newer is not better.

Asus Chromebook CX15

The Asus Chromebook CX15 is actually a decent laptop for folks that plan on doing almost nothing on their Chromebook. If you plan on using a Chromebook for simple tasks like emailing or cruising around social media, this laptop will serve you well. It's a little slow, and the battery life isn’t great, but it’s super cheap, comes with a large 15-inch display, and even offers a comfortable keyboard and touchpad. As long as you don’t like to hoard tabs and don’t need to speedily write out essays in the middle of the night, the Asus Chromebook CX15 is just fine.

HP Chromebook Plus x360

This is another case of a laptop dressing up with a big price tag and not offering all the goods it promises. The HP Chromebook Plus x360 is a strong 2-in-1 Chromebook, don’t get me wrong, but it’s certainly not worth its steep price point. If you can find it for under $400, I’d consider snagging it. It’s a strong multitasker with a bright, responsive touchscreen display. It also boasts just over 10 hours of battery life. But if you’re a picky typist, you won’t like the keyboard — it’s too flat, kind of like its design.