The Best Chromebooks for 2024

The Acer Chromebook Plus CX34 delivers incredible value, with speedy performance and excellent features all for under $500. Prices like that have traditionally been limited to the least capable Chrome laptops, but Google's Chromebook Plus initiative pushes the value by ramping up the processing power and boosting the feature set with plenty of ports—all without bringing up the price. Equipped with a crisp 1080p display, a sturdy MIL-SPEC-certified frame, and a generous 13-hour battery, the Acer Chromebook Plus CX34 is our favorite Chromebook overall, and an easy recommendation for pretty much everyone interested in Chrome laptops.

If you want an affordable Chromebook without any compromises, then consider the Acer Chromebook Plus CX34 as your first stop in your search. The budget pricing belies its capable performance and excellent feature set, making it a smart choice for anyone who wants a reliable and powerful Chrome laptop.

Our top budget Chromebook is the Acer Chromebook Plus 514. This 14-inch laptop is compact and lightweight, with excellent battery life to support its portable design and an above-average port selection. It features a 1080p touch screen and a processor that's just enough for the internet-based ChromeOS. This model has the advantage of being part of Google's Chromebook Plus line, which means access to useful AI-centric features to enhance your workflow while still coming in at a bargain price.

For a slick, portable Chromebook that's easy on the wallet, the Chromebook Plus 514 is the number one choice. Whether you're using it to take notes in class or meetings, stream media on the couch, or just enjoy the online tools and apps ChromeOS includes, the 514 is a fine value.

The Acer Chromebook Spin Plus 714 is essentially the perfect high-end Chromebook, making good on its higher-than-most price. This Chromebook's 2-in-1 design meets any like-priced Windows machine for style, with an attractive all-metal chassis and a sharp 14-inch touch screen that looks excellent in both laptop and tablet modes. Now, the computer is driven by an Intel Core Ultra processor, paired with 8GB of memory and a 256GB solid-state drive. Connectivity includes Thunderbolt 4, HDMI-out, and Wi-Fi 6E. All of this helps make the Spin Plus 714 our first five-star Chromebook.

If you want to experience ChromeOS in its most performant and flexible form, look to the Chromebook Spin Plus 714 as your first choice. It combines dual-mode versatility and high-end build quality. With punchy performance, lengthy battery life, and lots of connectivity, this Chromebook provides a helpful balance of value and features in a high-style, sturdy package.

The Chromebook Plus line has delivered when it comes to affordable Chromebooks that don't skimp on capability, and the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus stands out as our favorite 2-in-1 in Google's Chromebook Plus program. With flexibility for laptop and tablet use, along with excellent keyboard and pen support, it's one of the best 2-in-1s around. For under $500, you get a reliable Chromebook experience, a crisp 1080p display, a healthy selection of ports, and even access to a bevy of apps and games in tablet mode.

Whether you're a student, a professional, or a home user, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a capable Chromebook with a versatile 2-in-1 design, all in a budget-friendly package. That all makes the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus our favorite budget 2-in-1 Chromebook.

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—a stunning one with an ultra-colorful, ultra-high-contrast 13.3-inch OLED touch screen. Considering that the Duet 5 costs less than $500, its display puts even some of Microsoft's ritzy Surface tablets to shame. This at least helps with the fact that its Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU isn't the fastest and that Lenovo charges an extra $33 for a stylus. (But, unlike Microsoft, Lenovo includes the keyboard cover.)

With impressively sharp 5-megapixel front and 8-megapixel rear cameras, the IdeaPad Duet 5 is a nifty 1.5-pound tablet that turns into a handy 2.2-pound laptop when you attach its keyboard cover and kickstand. (The keyboard cover isn't a match for a real laptop keyboard, but they never are, and its typing feel is comfortable enough, for what it is.) This is a fine bargain alternative to a Surface Go 3 or an Apple iPad Air for students and families.

Small-screen Chromebooks aren't as popular as they once were, but the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 may revitalize the compact and affordable niche. The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 is one of the most versatile and portable Chromebooks we've seen, combining a Qualcomm-powered ChromeOS tablet with a slick, magnetically attached kickstand and keyboard cover for laptop use. A touch screen and optional pen also make it exceptional for taking notes in class or meetings or enjoying Google's huge library of Android games during downtime. Despite being an 11-inch model, the Duet 3 puts up speedy performance while including some of our favorite features from other Chromebooks. We just wish it had a longer battery life.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook is ideal if you're in the market for a 2-in-1 detachable Chromebook. Its compact design is excellent if you're on the go or prefer a smaller device while still having both laptop and tablet functions. The peppy performance and versatility of the Duet 3 Chromebook make it ideal for students, professionals, and anyone who needs a reliable and affordable device for basic computing tasks.

With compact Chromebooks dominating this category of laptop, a 15-incher is certainly a welcome alternative. Among the 15-inch ChromeOS laptops we've reviewed, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is an easy favorite. Released in the first wave of Google's Chromebook Plus initiative, the 515 works with a capable Intel Core i3 processor, but in the less-demanding environment of the browser-focused ChromeOS, it gives you speeds equivalent to a Core i5 chip running Windows. The large screen is matched by a generous port selection and a 1080p webcam—all for right around $400.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is ideal for ChromeOS fans who want more screen real estate. But the real kicker is the affordable price, which makes it a smart choice for budget shoppers who still want a whole lot of Chromebook.

You'll see a lot of Acer products on this list, but only the Acer Chromebook 516 GE can claim to be among the first of a new type of ChromeOS laptop. The GE stands for "Gaming Edition," and it's one of the first gaming Chromebooks to hit the market. Made with cloud gaming in mind, the Acer provides premium hardware and a sturdy design with gamer-friendly touches, and it doesn't cost thousands of dollars. On top of that, the online games available for play with the Chromebook are actually quality, including popular AAA and indie games (via subscription game streaming services like GeForce Now), without all the chunky hardware or short battery life typical of gaming machines.

If you want to really see what today's Chromebooks can do, or just want to game without the huge upfront investment of a gaming laptop, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is an easy answer. It has the processing chops to support all of your gaming needs, and it's naturally a fast and capable Chromebook in every other respect. And even with its higher gaming price, it's still less expensive than many midrange Windows machines.

The Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is an excellent ChromeOS laptop with impressive performance and lots of features, making it one of the best Chromebooks available. However, its primary selling point is its repairable, upgradable, and customizable design, which puts the power in the hands of the user. The ability to upgrade memory, storage, ports, and even the display—as well as the option to replace the motherboard for CPU upgrades—makes it unique in the Chromebook world. But aside from the innovative design, it's also an excellent Chromebook, thanks to an Intel Core i5-1240P processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and battery life that gets you through a day of work or school.

This Chromebook is ideal for anyone who prioritizes sustainability or customization. It is perfect for those who want to upgrade and repair their laptop rather than buying a new one every few years. The price may be a little steep for a Chromebook, but it is worth the investment for those who value reparability and longevity in their tech products.