The Best Chromebooks for 2024 (2024)

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Why We Picked It

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.

Who It's For

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.

Why We Picked It

Our top-pick budget Chromebook is the Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook. This 12-inch laptop is compact and lightweight, with a convertible design that works as both laptop and tablet. The port selection is above average, and the performance is just good enough for ChromeOS's internet-based approach. Longer battery life would be nice, but this model should still last long enough to get you through the day, making it great for casual users who want something that's easy to bring along.

Who It's For

For a slick, portable Chromebook that's easy on the wallet, the Flex 3 Chromebook is a great choice. Whether you're using it to take notes in class or meetings, stream media on the couch, or just enjoy the selection of online tools and apps ChromeOS has to offer, the Flex 3 Chromebook is a fine value.

Why We Picked It

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.

Who It's For

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.

Why We Picked It

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) is the perfect example of a high-end Chromebook, showing why it's not a bad idea to spend extra on a Google laptop. This Chromebook's 2-in-1 design matches any Windows machine for style, with an appealing all-aluminum chassis and a sharp 14-inch touch screen that looks pleasing as both a laptop and a tablet. Powered by an Intel Core i5 CPU and packed with 256GB of SSD storage, Thunderbolt 4, HDMI-out, and Wi-Fi 6E, the Spin 714 is one of the best-equipped Chromebooks available.

Who It's For

If you want to see what sort of limits ChromeOs can be pushed to, then the Chromebook Spin 714 is a fantastic choice, merging convertible versatility and top build quality. With hearty performance, all-day battery life, and ample connectivity, this Chromebook provides a healthy balance of value and features in a stylish and sturdy package.

Why We Picked It

Small and cheap 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 totable 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 longer battery life.

Who It's For

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.

Why We Picked It

The HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is our favorite business Chromebook, a high-end ChromeOS laptop with both a gorgeous design and professional-grade performance, along with VIP chat and phone support. An elegant system for any user, it's made to cater to professionals, from its bright and colorful touch screen to the high-res webcam. Plus, Thunderbolt 4 connectivity means you can connect anything with the right adapter. Compared with the enterprise-oriented Elite Dragonfly Chromebook—our previous pick for business Chromebooks—the Dragonfly Pro is a better buy at its price, with better features as well.

Who It's For

While overall an ideal design for productivity-minded users, the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook specifically targets freelancers and small-business entrepreneurs. This reliable, elegant system comes with specially staffed 24/7 support that's hard to come by for small-business owners. The high-resolution webcam, top-notch performance, and beautiful display make it an excellent choice for video conferencing, lightweight content creation, and other productivity tasks. Overall, the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is a superb system that is perfect if you value elegance, performance, and bulletproof support availability over ample hardwired connectivity.

Why We Picked It

Lenovo has an excellent option for those looking for a large-screen Chromebook that's still affordable, the 16-inch IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook. Its larger-than-average display has a high refresh rate and a 2,560-by-1,600-pixel native resolution, and it serves up snappy performance with its Core i3 processor and fast Wi-Fi 6E support. The full-HD webcam with a privacy shutter is also a welcome touch, making it ideal for video conferencing. With more than 12 hours of battery life and a gaming-friendly keyboard, it's perfect for both work and play.

Who It's For

The IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook is an excellent choice for families and students looking for a large-screen ChromeOS laptop with excellent performance, a beautiful display, and a long battery life for an approachable price. Extra touches like cloud gaming features, its cutting-edge network connectivity, and that high-res webcam are just icing on the Chromebook cake, making it our favored pick when you need a bigger screen.

Why We Picked It

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.

Who It's For

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.

Why We Picked It

The HP Chromebook x360 13b is a fantastic 2-in-1 ChromeOS laptop or tablet if you need one to carry you through the day without needing a charger. This budget-friendly system may not be a barn burner performance-wise, but it's well suited to those browser-based tasks that ChromeOS is built for. While this sturdy convertible laptop lacks both HDMI and a stylus, it will last for nearly 15 hours without having to plug in. The laptop also serves up a decent typing experience and surprisingly effective speakers.

Who It's For

If you're a budget shopper looking for a Chromebook that can outlast your workday, this is it. The HP Chromebook x360 13b is also ideal if you're in need of lots of ports (save for HDMI), including three USB ports and the increasingly elusive microSD card slot. Whether it's for entertainment at home or for classwork at school, this 2-in-1 Chromebook will deliver on the battery front, making it our go-to pick right now for long-lasting Chromebooks.

Why We Picked It

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.

Who It's For

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.