If you’re looking for an affordable laptop that’s fast enough for day-to-day tasks, a Chromebook is a great option–as long as you’re comfortable with Google’s ecosystem and using the open web for most of your tasks.
Chromebooks offer reliable performance, are largely largely virus-free, and even support cloud gaming for playing the latest AAA titles. That said, searching for “Chromebook” can bring up an overwhelming amount of options. To help you decide, we’ve complied a list of Chromebooks that PCWorld has tested firsthand.
If you still prefer Windows laptops, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available today.
Why you should trust us: PCWorld has been going strong since 1983, back in the days when print magazines were more common. Now that we’ve made the leap to digital, we’ve been reviewing more than 100 laptops annually. Every laptop that passes through our doors goes through an arduous testing process, in which we evaluate everything from processor performance to display quality. We’re committed to reviewing laptops in every price range too.
Lenovo Flex 5i – Best overall Chromebook
Pros
- Good build quality
- Fantastic typing experience
- Vibrant touchscreen display
Cons
- Average battery life for a Chromebook
- Stylus not included
Why we like the Lenovo Flex 5i
The Lenovo Flex 5i is the best overall choice because of its 2-in-1 design, peppy performance, exquisite typing experience, and so much more. The understated aluminum finished exterior helps make it feel like something three or four times as expensive. As for the convertible design, the 360-degree hinge feels incredibly sturdy, which is essential in a 2-in-1 laptop. Plus, the keyboard is a real joy to type on and the 1200p touch display produces crisp and vibrant visuals. The best part is that you’re getting all of these wonderful features for well under $500.
Who should buy the Lenovo Flex 5i
We feel as though the Lenovo Flex 5i is a good Chromebook for most people. The touchscreen and 2-in-1 design give it the edge, as you usually see these features in machines that cost much more. While the nine-hour battery life is considered just average for a Chromebook, it’s still a great all-day result. It’s just not the whopping 19 hours we got out of the Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip. That said, the Lenovo Flex 5i’s list of compromises is quite small.
Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook – Best budget Chromebook
Pros
- Lightweight design
- Great battery life
- Attractive color scheme
- 1080p display
Cons
- Only 4GB of RAM
- 720p webcam is disappointing
Why we like the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook
For under $300, the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook offers decent performance, fantastic battery life, and a lightweight form factor. Inside, you’ll find a MediaTek Kompanio 520 CPU, an ARM Mali-G52 2EE MC2 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. On paper, those specs may not look all that impressive. However, when it comes to real-world use, day-to-day performance is perfectly reliable. The 47 watt-hour battery also lasted 16 hours on a single charge and it weighs just under three pounds, making it a solid travel companion. Not bad for under $300, huh?
Who should buy the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook
Anyone looking for a cheap, serviceable Chromebook. It’s not the most innovative Chromebook we’ve ever seen, but it doesn’t have to be. It has plenty of power for light use and the battery will keep you going long after your workday or school day ends. The inclusion of a 1080p touch display is a nice touch as well, especially given the low price of the machine. The 720p webcam is disappointing and you’re only getting 4GB of RAM, but if you’re willing to taper your expectations a bit, then this machine is well worth considering.
Alternative option: If you’re willing to spend a little extra on a Chromebook with better performance, we’d recommend checking out the $399 Acer Chromebook Plus 515. Bootup times are lightning fast and browser-based tasks feel appropriately snappy. The typing experience is also lovely and the battery can last up to 13 hours on a single charge. The only trade-offs are the boring aesthetics and the thick bezels on the display.
Lenovo Chromebook Duet – Most portable Chromebook
Pros
- Great value
- Flexible form factor
- Surprisingly good keyboard
- Amazing battery life
Cons
- Needs more RAM
- Android apps don’t run well
- Vertical kickstand reduces horizontal options
Why we like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is remarkably featherlight at just 2.09 pounds, and that’s with the keyboard and stand! Not only did the small form factor impress us, but also the long battery life. The 68 watt-hour battery can reach the 12 or 13-hour mark on a day of casual use, so searching the web and watching YouTube. That’s a good amount for such a tiny 2-in-1 laptop. It also charges very fast, which is impressive given the smaller battery size.
Who should buy the Lenovo Chromebook Duet
Anyone who’s looking for a lightweight laptop with good battery life. The keyboard is great too, even though it sits “flat as a pancake,” according to our review. Compared to the previous iteration, the keys have “increased travel distance” and the alphanumeric keys are full-size–these two factors lend to a more natural typing experience. You can also detach the keyboard and use the display like a tablet.
Alternative option: The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus ($699.99) is another good option to consider, especially if you’re looking for a portable clamshell-style laptop. The AMOLED display is absolutely gorgeous and it weighs just 2.58 pounds.
Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 – Best high-end Chromebook
Pros
- Great keyboard
- Solid battery life and performance
- Beautiful display
Cons
- Tinny speakers
- Pen sold separately
- No fingerprint reader
- More expensive than the average Chromebook
Why we like the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714
The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 offers a convertible form factor, zippy day-to-day performance, and a keyboard with plenty of travel. The 14-inch IPS touch-enabled display also has a 1920×1200 resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and 340 nits of brightness. It’s a great screen for media streaming, but it’s on the dimmer side and the glossy surface makes it difficult to use on a sunny day. That said, the multi-touch touchscreen works well.
Who should buy the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714
Anyone looking for a more premium Chromebook! The 2-in-1 form factor allows you to rotate the screen 360 degrees and use it like a tablet, which is great for those who like to take notes or doodle. Plus, many Android apps are optimized for tablet use, so using this Chromebook in tablet mode should be easy. The price tag ($699) may deter some folks, but if your budget knows no bounds, then the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is a fantastic choice.
Acer Chromebook 516 GE – Best Chromebook for gaming
Pros
- Attractive design
- Excellent CPU performance
- Loads of wired and wireless connectivity
- High-resolution 1600p display
Cons
- Mediocre keyboard and touchpad
- Disappointing speakers and microphone
- Display falls behind in contrast, color vibrancy
Why we like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a good machine for gaming and day-to-day tasks. The Intel Core i5-1240P CPU is powerful enough for office work and everyday activities, and the display’s 120Hz refresh rate will produce smooth visuals. You can’t run games locally on this laptop, but you can use a cloud gaming service like Nvidia GeForce Now or Amazon Luna. According to our review, “gameplay felt perfectly smooth” and “Nvidia’s GeForce Now diagnostics panel flagged no problems.” Just make sure you’ve got a stable Internet connection! Fortunately, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE has an Ethernet port, which is about as stable as you can get.
Who should buy the Acer Chromebook 516 GE
Anyone who wants to game on a dependable Chromebook! The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a joy to game on and it’s zippy enough for productivity and day-to-day. Additional features include a 1080p webcam, a 65 watt-hour battery, and an attractive design. With an MSRP of $650, it’s a little expensive for a Chromebook, but it punches above the usual Chrome OS machine and is tailor-made to deliver a high-quality cloud gaming experience.
Alternative option: If you’re looking for a Windows alternative that can run local games, you should check out the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition laptop. It’s currently our best budget gaming pick and for good reason! Our reviewer blitzed through the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark at 123 frames-per-second thanks to the Nvidia GeForce RTX RTX 4050 GPU. This laptop also managed an impressive 11 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is unheard of in gaming laptops.
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How we test Chromebooks
The PCWorld team puts each and every laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Due to the cloud-based nature of Chromebooks, they go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be fair or possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook as we use on laptops because they exclusively run a completely different operating system.
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them.
Chromebooks
- CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook’s battery life.
- Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook’s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.
- Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications.
- Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark that measures browser speed.
- Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is a way to gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.
For a more thorough explanation of our testing procedures, check out how PCWorld tests laptops.
What should you look for in a Chromebook?
If you’re looking for a Windows or MacBook alternative, you may want to consider a Chromebook. Equipped with low-power processors, they typically have good battery life and are usually silent in operation. They make great productivity machines, as they’re specifically designed for lightweight tasks like browsing the web, watching Netflix, and so on. Plus, they’re largely virus-free. That said, most Chromebooks have minimal RAM and storage. If you’re a hardcore gamer or a video editor, you’re going to want something with a lot more power than a Chromebook is capable of providing.
Our guide to Chromebooks vs. Windows laptops can help you determine which operating system is best for your needs. For more options, you’ll want to check out our best laptops roundup.
- Operating system: Although every operating system has its pros and cons, I’d argue that Chrome OS is one of the most user-friendly ones out there. That said, with Chromebooks, you don’t have the option of picking another operating system, as they exclusively run Chrome OS. You’re stuck with it, bud.
- Processor: Shoot for a mid-range Chromebook if you can. They cost anywhere in the $400 to $600 range and many of them come equipped with Intel Pentium processors. These Chromebooks have better browser performance and are capable of running more intense gaming apps. It’s the best bang for your buck. Upper-end Chromebooks sometimes use Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processors, which pack more of a punch.
- RAM: Many Chromebooks have 4GB of RAM, which isn’t a lot. Chromebooks are web-based machines, so you need a fair amount of RAM to keep those tabs open and running smoothly. If you can spend a couple of hundred extra, you’ll be able to find a mid-range Chromebook with 8GB of RAM.
- Storage: I recommend at least 64GB of storage. Since you’ll mostly be storing things in the cloud, you don’t have a ton of local storage.
- Durability: Chromebooks are popular in the education market because they’re pretty darn robust. I’m not saying you should smack one around with a baseball bat or anything, but they’re durable enough to handle the daily abuses of life.
FAQ
What is the difference between a regular laptop and a Chromebook?
When people talk about regular laptops they usually mean a PC or Mac. A Chromebook is still a laptop, but it differentiates itself from either of those two by using a unique operating system called Chrome OS, which was created by Google. Think of it like this: All Chromebooks are laptops, but not all laptops are Chromebooks.
Unlike other operating systems such as Windows or macOS, Chrome OS is optimized to run Google apps such as Google Drive, Google Docs, YouTube, and other Google services. Because most Google apps are online, Chromebooks generally require an internet connection to use most of their important features.
Finally, Chromebooks have historically been designed with portability, ease of use, and affordability in mind rather than top performance. They typically forego the faster, high-end hardware that PCs or Macs can use for a more minimalist, lightweight approach to computing.
Can you use integrated graphics for gaming?
No, you can’t game a Chromebook because they can’t run local EXEs aside from Android apps. That said, you can play modern games on a Chromebook that supports cloud gaming, like the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming. You have to have an Ultimate membership with Nvidia’s GeForce Now to play the games, though. The Ultimate tier costs $19.99 a month or $99.99 for six months. It’s a pretty seamless experience, and Nvidia also offers an unlimited free tier so you can stream games with restrictions on session times.
What is the difference between a budget laptop and a tablet?
More and more, the line between what is a laptop and what is a tablet blurs as companies integrate the features of both into their latest devices. But there are still a few key distinctions between the two. Laptops generally are larger, come with more storage, and have better performance and productivity features. Tablets on the other hand are smaller and more portable, have longer battery life, and are usually a bit more affordable.
When choosing between a budget laptop and a tablet you should first ask yourself what the primary use of the device will be. Do you need something for productivity with lots of storage? Then a laptop—even a budget model—will probably be the way to go. Or do you need something small, travels well, and has a long battery life? Then you might consider a tablet.
What are the disadvantages of a Chromebook?
Chromebooks are designed for day-to-day tasks, which is fine if all you’re doing is browsing the web and checking e-mail. They can’t handle resource-heavy design work, video editing, and so on. You’ll also need a strong Internet connection because if you’re not online, there are only so many things you can do with a Chromebook. Chromebooks cannot install local programs like Windows PCs can. You also can’t install Microsoft Office and that might be a huge deal-breaker for some folks, especially those who rely on those programs for work.
What is a Chromebook good for?
Chromebooks are good laptops for those who require the basics. If all you need is a reliable Internet connection to get your work done and nothing else (like no resource-hungry programs), then you’re golden. I use my own Chromebook for writing and editing as well as checking out social media and watching YouTube. You can even game on them with a cloud gaming service like GeForce Now, if that’s how you like to spend your evenings (no judgments here).
Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate Editor, PCWorld
Ashley Biancuzzo manages all laptop and Chromebook coverage for PCWorld. She's been covering consumer tech since 2016, and her work has appeared on USA Today, Reviewed, Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading science fiction, and hanging out with her rescue greyhound.