The best Chromebooks for students, businesses, and everyone else based on our testing and reviews.
The best Chromebooks in 2025 are far more capable laptops than the basic machines that debuted in June of 2011. They started as simple, cheap laptops focusing on security and ease of use, but many have become some of thebest laptopsto buy. Competitively priced compared to thebest Windows laptopsandbest MacBooks, it’s now easy to find a Chromebook with an elegant, thin, and lightweight design and features like OLED displays.
Chromebooks boast a simple, user-friendly interface that integrates with the Google ecosystem, making them a solid choice for many people. Google announced the Chromebook Plus line in October 2023, which offers increased CPU performance from more powerfulIntelchips from Intel’s 13th Generation up through the Intel Core 100 series.
They also include several of Google’sAIfeatures, as well as the new Gemini AI assistant. Chromebook Plus devices receive additional features and access to the Advanced version of Gemini.
Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly Chromebook, a powerful Plus Series model, or even a Chromebook for gaming, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to find the best Chromebook for you.
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Best Overall
1. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus
Best Chromebook overall
Specifications
CPU:Intel Core 3 100U
GPU:Intel integrated graphics
RAM:8GB
Storage:256GB SSD
Display:15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) AMOLED
Size:13.9 x 8.9 x 0.47 inches
Weight:2.58 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Solid performance
+All-day battery life
+Very thin and very light
+Bright, big, AMOLED screen
Reasons to avoid
-Still a bit on the pricey side for a Chromebook
-Thin and light but quite wide
TheSamsung GalaxyChromebook Plus is a premium Chromebook Plus built with Google’s Gemini AI in mind. With an Intel Core 3 100U 14th gen processor, Intel integrated graphics, 8GB of memory, 256GB of SSD storage, and a 15.6-inch FHD AMOLED display, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus has plenty to recommend.
Aria writes in our review, “While Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook Plus isn’t the first premium Chromebook, it’s probably the best.”
While not the most powerful Chromebook ever, the Galaxy Book still has enough computing power to get the most out of theChromeOSsuite and Google Gemini AI. The Intel Core 3 100U CPU on the Galaxy Book can get more raw CPU power than mostChromeapps will ever need.
The gorgeous 15.6-inch AMOLED display is another high point for the Galaxy Chromebook. Measuring 108.5% on the DCI-P3 color gamut, the Galaxy Chromebook has a nicer display than some premiumWindowslaptops. With 377 nits of average peak brightness, you don’t have to worry about screen glare on the glossy AMOLED panel, either.
The Galaxy Chromebook Plus also offers full-day battery life, lasting 11 hours and 12 minutes on ourweb surfing battery test.
While $699 is a bit pricey for a Chromebook, the Galaxy Chromebook Plus earns its premium rating thanks to an unbeatable combination of performance, battery life, display quality, and portability.
Why is it our best pick overall?
TheSamsung Galaxy Chromebook Plusis a premium Chromebook with a solid combination of power, battery efficiency, and it comes with a large AMOLED display.
Buy it if
✔️You need a Chromebook that can last for more than a full day of work or school:The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus lasted for 11 hours and 30 minutes on our battery test, making it the longest-lasting Chromebook on this list. So if you need a Chromebook that can last a full day on a single charge, this is the one to choose.
✔️You want to get the best Google AI experience possible:The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is the first Chromebook to featureGoogle’s new keyboard layout with the Quick Insertbutton. Whileall Chromebooks can use the Quick Insert feature, only the Galaxy Chromebook has a dedicated button.
Don’t buy it if
✖️You need a budget Chromebook:While the Galaxy Chromebook Plus retails for $649, which is far from the most expensive on this list if you need to stay within a small budget, there are definitely better bargains to make.
✖️You need a super portable Chromebook:The Galaxy Chromebook Plus is very light and very thin, but it can be a struggle to fit this 15.6-inch laptop into every bag. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 may be the better choice if portability is your biggest concern.
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Best for students
2. Acer Chromebook Spin 312
Best Chromebook for students
Specifications
CPU:Intel Core i3-N305
GPU:Intel UHD integrated graphics
RAM:8GB
Storage:128GB eMMC
Display:12.2-inch (1920 x 1200) 60Hz IPS touch
Size:11.41 x 8.10 x 0.78 inches
Weight:2.84 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Affordable price
+Sturdy build
+Smooth trackpad
Reasons to avoid
-Shallow audio
-Thin keycaps
-Grainy webcam
The Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is a stand-out example ofhow much Chromebooks have improvedin the last several years. From its design and portability to over 10 hours of battery life, it might be hard to believe this one costs just $450 — but it does, making this device one of the most well-rounded, budget-friendly Chromebooks for students.
With a silver colorway, a black keyboard, and a lightweight chassis, it also resembles a Windows laptop, but with a far better trackpad compared to most. It’s the smoothest I’ve ever felt on a budget laptop. Its keyboard quality is slightly reminiscent of yesteryear’s Chromebooks, with a clicky-squishy feel that highlights the thinness of the plastic keycaps. “It’s a bit like gently pressing into Jello,” as I wrote in my review, but it’s not the worst keyboard I’ve ever tried.
The IPS display produces vivid and clear images, likely due to its Corning Gorilla Glass coating, despite the low color gamut coverage batterymap’stests revealed. However, you’ll definitely need to watch horror movies in the dark (as they are meant to be watched). The coating makes the IPS display more reflective than average, and the Spin 312’s max display brightness of 277 nits isn’t always enough to prevent bright ambient lighting from completely washing out dimly lit scenes.
For students who like or want to experiment with ChromeOS, its ample 128GB of storage space is enough to run Linux and then some. However, this laptop comes with only 8GB of RAM. That’s fine for a light workload (a dozen or fewer open browser tabs and one or two applications), but a minimum of 16GB is ideal for any laptop, especially if you are a heavy multitasker.
Why is it our best pick for students?
TheAcer Chromebook Spin 312offers a better display, trackpad, and battery life than most Chromebooks — some budget Windows laptops, too — for under $500 in an awesomely portable form factor.
Buy it if
✔️You need a simple laptop for simple tasks.If your studies solely consist of reading and writing (and saving everything in the cloud), there’s no reason to spend more money on a laptop whether or not you’re on a budget.
✔️You prefer writing instead of typing notes.As long as you have a compatible stylus, this 2-in-1 touchscreen Chromebook can be both your laptop and notebook.
Don’t buy it if
✖️You need a larger screen.If you’re concerned about your eyesight or regularly use the magnifying tool, this Chromebook’s 12.2-inch display might not serve you well in the long-run.
✖️The majority of your classwork is writing essays.This Chromebook’s plastic keys feel thinner and feel softer to press compared to competing devices.
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Best for kids
3. Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9
Best Chromebook for kids
Specifications
CPU:MediaTek Kompanio 838
RAM:4GB
Storage:128GB SSD
Display:10.9-inch, (1920 x 1200) IPS touch
Size:10.05 x 6.57 x 0.3 inches
Weight:2.08 pounds (with folio case)
Reasons to buy
+Solid battery life
+High-quality 5MP front-facing camera and 8MP rear camera
+Affordable price-point
+Ultra-light chassis
+Good performance for the price
+Slick stylus and gesture controls
Reasons to avoid
-Mushy keyboard on the attached folio
-Having 4GB memory does limit some applications
TheLenovoChromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 offers high portability, solid battery life, slick stylus controls, an ultralight chassis, high-quality 5MP and 8MP cameras, and dependable performance all at an incredibly affordable price point. The Chromebook Duet 11 features a MediaTek Kompanio 838 processor, 4GB of memory, 128GB of SSD storage, and a 10.9-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS touchscreen display.
“Chromebooks haven’t ever been my favorite laptops or tablets, as I’m exactly the type of person who needs the full application support of a Windows or macOS system. However, theLenovoChromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 may have changed my mind,” Aria wrote in her review.
Because it features a lower-spec, Aria processor, the Chromebook Duet lags behind other Chromebooks on CPU performance. However, it’s a well-optimized machine that can keep up with multiple Chrome apps running at once.
The Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 does have a quality display, covering 83% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. And the panel is bright, measuring 402 nits of average peak brightness.
The Duet 11 is a small tablet Chromebook, which makes its battery life even more impressive. The Duet 11 lasted 9 hours and 48 minutes on our web surfing battery test.
Because of its affordable $359 starting price and solid touchscreen controls, the Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 is a fantastic option if you need a tablet for your kids. It offers enough performance to run multiple applications and has the battery life to keep up with a busy schedule of school and playtime.
Why is it our best pick for kids?
TheLenovo Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9is a light, affordable Chromebook with enough power and battery life to make it the ideal companion for keeping your kids entertained wherever they go.
Buy it if
✔️You want a light, affordable ChromeOS tablet:With the Folio case included in the base $359 price and solid performance, the Chromebook Duet 11 Gen 9 is a great option for kids.
✔️You need a tablet that can do more than just stream video:While Amazon’s Fire Tablets make great options for kids’ entertainment systems, sometimes they just don’t have enough power. But the MediaTek Kompanio 838 processor in the Duet 11 has more than enough juice for almost everything.
Don’t buy it if
✖️You need to multitask like a professional:While plenty of users can get away with just 4GB of memory on a ChromeOS tablet, if you’re going to be using this for work you may run into some bottlenecks due to the low RAM allowance.
✖️You need a high-quality keyboard:While the included folio case is thin and light, the attached keyboard is mushy and soft, making for an unsatisfying typing experience. If you’ll spend most of your time with a Chromebook typing, we recommend the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 instead.
Best keyboard
4. Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714
Best Chromebook for Keyboard Enthusiasts
Specifications
CPU:Intel Core Ultra 5 115U
GPU:Intel integrated graphics
RAM:8GB
Storage:256GB SSD
Display:14-inch (1920 x 1200) IPS touch
Size:12.35 x 8.84 x 0.71 inches
Weight:3.3 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Built-in AI tools
+Fantastic typing experience
+Top-firing speakers
+Bright, colorful display
Reasons to avoid
-Occasionally laggy touchpad
-Battery life could be better
The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 is one of the more powerful Chromebooks on this list, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 5 115U processor, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, and a 14-inch WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) IPS display. However, the true star of this laptop is the keyboard, with a satisfying and smooth typing experience.
Aria noted in our review, “The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 keyboard is very satisfying to type on, but it has its quirks… The typing experience on the Spin 714 is smooth and comfortable. On theMonkeytypetyping test, I scored 92 wpm with 97 percent accuracy, higher than my desktop average of 84 wpm and 94.35 accuracy.”
The Intel Core Ultra 5 115U processor on the Spin 714 offers strong performance, making the Spin 714 one of the most powerful Chromebooks. The 14-inch IPS display is also on the nicer side, measuring 78.7% for DCI-P3 color gamut coverage with an average peak brightness of 355 nits.
The Spin 714 is no slouch for longevity either, offering all-day battery life. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 lasted 9 hours and 30 minutes on ourweb surfing battery test.
Combined with the slick display and satisfying keyboard, the Spin 714 is nearly the whole package.
Why is it our best keyboard pick?
TheAcer Chromebook Plus Spin 714is an AI-powered Chromebook with solid performance and a bright, colorful display. But the typing experience on the Spin 714 is what truly blew us away.
Buy it if
✔️You want one of the most powerful Chromebooks for better AI performance.To get the most out of Google’s One AI plan, the Spin 714 has a powerful Intel Core Ultra 5 processor under the hood and won’t slow you down while using Gemini for text or image generation.
✔️You need a Chromebook with a great keyboard.Not all Chromebooks have good keyboards. Many have soft, mushy key activations that just feel bad under your fingers. But the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 has a crisp, satisfying key feel.
Don’t buy it if
✖️You need to stay under a tight budget.While Chromebooks are generally cheaper than Windows or Mac laptops, the Chromebook Plus series can get a little pricey. When not on sale, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 starts at $749, which can be pricey for a Chromebook.
✖️You want a Chromebook designed for gaming.While it is part of the Chromebook Plus platform, the Spin 714 isn’t optimized for Cloud gaming and suffers in comparison to the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, which was built with Nvidia GeForce Now in mind.
Best for gaming
5. Acer Chromebook 516 GE
Best Chromebook for gaming (seriously)
Specifications
CPU:Intel Core i5-1240P
GPU:Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics
RAM:8GB
Storage:256GB
Display:16-inch (2560 x 1600) 120Hz IPS
Size:14 x 9.8 x 0.84 inches
Weight:3.8 pounds
Reasons to buy
+Smooth 120Hz display
+Fast performance
+Decent 1080p webcam
+Great value for price
Reasons to avoid
-Tinny audio
-Mushy keyboard
-So-so battery life
-No touchscreen is awkward for Play Store games
Gamers might scoff at Chromebooks, but for cloud gaming services like GeForce Now, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE can offer decent gaming performance and gaming style at a much lower price than your average gaming laptop.
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE features a powerful Intel Core i5-1240P processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 16-inch 120Hz WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS display. So it can handle gaming and schoolwork without blowing your budget.
With an Intel Core i5 12th gen processor, the Chromebook 516 GE offers plenty of powerful performance to handle your day-to-day needs. Even with 8GB of RAM, “You shouldn’t find yourself dealing with any frustrating slowdowns — even if you drown it in tabs,” as Aria wrote in our review. But if you can afford to upgrade to the 16GB model, we recommend it.
The Chromebook 516 GE’s 16-inch display is a solid choice, and measures 75.8% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is better than some Chromebooks on this list. It also hits a respectable 346 nits of average peak brightness to cut through glare so you don’t need to worry about missing a shot in your next FPS match due to screen glare.
The one drawback to this gaming Chromebook is its battery life, as the Chromebook 516 GE lasted just 7 hours and 40 minutes on ourbattery test.
While you can technically use cloud gaming services on any laptop or Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE offers a 120Hz display for those who pay for the most expensive GeForce Now membership tier. So, it remains our best choice for gaming on a Chromebook.
Why is it our best pick for gamers?
TheAcer Chromebook 516 GEremains the only Chromebook dedicated to gaming enthusiasts, with RGB lighting on the keyboard and a sleek black Gaming laptop-style chassis with additional ports. If you want to game on any Chromebook, this is your best bet.
Buy it if
✔️You want the best gaming experience on a Chromebook.The Acer Chromebook 516 GE comes with more ports than you’ll usually see on a Chromebook, so you can attach all of your gaming accessories and also opt for a hard-wired Ethernet connection so your game stream doesn’t drop due to Wi-Fi shenanigans. You can run Nvidia GeForce Now on any Chromebook, but the 516 GE has all the additional bells and whistles to make it the best choice for gaming.
✔️You want a gaming laptop, but can’t afford the steep price tag.While a dedicated gaming laptop with a discrete GPU will always have better gaming performance than a Chromebook streaming Nvidia GeForce Now, you can get a close approximation with the Acer Chromebook 516 GE without spending gaming-laptop money.
Don’t buy it if
✖️You need battery life that will last for a full, intense day.If you need a Chromebook with more than 7 and a half hours of battery life for pulling an all-nighter, the Chromebook 516 GE is not the ideal option. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus offers a better balance of performance, battery life, and CPU power.
✖️You want to play games from the Google Play Store.the Acer Chromebook 516 GE doesn’t have a touchscreen, so playing games from the Google Play Store can be difficult. This is particularly true of games that don’t have gamepad support.
How to choose the best Chromebook for you
Finding the perfect Chromebook isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Students, businesses, and schools all have different needs.
Students
For students who rely heavily on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, prioritizing a Chromebook with a long-lasting battery and a comfortable keyboard is crucial.
If you’re a student who wants a gaming laptop that can also function as a great laptop for class (without spending a ton of money) there Chromebooks specfically designed for gaming in the cloud.
Professionals or businesses
Professionals or businesses seeking Chromebooks for their employees should focus on models with strong performance and features that make managing them easier, ensuring a smooth workflow.
Security is also important — Enterprise-edition Chromebooks have extra IT deployment features like real-time threat and data protection, endpoint security, and support integration with 3rd-party software like CrowdStrike.
Schools
If you’re a school looking to equip students with Chromebooks, durability, affordability, and features that support a dynamic classroom environment should be top priorities.
You won’t have to buy a bunch of expensive, business-focused Chromebooks to get the security you need, either. Education Chromebooks also support many of the same security features as business Chromebooks (via Google Workspace for Education), and won’t display ads in core services like Drive, Classroom and Gmail.
FAQs
Q: Who are Chromebooks for?
A: Overall, the best way to tell if someone will enjoy owning a Chromebook is if you know they already spend most of their time in the Chrome browser. Those users will take to the notebook naturally.
If you’re buying this Chromebook for someone else, you should take a few moments to consider how they’re going to use the device. Chromebooks are especially good for younger students, as they are easy to use and are fairly secure. It’s also quite easy toupdate your Chromebookmanually, assuming you don’t want to enable automatic updates.
Q: How well does a Chromebook perform?
A: Chromebooks are lightweight devices, meaning it doesn’t take a lot of CPU performance to run ChromeOS. So, Chromebooks often feature lower-spec processors. Many perform better at lower specs than low-budget Windows laptops, too.
They also generally have less storage space, since many ChromeOS applications run in the cloud. This means more free space for your laptop and speedier performance.
If you don’t need the full Windows or macOS experience to run all your favorite applications, there’s no reason not to opt for a Chromebook.
Q: How are Chromebooks for offline use?
A: Chromebooks are designed to rely heavily on the Internet, which means that many apps simply won’t work if you’re out of Wi-Fi range. But there are more than 200 Chrome apps that can work without internet connectivity, including Gmail, Google Drive, and tons ofAndroidapps like PlayerFM and Here WeGo.
Q: Can I use Android apps?
A: Yes! Most modern Chromebooks now have access to the Play Store. (If you’re unsure if your Chromebook supports Android apps,check out this list.)
However, there are some caveats: many Android apps run via an emulator and may or may not run well. Also, not all apps are optimized for a larger screen (they were built for mobile-first), so you might encounter some scaling issues, especially with mobile games. (Check out our guide to thebest Chromebook gamesfor specific gaming app recommendations.)
There are often formatting issues when importing third-party documents into Drive, too. Fortunately, Google Drive allows you to save documents in Microsoft formats, so you’ll still be able to share files with non-Chromebook users through Microsoft Word or other programs — though it may be best to stick with the Office Android apps or Office Online if you’re bringing a lot of files over to your Chromebook.
Q: Do Chromebooks have good battery life?
A: Chromebooks are known for their impressive battery life. Our in-houseweb surfing battery test shows that most Chromebooks can last an average of 10 hours on a single charge. This means you can comfortably power through a workday or school day without hunting for an outlet. This makes Chromebooks a great choice for those long stretches in class or meetings.
Q: Are Chromebooks secure?
A: Chromebooks are a great fit for businesses and institutions prioritizing security because their design makes them more resistant to malware, offering built-in protection for employees and students. Some Chromebooks go the extra mile with biometric authentication features like fingerprint scanners, adding another layer of security for sensitive data.
For businesses, the added security and IT deployment features of Chrome Enterprise can make Chromebooks a solid choice for kitting out an office. While enhanced features do require a subscription,Chrome Enterprise is available for free,which can make it a good solution for small businesses.
Q: Can you game on a Chromebook?
A: Chromebooks have access to Steam and can stream games from services like Nvidia GeForce Now. ChromeOS also works with some Android apps, but not every Android game will be available on a Chromebook. But for a game streaming device, Chromebooks work well as an affordable gaming option.
If you want to game without signing up for a streaming service, you may be better off with agaming handheldor adedicated gaming laptop.
Q: Are Chromebooks durable?
A: Similar to business notebooks made to survive drops and other minor disasters, Chromebooks are built to withstand falls, scrapes, and similar punishment.
We put the durability of top Chromebooks to the test by dropping 11 different models from heights of 2.5 feet and 4 feet, then scoring them on a scale of 0 to 10 based on how much damage was sustained. You can read ourfull report here.