Chromebooks are some of the best devices you can buy for school work, entertainment, browsing, and in some cases, even mild software development. ChromeOS is a fast, reliable, and secure operating system that can run Chrome, Android apps, and Linux and keeps getting better with updates. Different use cases demand various Chromebooks, so if you’re in the market for some of the best Chromebooks to buy in 2026, this list has you covered.
Overview of the Best Chromebooks
| Best Chromebooks | Best Suited For | Limitations | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 | Users who want great performance and battery life with an OLED panel | Arm-based processor not for everyone | $749 |
| Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 | Convertible flexibility with 360-degree, superior battery life and performance | Lacks HDMI port | $549 |
| ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 | Premium design, good performance and better compatibility with apps | Lacks microSD card slot | $599 |
| Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus | Large-screen Chromebook with an AMOLED screen | No touchscreen | $599 |
| ASUS ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus | Business professionals who want capable performance with great screen, 500 nits brightness | 128GB base storage | $599 |
| Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus | Budget-conscious users, best for students, x86 apps support | Not the best display | $479 |
| Acer Chromebook Plus 516GE | Users who want a gaming Chromebook, 120Hz screen, RGB keyboard, cloud gaming support | Decent battery life | $584 |
| Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 | Ultra-portable users, tablet and laptop in one device, detachable keyboard support | 4GB RAM | $249 |
Best Chromebooks for Every Kind of User in 2026
Here’s a carefully curated list of the best Chromebooks you can find, each of them catered to fulfill the needs of different users, across various price segments. Those getting their first taste of Chrome OS won’t go wrong with the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 but if you want the best of everything, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is the one for you. Follow along as we share a detailed outlook for the best Chromebooks you find on the market.
Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14
If you are looking for the best Chromebook to buy in 2026, let it be the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. It comes with a 14-inch 2K touchscreen OLED panel, and packs MediaTek’s Kompanio Ultra processor. As it’s an Arm-based processor, the battery life is phenomenal on this Chromebook, and offers great performance without any fan.
You can’t say that for an Intel-based Chromebook. Apart from that, you get 256GB of UFS storage along with 16GB of RAM. Not to mention, you get all the built-in Gemini AI features with a free 12-month Google AI Pro plan. All in all, from display to battery life and performance, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 ticks all the essential boxes.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 2K OLED touchscreen panel | Some users might not prefer Arm-based processor |
| Packs MediaTek Kompanio Ultra | |
| 17 hours of battery life |
Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514
Acer has been making Chromebooks for as long as we can remember. And the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is a testament to years of excellent Spin series of laptops from the firm. It’s a 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop that was upgraded to Chromebook Plus with many Google AI features.
It’s got a decently bright 300 nits 1920 x 1200 pixels display with 120Hz aspect ratio. Powering the machine is MediaTek Kompanio Ultra Series processor alongside 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256 GB of UFS storage. Besides, it’s got more than sufficient I/O including 2x USB-A 3.2 port and 2x USB-C 3.2 Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Performance-wise, it can handle multitasking with ease but don’t expect it to run slightly heavier games via Steam. It should fly in regular day-to-day usage like browsing, watching videos, running Linux apps on Chromebooks, and playing games that aren’t very graphic intensive.
As someone using an Acer Chromebook Spin 713, this lineup has one of the best build quality in the segment. I can easily say that the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is one of the best all-around Chromebooks out there.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent screen | Lacks HDMI port |
| Exceptional battery life | |
| Fast 256 GB NVMe storage | |
| Great I/O and connectivity | |
| Excellent performance |
ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34
If you’re in the market for a premium Chromebook but don’t have the budget, ASUS’ Chromebook Plus CX34 is THE Chromebook for you. It’s got a 14-inch FHD display with 250 nits of brightness, a 13th Gen Intel Core i5 1335u, 8 GB LPDDR5X RAM, and 128 GB of UFS storage. ASUS claims the battery lasts for 10 hours.
The CX434 has a generous amount of I/O as well with 1 x HDMI 1.4 port, 2 x Thunderbolt 4 ports, and 2 x USB-A 3.2 ports. However, it misses out on a microSD card slot. Connectivity-wise, there’s Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E.
Overall, for an asking price of $599, the CX34 brings great value to the table; although, we wish it came with an NVMe slot instead of soldered, on-board UFS storage which can’t be replaced when it degrades over time. Either way, the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is a great Chromebook for its price.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great performance | No microSD card slot |
| Decent battery life | |
| Decent I/O selection |
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus
The Galaxy Chromebook is Samsung’s latest Chromebook after four years of pause and it gets many things right. For starters, it comes with Intel’s Core 3 100U processor and 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM. The best part about the Chromebook is its 15.6-inch 1080p AMOLED display. It’s got a 4405 mAh battery which Samsung claims would last for 13 hours straight.
That said, the I/O is decent with 1x HDMI, 2x USB-C, 1x USB 3.2, microSD card-reader and a headphone jack. The keyboard is backlit and the front camera is a 1080p unit. It falls in the Chromebook Plus category; hence, you get all the AI goodies from Google.
The 256 GB internal storage is UFS hence it’s not upgradeable. All in all, for $599, it’s a bit expensive Chromebook, especially when there’s the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 which brings better specifications. However, it’s still one of the best Chromebooks you can buy in 2026.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Extraordinary AMOLED display | No touchscreen |
| Great battery life | |
| Decent I/O | |
| Decent performance |
ASUS ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus
The ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus from ASUS is another great Chromebook to consider in 2026. It packs the Intel Core Ultra 5 processor with a 14-inch screen, having a refresh rate of 120Hz. It features a sharper 2560 x 1600 panel with brightness going up to 500 nits.
The CX54 sports 8 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 128 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD and comes with a better I/O including 2 x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1 x HDMI 2.0, and 1 x USB-A 3.2. The Expertbook also comes with Google’s AI features as it’s a Chromebook Plus machine.
The decision to pick between the ASUS and Acer depends on the kind of work you do. If you need a convertible, the Spin 514 is for you but if you need a solid Chromebook, the CX54 is a better premium pick for $599.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent sharp screen | Competitors offering 256GB base storage |
| Great battery life | |
| Fast 128 GB NVMe storage | |
| Excellent I/O and connectivity | |
| Excellent performance |
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
If you’re looking for something that’s a bit laid back in pricing, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus makes up for an excellent Chromebook. For under $500, you get the 13th generation Core i3-1315U processor, 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 128GB of NVMe SSD, and a 16:10 IPS LCD 1920 x 1200 pixels display.
Although the display is similar in terms of specs, compared to the Spin 514, it only covers 45% of the NTSC color gamut (Vs 100%). Hence the Flex 5i may not be the best Chromebook for watching content.
The laptop is a convertible, though, and Lenovo promises over 10 hours of battery backup on full charge. As for the I/O, there are 1 x USB-A 3.2 port, and 2 x USB-C 3.2 ports, one of which supports Display Output 1.4. Unfortunately, there’s no HDMI port on offer. Do keep in mind that the build quality might not be as good as the ASUS CX54 and Spin 514 as some reviews have reported hinge failures.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good screen | More storage would’ve been better |
| Great battery life | Multiple hinge failures reported |
| Fast 128 GB NVMe storage | |
| Decent performance |
Acer Chromebook Plus 516GE
The Acer Chromebook 516GE is one of the best gaming Chromebooks, and while it doesn’t exactly have the hardware of typical gaming laptops, it’s one of the best laptops you can buy in the Chromebook universe. You can install and play Steam games on this Chromebook seamlessly.
For starters, it’s got a 16-inch 2560 x 1600 resolution, a 120Hz display with 350 nits of peak brightness, an Intel Core 5 120U processor, 8 GB RAM, and a 256 GB NVMe SSD. You don’t have to worry about your storage getting filled up fast, and there’s a full RGB keyboard on offer for cloud gamers.
Acer promises 10 hours of battery life and there’s ample I/O, including an HDMI 2.1 port, 2 x USB 3.2 Type-C ports, 1 x USB 3.2 Type-A port, and a Kensington lock. For an asking price of $584, the 516GE falls in the pricey segment but it’s an excellent Chromebook for what it offers. Not to mention, it’s Chromebook Plus so you get all the Google AI shenanigans.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great performance | No microSD card slot |
| Excellent battery life | |
| Ample I/O ports | |
| Fast NVMe storage |
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11
If you need a Chromebook that doubles as a tablet, look no further than the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11. The 11-inch 2K display with 400 nits of brightness is sufficient for day-to-day usage. Furthermore, the Duet 11 has 4 GB RAM and 128 GB eMMC storage which is slow for 2026 standards.
Performance-wise, Lenovo has upgraded it with the MediaTek Kompanio 800 Series processor. It’s a great processor for a tablet-laptop convertible. I/O-wise, there are two USB-C ports, and one is a DisplayPort 1.4 port. Lenovo claims 12+ hours of battery life on the Duet 11. Overall, the Duet SKUs are one of a kind and can be bought for students or those who need a secondary work cum entertainment device.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Two Type-C ports are nice | Extremely slow storage |
| Exceptional battery life | Low RAM |
| Great Display | |
| Affordable |
Things to Know Before Buying a Chromebook
Now that we’ve reached the end of the list, here are some of the things worth noting before pulling the trigger on a Chromebook.
- A cheap Chromebook may run fine but the experience may not be great. You should get something in the ballpark of $300 to $500 to have a good experience.
- Do not buy open-box or refurbished Chromebooks since the perks they come with may have already been redeemed by the first user.
- Avoid Chromebooks with eMMC storage but get one with an NVMe SSD or UFS storage. This way you can upgrade the storage later.
- Skip ancient Chromebooks as they might not be supported for long. Newer Chromebooks are supported till 2032!
- Chromebooks usually go for much lower than the MSRP so do not make an impulse purchase. Wait for price drops, which may sometimes go down by $100-$200!
Our picks for the best Chromebooks of 2026 are Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, the ExpertBook CX54 by ASUS, and the affordable Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. They offer great performance, and displays, and are worth every penny. What are your thoughts on these ChromeOS devices? Let us know in the comments below.
We’d pick the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 in 2026. It’s easily one of the best overall devices, thanks to the amazing MediaTek Kompanio Ultra processor and battery life.
A laptop is referred to as a portable computer that can do most of the things a desktop PC can. While the term “laptop” is kind of synonymous with a Windows notebook, a Chromebook also falls under this category, since they’re technically the same thing. All Chromebooks can be laptops but all laptops need not be Chromebooks.
Absolutely. Modern Chromebooks pack lots of capabilities and are some of the best machines you can buy for browsing the web, watching content, or even programming and running desktop applications, thanks to Linux support,
