Best Chromebooks 2026: 10 Compared (19 Sources)

What are the best Chromebooks in 2026?

Summary

Six testing outlets publish a current Chromebook buying guide we could read, and they do not agree on a winner. Tom's Guide and Android Central put the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 first; Engadget gives its best-overall slot to the cheaper Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T, Core 3 N355) but says the Lenovo "is the best Chromebook you can buy"; PCWorld names the Lenovo its best high-end Chromebook and the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 its best overall; RTINGS ranks the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 first; CNN Underscored names the earlier Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT, Core i3-N305). The Lenovo is the only Chromebook that four of the six recommend, so it is this card's top pick, replacing the Spin 714, which only RTINGS still ranks first. [src1, src2, src3, src4, src5, src6]

The value and budget picks are where the guides agree most, though on value they name two generations of one laptop. CNN Underscored's best Chromebook, for its battery life, is the earlier Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT, Core i3-N305), and PCWorld reviewed the same Core i3-N305 model and lists it for its performance and storage; Engadget's best overall is the current CB514-6H/T, with an Intel Core 3 N355, for its performance at its price. The value pick follows the two reviews of the same model, the CB514-4HT, and the CB514-6H/T stays on the card as an alternative. Tom's Guide and PCWorld both name the ASUS Chromebook CX15 their best budget Chromebook, for a 15.6-inch 1080p screen at a very low price, while warning that its Celeron N4500 is slow. [src1, src2, src4, src6, src19]

Check the auto update expiration (AUE) date before you buy: it is a hard end-of-life, set per model rather than per purchase date. On Google's list the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, the current Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T) and the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 get updates until June 2035; the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 and Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 until June 2034; the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT) until June 2033; the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE and ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 until June 2032; and the Celeron N4500 ASUS Chromebook CX15 we link only until June 2031. [src7]

Four of the picks could not be bought new from the Amazon listings we link when we last checked: the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 had no purchasable offer on 2026-10-13, the ASUS Chromebook CX15 had none in our last three daily checks, through 2026-10-13, and the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT) had only a used offer when we checked on 2026-10-14, and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 had no purchasable offer on 2026-10-13. We keep all four because the reviews still support them, and point to the closest pick you could buy: the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, in stock at Samsung's US store when we checked on 2026-10-14, and the current Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T), which had an offer in our check on 2026-10-13. [src7, src14]

The 10 Chromebooks Compared

Battery figures come from different tests and are not comparable across outlets: Tom's Guide browses the web at 150 nits until the battery runs out, CNN Underscored loops a 1080p video, PCWorld runs CrXPRT, and Engadget plays back video. Specs come from the reviews and from ASUS's and Samsung's own pages; update dates come from Google's Auto Update list. [src1, src2, src3, src4, src5, src6, src7, src13, src14, src16, src18, src19]

Best for Each Use Case

Top Pick: Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 — Check price

The Chromebook most of the outlets we read would buy. Tom's Guide and Android Central rank it first, PCWorld calls it its best high-end Chromebook, and Engadget, which gives its best-overall slot to the cheaper Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T), still says "the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is the best Chromebook you can buy." It pairs a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 OLED touchscreen with MediaTek's Kompanio Ultra 910 and 16GB of memory in a fanless aluminum body. Tom's Guide measured 13 hours 19 minutes in its web-browsing battery test, Engadget more than 14 hours of video playback, and PCWorld about 19 hours with the brightness turned down. The complaints are few ports (Engadget), small, hard-to-read function keys (PCWorld) and a price Tom's Guide calls pricey for a Chromebook. Updates run until June 2035. The Amazon listing we link is the 16GB, 256GB touchscreen version PCWorld tested; it had no purchasable offer in our check on 2026-10-13. Best you can buy today: the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus below. [src1, src2, src4, src5, src7]

Best Value: Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT, Core i3-N305) — Not sold new (checked 2026-10-14)

CNN Underscored's best Chromebook, and a model PCWorld reviewed and lists among the other Chromebooks it has tested, for "good performance and lots of storage for the price." Both tested the earlier CB514-4HT, with an Intel Core i3-N305 and a 14-inch 1920 x 1080 touchscreen; PCWorld's unit had 8GB of memory and a 512GB SSD and weighed 3.15 pounds. CNN Underscored measured 12 hours 50 minutes in its video test, about 3.5 hours longer than the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 it tested; PCWorld recorded about 12 hours streaming 1080p video and calls the battery life usable but not amazing. PCWorld likes the spacious keyboard and the Core i3-N305's performance, and calls the 512GB SSD excellent at the price; its complaints are a design that looks and feels its price and an IPS screen that lacks color and contrast. Updates run until June 2033. Not sold new when we checked on 2026-10-14: Amazon had only a used offer for the listing we link. Best you can buy today: the current Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T) below, Engadget's best overall Chromebook. [src2, src4, src6, src7, src19]

Best Budget: ASUS Chromebook CX15 — Check price

Tom's Guide's and PCWorld's best budget Chromebook. Tom's Guide calls it "a no-nonsense laptop" with enough performance for web browsing, homework and shows, and likes the 15.6-inch 1080p screen and the full-size keyboard with a number pad; PCWorld says it is "great for anyone that mostly browses the web and watches YouTube videos." Both tested the Intel Celeron N4500 version with 4GB of memory: PCWorld found that the 4GB "often holds it back," and Tom's Guide advises looking for a version with 8GB of RAM (it names an 8GB, 256GB model). The listing we link has 8GB and 128GB of eMMC storage (CX1505CKA). It is MIL-STD 810H rated and weighs 3.51 pounds, per ASUS. It is not a Chromebook Plus, and Google ends its updates in June 2031, the earliest on this card. Our daily checks of the Amazon listing we link found no purchasable offer in their last three runs, through 2026-10-13. Best you can buy today: the current Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T) below. [src1, src2, src7, src10, src11, src13]

Best Lightweight 15-inch: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus — Check price

Tom's Guide's best premium Chromebook and Android Central's best Chromebook Plus. Android Central calls it the thinnest and lightest Chromebook at its size, and Tom's Guide says it is lighter than other Chromebooks, and even a MacBook Air, despite a 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 AMOLED screen. It runs an Intel Core 3 100U with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage, the only configuration. Tom's Guide measured 11 hours 9 minutes in its battery test; Android Central rarely got close to Samsung's 12-hour claim. The caveats: a wide body and a "Plus" key on the Caps Lock position (Tom's Guide), a 16:9 screen Engadget found cramped, and updates that end in June 2032. Samsung's US store listed it at $774.99, in stock, when we checked on 2026-10-14. [src1, src4, src5, src7, src14]

Best 2-in-1: Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 — Check price

Engadget's runner-up for best Chromebook overall and Android Central's best convertible. It uses the same MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 as the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, in a 14-inch convertible with a 360-degree hinge. Engadget tested the 12GB, 256GB, 1920 x 1200 version we link (CP514-5HN) and measured 2,526 single-core and 7,687 multi-core in Geekbench 6's Android test, against 1,150 and 4,407 for the Core 3 N355 Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T). Android Central notes a 16GB version with a 2880 x 1800 screen sold only by Acer; Tom's Guide tested a 2.8K OLED version and calls it "a fantastic 2-in-1 Chromebook." Engadget's complaints: the price, USB-C ports on one side only, and average speakers and webcam. Updates run until June 2035. We link Acer's own product page for the CP514-5HN. [src1, src4, src5, src7]

Best for Cloud Gaming: Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE — Check price

Android Central's best Chromebook for gaming, Engadget's best Chromebook with a large screen and RTINGS's best budget Chromebook. The 16-inch 2560 x 1600 120Hz screen suits streamed games (RTINGS), and Android Central lists a 2.5G Ethernet jack and HDMI 2.1 among its ports. It runs an Intel Core 5 120U with 8GB and 256GB in the version Engadget describes. RTINGS measured just under 10 hours of light use and says it is not meant to run demanding PC games locally. There is no touchscreen and it does not fold into a tablet (Android Central, RTINGS). Engadget's main concern is its support window: updates end in June 2032. [src3, src4, src5, src7]

Best Tablet: Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 (Gen 9) — Check price

Android Central's best Chromebook tablet, RTINGS's best compact Chromebook and CNN Underscored's best 2-in-1 Chromebook (CNN Underscored calls the model it tested the Chromebook Duet (2025)). It is a 10.95-inch tablet on a MediaTek Kompanio 838 with a kickstand and a detachable keyboard. CNN Underscored measured nearly 12 hours in its video test and says the small keyboard suits smaller hands; RTINGS finds the keyboard cramped for long sessions, and Android Central found its connecting cable flimsy for lap use. The 4GB version we link is for light use: CNN Underscored's 4GB unit faltered at eight open tabs. It is not a Chromebook Plus; updates run until June 2034. Its Amazon listing had no purchasable offer in our check on 2026-10-13. [src3, src5, src6, src7]

Also Consider — For Thunderbolt 4: Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 — Check price

RTINGS's best Chromebook, and the card's previous top pick. RTINGS tested the Intel Core Ultra 5 115U, 8GB, 256GB version we link and praises its build, its 1440p webcam and its two Thunderbolt 4 ports; PCWorld gave it 4.5 out of 5 and measured 15.1 hours in its CrXPRT battery test, while Laptop Mag (4 out of 5) measured 9 hours 30 minutes in its own test. It supports a pen, but none comes in the box (RTINGS, PCWorld), and there is nowhere to store one (RTINGS). Updates run until June 2034. In our check on 2026-10-13 the listing we link had an offer at $649.00 from a marketplace seller, low on stock. [src3, src7, src15, src16, src17]

Also Consider — For an Intel Core i5: ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 — Check price

PCWorld's best Chromebook overall. PCWorld tested the CX3402CVA with a Core i5-1335U, 8GB and 128GB, the processor in the listing we link, and gave it 4.5 out of 5 for its performance, keyboard and ports (two USB-C, two USB-A, HDMI and a headphone jack). It lasted a little over 13 hours in PCWorld's battery test with the brightness low, closer to seven or eight hours with it up. PCWorld's complaints: battery life that is not competitive, a 16:9 screen and no keyboard backlight. CNN Underscored tested a CX34 too, which it links in its Core i3-1315U version: the highest Geekbench 6 single-core score among Chromebooks and Windows laptops at its price, but a battery that ran out about 3.5 hours before that of the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT) it tested. Updates end in June 2032. In our check on 2026-10-13 the listing we link had an offer at $498.00 from a marketplace seller, low on stock. [src2, src6, src7, src18]

Also Consider — The Current Model: Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T, Core 3 N355) — Check price

Engadget's best overall Chromebook, the current CB514-6H/T: an Intel Core 3 N355, 8GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 touchscreen. Engadget got more than eight hours of video playback and a little under seven hours of its normal workday, and measured 1,150 single-core and 4,407 multi-core in Geekbench 6's Android test, against 2,526 and 7,687 for the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514. It likes the keyboard and calls the speakers tinny. Updates run until June 2035. It is not the model CNN Underscored and PCWorld tested, so the value pick above stays with the CB514-4HT; we list this one as the newer version, and the one the listing we link sells: in our check on 2026-10-13 it had an offer at $455.00 from a marketplace seller, low on stock. [src4, src7]

Key Market Trends (2026)

• No single winner: Tom's Guide and Android Central rank the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 first, PCWorld the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34, RTINGS the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, Engadget the current Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T) and CNN Underscored the earlier CB514-4HT. [src1, src2, src3, src4, src5, src6]
• MediaTek's Kompanio Ultra 910 lifted the top of the range: the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 and the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 both use it. Engadget measured the Spin 514 at 2,526 single-core and 7,687 multi-core in Geekbench 6's Android test against 1,150 and 4,407 for the Core 3 N355 Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T), and says the Lenovo's battery life is the best of any Chromebook it has tested. [src4]
• Googlebooks arrive above Chromebooks: Tom's Guide describes Googlebooks as premium laptops running Googlebook OS, a new Android-based operating system, lists five it has benchmarked at $899 to $1,299 at Best Buy, and reports that Google says many of the newest Chromebooks will be able to move to Googlebook OS, with the requirements still to come. [src1]
• Gemini on Chromebook Plus: ChromeOS 144, which Chrome Unboxed reported was due to start rolling out on January 27, 2026, brought Gemini in Chrome to Chromebook Plus devices, with a text chat and a voice mode (Gemini Live). CNN Underscored says Chromebook Plus laptops come with 12 months of Google AI Pro. [src6, src8]
• Memory prices: Tom's Guide says Windows laptop and MacBook prices are rising because of the RAM crisis, and PCWorld advises buying more RAM where you can because RAM prices are volatile. [src1, src2]

Important Caveats

• Chromebooks run ChromeOS, not Windows or macOS: you cannot install Windows or Mac software, only web apps, Android apps and Linux apps. [src2, src4, src5]
• Memory cannot be added later on the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 (Android Central) or the ASUS Chromebook CX15 (memory on board, per ASUS), so buy the configuration you need. [src5, src13]
• 4GB versions are for light use: PCWorld's 4GB ASUS Chromebook CX15 slowed once half a dozen tabs were open, and CNN Underscored's 4GB Lenovo Chromebook Duet faltered at eight. The CX15 we link has 8GB; the Duet 11 we link has 4GB. [src6, src11]
• Update end dates (Google's Auto Update list, read on 2026-10-14): Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-6H/T) and Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 — June 2035; Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 and Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 — June 2034; Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT) — June 2033; Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE and ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 — June 2032; ASUS Chromebook CX15 (CX1505CKA) — June 2031. An older model bought today can have far fewer years left than the 10-year headline suggests. [src7]
• Chromebook Plus is a certification, not a model name. The ASUS Chromebook CX15 and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 11 on this card are not Chromebook Plus models — Tom's Guide lists 8GB of memory as a Chromebook Plus minimum, which the 4GB Duet misses, and an Intel Core i3 (12th generation or newer) as the Intel floor, which the CX15's Celeron N4500 misses — so they do not get the Chromebook Plus Gemini features. [src1, src8, src13]
• RTINGS's best cheap Chromebook is a newer ASUS Chromebook CX15 with Intel's N50 processor and 4GB of memory, which ASUS sells as the CX1505CTA; it is not the Celeron N4500 version (CX1505CKA) this card recommends and links. [src3, src12, src13]
• Battery results differ by test: Tom's Guide browses at 150 nits, CNN Underscored loops a 1080p video, PCWorld runs CrXPRT, Engadget plays back video. Compare figures within one outlet, not across outlets. [src1, src4, src6, src11, src16]
• Tom's Guide's best 2-in-1 is a model not on this card, Lenovo's Chromebook Plus 2-in-1 Gen 10, which it praises for its keyboard and price but measured below 200 nits; none of the other five guides recommends it. [src1]
• Lenovo's Chromebook Plus i (15", 10), announced at CES 2026 with an Intel Core 3 N355 and a 15.3-inch screen, is not on this card: none of the six guides recommends it. [src9]