The very best Chromebook you should buy in 2025

Chromebooks have develop into a go-to selection for college kids, informal customers and anybody who desires a easy, quick and reasonably priced laptop computer. Powered by Google’s light-weight ChromeOS, these units are nice for net shopping, streaming, phrase processing and utilizing common apps like Google Docs or Zoom. Whether or not you want one thing for varsity, work or on a regular basis use, the very best Chromebook can supply stable efficiency, lengthy battery life and a surprisingly premium expertise — all with out breaking the financial institution.

With so many fashions to select from, discovering the very best Chromebook is determined by what you want most: a shiny show, stable construct high quality, tablet-style 2-in-1 options or simply the bottom value potential. Right here, we’ve collected our prime picks for the very best Chromebooks you will get proper now, all of which have a mixture of a very powerful options anybody can be in search of.

Finest Chromebooks in 2025

Chromebook FAQs

What’s Chrome OS, and why would I exploit it over Home windows?

That is in all probability the primary query about Chromebooks. There are many cheap Home windows laptops in the marketplace, so why hassle with Chrome’s working system? Glad you requested. For me, the straightforward and clear nature of Chrome OS is a giant promoting level. Chrome OS is predicated on Google’s Chrome browser, which suggests a lot of the packages you possibly can run are net primarily based. There’s no bloatware or undesirable apps to uninstall such as you usually get on Home windows laptops, it boots up in seconds, and you may fully reset to manufacturing unit settings virtually as rapidly.

In fact, simplicity will even be a significant disadvantage for some customers. Not with the ability to set up native software program generally is a dealbreaker when you’re a video editor or software program developer. However there are additionally loads of individuals who do the vast majority of their work in an internet browser, utilizing instruments like Google Docs and spreadsheets for productiveness while not having a full Home windows setup.

Google and its software program companions are getting higher yearly at supporting extra superior options. For instance, Google added video editing tools to the Google Images app on Chromebooks – it received’t substitute Adobe Premiere, but it surely ought to be useful for lots of people. Equally, Google and Adobe introduced Photoshop on the web final yr, one thing that brings a lot of the facility of Adobe’s desktop apps to Chromebooks.

Chromebooks can even run Android apps, which significantly expands the quantity of software program accessible. The standard varies extensively, but it surely means you are able to do extra with a Chromebook past simply web-based apps. For instance, you possibly can set up the Netflix app and save movies for offline watching. Different Android apps like Microsoft Workplace and Adobe Lightroom are surprisingly succesful as properly. Between Android apps and a normal enchancment in net apps, Chromebooks are extra than simply portals to a browser.

What do Chromebooks do properly?

Put merely, net shopping and actually something net primarily based. On-line procuring, streaming music and video and utilizing numerous social media websites are among the many commonest each day duties folks do on Chromebooks. As you would possibly count on, in addition they work properly with Google companies like Images, Docs, Gmail, Drive, Maintain and so forth. Sure, any laptop that may run Chrome can do this too, however the light-weight nature of Google Chrome OS makes it a responsive and secure platform.

As I discussed earlier than, Chrome OS can run Android apps, so when you’re an Android consumer you’ll discover some good ties between the platforms. You will get a lot of the similar apps which are in your cellphone on a Chromebook and maintain data in sync between them. You can too use some Android telephones as a safety key in your Chromebook or immediately tether your 2-in-1 laptop to make use of cellular knowledge.

Google continues to tout safety as a significant differentiator for Chromebooks, and it’s undoubtedly an element value contemplating. Auto-updates are the primary strains of protection: Chrome OS updates obtain rapidly within the background and a quick reboot is all it takes to put in the newest model. Google says that every webpage and app on a Chromebook runs in its personal sandbox as properly, so any safety threats are contained to that particular person app. Lastly, Chrome OS has a self-check known as Verified Boot that runs each time a tool begins up. Past all this, the straightforward truth that you simply typically can’t set up conventional apps on a Chromebook means there are fewer methods for unhealthy actors to entry the system.

Should you’re taken with Google’s Gemini AI instruments, a Chromebook is an effective choice as properly. Each Chromebook in our prime picks comes with a full yr of the Google One AI Premium plan — this combines the standard Google One perks like 2TB of storage and 10 % again in purchases from the Google Retailer with a bunch of AI instruments. You’ll get entry to Gemini in Gmail, Google Docs and different apps, Gemini Superior (which runs on the 1.5 Professional mannequin) and extra. On condition that this plan is $20/month, it’s a reasonably stable perk. Chromebook Plus fashions additionally embrace instruments just like the AI-powered “assist me write,” the Google Images Magic Editor and generative AI backgrounds you possibly can create by filling in a number of prompts.

As for when to keep away from Chromebooks, the reply is straightforward: Should you rely closely on a particular native utility for Home windows or a Mac, chances are high you received’t discover the very same choice on a ChromeOS system. That’s most true in fields like picture and video modifying, but it surely may also be the case in regulation or finance. Loads of companies run on Google’s G suite software program, however extra nonetheless have particular necessities {that a} Chromebook may not match. Should you’re an iPhone consumer, you’ll additionally miss out on the way in which the iPhone simply integrates with an iPad or Mac. For me, the massive draw back isn’t with the ability to entry iMessage on a Chromebook.

Lastly, gaming Chromebooks aren’t ubiquitous, though they’re changing into a barely extra cheap choice with the rise of cloud gaming. In late 2022, Google and a few {hardware} companions introduced a push to make Chromebooks with cloud gaming in thoughts. From a {hardware} perspective, which means laptops with greater screens which have larger refresh charges in addition to optimizing these laptops to work with companies like NVIDIA GeForce Now, Xbox Sport Move and Amazon Luna. You’ll clearly want an web connection to make use of these companies, however the excellent news is that taking part in fashionable video games on a Chromebook isn’t inconceivable. You can too set up Android video games from the Google Play Retailer, however that’s not what most individuals are considering of after they need to recreation on a laptop computer.

What are a very powerful specs for a Chromebook?

Chrome OS is light-weight and runs properly on pretty modest {hardware}, so a very powerful factor to search for may not be processor energy or space for storing. However Google made it simpler to get constant specs and efficiency late final yr when it launched the Chromebook Plus initiative. Any system with a Chromebook Plus designation meets some minimal necessities, which occur to be similar to what I’d suggest most individuals get in the event that they’re in search of the best laptop they will use every single day.

Chromebook Plus fashions have not less than a Twelfth-gen Intel Core i3 processor, or an AMD Ryzen 3 7000 sequence processor, each of which ought to be greater than sufficient for most individuals. These laptops even have a minimal of 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage, which ought to do the trick until you’re actually pushing your Chromebook. All Chromebook Plus fashions should have a 1080p webcam, which is good in lately of fixed video calling, they usually additionally all should have not less than a 1080p FHD IPS display.

In fact, you will get larger specs or higher screens when you want, however I’ve discovered that principally the whole lot included within the Chromebook Plus goal specs makes for an excellent expertise.

Google has an Auto Replace coverage for Chromebooks as properly, and whereas that’s not precisely a spec, it’s value checking before you purchase. Final yr, Google introduced that Chromebooks would get software program updates and help for a formidable 10 years after their launch date. This support page lists the Auto Replace expiration date for just about each Chromebook ever, however rule of thumb is to purchase the most recent machine you possibly can to maximise your help.

How a lot ought to I spend on a Chromebook?

Chromebooks began out notoriously low cost, with checklist costs usually coming in beneath $300. However as they’ve gone extra mainstream, they’ve transitioned from being primarily fashionable netbooks to among the greatest laptops you’ll need to use all day. As such, costs have elevated: At this level, you must count on to spend not less than $400 if you need a stable each day driver. There are nonetheless many Chromebooks on the market accessible at a low value which may be appropriate as secondary units, however Chromebook that may be an all-day, every-day laptop computer will price extra. However, notably, even the very best Chromebooks often price lower than the best Windows laptops, and even the very best “common” laptops on the market.

There are many premium Chromebooks that method and even exceed $1,000 that declare to supply higher efficiency and extra processing energy, however I don’t suggest spending that a lot. Usually, that’ll get you a greater design with extra premium supplies, in addition to extra highly effective internals and further space for storing, like a higher-capacity SSD. In fact, you additionally typically pay for the model identify. However, the specs I outlined earlier are often sufficient.

See Additionally:

Different Chromebooks we examined

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

Samsung’s new Galaxy Chromebook Plus is without doubt one of the extra distinctive Chromebooks on the market. It’s extraordinarily skinny and lightweight, at 0.46 inches and a pair of.6 kilos, but it surely manages to incorporate a 15.6-inch show in that body. That display is a 1080p panel that’s sharp and shiny, however its 16:9 facet ratio made issues really feel a bit cramped when scrolling vertically. Efficiency is superb, and the keyboard is stable, although I’m not a fan of the quantity pad because it shifts the whole lot to the left. At $700 it’s not low cost, however that feels honest contemplating its measurement and capabilities. Should you’re in search of a giant display laptop computer that can also be tremendous gentle, this Chromebook deserves consideration, even when it’s not the best choice for everybody.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-chromebooks-160054646.html?src=rss

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