Chromebooks are well-known for matching affordability with faster performance thanks to the lightweight Chrome OS operating system. The operating system has evolved a lot over the years. And now that Chrome OS supports Android and Linux apps, it is seeing a resurgence. So, if you are in the market for a brand new Chromebook, you have come to the right place. In this article, I have curated the 12 best Chromebooks based on different price points. You can go through the article section-wise and pick a Chromebook as per your budget and requirement. On that note, let’s go ahead and find the top Chromebook in 2020 that you can buy.
I have divided the article into three sections: budget, mid-range, and premium. So, based on your preference, go ahead and check out the Chromebooks. We have carefully curated the best Chromebooks for students, kids, seniors, general consumers, and professionals as well. In fact, despite the limited options, we have also mentioned some great Chromebooks for users in India. With that said, let’s jump right in.
Budget Chromebooks Under $300
Mid-range Chromebooks Under $500
Premium Chromebooks Under $1000
Best Chromebooks in India (2020)
Comparison Table
How to Choose the Best Chromebook?
If you are a beginner and need a Chromebook for light usage then look for Celeron N4000 or newer processors. They are sufficiently capable for light usage. Keep in mind, in 2020, don’t buy a Chromebook that features older Celeron processors like N3350 or N3060. Simply stay away from them. And if you are a power user then get the Intel chips preferably the 8th-gen i3 and upwards. The newer 10th-gen Intel processors are great.
How to Choose the Best Chromebook?
Coming to display, you should pick a Chromebook that has an FHD panel. And if it supports touchscreen and has a convertible body then that is even better. So these are the fundamental things that you should keep in mind before buying a Chromebook.
1. Lenovo Chromebook Duet
In the last few years, Google has not just improved Chrome OS but also brought significant changes to the tablet mode. It now supports iPadOS-like gestures, on-screen keyboard, palm-rejection technology (with USI pen), quick snapping, and a lot more. Leveraging the tablet mode on Chrome OS, Lenovo has introduced a unique Chromebook called Duet.
Pros
Cons
Buy from Walmart: $249
The recently-launched Lenovo 3 is the cheapest Chromebook that you can buy in 2020. This Chromebook is made for kids and students who want a rugged body with all-around protection. It features a decently-powerful processor Celeron N4020 with two cores and packs 32GB of eMMC storage and 4GB of RAM.
The 11.6-inch HD display is good enough for kids and you will be getting updates on this Chromebook for at least 2027. Keep in mind, it does not have a touchscreen display and convertible design. In tandem, if you want a solid Chromebook at an affordable price, Lenovo 3 is your outright pick.
Buy from Walmart: $169
After the success of C330, Lenovo has upgraded the internals and brought C340 for people who want a convertible body and touchscreen display. The Chromebook is powered by Celeron N4000 processor and packs in 64GB of eMMC storage and 4GB of RAM. Not to mention, you get Play Store and Linux apps on this Chromebook as well.
Buy from Walmart: $314.95
4. HP 14a-na0020nr
Apart from Lenovo, HP has also been making some great affordable Chromebooks. The HP 14a-na0020nr features the Intel Celeron N4000 processor with two cores under the hood. The clock speed can go up to 2.6GHz so that is nice. In addition, you get a larger 14-inch HD display, but it’s not a touchscreen panel. Next, you have 4GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage.
Cons
- No touchscreen
- Low storage
Mid-range Chromebooks Under $500
5. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5
As we observed in the Budget segment, Lenovo has been killing with Chromebooks at all price points. And similar is the case in the mid-range segment as well. Generally, I recommend the HP x360 in the mid-range category, but this time, Lenovo has trumped HP with its affordable pricing. Without getting into the specs, I can say that the Lenovo Flex 5 is the best Chromebook anyone can buy without any hesitation.
- 10th-gen processor
- FHD screen
- Touchscreen and convertible design
- Backlit keyboard
HP 14C-CA0053DX is my next pick for Chromebook under $500. It’s almost similar to the Lenovo Flex 5 but offers 8GB of RAM which I think it’s a better pick for pro users. You get the same Intel 10th-gen i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. Further, the display is a 14-inch FHD panel with touchscreen support.
Simply put, if Lenovo Flex 5 does not cut it for you due to low RAM then you can pick HP 14C without any second thoughts. Keep in mind, you will have to shell out $90 more for the increased RAM, but if you are going to use Linux and lots of other apps then it’s well worth the price.
Buy from BestBuy: $499
7. Acer Chromebook Spin 713
Generally, premium Chromebooks are priced upwards of $800 due to better screen, powerful processor, and latest internals. But that changed with Acer Chromebook Spin 713. I can say that the Acer Spin 713 is simply the best Chromebook on this list considering its affordable price and top-notch specs.
- No fingerprint sensor
- The design could have been better
Buy from BestBuy: $629
Asus has been making top-notch Chromebooks for the past many years. Last year’s Asus C434 was seen as the best Chromebook in the market, but its high price tag and limited availability of top variants disappointed many users. So to fix all that, Asus has brought a successor of C434– the C436. It features the 10th-gen Intel Core i3 processor, packed with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of NVMe SSD storage which is awesome.
Despite its hefty price tag, I still recommend the Pixelbook Go to users who want a no-nonsense Chromebook. You get a Full HD 13.3-inch touch screen display, but it does not come in a convertible design. Apart from that, the Pixelbook Go offers 8GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard SSD storage.
In terms of raw power, the Pixelbook Go packs an 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor which is pretty good, but it’s not in the same league as Acer Spin 713. Besides that, the keyboard on this Chromebook is really good and you will simply love the typing experience on this machine.
10. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook
True to its name, Samsung announced the Galaxy Chromebook with a 4K display which was unheard of in the Chromebook space. It features a 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED touchscreen display which is not even found on the best of the best laptops. The Chromebook has a convertible design so you can use it any way you want. Plus, you get a free stylus bundled with the Chromebook.
- 4K AMOLED display
- 10th-gen processor
- NVMe SSD
- 8GB RAM
- Convertible body
11. HP Chromebook x360
If you are looking to buy the best Chromebook in India then here is the good news. HP seems to be interested in the Indian market and they have brought a new Chromebook with upgraded internals. After the last year’s HP Chromebook x360 (8th-gen processor), HP has brought a new Chromebook with a 10th-gen Intel i3 processor, packed with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage.
I have been using the last year’s Chromebook for over a year and it has been flawless– both in battery life and performance. Besides that, you get a backlit keyboard, fingerprint sensor, fast charging support, etc. Simply put, the new-gen HP Chromebook x360 is the best Chromebook you can buy in India.
- Buy from Flipkart: Rs. 55,990 (HP Chromebook x360)
- Buy from Flipkart: Rs. 31,495 (HP Chromebook 14a)
12. Lenovo Duet
Lenovo has surprisingly brought its popular Chromebook Duet to the Indian market and at a somewhat affordable price. You get a sleek, 2-in-1 Chromebook that can be used both as a tablet and a laptop. And as I have mentioned above, the detachable keyboard comes bundled with the Chromebook so that is awesome.
- No USI pen in India
Buy from Lenovo: Rs. 27,999
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Which is the Best Chromebook to Buy?
Acer Spin 713 is the best Chromebook you can buy right now. It’s packed with premium features and costs almost half of what other manufacturer charges. Apart from that, you can take a look at Lenovo Flex 5 or HP 14C-CA0053DX.
Laptop is a general terminology for mobile computers that has desktop-level features. Be it a MacBook, Windows laptop, or a Chromebook — all are basically laptops. However, due to the device popularity and the distinct OS it runs, devices carve a name for themselves.
Yes, Chromebooks are definitely worth it in 2020. After the Linux support, Chromebooks have become pretty feature-rich and you can perform almost anything that you can do on a Windows laptop.
Q. Which is the Best Affordable Chromebook?
If you are looking for the best affordable Chromebook under $300 then go for Lenovo C340. And if you can afford to slightly increase your budget then pick the HP 14C-CA0053DX or Lenovo Flex 5.
The main disadvantage of a Chromebook is that it does not have native app support, meaning you won’t find as many apps as you do on Windows or macOS. Apart from that, gaming is a pain point on Chromebooks if you generally download and play games. That said, if you can adapt yourself to Linux then most of your issues will be resolved.
