Best Chromebook Under $500 (2026): 7 Laptops and 2-in-1s

The CX34 is the safest all-round choice because it has no obvious weak spot. ASUS lists a 14-inch 1920 x 1080 display, a 50Wh three-cell battery and a starting weight of 1.44 kg (3.17 lb), with a rated battery life of up to 10 hours. The version we link, model CX3402CBA-DH388, is listed with a Core i3-1215U, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage.

Owners and reviewers generally describe it as quick for browsing, Google Docs, streaming and light Android apps. The recurring criticisms are a modest screen brightness and a plain plastic build. ASUS also sells touchscreen versions and newer Core i3-1315U, i5 and Core 3 100U chips, so check the exact code if touch matters to you. A third-party spec database lists Google's update expiration for this line as June 2032, which gives roughly six years from now.

Skip it if you want a touchscreen that folds into a tablet; the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus does that.

Lenovo's Flex 5i Chromebook Plus pairs a Core i3-1315U with 8GB of soldered LPDDR4x memory and a 14-inch touchscreen at 1920 x 1200 with 300 nits of brightness. The 360-degree hinge supports laptop, tent, stand and tablet modes, and the 51Wh battery sits in a body listed at 1.58 kg (3.48 lb).

Storage is the part to watch. The listing we link is the 8GB and 256GB version, while other Amazon listings describe 128GB eMMC plus an SD card or bundle larger SD cards, so compare the exact configuration before you pay. The model is listed with updates until June 2032.

Its main trade-off against the ASUS is weight. At nearly 3.5 lb it is a laptop first and a tablet second, so many owners use tablet mode propped on a desk rather than held.

Skip it if you carry your laptop all day and care about weight; the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is about a quarter pound lighter. Lenovo also sells newer Core 3 versions of the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, so check the code.

The 515 is the Chromebook for people who find 14 inches cramped. Acer lists a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display, an Intel Core i3-1215U (higher Core i5 versions exist), 8GB of LPDDR5X memory soldered to the board and a 256GB SSD on the version we link. Acer rates the battery at up to 10 hours and the weight at roughly 1.68 kg (3.7 lb), with a 65W USB-C adapter.

Notebookcheck and other reviewers note that brightness is below average, so it suits indoor use better than a sunny cafe. Acer sells both a non-touch CB515-2H and a touchscreen CB515-2HT, and some Acer 515 listings also use a Core i3-1305U. The Amazon page we link shows the model number as CB515-2HT, so confirm whether you are getting touch before ordering.

It is a good fit for a home office, a student dorm desk or a kitchen-table machine for the family.

Skip it if you commute with it; the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is half a pound lighter.

HP's Chromebook Plus 15a is the plainest way to get Chromebook Plus specs on this list. The 15a-nb0033dx (HP part 8D616UA) pairs an Intel Core i3-N305 with 8GB of LPDDR5-4800 memory, 128GB of UFS storage and a 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 anti-glare IPS screen. Starry Hope lists it at about 3.81 lb (1.73 kg) with a Google update date of June 2033, and retailer listings give the panel around 250 nits.

The trade-offs are what you would expect at this tier. Starry Hope notes there is no keyboard backlight and no HDMI port, and the N305 is a lower-power chip that slows sooner than the Core i3 models once you stack many tabs with Android apps. Amazon has many renewed and bundled listings for this family, plus other 15a codes with different storage, so pick a new unit and check the model code.

Skip it if you carry your laptop daily or want a backlit keyboard; the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is more than half a pound lighter and has the faster Core i3.

The Plus 514 is Acer's lightweight option. Acer's US page for the CB514-3H-R6G5 lists an AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, 8GB of LPDDR5X memory, 128GB SSD, a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display and a 50Wh battery. Weight is about 3.2 lb (1.45 kg).

That taller 16:10 panel and low weight make it one of the nicest clamshells to carry, about on par with the ASUS CX34 at 1.44 kg. Acer has also released CB514-5H and CB514-6HT versions with Intel Core i3-1315U and Core 3 N355 chips and touch on some, so shop by the model code that suits your needs. We could not confirm Google's update date for the R6G5 code in the sources we saw, so check Google's AUE list first.

Availability of this older code has been patchy, with Acer's own store showing it out of stock at the time we looked. If the R6G5 listing is gone, the newer 514 versions are the alternative.

Skip it if you want a touchscreen or fold-over hinge; the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus has both.

ASUS sells the CX34 in a non-touch CX3402CBA and a touchscreen CX3402CVA. The touch version is listed with a Core i3-1315U, 8GB of LPDDR5 memory, 128GB of UFS storage and a 14-inch 1920 x 1080 display, and ASUS's spec page lists a 50Wh battery for the line. Starry Hope shows a Google update date of June 2032 for the CVA code.

It suits you better than the non-touch Best Overall pick if you use Android apps or like to scroll with a finger, since it keeps the same chassis. It is not a convertible, so drawing or note-taking in tablet mode needs the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i instead. Retailer listings for this family mix touch, non-touch, renewed and bundled units, and the exact title on the page we link should say touchscreen before you order.

Skip it if you want a tablet mode or a stylus workflow; the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus has a 360-degree hinge.

The Duet is a different kind of Chromebook. It is an 11-inch tablet that comes with a detachable keyboard and stand, powered by a MediaTek Kompanio 838. We point to the 4GB version with 64GB of eMMC; many Amazon listings add a bundled SD card and show a larger total, so check the internal storage. Retailer listings give a 10.95-inch WUXGA touch display at 400 nits, USI stylus support, and two USB-C ports with an audio jack.

The reviewer-cited battery is 29Wh, with retailers citing around 12 hours. Retailer pages list updates into 2034, the longest date on this page, though Google's own list is the source to confirm.

It handles web apps, video and reading well. With only 4GB of RAM, though, heavy tab use or Android apps will bog it down, which is why it is not a main-laptop pick.

Skip it if this is your only computer; the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 has double the RAM and a full-size keyboard.