Whether you need a new computer for school or as an inexpensive device for the family to use, Chromebooks are a great option for those looking to save money on a productivity machine. They’re also more affordable than most Windows-based machines and they boast really long battery life.
For more information on Chromebooks, check out our list of the best Chromebooks to help you make the right decision, or see our laptops versus Chromebooks explainer to help you understand the finer points between the machines. Additionally, if you’re considering a laptop instead, be sure to check out our best laptop deals, updated daily.
Note: Tech deals come and go quickly, so it’s possible some of these computer discounts will have expired before this article’s next update.
Best budget Chromebook deals
- Acer Chromebook Spin 311, Celeron N4000/4GB RAM/64GB SSD/11.6-inch 768p display, $183.00 (27% off on Amazon)
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3 11 Chromebook, Celeron N4020/4GB RAM/64GB SSD/11.6-inch 768p display, $116.89 (47% off on Amazon)
- Lenovo Chromebook 3, AMD A-Series A6/4GB RAM/32GB SSD/11.6-inche 768p display, $89.99 (59% off at BestBuy)
- HP Chromebook 14, Celeron N4120/4GB RAM/64GB SSD/14-inch HD display, $199.99 (43% off on Walmart)
- HP G8 EE, Celeron N4000/4GB RAM/32GB SSD/11.6-inch 768p display, $127.99 (17% off on Walmart)
Budget offerings are abundant this time of year, but there are still a few options that stand out. The Lenovo Chromebook 3 is a very basic model but at 59 percent off, it’s the best value of the bunch. If you’re looking for something a little larger, check out the HP Chromebook 14, which has decent enough specs but a roomier 14-inch display. It’s on sale for $150 off right now.
Best midrange Chromebook deals
- HP Chromebook x2, Snapdragon 7c/4GB RAM/64GB SSD/11-inch 1440p touch display, $349.99 (39% off on HP)
- HP Pro c640 G2, Pentium Gold 7505/8GB RAM/64GB SSD/14-inch 768p touch display, $661.05 (35% off on HP)
- HP x360, Celeron N4020/4GB RAM/64GB SSD/14-inch 768p touch display, $215.93 (64% off on Amazon)
- Acer Chromebook 317, Intel N6000/8GB RAM/64GB SSD/17.3-inch 1080p touch display, $379.00 (24% off on BestBuy)
- Acer Chromebook 516 GE, Core i5/8GB RAM/256GB SSD/16-inch 1600p 120Hz display, $549.00 (15% off on BestBuy)
If you’re on the hunt for a midrange Chromebook, the HP Chromebook x2 is a good deal. At $220 off on HP’s site, it packs a decent Snapdragon processor and a luxurious 1440p touch display that should allow you to do everyday tasks like surfing the web, checking e-mail, and so on with a crystal clear image.
If you have a bit more money to spend, then the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a great choice because of its 1600p display. That said, the display is quite large, so you’ll need to decide if you’re willing to sacrifice some portability.
FAQ
What should I look for in a Chromebook?
For a respectable Chromebook, look for the following specs: an Intel Celeron N4000 chip or higher, 8GB of RAM, and a 1080p screen. A Pentium Silver N6000 processor is a step up from that. A Core m3-8100Y should be satisfactory, although the midrange or premium Chromebooks include laptop-class chips like a Core i3 or an AMD Ryzen processor.
More memory, such as 8GB rather than 4GB, will allow for more open browser tabs and a smoother browsing experience. A 1080p screen will offer a more comfortable viewing experience. Hard drive storage really doesn’t matter too much, though you should at least aim for 32GB in order to store apps, screenshots, and the like.
If you’re familiar with our laptops versus Chromebooks explainer, you know that one of the potential gotchas is buying a Chromebook whose support window expires soon. We try to factor that into our picks above, so you won’t get stuck with a Chromebook that will lose support in the near future. But be sure to double check these things before purchase so you don’t end up without support should your Chromebook encounter issues.
Which retailers offer good Chromebook deals?
There are a lot of retailers that offer Chromebook deals, and scouring through all of them would take you a lot of time—that’s why we do it for you here and highlight the best deals we find. However, to save you some time and any potential headaches, you need to be smart about where you look at any given time of the year.
If you’re looking for a new Chromebook during the holidays or around popular sales events such as Black Friday or back-to-school, there are often great deals directly through the retail storefronts of popular computer manufacturers such as HP, Dell, Samsung, and Lenovo.
However, if you are looking in between sales events, it can be a good idea to check out large third-party retailers such as Amazon, Adorama, Walmart, BestBuy, and Target. Oftentimes these websites will offer time-limited Deals of the Day sales in order to get rid of excess stock. On the plus side, you can score still-decent Chromebooks at a steep discount this way.
What is the difference between a regular laptop and a Chromebook?
When people talk about regular laptops they usually mean a PC or Mac. A Chromebook is still a laptop, but it differentiates itself from either of those two by using a unique operating system called Chrome OS, which was created by Google. Think of it like this: All Chromebooks are laptops, but not all laptops are Chromebooks.
Unlike other operating systems such as Windows or macOS, Chrome OS is optimized to run Google apps such as Google Drive, Google Docs, YouTube, and other Google services. Because most Google apps are online, Chromebooks generally require an internet connection to use most of their important features.
Finally, Chromebooks have historically been designed with portability, ease of use, and affordability in mind rather than top performance. They typically forego the faster, high-end hardware that PCs or Macs can use for a more minimalist, lightweight approach to computing.
