Best Chromebook under $200 in 2024 – our top picks
If you’re on the hunt for the best Chromebook under $200, we’ve got you covered right here.
A Chromebook is an affordable alternative to a Windows or macOS laptop. Throw-in all-day battery life, a stylish, compact design, unmatched ease of use, a lightning-fast, fluff-free operating system, and Chromebooks are the perfect fit for social media hounds, late-night browsers, and ravenous video streaming buffs.
For under $200, you can get a very capable Chromebook. Naturally, premium Chromebooks exist, much like in the Windows and Mac space. But, for most users, who’ll happily forgo a high-end display, a sleek metal chassis, and more extensive storage, it’s possible to pay much less and still pick up a device that will more than meet any web-based needs. The Chromebooks you will find for under 200 dollars will feature HD displays, Intel Celeron or MediaTek Kompanio processors, and eMMc storage paired with around 4GB of RAM. If you want better specs, check out some of the best Chromebooks under $300.
As there are many options available in the market, it can be challenging to choose the right Chromebook. To help you out, we’ve selected a few options we think are the best Chromebooks under $200. These Chromebooks were selected based on their specs and the value for money they offer. So, without any further ado, let’s dive in!
Products at a Glance
How we picked
Our team uses their expertise to find the best Chromebook under $200. They carefully explored the market and picked only those Chromebooks that offered the best value for money and were packed with decent hardware. Our team is also constantly looking for new Chromebooks to add to our list, so check back here soon for more options.
Product Reviews
- 11.6-inch LED display
- Energy-efficient processor
- Lightweight and portable
- Limited storage in base model
If you want the latest and ultra-lightweight Chromebook for under $200, then you should check out the Samsung Chromebook 4 model released in 2023.
The Chromebook sports an 11.6-inch LED display with HD resolution, which should deliver good quality visuals. Further, the LED screen is energy-efficient, so you can expect the battery to last longer.
On the inside, the Samsung Chromebook sports an Intel Celeron N4020 processor, which is an energy-efficient chip that promises to handle all your day-to-day tasks effectively and save energy at the same time. You can use this book for productivity, entertainment, browsing, and more.
The model that we have selected comes with 4GB DDR4 RAM, which may not sound like a lot, but it should be sufficient for multitasking. Plus, the 64GB eMMC should help boost performance.
As mentioned earlier, the Chromebook is quite lightweight – it weighs only 2.6 pounds, which should be portable for most users. Plus, the device boasts military-grade drop protection, which should add to its portability factor.
- Durable build
- Battery life
- Great keyboard
- Mediocre display
We think that the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is the best touchscreen Chromebook currently available in the market. The laptop comes packed with some decent hardware and is also well-designed.
For the CPU, we have the MediaTek Kompanio 500 MT8183C, which can handle multitasking and everyday tasks easily. To further improve the overall performance, the laptop comes with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM. The storage comes in the form of 64GB eMMC, which should be more than sufficient for basic stuff.
The best part about the laptop is its 2-in-1 design. Thanks to its 360-degree hinge, you can transform it into a tablet or a tent, depending on what you need to use it for. The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 also does not disappoint when it comes to battery, which lasts for around 15 hours after a full charge.
- Excellent construction and design for the price
- AMD processor
- Battery life
- Good connectivity options
- Massive bezels
- Poor display
Under $200, corners need to be cut and compromises made. If you are willing to sacrifice display quality for a Chromebook with construction and design that belies its low price point, then the Lenovo Chromebook 3 may be worth considering. It’s also one of the few Chromebooks powered by an AMD chip, specifically the AMD A6 APU with Radeon Graphics, alongside 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB eMMC storage, Wi-Fi 5, two USB-A port, two USB-C, microSD card reader, and Bluetooth 4.2.
The Lenovo Chromebook 3 has the look and feel of a device twice its price, with a striped front panel and an all-black color scheme that feels uncommonly elegant for this price point. It’s also lightweight and compact. Lenovo put enough thought into the construction that it feels robust and reliable despite the plastic materials. The Lenovo Chromebook 3 also boasts a good battery life and pushes way beyond the marketed 10 hours for lighter tasks.
Another highlight is the Lenovo Chromebook 3’s keyboard, which delivers a pretty good typing experience. The keys emit an audible click when pressed to feel nicely responsive. The key spacing and size are conducive to a comfortable time typing emails or chatting away with friends. As far as the screen is concerned, the laptop sports an 11-inch 1366 x 768 HD display, which comes with 250 nits of maximum brightness.
- Rugged and well-built
- Perfect for school children or older students
- Activity Light
- Good battery life
- Only 16 GB of storage
- Small keyboard
Dell has designed the Dell Chromebook 11 with school children and students in mind. Much of the focus is on creating a device capable of withstanding anything and everything the classroom can throw its way. The rugged rubberized LCD and base trim ensure the Chromebook can be tussled around in a backpack, dropped, knocked, and bashed, and still function as intended. Dell even had the device U.S. Military Standard tested to ensure durability against pressure, temperature, and vibration.
The Dell Chromebook 11 features an uncommon LED Activity Light mounted on the front of the device that teachers and students can use to field or answer questions via a bespoke app. With a 14-hour battery life, reliability during lessons is worked into the machine, and it should last a full day of learning with ease.
Under the hood, the Dell Chromebook 11 features an Intel Celeron N4020 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 600, and 4GB of RAM. Storage is on the smaller side at only 16 GB, one of the few downsides of this particular Chromebook. Dell has covered connectivity well with one HDMI 1.4 for external displays, one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, two microSD card slots, a 3.5 mm headphone/mic jack, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.0.
While the keyboard is sealed, spill-proof, and virtually immune to grime and dust, it falls on the smaller side, hence why we favored this Chromebook for school-age children with smaller hands. Nevertheless, the typing experience is decent and suitably responsive. The same goes for the trackpad.
- Excellent battery life
- Decent specs
- Durable and compact
- Display is underwhelming
If you’re a student looking for the best Chromebook under $200, you’d want to get the Lenovo Slim 3 Chromebook.
The Chromebook is powered by the MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor. This may not be one of the most powerful processors out there, but it still still excellent for basic tasks like web browsing, creating documents, watching movies, etc. On top of that, the Chromebook features 4GB of RAM paired with 64GB of eMMC storage, which, again, should be fine for basic stuff.
As far as the display is concerned, the Lenovo Slim 3 Chromebook sports a 14-inch FHD screen. It supports touch navigation and comes with an integrated 720p HD webcam, which is ideal for those who are always taking online classes or meetings. The battery life is also excellent. After a full charge, you can expect it to last for around 13.5 hours.
How to choose the best Chromebook for under $200
There are few key considerations you’ll want to make when shopping for a Chromebook, especially if you’re sticking to a budget. In case you want something for gaming, check out our top picks for the best Chromebook for gaming.
Storage
As we mentioned earlier, storage is less of a consideration in Chromebooks than Windows or Mac laptops. The cloud-based operating system ensures most files, documents, media, and so on are saved in the cloud rather than locally on the device.
With that in mind, Chromebook storage is substantially smaller and generally forgoes pricier SSDs for cheaper but slower eMMC storage. As for GB counts, budget Chromebooks can feature as little as 16§§ GB, jumping to 32 or 64 GB, and even 128 GB for more expensive options.
In general, we feel 32 GB is a decent compromise between storage and price, but the right amount is very much dependent on how you plan to use the Chromebook. If it is used mainly for web-based entertainment, 16 GB should suffice. But, if it will double as a work device, more on-device storage may be useful for storing documents and files locally. Note that more extensive storage generally means a higher price tag. $200 does limit what you’ll find out there.
Connectivity
While a Chromebook is designed to be an all-in-one wireless device, some situations warrant extra peripherals or storage. If you prefer to use an external laptop or mouse, or fancy the speed boost of a wired Ethernet connection, then take stock of the connectivity offered by a particular model.
Look out for the type and number of USB ports. The same goes for SD card slots, Ethernet ports, and possibly video output like an HDMI port if you plan to hook up the Chromebook to a larger display.
Similarly, you may want to consider a Chromebook’s Wi-Fi standard. As a bare minimum, we highly recommend Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac to ensure good speeds and a reliable connection. Anything lower feels outdated and cuts down significantly on the device’s longevity. Chromebooks with Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax are available, but none are priced even remotely close to $200 and fall firmly into the higher-end bracket.
Battery
You don’t want to end up with a Chromebook that only lasts for a few hours after a full charge. While your budget is limited to 200 dollars, you should not settle for a Chromebook with a poor battery life. This is because there are plenty of Chromebooks within this budget that offer a great battery life.
The Chromebook you get for under $200 should last for at least 10 hours after every charge. Some of the cheap ones can also last up to 14 hours. If you end up getting a Chromebook that requires charging after after three to four hours, you’ll get tired of it quickly. In case you want to explore laptops with great battery life, check out the best battery life laptops.
Why are Chromebooks so cheap?
Since Chromebooks work mostly on the internet, the hardware requirements are very low. That means they cost less to make than, for instance, regular laptops or gaming laptops.
How much is a decent Chrombook?
You can get a decent Chromebook for under $200 if you want something for everyday usage and nothing too feature-rich. If you want to have something with a better screen, more memory, and perhaps even some other functionality, we’d recommend increasing your budget.
Our Verdict
We think that the HP Chromebook 2023 is the best Chromebook under $200. It features the Intel Celeron N4120 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMc storage. On top of that, it sports a 14-inch display. Overall, this Chromebook is perfect for everyday tasks.