If you’re in need of a reasonably priced laptop, particularly if you’re shopping for a student ready to go back to school, a whole heap of important factors go into that buying decision.
Among Windows and Apple laptops, myriad options unfold before you, once you start looking at different brands, widely ranging screen sizes, and clamshell laptops versus convertible 2-in-1s.
But in 2020, you may not need a Windows or macOS laptop at all.
Why? Chromebooks.
Chromebooks are an affordable—and increasingly practical—solution for everyday computing tasks.
But they're not for everyone.
We’re going to help you break down the differences between traditional laptops and Chromebooks to see which kind makes more sense for what you, or a student, does every day.
First Off: What Is a Chromebook?
Since laptops have been a mainstay for decades, we probably don’t need to define a Windows 10 or Apple macOS laptop for you.
Chromebooks, though, are a relatively new product category that may be unfamiliar to many shoppers, especially if you haven’t been in the market for a laptop for years.
Chromebooks are technically laptops, too, and look just like other notebooks from the outside.
They have some core differences, though, mainly on the software side, that set them apart from the laptops and desktop PCs you may be more familiar with.
With Chromebooks, we’re talking about machines that cost, in some cases, as little as $175 to $300.
You can find a handful of Windows laptops in this range, but they're mostly cut-price options that can’t do as much as their pricier counterparts.
Many of the cheapest Windows laptops are on the smaller side, as well.
Even inexpensive Chromebooks, though, are fully capable of all the tasks Chromebooks are made for, since they’re intentionally somewhat limited to a subset of jobs.
You'll also see on the market more upscale Chromebooks, which focus on nicer physical chassis builds, better processors, more storage, and other extra features.
These premium Chromebooks are appealing, providing a higher-quality feel and in some cases 2-in-1 convertible designs.
(Google's own Chromebooks fall into this upper crust of Chromebooks.) But the core Chromebook concept centers around the less-expensive machines.
The single biggest differentiator between Chromebooks and other laptops is that Chromebooks don’t run the latest Windows or macOS version as their operating system (OS), but instead run Google’s Chrome OS.
This lightweight OS prioritizes the Chrome web browser, and apps from the Chrome Web Store and Google Play Store, as your main methods of productivity and interaction with the machine.
Laptops vs.
Chromebooks: The Practical Differences
Chromebooks aim to remove a lot of the file-management, program-installation, and other customization aspects that make PCs more powerful and versatile, but also more complicated to use.
You can, of course, browse the web on a laptop, too, but you’ll also install programs, dig through and move personal files, and (if it's your thing) play games.
The Chromebook experience, overall, is much more akin to how you use a smartphone, but in the physical form of a laptop.
On Chromebooks, all of your work is meant to be done via online services, and saved to the cloud.
This fundamentally changes how you interact with and view the Chromebook as a device: It’s more of a physical terminal that allows you to access a group of internet services you use to do work or entertain yourself.
Your data does not live primarily on the device, in the way that much of it does with Windows and Apple laptops.
Those alternatives are, of course, able to use cloud services, as well, but the prioritization of online applications is inverted.
You’ll have to get used to the Chrome browser if you aren’t already, because on Chromebooks, it’s your main interface.
It’s not especially complicated, though, even if you don’t have options like you do on Windows machines.
Chrome extensions can make your web browsing experience that much more robust.
Your source for programs and applications to use with a Chromebook isn't just one place.
Some applications run right within your browser.
Others download from the Chrome Web Store, though Google is moving Chromebooks away from Chrome OS-specific apps and the Chrome Web Store.
And still others (a vast array) are Android apps.
They come from the Google Play store, the same repository that hosts the wide world of Android apps for smartphones.
Originally, Chromebooks did not offer access to the Google Play store, but once that feature was introduced to Chrome OS and newer Chromebooks, their capabilities improved dramatically.
Through the store, you can install a wide range of store apps, and even any app designed for Android, on your Chromebook. Some are designed for the particular dimensions of a Chromebook screen.
Others, well, look like they are made for a phone.
Chromebooks are still not as versatile as or as powerful as other laptops in terms of software options, but with the current app stores, you can at the very least replicate any of the productivity of a smartphone, and add the efficiency of a big screen and full-size keyboard.
The right apps can get a Chromebook running with about as much potential as a low-end Windows laptop, but it really does depend on your workload needs.
Laptops, on the other hand, have the full power of Windows and years of varied and specific programs at their disposal.
Laptops vs.
Chromebooks: Hardware Head-to-Head
Because running a web browser and apps is not particularly strenuous, Chromebooks usually don’t include high-end components.
Additionally, the fact that they’re built for simpler workloads means they’re often targeted more at young users, students, or less tech-savvy users who just need to access the web.
Both of these factors mean that, generally speaking, the prices for Chromebooks are lower than for many computers based on Windows or macOS.
An important thing to note: The use of Google’s OS doesn’t mean that all Chromebooks are made by Google.
In the same way that Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and other PC makers create their own laptops that run Microsoft’s Windows operating system, many of these same major manufacturers produce Chromebooks that utilize Chrome OS.
Like other laptops, they come in different shapes and sizes, and you can find hybrid 2-in-1 Chromebooks, as well.
(Check out our roundup of current Chromebook favorites, as well as an even more thorough rundown on Chromebooks.)
To get more specific about the component differences, let's run through them one by one.
PROCESSORS. Chromebooks employ low-power processors that suit the less-straining jobs they’re meant for.
Right now, in inexpensive Chromebooks, these CPUs are most often Intel Celeron chips, though you will run across some Pentium processors, which are a step up from Celeron, and (on the more expensive Chromebooks) Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors.
You may also run across the occasional AMD-based Chromebook, but these are less common and are low-power options in their current iterations.
Inexpensive Windows laptops, on the other hand, usually have Core i3 options as their lowest starting points, with more mainstream consumer laptops offering Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 chips.
A Core i3 processor may be one of the better CPU options on a Chromebook, but it could make for a slower Windows experience if you're a power user or a heavy multitasker.
A Core i5 is usually the floor for a good, robust Windows laptop; for a Chromebook, it's the ceiling.
MAIN MEMORY (RAM) AND STORAGE. Chromebooks most often offer 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of flash-memory storage (the latter usually dubbed "eMMC").
This small amount of storage may jump out at you as insufficient, especially compared to the 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB drives most mainstream laptops offer.
Those latter amounts can store a load of documents, as well as larger files like videos and games, without running out of space.
A Chromebook's 32GB dollop, on the other hand, is only good for a small amount of locally resident files.
You can often use an SD card to expand a Chromebook’s storage capacity and transfer files offline, but getting just a little local storage is the norm, not the exception.
However, because Chromebooks are so web-focused, the limited amount of local storage should be okay, as your data will be synced and saved within the Google cloud, or in the individual app you’re using.
Meanwhile, the browser-focused interface means you don’t have to worry about installing programs or moving around files on your desktop.
Instead, your Google account is your key, allowing you to use Google’s most popular programs and download Play apps.
SCREEN AND BATTERY. Outside of those nitty-gritty component details, Chromebooks are much the same as other laptops.
They have displays that come in various sizes (mainly from 11 to 15 inches), most of which will be full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels).
The lowest-end Chromebooks still use 1,366-by-768-pixel panels and are best avoided, at this point, except perhaps at the smallest screen sizes, on the smallest budgets.
Both laptops and Chromebooks offer varying chassis build qualities and materials by manufacturer and price tier, batteries that can last more than 10 hours to get you through the day, and basic ports like USB and perhaps an HDMI output.
Battery life is where independent testers like our own PC Labs come in; to gauge it, consult reviews with defensible comparisons, rather than relying just on vendor claims.
So, Should I Buy a Laptop, or a Chromebook?
The answer to this ultimately boils down to your needs and workload.
For serious professional use, a laptop is almost always better, but some folks could get away with just a Chromebook for work.
Anyone who primarily does word processing and e-mail communication for work could do these tasks on a Chrome OS browser.
That said: More so than laptops, Chromebooks lose a big chunk of their productivity potential if you’re without access to the web, so even though many services have an offline mode, keep that in mind.
One wild card, though, is actually Microsoft, and your reliance on it—or non-reliance.
The entire Microsoft Office suite is now available on Google Play, which takes the potential of Chromebook productivity much closer to that of other laptops.
For many students and workers, Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) is the be-all and end-all in terms of what they need from a computer.
So now, with a Chromebook, your bases are covered for potentially much less than the cost of a $500-to-$1,000 Windows or macOS laptop.
With all that in mind, let's look at four key kinds of possible buyers for Chromebooks or laptops.
Chromebooks vs.
Laptops for a Child
Chromebooks are a good fit for schools to buy in bulk for classrooms, and for a parent whose child needs a simple computer for schoolwork.
Both the price and the devices' internet focus make them a good fit for schools, in particular, and any other scenario where the users of a single machine might change frequently.
(Say, if several kids might share one machine.)
Why is that? Because setting up multiple accounts on a Chromebook is a cinch.
Logging in to your account syncs your settings and cloud saves, letting you pick up where you left off.
You can do this on other laptops, too, but those are more expensive and complex ways to just access a web browser.
(See our picks for top Chromebooks for kids.)
Chromebooks vs.
Laptops for College Students
Chromebooks as a blanket recommendation for students applies more to younger users.
Some college students will need more power for certain fields (or can generally benefit from the speed), but a college student could definitely write their essays and send their emails in Google Docs and Gmail with little fuss.
If that’s you or your child, that can make a Chromebook a great pick to save you money, and you won’t have to lose sleep over an expensive laptop getting lost or damaged. (See our picks for top laptops for college students.)
The other possibility for college students is a Chromebook as a secondary PC, an adjunct to a more powerful laptop or to a desktop.
The powerful (and more valuable) PC or Mac stays put in the dorm room or at home, while the Chromebook goes to class and around campus.
Chromebooks vs.
Laptops for Professionals
We hesitate to recommend a Chromebook over a laptop for most professionals as a one-off purchase.
Because Chromebooks don’t need much power, and to keep the cost down, those entry-level internal components (lesser CPUs, lower memory, near-no storage) will make business tasks more difficult.
There are definitely some jobs where you could get away with a Chromebook (again, anyone who leans primarily on Microsoft Office for work).
But you could run across some small issues with a few tasks and IT requirements.
We'd run with the kind of laptop that your IT team recommends and supports.
That said, HP and Dell have started to offer Chromebooks for business enterprises.
In addition, the much wider array of software available on Windows or macOS may simply make a Chromebook a non-starter for some professionals.
You can’t install proprietary programs your job may provide (unless they're Chrome OS or Android apps!), nor any serious-strength media-creation or -editing programs, as you are able to on other laptops.
You’re limited to websites and the much more simplistic options on the Google Play store, which will cramp the style of many business users, artists, and others.
Chromebooks vs.
Laptops for Gamers
Similarly, Chromebooks are not an option for serious gamers—not that this should be surprising.
Simple web games and Android games will run just fine on a Chromebook, but no serious AAA 3D title can play on one.
Dedicated graphics chips are not a Chromebook thing, and unless they run in a browser, most mainstream games don't get Chrome-compatible versions.
If your kid is asking for a gaming laptop and you’re thinking about a Chromebook because they can do their schoolwork on it and it’s less expensive, don't get your hopes up.
You’ll have to look elsewhere for a "real" playtime PC.
The Bottom Line? The Right Kind of Laptop Depends...on You
We wish we could give an easy, definitive answer on a case-by-case basis to every shopper, but more than anything else, whether you should buy a Chromebook or a Windows laptop really does come down to your particular workload or playtime needs.
Everyone's different.
The above guidelines should help you see which category you fall into, though, and those who need specific programs only available on Windows or macOS likely know who they are.
If you can get through your work almost entirely in a web browser, or you’re buying for a student, a Chromebook can be a good money-saving choice.
For everyone else, look through our best budget laptops or best laptops overall to find one that’s best for you.
