When looking into buying a new laptop, it isn’t just about Mac vs. PC. Consider the Chromebook: It’s a great option for anyone looking for an inexpensive and light notebook, especially if they do most of their work in a browser. Chromebooks are already much cheaper than comparable Windows laptops, and Prime Day sales can make them even more compelling.
The best pick: Acer Chromebook Plus 514
You’ll find many different styles of Chromebooks on sale right now—some with spinning screens and some with uncommon processors. While there's all kinds of worthwhile deals today, I want to highlight the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 in particular.
This Chromebook retails for $379.99, but after a 21% discount, you can get it for just $299.99. With it, you get an Intel Core i3 processor, 128GB SSD, 8GB RAM, a 14-inch Full-HD IPS display, two USB-C ports, and up to 11 hours of battery life.
Most cheap Chromebooks compromise in some way or another. You’re either stuck with a less powerful Celeron processor, or a 720p screen. Which is why it's best to avoid Chromebooks that cost under $250. But there's often little point in spending more than $400 on a Chromebook: the upgrades won't scale up with price and you'll probably be better with a cheap PC.
However, The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 has a trick up its sleeve. The "Plus" in its name means that it's part of Google's AI push, and it comes with free access to Google Gemini's paid upgrade for a year.
Other great Chromebook deals:
If you're looking for something cheaper, or different, or perhaps something without Google AI, here are some other great options for the Prime Day sale.
Asus Chromebook CX1
The Asus Chromebook CX1 comes in at just $179.99 (was $269.99) for the Prime Day sale, and it's one of the cheapest good Chromebooks that you can buy right now. It has a 11.6" HD NanoEdge display, Intel Celeron N4020 Processor, 64GB eMMC storage, and 4GB RAM. Nothing amazing, but if you want a small, cheap, and lightweight computer to browse the web or give to your kids, it's not a bad choice.
HP Chromebook 14
Kicking things up a notch is HP's Chromebook 14, with a 14-inch 720p display, Intel Celeron N4120 Processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB Storage. Again, nothing huge, but you do get a decent Celeron processor and a screen that's large enough to handle online work and meetings. The HP Chromebook 14 is down to $210.59 for Prime Day (was $249).
Asus Chromebook Flip CM5
At $299.99 for the Prime Day sale (was $439.99), the ASUS Chromebook Flip CM5 is the Chromebook to beat for the sweet spot. You don't get any Google AI features from the Chromebook Plus model, but what you do get makes for a really solid everyday Chromebook experience.
There's a big 15.6" touchscreen Full HD NanoEdge Display, AMD Ryzen 3 3250C Processor, 64GB eMMC storage, and 4GB RAM. The screen, combined with the fast AMD Ryzen 3 chip, means you can use it for college or working online in Google Workspace without any issues.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i
Lenovo's IdeaPad Flex 3i is a great all-rounder Chromebook with a decent amount of SSD storage. It's down to $350 (was $399.99) for the Prime Day sale. With this laptop, you get a touchscreen and 15.6” FHD Display, Intel Pentium N6000, 8GB RAM, and 128GB SSD. The Chromebook can also be used in tablet mode, and the fact that it has 8GB RAM will help you when you're surfing the web.