Best Acer Chromebooks in 2024

Taiwanese-American computing giant Acer has a great reputation for its affordable laptops. In particular, Acer’s diverse Chromebook range offers models that span from compact budget laptops to high-end gaming laptops.

One of Acer’s biggest benefits is its wide range of Chrome OS devices, including Chromebook Plus models, which makes it easy to find a computer that meets your needs. And this round-up of the best Acer Chromebooks includes competitively priced laptops that will take you from your college dissertation to that all-important all-night gaming session.

Reliable Acer Chromebooks

Google’s Chromebook Plus technology delivers enhanced performance for ChromeOS devices with a welcome boost to processing power, speeds, screen resolution, and battery life. The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 allows you to get your hands on this enhanced tech without blowing your budget.

Despite the slightly underwhelming steel-gray exterior, the Chromebook Plus 515 is a competent model that keeps pace with professional demands like telecommuting. The display has a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920×1080 resolution, and an IPS panel. As for ports, you get two USB-C 3.2, one USB-A 3.2, a 3.5mm audio jack, and HDMI 1.4. And thanks to the “Plus” designation, you also get access to extra features like Magic Eraser in Google Photos, and discounts and trials on editing software. We’re impressed by the 12th Generation Intel Core i3-1215U processor which nearly doubles the speed on conventional Chromebooks. Wi-Fi 6E is also a nice touch, making it a future-forward buy. Plus, you’ll be glad of the ample storage, though the 8GB of RAM may be taxed if you like to have 100 tabs open simultaneously.

Since the 515 was one of the first Chromebook Plus models, great deals are available, so you can purchase this machine for under $400. At this price point, it’s an excellent deal. If you can overlook the somewhat dull design and pared-back specs (like the non-touch screen), you’ll walk away with a laptop that outranks most higher-end standard Chromebooks.

When it comes to powerful and premium-built Chromebooks, the Acer Spin 714 easily sits near the top of the list. While it’s also one of the more expensive options, the Spin 714 has an impressive list of specs for those who will settle for nothing less.

The Spin 714 has the performance chops to handle almost anything you need from a Chromebook. With an Intel 13th Gen Core i5-1335U processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, there is plenty of power and storage to run all of your favorite apps. This device can even scratch your gaming itch thanks to the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. No, it’s not going to play the latest and greatest games, but will happily run Android and indie games, as well as some older titles.

In addition to solid performance, this Acer Chromebook comes equipped with a beautiful-looking 14-inch IPS touch-enabled display. It has a 16:10 display ratio, giving you a bit more vertical space for enhanced productivity, but it may not be for you if you plan to play a lot of games or stream content. Text is also crisp and clear thanks to its 1920 x 1200 resolution.

This 2-in-1 Chromebook should get you about 10 hours of battery life and has plenty of ports for connectivity. You get an HDMI 2.1 port, one USB Type-A 3.2 port, two Thunderbolt USB-C 3.2 ports, and a combination headphone/microphone jack.

At just 3.02 pounds, the Acer Spin 714 is light enough to be carried around all day long and small enough to easily fit in your bag. It may be a pricier option, but it was built for those who aren’t willing to settle for anything less than the best.

Acer’s Spin 311 laptop is one of the best cheap Chromebooks you can buy, usually coming in at no more than $250. For such an affordable model, you get a decent multifunctional model that is surprisingly lightweight, amounting to less than a pound and a half. We’re pleased that, despite its size, Acer has not skimped on ports and has included USB-C and USB-A ports along with a 3.5mm audio jack.

The Spin 311’s MediaTek MT8183C CPU with eight cores won’t set any speed records, but it will be enough to handle light work, browsing, and streaming. At this price point, the 4GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage is unsurprising, but you may be able to find 64GB models. The battery will also last for up to 15 hours on a charge.

The 11.6-inch touch display has an HD resolution that doesn’t look nearly as pixelated at this size compared to larger screens, and it makes for an easier hold for small hands. Finally, the convertible design lets you rotate the screen around 360 degrees for tent, stand, and tablet modes, providing extra versatility at the same low cost and making it a great 2-in-1 Chromebook.

Acer’s Chromebook 516 GE is a powerhouse machine that packs in just about everything you could possibly want in a high-end laptop. It has a few extra goodies that make it stand out in a sea of other ChromeOS-powered laptops, and they’re good enough to make this device our top pick for best gaming Chromebooks.

As one of the first devices built for cloud gaming, the Chromebook 516 GE supports all major cloud gaming platforms, including Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna, and NVIDIA GeForce Now. It comes with Intel’s Core-5 Series 1 CPU, working in tandem with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. You also get a 16-inch WQXGA display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. And as you’d expect from any gaming laptop worth its salt, an RGB keyboard (complete with four-zone lighting and presets) is included in the mix.

In terms of wireless connectivity and ports, Acer Chromebook 516 GE sports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C, USB-A, and even Gigabit Ethernet. Combine these with essentials such as a flare-reducing webcam and a four-speaker audio system with DTS Audio support, and you have got a Chromebook that excels at cloud gaming and almost everything thrown at it. This laptop is also certified to work with the Steam for ChromeOS beta, giving you the ability to enjoy some local gaming as well.

The Acer 715 is a Chromebook that punches above its weight to operate as an efficient business machine. After all, if you’re working remotely or via a collaborative online platform, you’ll likely be using Google Workspace apps, which perform beautifully on this laptop. The 715 is stylishly outfitted in a 100% aluminum housing with a robust Gorilla glass touchpad that massively enhances its durability. You’ll appreciate details like the wide Field-of-View HDR webcam, fingerprint reader, and numeric keypad, the first of its kind on a Chromebook.

We’re torn by the combination of a very respectable 8th Gen Intel Core i3-8130U processor with the ChromeOS operating system. The hardware is powerful and more fitting of a Windows or Linux environment, which is more software-friendly. ChromeOS works well on the 715, but with all the effort put into this laptop, you may feel it’s restrained as a Chromebook.

Laptops are generally meant to be portable, but that’s definitely not the case with Acer’s Chromebook 317. In fact, it won’t be an exaggeration to call this thing a desktop replacement.

Driven by Intel’s Pentium Silver N6000 processor, the Chromebook 317 has 8GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC flash storage. However, the laptop’s biggest highlight (quite literally) is its huge 17.3-inch touchscreen display. Packing a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio, the anti-glare IPS LCD panel makes everything from binge-watching your favorite TV shows to split-screen multitasking a joy. The large touchpad and full-size backlit keyboard work well, but it’s still a good idea to get a good mouse or keyboard if you plan on using the Chromebook 317 as a desktop alternative.

Acer’s Chromebook 317 offers all standard wireless connectivity and I/O options, such as Bluetooth 5.1, two USB-C (complete with charging and DisplayPort capabilities) ports, a 3.5mm audio port, and a microSD card slot. It also weighs around 4.85 pounds.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is another laptop born from Google’s “Plus” program. Offering an Intel Core-i3 N305 processor coupled with 8GB of speedy LPDDR5 RAM and a 128GB SSD, delivering solid performance. And Acer says the battery life can go for up to 11 hours, which will come down in regular use.

It’s not just all performance; the laptop has a 1080p front-facing webcam that comes with AI tuning that perfects lighting and noise cancelation. Wi-Fi 6E provides reliable and quick browsing and cloud transfers and DTS audio. Ports include two USB-C, two USB-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The 14-inch display has a 1920 x 1080 resolution to accommodate the taller 16:10 aspect ratio, and it has decent color and contrast. There is some wonk with the adaptive brightness feature, and those sensitive to automatic brightness changes might have some issues. The touchpad also leaves a lot to be desired but can get the job done in a pinch. There is also some keyboard flex which may not be ideal for long typing sessions.

Sometimes you just don’t need the power or capabilities of the more expensive Chromebooks on this list. For some, a Chromebook is simply for browsing the web or checking their email. This type of use case is where the Acer Chromebook 315 excels and, for less than $200, it does it quite well.

The Chromebook 315 comes with a large 15.6-inch display, allowing you to see everything with ease. I would have liked to see a full HD display, but at this price, I can’t complain too much about its 1366 x 768 display. This laptop doesn’t have a touch display, which may be a deal breaker for some.

Performance will also be adequate for the types of activities outlined above. This Chromebook has an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. It’s not a very powerful Chromebook, but will easily let you load up a web browser and check your email. It also gets up to 12.5 hours of battery life, easily getting you through a full day without worry.

This laptop comes with two USB-C 3.1 ports, two USB-A 3.1 ports, a headphone jack, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 5. It’s also easily transportable, but a tad heavy at 3.59 pounds.

Find an Acer Chromebook that delivers

Chromebooks have progressed from budget computing to performance machines, so they warrant consideration when purchasing a new laptop. They offer great value, especially when long-term support and the regular addition of features from Google (such as the ability to run Android apps) are considered. The Acer models in our round-up are easy to use and reliable enough to get you through a workday or evening’s streaming or gaming without speed or connectivity issues.

Acer has an expansive Chromebook portfolio, but three models impressed us the most. The Spin 311, with its 2-in-1 design, is outstanding value with a price point that competes with a tablet. At the other end of the scale, our premium pick, the Vero 514 has great processing power and will run more demanding applications. But overall, the Chromebook Plus 515 is a laptop worth a closer look. It has 12th Gen Intel Core CPUs, LPDDR5x RAM, and plenty of storage space for those who don’t always want to rely on the cloud. The 15.6-inch display has plenty of space for productivity work, and you can be assured that connectivity will be hassle-free with its decent port selection.