Are you looking for the Best Chromebook For Coding & Developers In 2022?
Can you code on a Chromebook?
ASUS Chromebook Flip
Specifications:
- 14″ FHD
- Intel Core M3-8100Y
- 8GB RAM
- 64GB eMMC
The ASUS Chromebook Flip is our best choice for coding and developers.Being a convertible laptop, this Chromebook not only gives you an excellent device but also provides you the flexibility of multiple modes that allow you to work more freely.
Well, yes you can. Chromebooks can handle more coding than you think and that’s why it is becoming more popular among developers.
Finding the best Chromebook for coding might be more of a challenge than coding in Chromebook. There are a lot of options available and not all of them are great choices.
We’ve done a ton of research and have come up with a handful of models that are great for coding and development. This will save you a lot of time that you can use on something more productive.
Without any delays, here are the best Chromebooks for developers.
Best Chromebooks For Coding
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | SPECIFICATIONS | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
BEST BUDGET PICK
 | ASUS Chromebook Flip |
| View On AmazonRead Reviews |
RUNNER UP
 | Google Pixelbook |
| View on AmazonRead Reviews |
TOP PICK
 | Acer Chromebook R 13 |
| View on AmazonRead Reviews |
Best Chromebooks For Coding and developers in 2022
Let’s take a look at our best picks
- ASUS Chromebook Flip (Best Budget Laptop)
- Google Pixelbook (High Performance)
- Acer Chromebook R 13 (Best Budget)
1. ASUS Chromebook Flip – Editor’s Choice
- 14 inch Touchscreen FHD 1920x1080 4-way NanoEdge display featuring ultra-narrow bezels (5mm thin) around each side of the display that allows for a 14 inch screen to fit in the body of a 13inch laptop...
- The FHD display has a durable 360 degree hinge that can be used to flip the touchscreen display to tent, stand, and tablet mode.
- Powered by the Intel Core m3-8100Y Processor (up to 3.4 GHz) for super-fast and snappy performance. If you use a ton of tabs or run lots of apps, this has the power to get it all done with ease.
The ASUS Chromebook Flip is our best choice for coding and developers.
Being a convertible laptop, this Chromebook not only gives you an excellent device but also provides you the flexibility of multiple modes that allow you to work more freely.
The design of this Chromebook is one of its best selling points. The 360° hinge allows this Chromebook to change from one mode to another in a simple smooth motion. There are no signs of any friction which is great for durability and talk about how long this laptop will stay durable.
The display we have here is a 14-inch full HD display that comes with touchscreen functionality as well. The design of the display with the super-thin bezels makes it ultra-modern and gives you uninterrupted viewing experience.
Being an IPS panel, you get amazing colors from this display and the viewing angles are second none. In addition to coding, this display is perfect for media consumption and other everyday activities as well.
The touchscreen is very responsive and you will love interacting with the OS elements. If you can get yourself a stylus, then this touchscreen will come in handy for taking notes and for making mindmaps.
The laptop is powered by an Intel Core M3 processor. This is a dual-core processor and comes with a base clock speed of 1.1GHz and a maximum clock speed of 3.4GHz which is more than enough power to handle all the applications on Chrome OS.
The processor also comes with 4MB of cache memory which should come in handy when dealing with word processors and text editors. The processor can do some heavy lifting as well if the need comes.
From memory, you get 4GB of RAM in the memory department. This Ram is more than enough to handle multitasking on chrome OS. This memory also enables you to open more than a few times on chrome browser and have a guilt-free browsing experience.
There are 64GB of eMMC storage for your local storage needs. This is not a lot of space if you’re coming from a traditional laptop but for a device that completely relies on cloud storage, this is more than adequate in most cases.
Let’s talk about the keyboard. The keyboard we have here is a tactile one and it gives you good feedback on typing. The layout of the keys is excellent and you should retain your typing speed and accuracy without any issues.
The keys are backlit which means you will be able to work on this laptop even under the darkest of circumstances. The trackpad on the Chromebook is pretty good and gives a smooth surface to play with. It works as advertised and does not create any unnecessary friction.
The battery life on this laptop is one of the best features. With regular use, you should be able to get around 10 hours of battery life which is amazing considering the price of this Chromebook.
Overall, this Asus Chromebook flip is an excellent choice for coding. The keyboard is fantastic and the display is as good as it gets. If you’re looking for an affordable Chromebook that doesn’t compromise on performance, then this one is the right choice.
- Durable build
- Excellent performance
- Amazing battery life
- None
2. Google Pixelbook – Runner Up
- Meet google pixel book, the high performance chromebook; it’s the first laptop with the google assistant built in; press the google assistant key on your keyboard or say "Ok google" to get started;...
- Features 7th gen intel core i5 processor, 8gb ram and 128gb for storage; the long lasting battery delivers up to 10 hours of use and it’s fast charging so you can get 2 hours of use in 15 minutes
- The 4 in 1 design adapts to whatever you’re doing with laptop, tablet, tent and entertainment modes; ACcess to favorite apps including google drive, Gmail, YouTube, Evernote, slACk, infinite...
If you’re looking for a Chromebook that does not compromise on performance in any way, then the Google pixel book is the right choice for you. That is exactly why we have chosen this as our best high-performance Chromebook for coding.
Google pixel book comes with a 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor which is powerful enough to run the traditional laptop without any hiccups. In a Chromebook, this is overkill in many ways but there are ways you can realize the full potential of this processor.
The processor blows through the regular operating system and also runs all the applications without any issues whatsoever. The processor gets ample support from the 8GB of RAM in the memory department.
Read more: Best Chromebook For Writers and Bloggers under $600
Usually, Chromebooks come with 4GB of RAM. 8 gigabytes is double that and it gives you an unparalleled performance when it comes to handling memory. You can open a ton of tabs on chrome browser and you will not face any performance issues at any point.
For local storage, there is a 128GB solid-state drive. This, again, as a lot of storage on a Chromebook. You can use the storage to store all your data that you deem unsuitable for cloud storage. A disappointment here is that the device does not come with an SD card slot which would have allowed you to expand the local storage even further.
The display on this pixel book is a 12.3-inch display that comes with a resolution of 2400 x 1600 pixels. This is clearly more than full HD resolution and is as good as QHD resolution. The display here comes with Corning gorilla glass which is very durable and will survive falls if it happens.
The color quality of the display is excellent and you will enjoy the crisp text on the screen. Thanks to the IPS panel, we have excellent viewing angles which makes this display perfect for watching movies, browsing the web, and other tasks.
Let’s talk about the battery life on this Chromebook. With light use, you should be able to get 10 to 11 hours of battery life which is very good. Even with heavy work, the laptop should last for about 5 to 7 hours which again is very impressive. Since we have support for fast charging here, you can get two hours of use or just 15 minutes of charging.
The keyboard on this Chromebook is one of the best ones you can find on a crow most device. The keys come with good travel which makes the typing experience pleasant. Even though these are not tactile keys, you do get a nice touch when typing and that is something.
The keys on the keyboard are backlit which means you can work in the dark. The tracker on this device is a standard one and it works as advertised. It gives you a smooth surface and does not produce any friction which is perfect for everyday use.
Overall, Google Pixelbook is an excellent choice if you prefer high-performance. The device is a bit expensive but the hardware and the performance make up for it which is why this is one of the best Chromebooks for coding and development.
- High performance
- Excellent battery life
- Durable design
- Slightly expensive
3. Acer Chromebook R 13 – Budget Pick
- Chromebook runs on Chrome OS - an operating system by Google that is built for the way we live today. It comes with built-in virus protection, updates automatically*, boots up in seconds and continues...
- All the Google apps you know and love come standard on every Chromebook, which means you can edit, download, and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
- With the Google Play Store, you can access a rich library of apps, games, music, movies, TV, books, magazines, and more, all from your Chromebook
If you’re looking for a budget laptop for coding, then the Acer Convertible R 13 It’s probably the best choice for you.
This Acer Chromebook brings all the goodness of Chrome OS and a package that is accessible to everyone mainly because of the cheap price point.
Even though this is a budget laptop, the design of this laptop is not super cheap. The plastic is stronger enough to survive a few falls and will be durable if you take good care of it. The hinges on the device are also pretty smooth which is surprising considering the price of this Chromebook.
We have a 13.3” full HD display that comes with a native aspect ratio of 16:9. being a full HD display, the display gives you excellent clarity when it comes to images and produces sharp texts as well.
The IPS panel assures good vibrancy in colors and makes them true to life. It also provides amazing viewing angles that are perfect when you have to type code for long hours. The display is also perfect for other everyday activities like browsing the web, streaming videos, and simple office work.
The keyboard on this laptop is a pretty decent one. It is nice to type on and gives you enough feedback which makes for a neat typing experience. A slightly disappointing thing here is that we do not get any backlighting with the keyboard.
The device is powered by a MediaTek MT8173C processor. This is a quad-core processor and comes with enough power to handle the operating system and also the apps running on top of it. Though this processor may not have the name as an Intel chip, it does a very good job when it comes to performance.
Multitasking on this Chromebook is pretty sweet, thanks to the 4GB of RAM in the memory department. you will be able to run several applications side-by-side without any performance issues.
The device comes with 802.11AC Wi-Fi which gives you access to high-speed internet and supports dual-band as well. You also get Bluetooth 4.0 which should come in handy when you need to connect wirelessly with external devices.
The battery life on this laptop is simply amazing. You will get 12 hours of battery life with simple, everyday use. Even when you’re planning to use this laptop heavily, you should get around seven hours of battery life which is very good.
Overall, the Acer convertible R 13 laptop is a solid Chromebook that comes under $310 and gives you a fulfilling Chrome OS experience. If you’re looking for a cheap Chromebook code on, then this is probably the best fit.
- Super affordable
- Decent performance
- Excellent battery life
- None at this price point
What To Look For In The Best Chromebook For Developers?
While coding on the Chromebook is becoming more of a thing right now, it does put you in a spot.
You will not have the same freedom you get in a Windows or a Linux machine. Having said that, if you’re looking for a cheap coding machine, then a Chromebook would fit the bill perfectly.
Now that you’ve decided to get yourself a Chromebook, here are some factors you should consider before getting one.
Display
As a developer, you are going to spend a lot of time in front of your laptop. To make that a good thing, you need to have a good display to look at.
Having a good display not only makes your viewing experience better but also helps you protect your eyes. Make sure that you get a good resolution display so that you can have a good screen in front of you.
Our recommendation is to get a full HD display. This will give you a good pixel density and presents you with crisp images and texts. Working typing on a text editor, you will appreciate how good the text on the screen is.
Also, getting an IPS panel would bring a lot of advantages as well. You will get vibrant colors and also excellent viewing angles which are great for watching your favorite movies and tv shows.
There are not many size options on a Chromebook. Most of them are ultrabook so you’re going to get a size that is 13.3″ or smaller. This size is perfect as it also gives you the advantage of portability.
Keyboard
The keyboard is another very important component when it comes to coding. If you’re going to be looking at the display all day, then you’re going to working on the keyboard all day as well.
Getting a good keyboard will make or break your coding experience on our Chromebook. If your keyboard is all mushy and spongy, that is not going to give you a solid typing experience.
Go for a keyboard that gives you good feedback. This might not be a good ask on a laptop keyboard, but you will have options that are certainly better than the rest.
A good keyboard layout will give you a good typing experience and won’t affect your speed or accuracy. It will be great if your keyboard comes with backlighting as it allows you to work in dark rooms that aren’t well lit.
When it comes to the trackpad, a standard one will do. There are not a lot of gestures you’re going to doing so a simple and smooth trackpad will be fine in most cases.
Processing Power
Chromebooks are not known for their processing power.
Most ChromeOS devices come with an entry-level processor as these devices are not expected to run heavy applications. These processors will handle the operating system well and also run ChromeOS apps without any issues.
You will have to work with Intel Celeron or Pentium processors. These are very weak when you compare them with an i3 or i5 processor but for Chromebooks, they are very able chips.
These processors come with 2 cores or 4 cores depending on the laptop. Since we are going to be coding a lot, we suggest you go for a processor with 4 cores.
If you’re looking for a high-performance Chromebook, then the Google Pixelbook comes with an i5 chip to handle your needs.
The memory department on Chromebooks is usually loaded with 4 gigs of RAM. This is adequate in most cases as you don’t require a lot of memory in ChromeOS. We do recommend going for a Chromebook with 8 gigs as it gives you a cushion for the future.
One more thing. You don’t get a lot of local storage on a Chromebook. At best, you will end up with 32 gigs of 64 gigs of storage. This is because ChromeOS typically uses the cloud for its storage needs. You will have to get used to using the cloud for all your storage demands.
Battery Life
Battery life is, again, a very important aspect of a good Chromebook.
If you’re a student who is just starting out on coding and development, then we recommend getting a Chromebook that gives you all-day battery life.
This way, you can use the device all day long without having to recharge it again and again. You will find a lot of free charging points at school which is why having all-day battery life is super important.
You also need a very good battery life if you’re someone who works outdoors or travels a lot.
If you’re going to code from the comfort of your home, then don’t worry about battery life as you will have a charging port at your disposal all the time.
Connectivity
Having connectivity options will always come in handy.
Make sure the Chromebook comes with essential ports in order to facilitate high-speed data transfer and external connectivity. The device should also have 802.11ac or 802.11ax WiFi as it is very fast when it comes to internet speeds.
Having a Bluetooth adapter on your Chromebook is also something that will benefit you at some point.
Conclusion
That’s all we have for this page.
We do hope that it was useful and helped you find the right Chromebook for your coding needs.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate and let us know using the contact page.
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