Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, umtsmarttool.com earns from qualifying purchases. Links to Amazon on this page are affiliate links; they cost you nothing extra.

Under $500 you can buy a solid Chromebook or an entry-level Windows laptop. Expect modest performance.

Every laptop below was shown at well under $500 on Amazon on October 31, 2026, converted from the price Amazon displayed. Prices change often, so check the current price. This guide is built from Amazon product listings, not our own testing, so confirm specs, configuration and current price on each product page. Laptop configurations change often.

Last updated: October 31, 2026.

Quick Picks

Product Type Best for
HP Chromebook 14 Basic Chromebook The cheapest option
Lenovo Flagship Chromebook (14-inch) Touchscreen Chromebook Cheap touch Chromebook
ASUS CX14 Chromebook Basic Chromebook Celeron N4500
Acer 15.6-inch FHD Touch Chromebook Touchscreen Chromebook 15.6-inch touch with 8GB RAM
ASUS Chromebook CM15 15.6-inch Chromebook Bigger FHD screen
Acer Aspire Go 15 AI Ready Entry Windows laptop 15.6-inch FHD IPS Windows laptop

Our Picks

1. HP Chromebook 14

An HP Chromebook 14 with Intel Celeron N4120, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC and a 14-inch HD display, per the listing. It was shown at about $229 on Amazon.com on October 31, 2026.

Listing details: 14-inch display, 64 GB storage, Chrome OS (from the Amazon product details; confirm on the page).

Good for: The cheapest option. Watch out: 4GB RAM and HD screen.

Check on Amazon

2. Lenovo Flagship Chromebook (14-inch)

A Lenovo Chromebook with a 14-inch FHD touch display and an 8-core MediaTek Kompanio, per the listing. It was shown at about $247 on Amazon.com on October 31, 2026.

Listing details: 14-inch display, 64 GB storage, 1080p resolution, Chrome OS (from the Amazon product details; confirm on the page).

Good for: Cheap touch Chromebook. Watch out: Chrome OS only.

Check on Amazon

3. ASUS CX14 Chromebook

An ASUS CX14 Chromebook with Intel Celeron N4500, 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC, per the listing. It was shown at about $290 on Amazon.com on October 31, 2026.

Listing details: 14-inch display, 64 GB storage, 1080p resolution, Chrome OS (from the Amazon product details; confirm on the page).

Good for: Celeron N4500. Watch out: 4GB RAM.

Check on Amazon

4. Acer 15.6-inch FHD Touch Chromebook

An Acer 15.6-inch FHD touch Chromebook with Intel N50, 8GB RAM and 128GB eMMC, per the listing. It was shown at about $300 on Amazon.com on October 31, 2026.

Listing details: 15.6-inch display, 128 GB storage, 1080p resolution, Chrome OS (from the Amazon product details; confirm on the page).

Good for: 15.6-inch touch with 8GB RAM. Watch out: Chrome OS only.

Check on Amazon

5. ASUS Chromebook CM15

An ASUS Chromebook CM15 with a 15.6-inch FHD display and MediaTek Kompanio 540, 4GB RAM, per the listing. It was shown at about $326 on Amazon.com on October 31, 2026.

Listing details: 15.6-inch display, 64 GB storage, 1080p resolution, Chrome OS (from the Amazon product details; confirm on the page).

Good for: Bigger FHD screen. Watch out: 4GB RAM.

Check on Amazon

6. Acer Aspire Go 15 AI Ready

An Acer Aspire Go 15 AI Ready laptop with a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display and an Intel Core 3 processor, per the listing. It was shown at about $363 on Amazon.com on October 31, 2026.

Listing details: 15.6-inch display, 128 GB storage, 1080p resolution, Windows 11 S (from the Amazon product details; confirm on the page).

Good for: 15.6-inch FHD IPS Windows laptop. Watch out: entry-level performance.

Check on Amazon

How to Choose

RAM

Prefer 8GB if you can.

Storage

eMMC is slower than SSD.

OS

Chromebook or Windows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are $500 laptops good?

For basic tasks.

Windows under $500?

The Acer Aspire Go 15.

Best pick?

See Quick Picks.

Bottom Line

For Windows, the Acer Aspire Go 15. For the cheapest, the HP Chromebook 14. For a bigger screen, the ASUS CM15.

More Laptop Guides