The main appeal of Chromebooks is how affordable they are. However, you’ll need to make a few extra purchases that aren’t immediately obvious to get the full ChromeOS experience. Here are the critical ones you need to know about before making a purchase.
Google One
The primary quirk that makes Chromebooks inexpensive is that they supplement low internal storage with cloud storage via Google One.
Every Google account automatically gets 15 GB of free cloud storage through Google One, shared across Google Photos, Drive, and Gmail. New Chromebook users get the perk of a 12-month trial of the “Basic” plan, which ups this storage capacity to 100 GB for $19.99/year. Even non-power users will likely need this extra space, so consider this subscription to be a necessary aspect of owning a Chromebook.
Other Google One plans ramp up the storage alongside additional perks but also cost significantly more. For example, the next tier is the $99.99/year “Premium” subscription which offers 2 TB of cloud storage alongside Google Workspace features like longer Meet calls and more Calendar functionality. Other than increased storage, tiers beyond this provide access to advanced Gemini AI features.
Given that cloud storage is the house upon which Chromebooks were built, it’s likely that Google One will be a must-subscribe for you. Taking the time to figure out which plan you’d need and if it’s worth the cost, is the most important thing a prospective Chromebook owner can do.
YouTube Premium
For most people, YouTube Premium is a monthly fee paid to exterminate YouTube ads. A Chrome ad-blocker extension will also get this job done—including in the preloaded stand-alone YouTube app—assuming you’re comfortable using one.
There’s more to YouTube Premium than ad blocking, though. Other features include watching videos offline and removing ads from the YouTube Music app. If you’re using YouTube on your phone, it also allows you to let videos continue playing in the background after exiting the app, though for the sole purposes of using a Chromebook, this feature isn’t relevant.
You get three months of YouTube Premium for free with your Chromebook, after which it’ll cost $13.99/month.
Audio & Video Equipment
Chromebooks often cut corners with the camera, microphone, and speakers. While typically passable for casual use, you’ll want higher quality alternatives for anything else.
It goes without saying that the range of prices on all this equipment is vast, and you’ll get what you pay for. The best investment I can suggest is a good pair of earbuds to cover both your speaker and microphone needs. It kills two birds with one stone and will remain relevant to practically any device you use. Our earbud buying guide can help point you in the right direction.
Webcams are a slightly more circumstantial proposition. If you’re making video calls in a professional setting, a better camera than what Chromebooks typically offer is crucial. We’ve rounded up some of the best webcams, though I’d also suggest looking for a laptop with an internal camera that suits your needs. It’s worth noting that some modern Chromebook Plus laptops use AI to enhance the integrated webcam’s quality.
Game Streaming Services
If you’re looking to play video games, you’re best off opting for a Windows device. There aren’t many games with native ChromeOS support beyond Android games. However, game streaming services offer a potential alternative.
The two main options here are Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Nvidia’s GeForce NOW, which offers three free months to Chromebook owners. My experience trying both on a Chromebook Plus was that 2D games ran surprisingly well, but most 3D games were heavily compromised. Latency was unsurprisingly high, but whether that’s an issue varied on a per-game basis. Yet, at $19.99/month, there’s really only value here if a Chromebook is your only option to play.
Alternatively, if you have a gaming PC and want to use your Chromebook to stream games, Steam Link is a great free way to play your Steam library on the go. This is strictly for streaming games off a device you already own, though. The other services provide devices on their end for you to stream from, thus the associated cost.
For any game streaming, you’re going to need a strong internet connection, preferably through an Ethernet cable. Make sure to try before you buy to ensure this works with your setup. You can try streaming from other devices you own (such as phones and tablets) using free trials.
Google Play Apps
With ChromeOS, you’re preloaded with applications that access Google’s suite of services. Anything more you’ll need to find on the Google Play Store.
You’ll want to peruse Google Play and see what’s on offer. In addition to native apps, Chromebooks can run some Android apps and games. Note that not everything Android can run is compatible with ChromeOS, the Microsoft Office suite being a major omission, though it can be accessed via the web.
Any Android apps bought through Google Play on other devices can also be downloaded to a Chromebook for no additional fee. So, it may turn out that this proves to be a reduced cost of owning a Chromebook rather than an added one.
Android Devices
Owning an Android device isn’t a requirement for using a Chromebook, but it massively enhances the experience of using one beyond having a pre-existing library of apps.
The main feature here is pairing your phone to your Chromebook for use in Google Messages. This allows you to send text messages from your Chromebook as if they were from your Android phone. There are alternatives for messaging if you’re an iPhone user, but not through the pre-installed Google Messages app.
Android phones can also be used as a hotspot and a means of unlocking your Chromebook. Also, all your phone’s data and notifications sync with the Chromebook, allowing it to act as a complete extension of your phone.
Eventually Needing a More Capable Computer
While ChromeOS is a great choice for casual needs or as a second computer, its limitations quickly show when you need it to do more than Google’s service suite allows. Even the act of downloading and accessing files can be a chore if that’s part of your workflow, given that there’s no traditional desktop or file system. Basically, if your needs ever expand beyond the likes of browsing, video streaming, and word processing, you may find yourself needing more than a Chromebook.
This is to say that in order to avoid a Chromebook becoming a sunk cost altogether, take stock of what your use-case for it will be, especially if it’s your only computer.
Ready for the next step toward making your purchase? You should explore whether a Chromebook or Chromebook Plus is the right fit for you.
