A Chromebook is Google’s laptop. You sign in with a Google account, Chrome is built in, and your files lean on Google Drive. So the search for a Chromebook alternative splits two ways. You can degoogle the Chromebook you own by replacing its system, or you can move to a different laptop. This page covers both, plus how to get your files off first.
Start With Two Checks
Is It Really Yours?
If a school or employer manages your Chromebook, it isn’t yours to change. MrChromebox’s own guide says you don’t own a managed device and shouldn’t modify it without written permission. Google doesn’t let you reset a managed Chromebook yourself either. Keep using it for school or work, and keep your personal accounts, photos and passwords off it. Our Google Classroom page covers what you can and can’t change about school Google.
When Do Its Updates End?
Open Settings, select About ChromeOS, then Additional details. The Update schedule section shows the date of your Chromebook’s last update.
Google now gives Chromebooks 10 years of automatic updates. After the final one, a Chromebook gets no more security fixes, and some apps may drop support. The system itself is changing too. In 2026 Google introduced Googlebook OS, which brings ChromeOS together with Android’s tech stack, and said ChromeOS devices will keep getting updates through mid-2034. It hasn’t yet said which devices can move to the new system. Either way, the laptop stays tied to Google.
Quick Comparison
| Alternative | Best for | Price (Oct 2026) | Effort | Open source | Google-free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux via MrChromebox | Intel or AMD Chromebooks you own | Free | Hard, 1–3 hours and a firmware flash | Yes | Yes |
| Refurbished ThinkPad with Linux Mint | The cheapest easy switch | Depends on model and condition | Easy | The system is | Yes |
| Framework Laptop | Repairable laptops that last | Laptop 12 DIY Edition from $549, Laptop 13 DIY from $769 (Framework, Dec 2025) | Medium | The system is, with Linux | Yes |
| Other laptops sold with Linux | Linux preinstalled | Varies by maker | Easy | The system is | Yes |
| Mac | The easiest switch | MacBook Neo from $699 ($599 education); MacBook Air from $1,299 | Easy | No | Yes, Apple instead |
| ChromeOS Flex | Not an exit | Free | Easy | No | No, it’s Google |
Which One Should You Pick?
- If you own an Intel or AMD Chromebook and like a project, install Linux with MrChromebox. It’s free and keeps a working laptop out of the trash, especially one past its update date.
- If you want a Google-free laptop for the least money and no tinkering, buy a refurbished ThinkPad and install Linux Mint.
- If you want a laptop you can repair and upgrade for years, choose a Framework.
- If you want it to just work and don’t mind Apple, choose a Mac. The MacBook Neo is priced closest to a good Chromebook.
- If your Chromebook has an ARM chip, you can’t convert it. Use it until its updates end, then pick one of the laptops above.
The Alternatives, One by One
Linux on Your Chromebook With MrChromebox Firmware
MrChromebox publishes free firmware for Intel and AMD Chromebooks, in two forms. RW_LEGACY keeps ChromeOS and adds a way to boot Linux, so Google stays on the machine, and it’s blocked on devices past their update date. UEFI Full ROM removes ChromeOS entirely and lets the laptop boot Linux (or Windows) like any PC. That’s the one that degoogles the laptop.
Full ROM needs two things first. You turn on Developer Mode, which wipes everything stored on the Chromebook. Then you disable the hardware write protection, which depends on the model. It might be a screw, a battery disconnect, a jumper, a special SuzyQ debug cable or a software command on the newest models. The firmware script then offers to back up your original firmware. Keep that file off the laptop, because you need it to go back to ChromeOS.
- Pick it because it’s free and turns a laptop you already own into a normal Linux machine with no Google account.
- Possible deal-breakers are the risk and the fiddliness. MrChromebox warns it’s not a one-click job and that it often voids the warranty. If a flash fails, recovery needs a CH341A USB programmer or a SuzyQ cable. After installing Linux, audio usually needs an extra setup script, and some keys need remapping.
- Which Linux to use. The Chrultrabook project, which documents Linux on converted Chromebooks, recommends Fedora, Arch or EndeavourOS, openSUSE Tumbleweed or Pop!_OS. It warns that older long-term-support releases may have problems on this hardware.
A Refurbished ThinkPad With Linux Mint
Refurbished business laptops, such as Lenovo ThinkPads, are sturdy, easy to repair and easy to find secondhand. Linux Mint is free, feels familiar if you’ve used Windows and installs from a USB stick. Nothing on the laptop needs a Google account.
- Pick it because it’s the least risky Google-free laptop for the least money, with no firmware flashing.
- Possible deal-breakers are weight and battery life on older models. Check the battery’s health and the screen resolution before you buy, and replace the battery if it’s worn.
- Prices depend on model, age and condition, so compare a few refurbishers.
Framework Laptop
Framework makes modular laptops you can open, repair and upgrade with ordinary tools. The Framework Laptop 12 comes pre-built with Fedora Linux or Windows 11, or as a DIY Edition where you bring your own memory, storage and operating system.
- Pick it because it’s built to be repaired and upgraded for years, and the pre-built Fedora option saves you installing Linux yourself.
- A possible deal-breaker is the price once memory and storage are added. Prices can move, so check the configurator.
- Prices (Framework, December 2025) started at $549 for the Laptop 12 DIY Edition and $769 for the Laptop 13 DIY Edition.
Other Laptops Sold With Linux
Several makers sell laptops with Linux preinstalled and tested, including Tuxedo in Germany, Star Labs in the UK and System76 in the US.
- Choose one if you want Linux to work out of the box with support from the seller. Tuxedo is the European option.
- A possible deal-breaker is that prices and shipping vary by maker. Check each one’s site for current models and whether it ships to your country.
A Mac
Apple’s MacBook Neo is the closest Mac to a Chromebook. It has a 13-inch screen, Apple’s A18 Pro chip and up to 16 hours of battery life by Apple’s figures.
- Pick it because it’s the easiest switch for most people, it needs no Google account and the hardware is excellent.
- The deal-breaker is that you trade Google for Apple. Apple raised prices in June 2026, and it isn’t open source or repairable like a Framework.
- Prices (Oct 2026) start at $699 for the MacBook Neo, or $599 through Apple’s education store, and at $1,299 for the MacBook Air.
Why ChromeOS Flex and Linux Inside ChromeOS Don’t Count
ChromeOS Flex is Google’s free version of ChromeOS for existing PCs and Macs. It can give an old Windows laptop a second life, but it’s the same Google system, so it doesn’t degoogle anything. The Linux development environment inside ChromeOS runs Linux apps in a container, while ChromeOS and your Google account still run the laptop. Both are fine for some purposes, but neither is a Chromebook alternative.
How to Switch From a Chromebook
First, Get Your Files Off
Do this before anything else. Developer Mode, Powerwash and selling the laptop all erase what’s stored on it.
- Select the Launcher in the corner of the screen and open Files.
- Plug in a USB drive or external disk. Copy everything from Downloads, which is stored on the Chromebook itself.
- Under My files, open Play files to copy files saved by Android apps, and Linux files if you used Linux apps.
- Files in Google Drive live in Google’s cloud. Download them with Google Takeout or follow our Google Drive guide to move them to a new service.
- Save your browser bookmarks and passwords. Our Chrome to Firefox guide shows how.
- List the Android apps you rely on, so you can find replacements on the new system.
Then, If You’re Converting Your Chromebook
These steps give the shape of the job. Follow MrChromebox’s getting started guide for your exact model, every step of the way.
- Find your model on MrChromebox’s Supported Devices page and check that it lists UEFI Full ROM. If the Chromebook has an ARM chip, stop here.
- Read your model’s write-protect method before you start, and get any cable or tool it needs.
- Turn on Developer Mode. This wipes the Chromebook, so copy your files off first.
- Disable the hardware write protection.
- Run MrChromebox’s Firmware Utility Script as the guide describes, choose UEFI Full ROM, and save the stock firmware backup to a USB drive when it asks.
- Boot a Linux installer from a USB stick and install it. Fedora is a safe first choice.
- If sound doesn’t work, run the Chrultrabook audio setup script.
If You’re Selling or Passing It On
- Copy your files off, as above, then sign out of the Chromebook.
- Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r, then select Restart.
- In the box that appears, select Powerwash, then Continue. Don’t sign in again afterwards, so the next owner sets it up fresh.
Powerwash doesn’t touch files in Google Drive or on external storage. If you converted the laptop and want ChromeOS back before selling, MrChromebox’s docs explain how to restore the stock firmware and use a ChromeOS recovery USB.
Your Chromebook was probably one of many Google products tied to your account. Our free scan lists the rest from files you download yourself, without uploading anything.
What You Lose
Partial is fine. If a school Chromebook has to stay, simply keep your personal life off it and degoogle your own devices first.