ChromeOS vs Ubuntu for beginners

Both promise a desktop that stays out of your way, and both are cheap or free to run. They reach that goal from opposite directions, and the right choice depends almost entirely on what you do offline.

Two ideas of simple

ChromeOS is simple by subtraction. The browser is the computer, the settings list is short, and anything the system does not support is simply absent rather than hidden. Its Settings app groups options into Network, Bluetooth, Connected devices, Accounts, Device, Personalisation, Apps, Accessibility, Security and Privacy, and system preferences.

Ubuntu is simple by presentation. Underneath sits a full Linux system, but the GNOME Settings app shows a friendly sidebar of Wi-Fi, Network, Appearance, Notifications, Power, Displays, Printers, Users, Region & Language and Accessibility.

Ubuntu 24.04 reorganised several of those into a combined System section, so older screenshots do not always match. Both structures are machine-extracted for our simulator, as explained on the data provenance page.

Updates: automatic versus scheduled

ChromeOS updates itself in the background and applies the change on the next restart. You get an automatic update expiry date tied to the hardware model, after which that Chromebook stops receiving new versions, so check that date before buying second-hand.

Ubuntu prompts you instead. The Software Updater offers security and package updates, and long-term support releases arrive every two years with several years of maintenance. You choose when a major version upgrade happens.

The trade is control against effort, and the software update guide covers the mechanics on both.

Apps, files and printing

App availability is the decision point. ChromeOS runs web apps natively, many Android apps on supported models, and optionally a Linux container for developer tools. Ubuntu runs native Linux applications installed from its App Center, from Snap or Flatpak packages, or from the command line.

Neither runs Windows or macOS software directly, so if you depend on a specific desktop application, check it works before switching.

• Files: ChromeOS leans on Google Drive with a small local Downloads folder. Ubuntu treats local storage as the default and adds cloud accounts optionally.
• Printing: both use the same driverless standards, so a modern network printer usually appears on its own. Older USB-only printers are more likely to work on Ubuntu, where manufacturer drivers can be installed.
• Networking: both are straightforward, as shown in the Wi-Fi guide.

Privacy and accounts

ChromeOS is built around a Google account. Sign-in, sync, backup and most personalisation flow through it, and while guest mode and local browsing exist, the account is the normal path. Verified boot and automatic updates make it hard to compromise, but the trade-off is that your profile lives with Google.

Ubuntu asks for no online account at all. You create a local user during installation and can decline every optional service, including telemetry. That independence comes with responsibility: you decide what to install and what to trust.

Language and region handling is broadly similar on both, and the change language guide covers the general route.

Who each one actually suits

Choose ChromeOS if the computer is mainly for browsing, email, documents, video and school work, if someone else may need to support it remotely, or if you want a machine that essentially maintains itself.

Choose Ubuntu if you want offline applications, real file management, development tools, or a way to keep older hardware useful for years. It also suits anyone who prefers not to tie a desktop to a single company's account.

If you are weighing Ubuntu against a Mac instead, the macOS vs Ubuntu comparison is the closer match. Otherwise, open the real menus for ChromeOS and Ubuntu and click through them in the free browser simulator before you commit.