ChromeOS keeps growing into a real desktop platform, and the software pool has grown with it. When people search for chromebook apps now, they usually mean Android titles. The Chrome Web Store only carries browser add-ons and themes these days, so everything else comes through Android or progressive web apps. Both kinds land in your Launcher and the Games & Apps panel. The Google tools that ship on your machine, like Chrome, Docs, and Photos, already work well, so this list skips them.
Best Chromebook Apps Worth Installing in 2026
These picks span creativity, work, browsing, and entertainment. Prices and install routes are current for 2026.
| App | What it does | Cost and source |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Express | Web design kit for social posts and clips, with templates, stock media, and AI background removal. | Free to try; selling premium exports costs $9.99 a month. 30-day trial. Web or express.adobe.com. |
| Photoshop on the Web | Browser version of Adobe’s editor. Cleaner layout than the desktop build, with Generative Fill and Select Subject, though a few tools are absent. | Priced like full Photoshop, from $22.99 a month on a yearly plan. 7-day trial. |
| BandLab | A 32-track studio with 370-plus MIDI instruments and a drum machine. Record, add Autopitch, build samples, drop in loops, and collaborate. | Free does plenty; $14.95 a month unlocks pro features. From Google Play. |
| LumaFusion | A capable video editor that goes past basic trimming. Six video and six audio tracks, keyframing, audio ducking, picture-in-picture, transitions. Imports from Dropbox, Drive, and OneDrive. Exporting drags. | One-time $29.99 on Google Play. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Web hub for Excel, PowerPoint, and Word with the Copilot chatbot. Deeper than Google’s set, with Frontier program support for enterprises. | Free web use gives 5GB storage; a $99.99 yearly plan raises that to 1TB. |
| Microsoft Copilot | Android chatbot running OpenAI models. Writes emails, code, recipes, tables, and images, reads uploaded photos, and replies in lifelike voices. Can be set as default. | Free, from Microsoft Apps. |
| Mozilla Firefox | Privacy-minded browser you can add even though Chrome can’t be removed. Blocks trackers, manages passwords, has dark and reading modes. | Free, from Google Play. |
| Spotify | Huge music and podcast catalog with sharp recommendations, friend activity, and auto playlists. The Android build beats the web link. | Free tier has ads and no on-demand picks; Premium runs $11.99 a month. |
| Proton VPN | A strong free VPN with worldwide servers and quick speeds. Guards public Wi-Fi and unblocks some region-locked streams. Install the Android version. | Paid plans run $4.49 to $9.99 a month by term. |
| Netflix | The largest streaming service around. The Play Store app suits touchscreens and flags new episodes. | Ad plan is $7.99 a month; the 4K top tier with four streams is $24.99. |
| The most-used encrypted messenger anywhere, handy for quick replies and travel outside the US. | Free; web or the fuller Play Store app. | |
| VLC | Plays nearly any format, from MKV and MP4 to FLAC and Ogg. The Android edition can’t convert files the way the desktop one does. | Free; donations welcome. |
| Wattpad | Calls itself the biggest storytelling community. Readers pick from 20-plus genres; writers set an audience and upload covers, and Originals can earn money. Use Landscape mode. | Reading is free, though some books need Wattpad Coins. A subscription is $4.99 or $7.99 a month. |
If audio work is your thing, the entertainment picks pair nicely with a free recorder. Here’s a quick walkthrough on getting Audacity running on a Chromebook for editing podcasts or trimming tracks.
Spending differs a lot across these apps. Some never ask for a cent. Others lock the useful parts behind a monthly fee. The chart below lines up the starting monthly price for the paid tiers so you can see where the money goes.
Starting monthly price for each paid tier. Free tiers and one-time purchases like LumaFusion are left out.
Android Versus Browser Chromebook Apps
Early Chromebooks ran only the Chrome browser and web apps from the Chrome Web Store. Google later opened the door to Android software once developers shaped it for the bigger screen.
The store dropped its Chromebook section, but you can still turn many app-like sites into installable programs. The Games & Apps button in the center of the shelf pulls up both Android titles and PWAs, then sends you to the right install route.
ChromeOS Flex, which runs off a USB stick or an aging PC or Mac, sticks to browser-only web apps. It has no Android support and no Play Store, though companies can stream in-house tools through Cameyo. Android software behaves far better now, and only versions that fit show up in the Play Store on your device.
One tip: choose Resizable from the sizing menu at the top, unless you’re on a Chromebook tablet. If app behavior ever looks off, a quick scan for malware on your Chromebook rules out the worst causes. Curious how often people lean on Android titles? The numbers in this Android app usage report give a sense of scale.
Understanding Web-Based Chromebook Apps
The Chrome Web Store today holds only Extensions and Themes. People often treat an extension like an app, but the two differ in a key way. An extension can read everything you do in the browser it sits in. A PWA is just a site dressed up to act like a program.
PWAs can do more than plain sites. Many work offline, and you can add or remove them at the system level. With no shelf for them in the store, the simplest route is to open the site and click Install in the address bar.
The Games & Apps panel, which Google sometimes calls the App Mall, lists them too. Some sites show an Open in App button there, launching the installed copy whether it came from Play or the browser. Either way it gets a spot on your Launcher.
One Play Store perk: you can push apps to your Chromebook remotely from any browser signed into your Google account, something Apple never managed with its own store. If you’re weighing a Chromebook for heavier work, this look at whether a Chromebook is good enough for programming is worth a read, and movie fans can check these free movie sites for ChromeOS. For torrent users, there’s also a setup guide for uTorrent on a Chromebook.
FAQs
Can you run Android apps on a Chromebook?
Yes. Most Chromebooks made after 2017 run Android apps through the Google Play Store. ChromeOS Flex is the exception, since it has no Play Store and supports browser-based web apps only.
Do Chromebook apps cost money?
Many are free, including VLC, Firefox, and WhatsApp. Others charge a monthly fee for premium tiers, such as Spotify at $11.99 or Photoshop on the Web from $22.99. LumaFusion is a one-time $29.99 buy.
What is the difference between an extension and a PWA?
An extension adds features inside Chrome and can read your browser activity. A progressive web app is a website that installs like a program, often works offline, and gets its own icon on the Launcher.
Where do I find apps for my Chromebook?
Open the Games & Apps panel from the center of the shelf. It lists Android titles and PWAs, then points you to the Play Store or a website install. You can also install PWAs straight from the address bar.
Can I install Chromebook apps remotely?
Yes, for Play Store apps. Sign in to your Google account on any browser, open the Play Store, pick an app, and choose your Chromebook as the install target. The app downloads the next time the device is online.
