ChromeOS vs Debian
| ChromeOS | Debian | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Paid from | — | Free |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Linux, self-hosted |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Device types | Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, Chromebases, Chromebits; ChromeOS Flex on certified PCs and Macs | Personal computers; cloud virtual machines |
| Support lifecycle | ChromeOS devices receive 10 years of updates from platform release; specific device end dates vary. | Debian 13: five years, including three years of full Debian support through August 9, 2028 and LTS through June 30, 2030 |
| Built-in management | Google Admin console policies, app and extension installation, update management, device policies | APT package installation, removal, and distribution upgrades |
| App compatibility | Install apps and extensions; managed Google Play apps are available only on ChromeOS devices, not ChromeOS Flex. | Debian packages (.deb); APT package manager |
| Deployment models | Physical ChromeOS devices; ChromeOS Flex installation on certified existing PCs and Macs by USB or network deployment | Physical computer installation; live boot from CD, DVD, or USB; OpenStack and QEMU cloud images; Amazon EC2 and Microsoft Azure images |
| CPU architectures | — | amd64, arm64, armhf, ppc64el, riscv64, s390x; i386 supported as a co-architecture for 32-bit software on amd64; armel upgrades only |
Both are listed in Best Operating Systems. On Inferse, Debian scores higher on our published basis.