The best printers are fast, affordable, easy to use, with excellent quality, and good long-term value. Finding the perfect balance of features and cost is incredibly hard, so we've put together a list of the printers we think will meet your needs best. These printers are our top picks for business, home use, budget pricing, and more.
We cover a variety of printers in this guide, but if you already know what you're looking for, you might prefer our guides to the best budget printers, fastest high-quality color laser printers, or best all-in-one printers.
![Canon PIXMA TS6420a All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer [Print,Copy,Scan], Black](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/ccp-prd-s3-uploads/2021/8/6/5ce1e00b80a0deca90662bd6eaabd88d597d2727.jpeg)
Best printer overall for versatility and economy
HP Smart Tank 7602
- Good photo quality even on plain paper
- Quite fast for an inkjet tank
- Wi-Fi performance is quick
- Bold design with a clever hidden touchscreen
- Cheerful chimes provide audio cues
- Slow scan speeds
- No duplex scanning
The HP Smart Tank 7602 is one of the best printers for versatility and economy. This all-in-one printer offers exceptional print quality, long-lasting and inexpensive ink, as well as high-quality scan, copy, and fax capabilities.
HP gave the Smart Tank 7602 a unique touchscreen display integrated into the top, front edge of the printer. It's unusual but I found it to be a clever cost-saving design that works. Interactions are accompanied with cheerful chimes that make this printer fun to use.
Using refillable tanks instead of traditional cartridges, this HP printer keeps printing for up to two years with the included ink. Cost per page drops to .6 cent per page in color and .3 cent for monochrome documents. Photo print quality is vibrant and sharp on glossy paper and very good on plain paper.
The HP Smart Tank 7602 has good speed for an inkjet tank, rolling through up to 15 pages per minute for black-and-white and nine for color. Its 250-sheet paper tray and large ink tanks mean you rarely need to replenish supplies. It's a great choice for for home and office use.
Best budget inkjet tank printer
Brother MFC-J1205W
- Fast printing for an inkjet
- Low price for an all-in-one
- Relatively low cost per page
- Up to a year of ink included
- Fast scanning
- Page yield estimation
- Photos lack contrast and saturation
- Photo scans require an extra step
- Difficult to set up envelope prints
The Brother MFC-J1205W INKvestment Tank is a compact, budget-friendly all-in-one printer that's ideal for home use. I like that the off-white designs blend nicely with home decor. It's short enough it can even rest on a deep shelf, thanks to its front-facing paper tray and output bin. Note that the flatbed scanner lid needs room to lift. Weighing just 12.3 pounds, it's easy to handle and position as needed.
This printer offers impressive performance and quality at a low price. Black-and-white print speeds reach up to 16 pages per minute (ppm) with color documents slowing to 9 ppm. Photo prints may lack some saturation and contrast, but color accuracy is great. I found scanning to be fast for a budget printer, though the absence of an automatic document feeder means that multi-page documents require manual handling.
For a little over $100, the MFC-J1205W is quite affordable and long-term costs are surprisingly low. You'll average 3 cents per monochrome page and 6 cents per color page. Brother calls the MFC-J1205W and INKvestment tank printer, but it isn't a true tank. You'll still need to buy ink cartridges, but they are quite large, each with an estimated yield of 750 pages. Brother includes a full set of cartridges that could last up to a year, depending on usage.
The MFC-J1205W lacks a display, but it's still easy to operate in most cases. I found it took extra effort to set up envelope printing, but overall it's a great printer. It works with Windows PCs, Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. The Brother Mobile Connect app simplifies ink level monitoring, displaying the estimated number of pages remaining for each color, which helps in planning cartridge replacements.
The Brother MFC-J1205W INKvestment Tank printer offers a compelling balance between cost, performance, and functionality, making it a good choice if you want a budget-friendly inkjet tank printer for home use.
Best business inkjet for your home office
HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e
- Fast prints for a midrange inkjet
- Nice borderless prints on photo paper
- Good-quality pictures (with borders) on plain paper
- Reliable Duplex
- USB-A for thumb drives
- It's cartridge-based
- No media tray for one-off prints
The previous generation HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e was already a solid printer, and improvements to make the OfficeJet Pro 9125e an even better inkjet printer. With print speeds up to 22 pages per minute, 1,200 dpi scans, and an automatic document feeder with a tray capacity of 35 pages for quick scans and copies.
The tray loader can handle up to 250 sheets of paper, and the printer can output to a variety of formats and paper sizes, including envelopes, cards, labels, and more. And with an output of up to 4800 x 1200 resolution for color jobs, this printer is versatile enough to handle photo printing as well.
With the OfficeJet Pro 9125e, HP includes three months of its Instant Ink subscription service, which monitors how much ink you have in your cartridge and sends you replacements when you're running low. While it may not be worth subscribing if you print in volume, it's a nice feature for small offices with limited space in supply closets. Other features include Wi-Fi printing, a companion app to monitor print status, and support for AirPrint.
HP also sells high-capacity, eco-friendly EvoMore cartridges, which will help reduce printing costs in the long term. This printer averages about 3 cents per page in monochrome and 10 cents for color. The OfficeJet Pro 9125e can handle duplex scanning, copying, and printing to help reduce your paper cost.
Best budget monochrome laser printer
Canon imageCLASS MF275dw
- Fast printing, scanning, document feeding
- 3.5-inch touchscreen
- Generous starter toner, pre-installed
- Low cost per page
- Taller than most all-in-ones
- Grainy photos
The Canon ImageClass MF275dw offers great value as a reliable and affordable monochrome laser printer. This full-featured all-in-one printer with fax capability has a compact 15.4-by-14.6-inch footprint and weighs just 26 pounds. That makes it easy to move and fit in smaller workspaces.
The MF275dw delivers crisp text documents at a rate of 30 pages per minute, with the first page out in just 5.3 seconds. Its 150-sheet paper tray is smaller than most but could be perfect for a home office. The ADF can handle double-sided copies and quickly churns through multi-page documents.
For a little over $200, the Canon ImageClass MF275dw is an outstanding option for a fast monochrome all-in-one printer on a budget. Its solid print quality, robust feature set, and affordable price make it a great choice for a home office.
Best fast color laser printer with full duplex
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301dw
- Lightning fast print and scan speeds
- Good print quality
- Two paper trays
- Easy setup and use
- Reliable operation
- Color cost per page is just OK
- No borderless printing
If you want a laser printer for your home or office, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301dw could be what you're looking for. It's blazing fast, printing 35 pages per minute in color or monochrome. Even though it's expensive, this sturdy printer is built to last, so you'll get long-term value in a busy workspace.
With a 250-sheet main paper tray and a 50-sheet multipurpose tray, it's an excellent choice for offices, where you might switch between paper types and sizes often. It looks nice enough with its navy blue and white styling that you won't mind putting in your home office either.
HP's Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301dw isn’t just fast; it also supports duplex printing for double-sided scanning, copying, and printing. No job is too big for this printer.
The only downside to a color laser printer is the cost of color toner. If you frequently print photos or a large volume of color documents, an inkjet tank printer is a more economical choice.
Best way to save on ink costs
Epson EcoTank 2850
- Large ink reservoirs last a long time
- Ink levels visible at a glance
- Great print quality
- Very high-resolution scans
- Two-year warranty
- Print speed is a bit slow
- Mobile app setup didn't work
- Blueish tone to some prints
The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is a compact all-in-one printer designed to minimize the hassle and cost of ink replacement. It features large, refillable ink tanks, making it easy to monitor ink levels at a glance. The EcoTank ET-2850 is among the most economical printers. It comes with enough ink to last up to two years, saving you hundreds of dollars ink. That's a substantial savings if you print frequently or in high volume.
The EcoTank ET-2850 offers high-resolution printing, scanning, and copying, making it suitable for both home and small office use. While it isn't as fast as some office printers, its quality, versatility. and large ink supply make it a worthwhile investment.
The EcoTank ET-2850’s ability to print high-quality borderless photos, envelopes, labels, and documents without the constant need for ink cartridge replacements makes it an excellent choice for those looking to reduce printing costs and environmental waste.
Best compact office printer
Canon MegaTank Pixma G3270
- Good borderless photo prints
- Accurate colors and good detail
- Large ink tanks last a long time
- Great value
- Minimal ink costs
- Slow document scanning and printing
- Display panel isn't adjustable
The Canon MegaTank Pixma G3270 is a compact and affordable home office printer that balances cost, quality, and features. Measuring just 16.4 inches wide, 13.3 inches deep, and 7 inches tall with all trays closed, it's easy to fit into small spaces and weighs only 13.2 pounds, making it easy to setup and move around. The printer comes in black or white, so you can pick the model that works best in your office.
Despite its small size, the Pixma G3270 doesn't sacrific print quality. Photo prints look great on glossy and matte paper, with a slight bias toward warm colors. The printer is relatively fast for its category, printing 11 black and six color pages per minute. While the flatbed scanner is slow, it delivers good quality scans and copies.
The printer is user-friendly, with clearly marked adjustments and a simple control panel. It supports Windows, macOS, iPhone, Android, and ChromeOS. The MegaTank Pixma G3270 is ideal for home use, offering low ink costs and easy maintenance, though it lacks some advanced features like duplex scanning and automatic document feeding.
Affordable and stylish inkjet for dorms and homes
Canon Pixma TS6420a
- Great photo prints
- Fast for a budget printer
- Very compact and lightweight
- Low upfront cost
- Easy setup
- Black ink is expensive
- Tricolor cartridge wastes ink
Canon's Pixma TS6420as a stylish and affordable printer that's suited for those who may not have frequent printing needs. The compact design of this printer makes it a great option for dorm rooms. It has a footprint of 16 by 14 inches and stands just six inches tall.
You can find incredible deals on the Pixma TS6420a, but don't let its size and cost fool you — this tiny all-in-one printer has great quality and prints up to 13 pages per minute in monochrome and seven pages per minute in color.
The only trade-off is ink cost, which ranges from eight cents to 12 cents per page. Canon also offers a subscription ink service to help you manage your ink cartridges, cutting costs a bit and ensuring you're always ready for your next print job.
Best monochrome laser printer for light use
Brother HL-L2405W
- Very low cost
- Fast print speeds
- Easy wireless connections
- Compact design
- Expensive operating cost
- No duplex printing
The initial cost of the Brother HL-L2405Wis shockingly low for a laser printer. With a cost of just a little over $100, you might expect this to be an inkjet, but this budget-priced printer can roll through 30 pages per minute and lasts a long time before needing new toner. It's monochrome and meant for printing documents and it handles that task beautifully.
Brother has excellent wireless compatibility and didn't skimp on its budget model. It's easy to print over your Wi-Fi network from Apple devices using AirPrint, Google, and Android via Cloud Print, Windows WSD or you can use Wi-Fi direct if a local area network isn't available.
It's not all good news and the toner is where Brother makes back some money. If you're printing several pages each day or a big batch weekly, the costs might add up too quickly and overcome the initial savings. However, for lighter use, this is a fantastic deal.
Best all-in-one for photo-quality prints
Epson EcoTank ET-8500
- Excellent photo quality
- Fast document and photo prints
- Easy setup and use
- Fast and quiet scanner
- Three paper trays with wide media support
- SD card and USB drive support
- Small footprint with automatic output tray
- No automatic document feeder
- High initial cost
The Epson EcoTank ET-8500 is a compact all-in-one photo printer designed for lab-quality prints at home. It features a six-color ink system, including the standard cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, along with gray and photo black. The additional inks enhance the dynamic range and color fidelity, for stunning picture quality.
The EcoTank ET-8500 prints vibrant, borderless photo prints on matte or glossy paper, with colors that are crisp and accurate. Even draft-quality photos maintain good color accuracy and sharpness. The speed is also impressive, delivering up to 16 black-and-white or 12 color documents per minute. Photo prints are also quick, with best-quality 4×6 prints taking under a minute.
As an all-in-one, the EcoTank ET-8500’s scanner is fast and quiet, and the large touchscreen simplifies copying, scanning, and accessing drives and cards. The printer supports various media types, including CDs and DVDs, making it versatile for different printing needs.
Despite its higher price, the EcoTank ET-8500 offers long-term value with its large ink tanks and low running costs. The included ink supply can last over a year, and the cost per page is significantly lower than cartridge-based printers. If you prioritize photo printing and need high-quality, reliable prints, the EcoTank ET-8500 is highly recommended.
What to consider
When you’re shopping for a new printer, you want great print quality, fast output, and reliable performance. While specifications and purchase price stand out, your daily experience with technology is more nuanced than a list of numbers. Once you’ve narrowed in on a few models, check our hands-on reviews to delve into the little details that matter. We can help you find the perfect printer.
Laser vs. inkjet: Which is better?
For the home and office, the best printers use laser or inkjet technology. Laser printers are ideal for text-heavy documents due to their crisp output and low long-term costs, despite higher upfront expenses. Inkjet printers offer more affordable color printing, environmental benefits, and greater versatility.
While laser printers are built for speed and durability, they tend to be larger and heavier than inkjet printers. Inkjet printers are almost always a better choice for photos and accept various paper sizes and types for creative projects.
In general, a laser printer is better suited to office use, while an inkjet printer works well at home. For home offices, either could work, depending on what you need to print.
How can I reduce ink and toner cost?
Over months and years, the cost of supplies can be much higher than what you paid for a printer. That’s why it’s important to consider ink and toner costs if you print frequently or in high volume.
The most basic cost-saving technique it to print in black-and-white. Color documents cost significantly more since three or more base colors are used to approximate a full range of hues and shades. Monochrome documents are the least expensive since only black is needed. Of course, color prints often look better and are more eye-catching, so you might want or need that option.
Ink and toner costs vary across brands and models but there are some common factors when shopping for a printer that has lower running costs.
Tank-based inkjet printers have the lowest cost per page since ink is sold in bottles. Laser printer come close but only for monochrome documents. Color toner is expensive, so choose a color laser printer that supports high-capacity or high-yield toner cartridges. Standard inkjet printers often have the highest supply costs.
Should I get an all-in-one or a standard printer?
All-in-one printers include scan, copy, and sometimes fax functions, serving multiple purposes. For office work, you might need to copy an invoice or scan a receipt. At home, a good scanner lets you capture old photo prints and even negatives in digital form so they aren’t lost if the original fades or becomes damaged.
If you like the sound of an all-in-one printer, note that some models can automatically create double-sided copies and effortlessly handle multi-page documents. Look for a printer with a full-duplex automatic document feeder (ADF) to enjoy these capabilities.
How we tested
Each printer we review is tested over several days, noting convenience, quality, and performance at each step. From the unboxing and setup to software installation, connection, and use, we share our experience with the printer so you know what to expect if you buy a recommended printer. We note any problems during testing and, when possible, tell you how to solve or workaround the issue.
For every printer, we test the manufacturer specifications to make sure the reality matches expectations. The little things add up with printers you'll use for years so we'll warn you if a difficult user interface hurts the usability of an otherwise high-quality printer. We examine print quality for text, graphics, and photos, on a variety of media. Since multifunction printers include scan and copy features, our reviews assess scan quality and copy speed so you can be certain you get a model that meets your requirements.
Finally, we test printers across multiple platforms to find out if everything works as expected on all your devices. [The best printer brands offer mobile apps so you can use your iPhone or Android phone for printing and scanning. Still, mobile apps could lack features or limit scan resolution. You need to know all the details to choose the best printer.
Why you should trust us
Digital Trends has been reviewing printers for 20 years and testing them to determine which ones offer the best quality and fastest speeds. We check the long-term value of each printer, so you'll know in advance if a low-cost printer is truly affordable or if it has outrageous ink or toner costs.
Printers are complex machines that require a good understanding of the technology to make a solid recommendation. Our hands-on reviews help you make informed decisions by highlighting compatibility concerns and how well advertised features actually work.
