Best Budget-Friendly Printers Worth Buying Now!
A familiar pattern rises when buyers with limited budgets set up their computer dens. All of the money goes straight into the GPU and CPU, then there’s enough RAM and super-fast SSD capacity to store big games or media editing programs. By the time the buying spree is over, there’s only a little left over to purchase a budget printer. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of budget printers. They’re sitting on shelves in big ticket stores, splayed across Amazon sales pages, and generally ready to be scooped up like discounted candy at a checkout line.
That’s a good thing, but overcrowded sales markets do leave room for the occasional dud. What does this mean for a budget printer shopper? Well, frustration is likely, with curses over multiple paper jams and subpar print work causing the cheap little whirring machine to find its way back into its box, cast aside until it can either be returned or relegated to the back of your already bursting closet. Here to save the day—and your closet’s door hinges—we’re reviewing the best printers you can buy. They’ll be the very definition of affordable but never cheap. Print quality and other feature-rich talents will top our review essentials, non-negotiable. And we’ll be looking for bonus features, too. Just because you’re a little short on cash this month, that doesn’t mean you can’t have the latest things, like wireless connectivity, mobile printing, and vibrant photo outputs as well.
Making the entire printing process affordable without causing you any hassle, we present the following collection of budget-friendly printers, each designed to get the best value for your money. Remember, with these devices connected, wirelessly or hard-wired, there’s no need to compromise on performance or features. These printers prove that you can still enjoy high-quality prints, speedy operation, and a user-friendly experience without breaking the bank.
Top Picks: Best Printers On a Budget Today!
Canon Pixma G3270
- Wireless Print/Copy/Scan
- Up to 2 years of ink included
- Print up to 6,000 black & white / 7,700 color pages using a single set of inks!
Why It Stands Out in Our Print Queue – A strong focus on ink savings. 11 ppm black and 6 ppm color. 600 by 1200 dpi scanning. Wired USB or Wi-Fi connectivity. 1.35-inch informative display. Quiet 48.5 dB operation. Mobile printing. Compact 19.6 by 19.5 by 10.9-inch form factor. Weighs 13.2 lbs.
Office reviewers are a conventional lot by nature, although we do enjoy wallet-friendly print extras. The Canon Pixma G3270 has that classic black box appeal, not much larger than a pizza box. Don’t put a pizza box on top of it, not unless you want tomato sauce and garlic on your crisp paper output. That said, we mounted it on a desk next to one of our new office laptops, using wireless 802.11b/g/n/a/ac to establish a stable link to the visually attractive little box. We could have used the USB port, but our laptop was already lit up like a Christmas tree, connected to several peripherals already.
It was the three ink level gauges on the front panel of the Pixma G3270 that captured our expert reviewer’s attention. They give the device a sense of identity, clarifying it as an ink saving computer accessory. In this age where everything counts, from recycled computer packaging to device energy efficiency ratings, we appreciated the thoughtful touch. The literature on the Canon web page proudly promoted this feature, stating 6,000 pages of black & white output or 7,700 pages of color output when using full bottles of ink. Just as an economy-oriented by-the-way, four bottles of ink are included in the printer box. Better yet, those figures are quoted for the default mode. The printer also has an economy mode, which significantly ups the page capacity. Canon PRINT app prints and scans anywhere.
Wireless printing was stable and offered a decent range. Mobile printing was much the same, including such print services as Apple AirPrint. There was also no need to hang around after the print queue filled, as the 11 ppm (print per minute) speed kicked out crisp text before we could pull out an energy drink from the canteen cooler. The 6 ppm color print output was just as outstanding, with the included 100-sheet print tray standing solidly in the rear, propping up paper. Finally, the built-in optical flatbed scanner impressed us with its precision, using the no-nonsense 1.35-inch LCD display to control its 600 x 1200 dpi output, digitizing an entire mountain of desk paperwork.
Room for Improvement – Although a superb document and photo printer, its 100-sheet feeder isn’t great for a larger office. The LCD display is informative but small. Limited networking capabilities.
HP ENVY Inspire 7955e
- FROM AMERICA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND: The HP ENVY Inspire 7955e is perfect for home printing including documents, high-quality borderless photos in multiple sizes, creative projects and more.
- 3 MONTHS INK INCLUDED with HP+ activation: Enjoy a 3-month Instant Ink subscription. Ink ships automatically to prevent running out
- INCLUDES HP+ SMART FEATURES: Activate HP+ free to get advanced features for mobile printing, security, automatic updates and more.
Why it stands out in our print queue – Features a sheet feeder and a photo tray. Two-sided document and photo printing versatility. 15 ppm black and 10 ppm color speed. Large 2.7-inch color touchscreen. Reliable dual-band USB and Wi-Fi . 18.11 by 15.08 by 9.17-inch form factor. Weighs 17.9 lbs.
We tested the HP Envy Inspire 7955e as a small office printer. With its 125-sheet paper feeder and 15-sheet dedicated photograph input mechanism, that’s clearly where its strengths lay. A gallery on Adobe Lightroom was pulled up to test photo printing, and the 4 x 6 outputs did a fine job of resolving P3 color gamut shots, ready to frame. Black and white documents were also stellar, sliding out at a fast 15 ppm speed with clearly legible lettering. Transmitting all of this, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac across a dual band connection avoided data drops in our office, which is crowded with wireless signals on the best of days.
Turns were taken printing a standard document with both small text and colored graphics, checking for any blurriness, color banding, or ink smudging. The affordable HP Envy Inspire 7955e performed very well, surpassing expectations. We were using a desktop Mac this time, loaded with the latest Canon printer drivers. After putting the device through its paces on this desk-locked computer, the HP Smart app was downloaded and installed on an iPhone, Android also available, to test out mobile printing features, such as Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service.
Reviewers found the high-resolution 1200 x 1200 dpi quality output very pleasing, and that opinion shifted gears to highly satisfied when the color optimized 4800 x 1200 dpi prints showcased their rich hues. We stand by the small office role, having tested both the dual-band wireless and super-fast USB port for reliability. Borderless prints shot out in seconds, using the feed mechanism to eliminate paper jams that we’d seen on lesser models. Up top, as well as the feeder, a 1200 x 1200 dpi scanner converted office financial spreadsheets into high-resolution digital copies, instantly ready to be emailed to each staffer. And if we wanted to shift back to physical print work, the large 2.7-inch display responded rapidly to a touch command, keeping our office manager productive.
Room for improvement – The need to enroll in HP’s Instant Ink service to recoup consumable costs. Tri color ink cartridge may need replacing if one color runs low. Only accepts HP ink cartridges.
Brother MFC-J4335DW
- INKvest in a printer you won’t want to replace with up to 1-year of ink in-box.
- The INKvestment Tank’s internal tank works with reengineered INKvestment Tank ink cartridges to eliminate manual refilling.
- The easy-to-use, front-loading plug-in INKvestment Tank ink cartridges hold more ink than traditional cartridges to continually supply ink to the internal tank
Why it stands out in the print queue – High-capacity INKvestment cartridges. Comprehensive options for connectivity. Functions as a scanner. 13 ppm black mode and 10 ppm color printing. Two-sided (duplex) printing. 150 sheet paper tray. Form factor is 17.1 by 14.2 by 7.1-inches. Weighs 17.6 lbs.
Rows of buttons greeted our testers as they got to grips with the Brother MFC-J4335DW printer. Just like the opening duo above, it’s a small to medium office printer that will slot into the home in a pinch. Those many keys on the front panel did initially look a little intimidating as it was unboxed, but they were tagged with easily interpreted functions. In fact, even though the printer boasts a 1.8-inch color display, it’s nice having the option to entire tactile commands, to print a document at 13ppm with a light press on one of the buttons or scan a page at 1200 x 2400 dpi on the flatbed panel.
Besides the included four cartridges of ink providing up to one year of document printing, green to the core, the INKvestment headlined printer is backed by several performance optimized features. A USB port allowed for a standard hardwired connection to our test laptop, or there was the by now default option to go wireless, this time using either Wi-Fi direct or 802.11 b/g/n wireless. Numerous cloud and print services were also included, making it a breeze to get prints from any device, including a mobile phone. We could see college types falling for this feature, as they use their smartphones more, leaving their laptops in a backpack as a doorstop.
Versatility is the word we awarded the Brother MFC-J4335DW. The multi-buttoned device scans via flatbed or ADF (Automatic Document Feeder). It duplex prints, saves the environment, copies, connects to cloud services and Apple AirPrint, and talks to either Windows or Macs. For the low outlay, buyers are getting everything they need, and then some. Capacity tests were also very satisfactory thanks to the addition of a handy 150 sheet paper tray, accepting everything from 4 by 6 photo paper to A4 through A6 letter and executive paper stock. Quality-wise, every letter and graphic was pin-sharp. App: Brother Mobile Connect, for mobile printing and print-on-the-go needs
Room for improvement – A solid budget offering, but its photo printing performance is middling at best. No ethernet port, preventing the printer crossing over into larger offices. Has a larger footprint.
Epson EcoTank ET-2800
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing: High-capacity ink tanks mean no more tiny, expensive ink cartridges
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink: Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges
- Stress-Free Printing: Up to 2 years of ink in the box - and with every replacement ink set – for fewer out of ink frustrations
Why it stands out in the print queue – Uses a no cartridge refillable design. Wi-Fi Direct and 802.11 b/g/n wireless. As much as 2-years of ink included in the box. 10 ppm black and 5 ppm color print speed. Fast USB connector. 14.8 by 22.8 by 10-inch form factor. Weighs a featherweight 8.8 lbs.
As the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 came in at a larger width than most of the models on this list, staffers wondered if the extra inches were concealing some technological wonder. In reality, we believe the extra girth is to store the cleverly engineered cartridge-free ink feed system. This high-capacity four color feed uses a refillable design, keeping users firmly in charge of the ink. Other than that, we nodded happily, paying respect to the four easy-read fill gauges to the right of the output tray. As for those EcoFit bottles, down they went into a desktop drawer until the printer gauges hit empty.
Connections to the printer were every bit as thoughtfully incorporated as its eco-friendly credentials. The wireless 802.11 b/g/n worked seamlessly with the office router, and Wi-Fi Direct took over, taking the load off of that same heavily burdened wireless hub. If one lucky homeowner didn’t like the idea of burdening their own local network, then the fast USB port would take over, delivering hardwired printing speed. Of course, printing was one option, added to scanning and copying versatility. Strangely enough, and this isn’t a feature found on a lot of budget printers, there was an in-built option for voice-activated operation. If typing like a wild man, a voice activated print would be a handy feature, we suppose.
While capable of borderless printing and high-resolution 5760 by 1440 dpi document crispness, emphasis has definitely been placed on this device’s ink technology and how users won’t end up running out to an office store every time a low ink message flashes. High ink tank capacities make this scenario extremely unlikely. The 1200 dpi scan and copy resolution was also respectable, but we did find the print speed a tad slow. A 10 ppm black output and 5 ppm color print speed, tested on a range of documents, is acceptable but only just. That being said, print quality was stellar. Finally, the 1.44-inch LCD was convenient but could have been bigger. App: Epson Smart panel. Accesses AirPrint and mobile printing.
Room for improvement – The print speeds could be faster. Feels flimsy compared to the high-end EcoTank range. Affordability comes at the cost of more advanced print features. Photo grain.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001n
- PERFECT FOR SMALL TEAMS: Print professional-quality black & white documents and reports. Ethernet/USB only (for wireless, see LaserJet Pro 4001dw).
- FROM AMERICA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND: The LaserJet Pro 4001n is best for up to 10 users, with intuitive tools to set up and manage your printer.
- BLAZING FAST PRINT SPEEDS: Up to 42 black-and-white pages per minute single-sided
Why it stands out in the print queue – Powerhouse 42 ppm black print speed. Affordable laser technology. Superb 1200 by 1200 dpi text legibility. Low power Gigabit Ethernet networking. 100 sheet paper tray input. Has a 15 by 14.06 by 8.5-inch form factor. Weighs 18.12 lbs. Mobile printing.
When time crunches are more important than color graphics, buyers will inevitably turn to the speed of the HP LaserJet Pro 4001n. Sure, color is out of the question, but entire office romance novels can be output in minutes using this speedy device. And the lines of text, every letter and punctuation mark, will render with literal laser sharpness. Better yet, tested in our own office, Gigabit Ethernet means this printer slots into an executive level network, using conventional server security protocols. That’s a big deal if a shopper is looking for a printer that speaks modern network authentication languages.
Print quality was solid for a budget Laser printer, the HP LaserJet rendering 1200 dpi text in monochrome at 42 ppm. It operated at a blur, yet there was no smearing or character deformations. We even compared the output to our main office printer, a more expensive LaserJet series machine, and the quality was comparable. If Ethernet wasn’t on the buyers’ shopping list, that wasn’t a problem. Right above the networking port, a more familiar high-speed USB connector was included, ready to perform in a smaller office or home environment. The only problem with that scenario, however, was the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity.
Even without Wi-Fi, we downloaded and installed HP Smart, letting its mobile muscles flex when we were without a desktop computer. As long as the smartphone and Ethernet connection shared the same network, a stable link between app and printer was established. At this point, we spent a whole hour playing with Apple AirPrint, scanning and faxing, and using Mopria to print several business documents without any other software involved. Shuffling those documents into collated place, two paper trays kept the sheets organized. Built for up to ten people to share, medium sized offices should definitely be shopping for this printer. If those office workers have smartphones, then download the HP Smart app.
Room for improvement – Although there is a mobile app, there’s no wireless connection to a computer. Monochrome output. No all-in-one functionality. Expensive HP toner cartridges.
Brother DCPL2640DW
- BEST FOR SMALL BUSINESSES: This 3-in-1 printer combines laser printer, scanner, copier in one compact footprint and delivers high-quality black & white prints
- FAST PRINTER WITH EFFICIENT SCANNING: Allows for convenient, time saving multi-page scanning and copying
- FLEXIBLE CONNECTION OPTIONS
Why it stands out in the print queue – It’s an affordable laser printer with a scanner and copier. Blazing fast 36 ppm print speed. Wireless dual-band Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB versatility. Two-line LCD panel. Comes with a 250 sheet paper tray. Unit dimensions are 16.1 by 15.7 by 12.5-inches. Weighs a hefty 25 lbs.
If the laser printer above felt like a steal, then this model, the Brother DCPL2640DW, ups the ante. It’s essentially a budget superhero, using all-in-one capabilities in place of a cape, though. Any buyer would be suspicious of a device that offers laser printing quality and speed, plus scanning and copying. As for our unbiased expert staffers, we just get down to business, pulling out our small typeface documents to test its monochrome performance in a regular hard-working office. The results were impressive, starting with the speed of the high-quality output documents we’d selected for our benchmarks.
A 250 sheet paper tray collected documents as they zipped out at 36 ppm. Check one in the pros column, this laser printer is fast. We even pulled out a magnifying glass, checking the fine edges of small text for blurring or smearing. Every edge defied expectations, retaining sharpness and definition. The paper was flipped over for more up-close testing, as we’d input a duplex test into the print queue. Again, double-sided or not, letter and legal sized documents rendered text with crisp edges, making the words pop from our chosen paper stock. We had a ten ream box of Hammermill Premium Laser paper stock nearby, choosing 30 sheets and different document configurations in both Microsoft Word and Publisher. Even without color, the output was clean and free of fuzziness.
With check marks solidly in place in the pros column for print quality, we turned to mobile printing and any other connection standard. The Brother Mobile Connect App took charge of business-class remote print duties. If not purposed as an office printer, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n allowed for placement of the compact Brother laser printer in an out of the way closet. Otherwise, fast USB 2.0 could be used, assuming the owner had a cable somewhere within reach. Coming into its own as a professional grade printing machine, Ethernet connectivity made it an easy job to make the DCPL2640DW part of a business network. Scanning was also available via a flatbed panel, plus Mopria compatibility and Wi-Fi Direct printing.
Room for improvement – The 25 lb. weight is heavy when stacked against other models. Small LCD display. Slow print speed, when tested against other laser printers. Duplex scanning is missing.
Canon Pixma TR7820
- ALL-IN-ONE: Print, Copy, Scan features for full control at your fingertips.
- FAST PRINT SPEEDS: Print approximately 15 (black) / 10 (color) images per minute.
- EASY SETUP: Get running in just a few minutes thanks to a streamlined and easy setup process out of the box.
Why it stands out in the print queue – Dual-band Wi-Fi. Decent 15 ppm black and 10 ppm color print speed. Automated duplex. Automated document feeder. Prints, scans, and copies. 1200 dpi resolution. Borderless printing. A 2.7-inch touchscreen. A 14.8 by 13.8 by 8.2-inch frame. A middleweight 16 lbs.
It’s true that the Canon Pixma TR7820 printer isn’t an ink-tastic Green champion, but it has other virtues worthy of showcasing. For one, it’s equipped with serious paper feed muscle. A 100 sheet paper tray is matched by a 35 sheet ADF (Auto Document Feeder). There’s also the presence of a front paper cassette, one with a 100 sheet capacity. What all this added up to for our expert printer testers was a talent for automated convenience. We spent less time shuffling paper and more time proofing our work, maybe while scrolling through an occasional meme or two as well.
With that admission out of the way, back to the review. The dual-band Wi-Fi, both 2.4 and 5 GHz, kept our print queue stable. No disconnecting at a critical juncture due to an overburdened office router, the connection was entirely reliable. If that had been an issue, we would’ve switched to the Hi-Speed USB connector. Scanning and copying came next, using the flatbed glass on top to duplicate a densely packed series of text passages and graphics. The 1200 by 2400 dpi scan was detail perfect. There was also the option to swap out the flatbed for ADF scanning, no babysitting the printer or lifting the lid to adjust a slippery sheet on equally slippery glass. We appreciated all of these thoughtful touches.
The Canon Pixma TR7820 is a budget printer with Swiss knife like talents. It scans well, copies, and produces sharp business-class black and white text and color graphics. We saw it as an excellent small office device, one that could pull double duty as a home creative tool. Print birthday cards with photos and vibrant graphics, courtesy of the easy-use duplex mode. Switch to photo printing or borderless. If a crafty teen wants to get in on the fun, then their creative efforts can be spun up on the Canon Easy Photoprint app, where they can crop or edit their work until satisfied, unless they want to get up close and personal with the 2.7-inch color touchscreen embedded in the printer of course.
Affordable Printers That Don’t Compromise!
Efforts were made to keep the uppermost price below $200. It felt like a good bar to set for a best printer on a budget list. The HP ENVY Inspire 7955e was available for substantially less and was one of the best we could find. Your search results may vary, depending on what sales are on at the time. The HP LaserJet Pro 4001n was priced right at the top of this limit, which was no surprise, as it’s a very capable laser printer, fast as well, that comes with good Ethernet enabled networking capabilities. The laser Brother DCPL2640DW was priced similarly, but you get a lot more for your money, including all-in-one functions and wireless connectivity.
The Canon Pixma budget printers are also exceedingly good purchases, built to leave plenty of spare change in your wallet. They’re marketed as outstanding all-rounders, yet they’re equipped with some serious photo printing power as well. That’s not to say that Epson or Brother printers should be regarded as runner ups. The Brother and Epson printers listed here show off good eco awareness, using mature ink technologies that can last all year around without ever needing to visit the store for new refills. Buy one of these if the environment, and your bank account, mean a lot to you. Otherwise, prioritize your purchase based on your unique needs.
Small office in your home? Opt for one of the models with USB and Wi-Fi, a device that can handle different paper stocks and has a handy paper tray. Fold-away paper trays are also desirable, especially if the printer goes into storage often. We recommend either the HP ENVY Inspire 7955e or Canon Pixma G3270 for those kinds of multitasking roles, saving laser printers for purely professional business duties. Don’t forget to download the relevant apps, too. Junior will thank you when he spends all day in his bedroom printing posters for his garage band from his smartphone.
