Updated Feb 29, 2024 at 04:34 pm
By Ryan Lim
overview 8 comments
If you've already decided to get an inkjet printer, but you have a hard time choosing a model, it's understandable. There's a wide range of inkjet printers, from expensive, full-featured models to simple budget options. On top of that, the costof a printer doesn't always correlate with better print quality. There are many things to consider when shopping for an inkjet model, like your budget, the printer's print quality andconnectivity, and whether you need features like a scanner or mobile app support. Also, don't forget aboutyour print load, as the cost of replacement ink cartridges can add up quickly.
We've tested over 135printers, and below are our recommendations for the best inkjet printers you can buy. You can also check our picks for thebest photo printers, thebest all-in-one printers, and thebest home printers.
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Best Inkjet Printer
Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 0
Family
8.7
Small/Home Office
9.0
Student
9.3
Black & White
8.9
Photo
8.3
Estimated Black Page Yield
4,921 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
2,532 printsScanner
ADF + FlatbedCost-Per-Print
10
Printing Speed
8.9
Connectivity
9.0
See all our test results
The best inkjet printer we've tested is the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850, an all-in-one designed for small or home offices. This supertank modelproduces amazingly sharp documents, prints quickly at up to 25 pages per minute, andyields thousands of prints from a full ink tank. Replacement ink is cheap, so you don't have to worry about high ownership costs, even if you print a lot. Its wide connectivity options make it easily accessible, and its ADF-equipped scanner lets you process multi-page and double-sided documents quickly. As for photo printing, printed pictures look detailed and colorful but noticeably grainy.
The biggest downside of theET-5850 is its highprice tag. If you want something more affordable anddon't mind compromising slightly, you can getthe Epson EcoTank ET-5800 variant. It has the same features and provides the same print quality as the ET-5850; however,it's a little slower to print color documents and doesn't support borderless printing. Another alternative is the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5180, which yields more prints than the ET-5850 but doesn't feel as well built and prints much slower. It also has a smaller input tray, so you must refill it more often.
See our review
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Best Upper Mid-Range Inkjet Printer
HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e 5
Family
8.1
Small/Home Office
8.2
Student
8.6
Black & White
8.3
Photo
7.3
Estimated Black Page Yield
1,482 printsEstimated Color Page Yield 779 prints
Scanner
ADF + FlatbedCost-Per-Print
9.0
Printing Speed
8.4
Connectivity
9.0
See all our test results
If you have a smaller print load and don't need a supertank model like the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 above, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e might be the right fit. Its feature set is identical to theEpson, so you're still getting things likean ADF-equipped scanner with duplex scanning, automatic double-sided printing, a large input tray capacity, and wide connectivity options, including printing directly off a USB flash drive. It also produces sharpdocuments but isn't as good for photo printing due to its lower print resolution and narrow color range. Its print speed is great, pushing up to 23 black and 15 color pages per minute.
The biggest difference between this model and the Epson above is that it uses more traditional ink cartridges. Its page yield isn't as good but still pretty impressive at around 1,400 black and 750 color pages, and the cartridges are relatively cheap. This model comes withsix months of free ink through HP's ink replenishment service, which helps offsetownership costs slightly, at least for the first few months. However, subscribing to the servicewill prevent you from using third-party cartridges, even if you cancel your subscription. Also,the printer must have a continuous internet connection to function.
See our review
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Best Mid-Range Inkjet Printer
Brother MFC-J4335DW 3
Family
8.2
Small/Home Office
8.2
Student
8.4
Black & White
8.5
Photo
7.3
Estimated Black Page Yield
2,280 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
825 printsScanner
ADF + FlatbedCost-Per-Print
9.5
Printing Speed
8.1
Connectivity
7.0
See all our test results
Our best mid-range inkjet pick is the Brother MFC-J4335DW, a simple all-in-one model designed for home use and one of the best all-in-one inkjet printers we've tested. It's very cheap to maintain as its ink cartridges last a long time and are relatively inexpensive.It produces high-quality documents, and while it doesn't have the best color range and accuracy, it still produces very detailed photos that are good enough to hang at home.
The scanner processes documents quickly through its automatic feeder and produces outstanding scans, making it great for digitizing photos. It doesn't support duplex scanning, meaning you'll have to flip the pages manually when scanning double-sided sheets. If you need Ethernet connectivity or NFC support, you can get the more costly Brother MFC-J4535DW variant. It also hasan additional 250-sheet input tray and a larger touch-sensitive display.
See our review
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Best Budget Inkjet Printer
Brother MFC-J1205W/MFC-J1215W 2
Family
7.9
Small/Home Office
7.2
Student
8.0
Black & White
7.3
Estimated Black Page Yield
1,178 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
766 printsScanner
FlatbedCost-Per-Print
9.5
Printing Speed
5.6
Connectivity
7.0
See all our test results
The best budget inkjet printer we've tested is the Brother MFC-J1205W, also known as the Brother MFC-J1215W if you're shopping at Walmart. It's an inkjet model designed for people who print slightly more than the occasional once-in-a-blue-moon project. It has a sturdy build and a decent number of connectivity options, and it prints high-quality documents and decent-looking photos. Its ink cartridges last a long time and are relatively cheap, so the cost-per-print is exceptionally low. There are a few compromises for its budget-friendly price, like its slow printing speed and the lack of an automatic document feeder. It's compatible with Brother's mobile app, which you can use to print, scan, copy, perform maintenance tasks, and order supplies.
See our review
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Best Cheap Inkjet Printer
Canon PIXMA MG3620 4
Family
7.6
Small/Home Office
6.2
Student
7.3
Black & White
6.7
Photo
7.7
Estimated Black Page Yield
225 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
210 printsScanner
FlatbedCost-Per-Print
7.9
Printing Speed
6.2
Connectivity
6.0
See all our test results
If you only need to print once in a while for a specific project and need something to get the job done, consider the Canon PIXMA MG3620. It doesn't feel particularly well-built and only has a basic flatbed scanner, but it prints good-quality documents and photos. The main drawback is its low page yield. The cost-per-print is still low because the cartridges are cheap; it's just inconvenient because it requires a lot of maintenance, and you might end up wasting paper and time due to incomplete or faded prints. It's fine if you only need it for those occasional, one-off projects, but if you print more regularly, consider going with our budget or mid-range pick.
See our review
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Best Inkjet Photo Printer
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 0
Family
6.9
Small/Home Office
5.6
Student
6.6
Black & White
5.3
Photo
8.9
Estimated Black Page Yield
323 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
425 printsScanner
No ScannerCost-Per-Print
7.2
Printing Speed
1.5
Connectivity
8.0
See all our test results
While the other picks in this article are all great printers, they're mainly designed for general purposes like everyday printing and scanning. If you're looking specifically to print photos and want the best print quality, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is your best bet. It produces incredibly detailed, vibrant, and colorful photos with no banding or other artifacts, and it can print on wide-format paper sizes up to 13x9. Of course, there are some downsides to specialized printers like this one. The first has to do with maintenance cost, as there are nine ink cartridges to replace, and they're expensive, so it can add up quickly if you print a lot. Second, it's a print-only model, meaning you'll need a separate scanner to scan anything. Lastly, it prints very slowly, taking over two minutes to produce a 4x6photo.
If you print a lot and worry about high maintenance costs, get the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550, one of the best all-in-one inkjet printers we've tested. Its refillable ink tank yields significantly more prints than the Canon, and its replacement ink is much cheaper. It also has a flatbed scanner and can print directly off an SD card. The print quality is outstanding but is less color-accurate than the Canon because it tends to oversaturate the colors to make them more vibrant and punchy. If cost is a concern, there's a cheaper variant, the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500. It gives you the same print quality but only supports paper sizes up to 8.5x11and has a smaller 8.5x11.7flatbed scanner.
See our review
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Best Wide Format Inkjet Printer
HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 0
Family
8.3
Small/Home Office
8.2
Student
8.6
Black & White
8.2
Photo
7.8
Estimated Black Page Yield
1,140 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
664 printsScanner
ADF + FlatbedCost-Per-Print
8.9
Printing Speed
7.3
Connectivity
9.0
See all our test results
If you need a feature-rich, wide-format printer for your office, get the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740. It prints sharp documents and sports tons of features, including an 11x17flatbed scanner, single-pass duplex scanning, and a large, touch-sensitive control panel. It has two input trays with a combined capacity of 500 sheets of paper, which is great for large print jobs as you won't have to refill the trays as often. You can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi, USB,or Ethernet, and you can also print off a USB flash drive. Its print speed is on the slower side at 12 black or 8 color pages per minute, but it supports automatic double-sided printing.
The regular ink cartridges yield around 1,100 black and 600 color prints, and you can get XL cartridges that'll last longer. The ink cartridges are relatively cheap, so you don't have to worry about high running costs. As for photo printing, printed pictures look detailed but noticeably darker than the original because the printercan't produce bright, saturated colors and replaces them with darker tones, which is typical for office printers. The photos also look noticeably grainy, especially compared to a photo printer like theCanon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 above.
See our review
Notable Mentions
- Canon PIXMA G4270: The Canon PIXMA G4270 is a good alternative to the Brother MFC-J4335DW if you have a large print load. It costs slightly more upfront but yields significantly more prints, so it's cheaper to maintain over time. The scanner supports duplex scanning (manual); however, it doesn't perform as well, as it has trouble capturing fine details, which isn't ideal for digitizing photos and graphics. It prints much slower at nine black or three color pages per minute and only supports manual duplex printing. See our review
- Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830: The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 is a good option if you want something in the same price range as the Brother MFC-J4335DW but need automatic duplex scanning. The documents it produces don't look as good as the ones produced by the Brother, but the pictures do, as it has a wider color range and better accuracy. The downside is that it yields significantly fewer prints, so you'll have to spend more on ink. See our review
- Brother MFC-J1010DW: The Brother MFC-J1010DW is a good alternative to the Canon PIXMA MG3620 if you need an automatic document feeder or faster printing speed. However, it's more expensive and yields fewer color prints. See our review
- Epson EcoTank ET-2400: The Epson EcoTank ET-2400 is a budget-friendly alternative to the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300. The printer itself is significantly cheaper, and since it's a supertank model that yields thousands of prints, you won't have to spend as much for replacement ink. It produces very detailed and colorful pictures; it just doesn't have as wide a color range as the Canon and isn't as color-accurate. Also, it doesn't support Apple AirPrint or Mopria Print Service, which might make it harder to print photos from a smartphone or tablet. See our review
Recent Updates
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Feb 29, 2024: Replaced the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e with the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e because the 9135e is cheaper, has faster printing speeds, and has better page yields. Replaced the Epson EcoTank ET-15000 with the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 because the HP has better print quality, more features, and can print on 11x17 paper using the main input tray.
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Jan 05, 2024: Added the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 and the Epson EcoTank ET-2400 as Notable Mentions. Small text changes to improve clarity.
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Oct 25, 2023: Small text changes to provide more information regarding HP's ink subscription service. Added the Canon PIXMA G4270 as a Notable Mention. No change in recommendations.
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Aug 29, 2023: Verified that all picks are valid and available. No change in recommendations.
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Jun 30, 2023: Small text changes to include information about HP+. No change in recommendations.
All Reviews
Our recommendations aboveare what we think are currently the best printers for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all our printer reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While noprinter is perfect for every use, mostare goodenough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
