Updated Mar 11, 2024 at 03:41 pm
By Ryan Lim
overview 13 comments
When shopping for the bestprinter for home use, you're likely looking for something versatile enough to satisfy everyone's needs. Your family might need to copy documents to sign, scan delicate old photos, or print long essays or reports at a moment's notice. Good scanning features ensure you can digitize your work quickly and efficiently, while a low cost-per-print is a must to help keep you within your budget. Various connectivity options are ideal if you want to print easily from any device.
We've tested over 135 printers, and below are our recommendations for the best home printersyou can buy. You can also check our picks for thebest all-in-one printers, thebest photo printers, and thebest office printers.
-
Best Home Printer
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 10
Family
8.6
Expected Maintenance
8.0
Estimated Black Page Yield
4,978 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
3,319 printsThird Party Cartridge
No CartridgesCost-Per-Print
10
Connectivity
9.0
See all our test results
The best home printer we've tested is the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500, a cheaper variant of the all-in-one Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550. They're both excellent printers; the difference is that the ET-8550 has a larger 8.5x14flatbed scanner and supports wide format paper up to 13x19, which is only relevant to a limited subset of people. As such, the cheaper ET-8500 is a better option for most households. Regardless of the variant, remember that this is a photo printer first. If youplan on printing mostly documents, you can easily find more affordable models that are just as good, like the printers we recommend below.
Printing-wise, the ET-8500 (and the flagship ET-8550) model produces sharp, high-quality documents and incredibly detailed photos. It warms up quickly andprints up to 15 black or 10 color pages per minute. As you may have guessed from the model name, this is a supertank printer with a refillable ink tank instead ofcartridges. A full tank gets you thousands of prints, and replacement ink is cheap, so you don't have to worry about high ownership costs. Also, refilling the tank is easy—even less tech-savvy people can do it without help. The flatbed scanner is great for digitizing photos, as it captures even the tiniest details; however, there's no automatic feeder, so you must scan each page manually when processing multi-page documents.
See our review
-
Best Upper Mid-Range Home Printer
Epson EcoTank ET-3850 2
Family
8.3
Expected Maintenance
6.5
Estimated Black Page Yield
7,885 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
4,681 printsThird Party Cartridge
No CartridgesCost-Per-Print
10
Connectivity
8.0
See all our test results
If you only need a printer for document printing and general office tasks, get the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 instead. Like the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500, it's also an all-in-one color inkjet model with a refillable ink tank, making it a great choice for households that print a lot and would prefer to avoid high ownership costs. It prints fairly sharp black and color documents at up to 15 black or seven color pages per minute. Printed photos look good but aren't as detailed or colorful as the pictures printed on the ET-8500 sinceit's more of a general-purpose printer rather than a photo printer.
Connectivity options includeWi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet, and there's support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, making it easy for anyone in your home to print. The scanner produces high-quality scans, and there's anautomatic feeder to process long,multi-page documents. The ADF can only process up to three pages per minute, which is slow but still more convenient than scanning each page manually. It's compatible with Epson's mobile app, so you can print, scan, copy, and perform maintenance tasks from your smartphone or tablet.
See our review
-
Best Mid-Range Home Printer
Brother MFC-J4335DW 3
Family
8.2
Expected Maintenance
6.0
Estimated Black Page Yield
2,280 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
825 printsThird Party Cartridge
No CartridgesCost-Per-Print
9.5
Connectivity
7.0
See all our test results
The best printer for home use in the mid-range category we've tested is the Brother MFC-J4335DW. This all-in-one inkjet model can output up to 2,200 black and 800 color pages with a set of full cartridges, and you can get XL high-yield cartridges that'll last even longer. Of course, it'll never match the page yield or cost-per-print of a supertank printer like the models we recommend above, but its page yield is very impressive for a more conventional cartridge-based printer. It produces high-quality black and color documents, and although it doesn't have the best color accuracy or widest color gamut, printed photos still look very detailed and will be sufficient for casual use.
See AlsoThe Best Photo Printers for 2024As for printing speed, it doesn't take long to initialize and get a single page out, and for longer documents, it churns out 17 black or 15 color pages per minute. The scanner processes up to 20 pages per minute through its automatic feeder, but it doesn't support duplex scanning, so you'll have to scan double-sided sheets manually. If you need Ethernet connectivity or NFC support, you can get the Brother MFC-J4535DW variant; just expect to pay more. For the price increase, you also get an additional 250-sheet input tray and a larger touch-sensitive display.
See our review
-
Best Budget Home Printer
Brother MFC-J1205W/MFC-J1215W 2
Family
7.9
Expected Maintenance
6.0
Estimated Black Page Yield
1,178 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
766 printsThird Party Cartridge
No CartridgesCost-Per-Print
9.5
Connectivity
7.0
See all our test results
Our best budget home printer pick is the Brother MFC-J1205W, also sold as the Brother MFC-J1215W at Walmart. It's a good option for households with a light to moderate print load. It has the usual Wi-Fi and USB connectivity and supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, making it easy for any family member to connect. Although the scanner produces high-quality scans, it has trouble capturing finer details, so it might not be the best for digitizing photos. The scanner also lacks an automatic document feeder and duplex scanning capability, though neither of these features is common on budget models.
This modelproduces very sharp documents but isn't very fast, as it can only push out nine black or six color pages per minute. Also, it doesn't support automatic duplex printing, so you'll have to flip the pages manually when printing double-sided documents. It isn't a terrible option for printing photos occasionally. It's excellent at reproducing very fine details but struggles with bright, saturated tones, so pictures tend to look a little flat. Its page yield is excellent ataround 1,100 black and 700 color prints per set of cartridges, so you won't have to buy new ink all that often if you only print once in a while. Better yet, they're relatively cheap, which helps keep running costs low.
See our review
-
Best Cheap Home Printer
Canon PIXMA MG3620 5
Family
7.6
Expected Maintenance
7.0
Estimated Black Page Yield
225 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
210 printsThird Party Cartridge
Purchased One WorkedCost-Per-Print
7.9
Connectivity
6.0
See all our test results
If you only print occasionally, we recommend the Canon PIXMA MG3620. It prints sharp documents and colorful, detailed photos, but unlike the models above, it yields significantly fewer prints, meaning you'll often have to replace the ink cartridges far more frequently. Also, since it uses a tri-color cartridge, you must replace the entire cartridge if one color runs out, which is wasteful. Thankfully, the cost-per-print is still low because the ink cartridges are relatively cheap; the printer just requires more maintenance. You can get XL high-yield cartridges that'll last longer; however, they'll still yield fewer prints than the budget Brother MFC-J1205W or the Brother MFC-J4335DW.
Unfortunately, this is a pretty slow printer. It takes longer than most inkjet printers to initialize and only prints up to nine black or three color pages per minute. On the upside, it supports automatic double-sidedprinting, whichisn't always a guarantee for models in this price range. It has USB and Wi-Fi connectivity, supports Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, and is compatible with Canon's mobile app. The scanner performs well; the scans look very detailed but slightly washed out.
See our review
-
Best Laser Printer For Home Use
Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw/MF654Cdw 18
Family
8.3
Expected Maintenance
8.5
Estimated Black Page Yield
2,409 printsEstimated Color Page Yield
2,442 printsThird Party Cartridge
Not Found At Time Of The ReviewCost-Per-Print
9.1
Connectivity
9.0
See all our test results
If you only print documents at home and prefer a laser model, get the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw. This color laser all-in-one produces amazingly sharp documents and yields thousands of prints, making it cheap to maintain. Plus, unlike inkjet printers, you don't have to worry about printheads clogging if you don't print for a long time. As for the drum, this model uses cartridges with a built-in drum, meaning you don't have to replace the drum separately. Unfortunately, like most laser printers, the MF656Cdw isn't ideal for photo printing, as printed pictures look dull and lack detail.
Its printing speed is decent; it can print up to 22 pages per minute, albeit only via a wired USB or Ethernet connection, which is inconvenient if you don't have space near your computer or router to place the printer. It prints 10black or 12 color pages over Wi-Fi. The scanner produces high-quality scans and quickly processes multi-page and double-sided documents through its automatic feeder. If you don't need an ADF, duplex scanning, or fax functionality, you can save money with one of its cheaper variants, like the Canon Color imageCLASS MF654Cdw. See our full review for more details about the variants.
For black-and-white-only printing, consider the Brother MFC-L2750DW. It produces high-quality documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 36 pages per minute. It costs little to maintain, as it yields a large number of prints, and replacement toner is cheap, not to mention that there's only one cartridge to replace. Cheaper variants exist if you want to save some money and are okay with compromising on a few features, and you can also get bundles that include longer-lasting high-yield cartridges.
See our review
Notable Mentions
- Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300: The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is a good alternative to the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 if you only care about photo printing quality. Its color accuracy is much better than the Epson's, but it prints slower and costs more to maintain because it doesn't yield as many pages. It's also a print-only unit, so you'll have to get a separate scanner if you want to scan anything. See our review
- HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e: The HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e is a good alternative to the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 if you need duplex scanning or faster printing speed. However, it isn't as good for photo printing because it has a narrower color range and a lower print resolution, resulting in pictures that look flat and lacking in fine detail. Also, it doesn't yield as many prints, making it more expensive to maintain in the long run. It comes with three months of free ink through HP's ink replenishment subscription service, but enrolling in the service will block you from using third-party cartridges, even if you cancel your subscription, and the printer must have a continuous internet connection to function. See our review
- Epson EcoTank ET-4850: The Epson EcoTank ET-4850 is a newer version of the Epson EcoTank ET-3850. It differs slightly, with a touch-sensitive display and a dampener to prevent the scanner bed from slamming shut. It's generally found at a higher price than its all-but-identical predecessor, but it can be a solid buy if you find it on sale. See our review
- Canon PIXMA G4270: The Epson EcoTank ET-2400 is a cheaper alternative to the Epson EcoTank ET-3850. It prints higher-quality color documents than the ET-3850 and yields significantly more prints; however, it prints much slower, and its scanner has trouble capturing fine details. See our review
- Canon PIXMA TR8620a: The Canon PIXMA TR8620a is a good photo printing alternative to the Brother MFC-J4335DW. It produces more colorful pictures with less grain but doesn't yield as many pages, so you'll have to pay more for ink. See our review
Recent Updates
-
Mar 11, 2024: Removedthe HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e as a Notable Mention and replaced it with the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e because the 9025e is discontinued. No change in recommendations.
-
Feb 12, 2024: We've reviewed this article and verified our picks for accuracy and availability.
-
Jan 12, 2024: Verified that all picks are valid and available. No change in recommendations.
-
Dec 08, 2023: Added Epson EcoTank ET-4850 to Notable Mentions. Minor in-text adjustments to clarify product information further.
-
Nov 10, 2023: No change in recommendations. Added the Canon PIXMA G4270 as a Notable Mention.
All Reviews
Our recommendations aboveare what we think are currently the besthome use 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.
