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The Insider Pick:
Printers don’t have to be expensive to be high-quality. Our top pick, the Canon Pixma MX922 boasts a built-in scanner, a fax machine, and super high-resolution printing for less than $100.
A great printer can make or break your home office, especially depending on how much work you do at home and how often you need to print. Unfortunately, printers can get a little pricey, but they don’t necessarily have to be. In fact, there are a ton of great printers out there for a relatively low price, and those printers still have a lot to offer.
When buying a printer, there are quite a few things to keep in mind. Here are a few key points to consider in your search for the perfect printer.
- Laser or inkjet: There are two main types of printers: laser printers and inkjet printers. Laser printers are generally more expensive than inkjet printers, however, they’re also cheaper to maintain as they don’t require ink and pages tend to print quite a lot faster. Laser printers also need toner, which tends to last longer than the ink used in inkjet printers. Of course, if you’re looking for a printer to print photos, you will probably want an inkjet printer.
- Do you want a scanner? Many printers these days also come with built-in scanners, which can be a very helpful addition to your home office. If you’re someone who handles things like contracts you have to sign or documents you need to fill out by hand, a scanner may be very helpful.
- Double-sided printing: Some printers can print on both sides of the pages, so if you want double-sided pages you won’t have to worry about printing one side then flipping the paper.
Some companies also offer a few extra features. For example, HP offers an ink subscription so it’ll send you ink automatically when you need it.
With all that in mind, take a look at our top five budget printer picks. We’ve got wireless printers, inkjet ones, laser printers, and even a pick that’s less than $50. If you want a high-end printer, check out our best printers guide.
If you’re looking for more great tech, you should check out our guides to the best external hard drives, the best e-readers, the best computer mice, the best wireless Bluetooth headphones, the best smartwatches, the best Bluetooth keyboards, the best home projectors, the best home security cameras, the best Android tablet, the best battery packs, the best Micro USB cables, the best lightning cables, the best USB-C cables, and more on Insider Picks.
Although the Canon Pixma MX922 is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the HP OfficeJet 4560, the Canon Pixma MG6820, the Brother HL-L2340DW, and the Epson XP-340.
The best printer under $100
Canon
Why you’ll love it: The Canon Pixma MX922 isn’t just a great, high-resolution printer, it’s also a scanner and a fax machine that can handle all your needs.
Canon has been a driving force in the printer world for quite some time now, and for good reason. The company offers generally excellent printers, often at very reasonable prices. Although Canon makes a lot of budget printers, the Canon Pixma MX922 is our top pick for the best printer under $100.
There are a number of reasons we love this printer so much. For starters, it’s an all-in-one, which means that not only does it work as a printer, it also doubles as a scanner, a copier, and a fax machine, so you won’t need to worry about buying all those devices separately.
Not only that, but while Canon doesn’t necessarily call this inkjet printer a “photo printer” it can print at a pretty high resolution. It’ll go all the way up to 9,600 x 2,400 dots per inch, which is higher than most budget all-in-one printers. On top of that, it’ll print labels for things like CDs and DVDs.
Another big selling point for this printer is that it comes with a built-in auto-duplexer, which means it’ll flip paper and print both sides automatically. That can be an important point to consider for many people.
We’re not the only ones that like this printer. PCMag gave it a hefty 4/5 stars, noting that while it’s an excellent printer, it can be a little slow at printing.
Pros: High-resolution printing, has a scanner and fax machine, relatively inexpensive
Cons: Slow, still a little pricey
Buy the Canon Pixma MX922 on Amazon for $78.99 (originally $199.99)
The best connected printer for under $100
HP
HP is known for its great printers, and it offers a number of nice perks that some other printer manufacturers don’t have. For example, HP’s printers often make full use of internet connectivity, which can make for a very nice experience. Perhaps the best example of this in the sub-$100 range is the HP OfficeJet 4650.
Not only does the printer allow for wireless printing, but HP also gives the printer a dedicated email address that you can send documents to so that the printer will automatically print the documents. HP also has an ink subscription service for as little as $2.99 per month that will automatically send you ink when it detects that your ink is running low.
Apart from the excellent connected services, the HP OfficeJet 4650 also has a built-in scanner and fax machine. It does dual-sided printing, too, so it’s a very flexible and versatile device. There are a few downsides to consider. For example, the printer doesn’t have an Ethernet connection and may print a little slowly, but for less than $100, it’s a steal.
Pros: Great connectivity and connected features, built-in scanner and printer
Cons: No Ethernet, slightly slow printing
Buy the HP OfficeJet 4560 on Amazon for $65.99 (originally $99.99)
The best photo printer for under $100
Canon
Why you’ll love it: The Canon Pixma MG6820 offers excellent photo image quality and mobile printing capabilities for less than $100.
Canon has long been known as one of the better companies to buy photo printers from, and while you could spend tens of thousands of dollars on a dedicated photo printer, you can also get a relatively good one for under $100. Case in point: the Canon Pixma MG6820.
This printer supports mobile printing and scanning, as well as printing and scanning through Wi-Fi, which is very handy. The real draw, however, is the quality of the prints. The printer is built to be a budget photo printer, and as such, the photo output is above par compared to other printers on this list.
Like any budget product, there are a few downsides to consider. Printing speed is somewhat slow, and the printer doesn’t have a fax machine or Ethernet port. Still, it seems as though the pros here outweigh the cons. If you’re looking for a great photo printer or a document printer that you want to use for printing photos every now and then, this may be the right choice for you.
Pros: Great photo quality, built-in scanner, wireless and mobile printing
Cons: Slow, no Ethernet port
Buy the Canon Pixma MG6820 on Amazon for $74.99 (originally $149.99)
The best laser printer under $100
Brother/Target
Why you’ll love it: The Brother HL-L2340DW laser printer is fast at printing and much easier to maintain than an inkjet printer.
All of the printers on this list have one thing in common: They’re all inkjet printers. That doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t some excellent laser printers under $100 to choose from. Generally, laser printers are slightly more expensive, but the Brother HL-L2340DW is cheap and relatively high-quality.
Now, the first thing to note about this printer is that it is not a color printer. It only prints black and white pages. In other words, if you’re looking to print colorful pages you should opt for an inkjet printer instead. Still, for those looking to print black and white pages, this laser printer is an excellent choice. It will be much quicker than many of the other printers on this list and will save you money on ink.
The printer also has a built in duplexer, meaning it can print double-sided pages without you having to manually flip the page, and it has a wireless connection. Sure, wireless connections may be expected these days, but it’s still something to consider. Its paper tray is relatively large, too, offering a capacity of 200 sheets.
Pros: Fast, high paper capacity, double-sided printing
Cons: Monochrome only, still a little pricey, no Ethernet port
Buy the Brother HL-L2340DW on Amazon for $99.99 (originally $119.99)
The best printer under $50
Epson
Why you’ll love it: The Epson XP-340 has a built-in scanner and easy-to-use interface, but best of all, it costs less than $50.
If your budget extends to even less than $100 — say $50 — then there are still some great options for you. Perhaps the best is the Epson XP-340, which offers a ton of value for money.
While the printer is cheap, it still has some great features. For example, it has a built-in scanner, so you won’t need to buy one separately. On top of that, the printer has a 1.44-inch LCD display for easy navigation, and it’s wireless, so you can print from anywhere nearby, as long as you’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the printer.
The paper tray on the printer is 100-sheet, which is decent but not necessarily amazing. It is a somewhat slow printer, and prints may not be the highest of quality, but that is to be expected at this price point. Still, for things like documents and general home use, this is an excellent option.
Pros: Cheap, wireless, easy to use
Cons: Slow, not the highest of quality, low capacity paper tray
Buy the Epson XP-340 on Amazon for $44.99 (originally $54.99)
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