When it comes to making a purchase, whether it's a big or small ticket item, saving money is always a top priority. This rings especially true for business-related purchases, such as getting a new printer. No one wants to overspend on a machine that simply prints and copies documents.
In this article, we'll be discussing budget-friendly printer options. With nearly 40 years of experience in the printer/copier industry and as a Xerox Platinum Solutions Partner, we're well-versed in the various types of machines available.
We will be highlighting five top printers from leading brands, providing their specifications and a detailed description of what each machine has to offer. By the end, you'll have a clear picture of which printer suits your needs best, even if you're on a tight budget.
While these may not be the only options available, reading this article will certainly give you a good sense of what's out there as you search for your next printer.
IMPORTANT: Before diving into the list, it's important to note that if you use your printer daily, you should avoid buying a cheap printer. Over time, using a cheap printer to print documents at a high volume will end up costing you more.
Need help deciding what to look for in a budget-friendly printer? Check out our blog on How to Choose a Printer for Your Budget and Business Needs to learn more.
Top 5 Printers on a Budget
In putting together this list, we took guidance from our previous article highlighting the top five printer brands.
In the article, we mentioned the following printer brands: HP, Canon, Xerox, Brother, and Epson. These are the five brands whose printers will be featured in the article.
Just like the "Printer Brands" article, this list is not in any particular order and is simply put together so you can easily go through some of your printer options.
With that being said, here are the five best printers to consider when buying on a budget:
1. HP OfficeJet Pro 9110b
Basic Specifications
- Print Speed: Up to 22 pages per minute (ppm) in black and white and 18 ppm in color
- Recommended Monthly Print Volume: Up to 1500 pages
- Monthly Duty Cycle: 25,000 pages
- Base Model Dimensions (WxDxH): 17.3” x 13.5” x 7.7”
- Base Model Weight: 13.6 pounds
- Cost: Starting at around $180 at HP and Amazon
What You Need to Know
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9110b is a good fit for small workgroups (up to five users) or anybody who needs a printer for their home office.
Weighing only 13.6 pounds, it’s small, lightweight, and versatile, meaning you can move it around as needed.
This is a print-only inkjet machine, so you will not be able to copy, scan, or fax documents.
Defining Feature: Using the HP All-in-One Printer Remote app, you can manage and print documents using your smartphone or tablet.
2. Canon PIXMA TS6420a
Basic Specifications
- Print Speed: Up to 13 ipm (images per minute) in black and white/6.8 ipm in color
- Recommended Monthly Print Volume: Not specified
- Monthly Duty Cycle: Not specified
- Base Model Dimensions (WxDxH): 15.9” x 12.5” x 5.9”
- Base Model Weight: 13.8 pounds
- Cost: Starting at around $60 at Canon
What You Need to Know
The Canon PIXMA TS6420a is a typical personal printer and should only be used as such since it runs out of ink quickly.
It’s the cheapest option among the printers on this list, but it will likely require more maintenance, such as frequent supply changes, than the others.
With a print resolution of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi, the PIXMA TS6420a can produce high-quality prints, both in color and black-and-white. It’s ideal for those who want to print stellar photos.
This is a multifunction or all-in-one printer, so it can print, copy, and scan documents (no fax).
Defining Feature: It’s a built-in wireless device, so you can print and scan documents from any Wi-Fi-enabled computer. You can also download the Canon PRINT app to print and scan documents from your phone.
3. Xerox C410
Basic Specifications
- Print Speed: Up to 42 ppm in black and white and in color
- Recommended Monthly Print Volume: 10,000 pages
- Monthly Duty Cycle: 125,000 pages
- Base Model Dimensions (WxDxH): 17.9” x 16.6” x 12.5”
- Base Model Weight: 45.3 pounds
- Cost: Starting at around $699 at Xerox
What You Need to Know
This is the most expensive printer out of the five listed in this article, but that’s because it can safely print the most pages out of the printers listed in this article. With a recommended monthly print volume of up to 10,000 pages per month, this printer is a powerhouse in a compact size.
The Xerox C410 is built for smaller workgroups or home offices that need a high-volume desktop printer. Its print speed of 42 ppm also make it a great fit for offices or environments that require timely output.
The downside of this machine is that it can only print documents, so it will not be suitable for those who need to copy, scan, or fax documents.
Defining Feature: The C410 has fast print speeds and can safely print up to 10,000 pages a month.
Read our review of the Xerox C410 to learn more about the machine.
Disclaimer: We sell this product.
4. Brother MFC-L2807DW
Basic Specifications
- Print Speed: Up to 34 ppm in both color and black and white
- Recommended Monthly Print Volume: Up to 2,500 pages
- Monthly Duty Cycle: 35,000 pages
- Base Model Dimensions (WxDxH): 16.1” x 15.7” x 12.5”
- Base Model Weight: 25.5 pounds
- Cost: Starting at around $250 at Brother
What You Need to Know
The Brother MFC-L2807DW is a multifunction printer designed for home offices or small businesses that need to print around 2,500 pages per month.
It allows for automatic duplex printing (both sides of the paper) and has a 250-sheet paper capacity.
Like the other machines on this list, you can print wirelessly from your smartphone, tablet, or computer with this printer. Plus, its 2.7” touchscreen allows you to access Brother Cloud Apps like Scan to Email and Scan to PowerPoint.
Defining Feature: This printer is flexible regarding the types of paper it can print. Its manual feed slot can handle various papers and sizes, such as cardstock or envelopes.
5. Epson Expression Premium XP-7100
Basic Specifications
- Print Speed: Up to 15.8 pages per minute (ppm)
- Recommended Monthly Print Volume: Not specified
- Monthly Duty Cycle: Not specified
- Base Model Dimensions: 17.2” x 23.5” x 8.1”
- Base Model Weight: 21.5 pounds
- Cost: Starting at around $129 at Epson and Amazon
What You Need to Know
We wanted to include a printer specializing in photo printing, and the Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Printer is the best option for this purpose.
This inkjet printer has a maximum print resolution of 5760 x 1440 optimized dots per inch (dpi) and comes with five Claria Premium ink cartridges.
The machine’s 4.3” touchscreen allows you to view, edit, or print photos from a USB port or SD card.
You can also print on specialty paper and inkjet printable CDs and DVDs.
Defining Feature: The machine’s photo quality stands out, as well as some of its image enhancement technologies like Auto Photo Correction and red-eye removal.
Which Printer Is Right for You?
In this article, we explored five budget-friendly printers, each with its own unique set of features. To help you make the right choice, we've provided quick summaries to match each printer with the ideal user.
- If you need a single-function printer for a home office or small business, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9110b is the best choice.
- If you need a cheap printer for occasional use, the Canon PIXMA TS6420a is your ideal machine.
- If you need a more robust single-function printer for business use, the Xerox C410 is a great choice for you.
- If you need a basic multifunction machine for a home office or small business, the Brother MFC-L2807DW is a solid pick.
- If you need a machine that specializes in photo printing, the Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 is the best option on this list.
There are thousands of printers on the market, so this list is barely a fraction of what you can find. But, at the very least, these five printers and the different features they include will help you narrow down your list of options as you look to buy your next printer.
We always put our expertise to work to help you find the perfect solution for your needs. After all, a printer should never be a source of frustration in your life.
Since you’re buying on a budget, read our three tips on saving money for your next printer/copier to learn more ways to get the best price possible for your next machine.
Looking for a budget-friendly printer? Use our Product Configurator to easily search and filter by price, features, and more to find the perfect match for your needs!
