Find the best home printer for your needs with our expert-reviewed list. TechRadar Pro has tested and evaluated over 150 printers to bring you the top options for every budget and requirement. Our picks are chosen for their reliability, affordability, and multifunctional capabilities, and we've considered print and scan quality, cost, and more in our selection process. Whether you need a printer for a multi-generational household or a work-from-home setup, you'll find something that fits the bill here, including some of the best cheap printers on the market.
Before you start shopping for a home printer, it's essential to understand the differences between inkjet and laser printers. Inkjet printers use liquid ink to produce high-quality prints on various media, including photos and graphics. They are generally more affordable than laser printers and are well-suited for printing a wide range of materials. On the other hand, laser printers use a toner (a powdery ink) to produce prints. They tend to be faster and more efficient than inkjet printers, making them a good choice for high-volume printing. Laser printers are also better for printing text documents, producing crisp and clear text. However, they are typically more expensive to maintain, as the toner needs to be replaced more frequently than ink. Choosing an inkjet or laser printer will depend on your specific printing needs and budget.
The best home printers of 2024 in full:
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Best overall
It might be small, but the Lexmark MB3442adw has the features and specifications of an accomplished office printer. It’s a four-in-one device, which means you have a fax facility (assuming you have a landline) in addition to printing, scanning, and photocopying. Printing at a rate of 42 pages per minute is among the fastest laser printers around. There’s plenty of room for paper, too, with a 350-sheet main tray and the option to upgrade, so it’s unlikely you’ll ever need another home printer.
The duplex printing and scanning are well executed, and the touchscreen and front USB ports are convenient. It can quickly print large documents such as manuscripts, and the quality is consistently high. If you need to print many pages and require the added functionality of a scanner and ADF, this is the AIO (all-in-one) device for you. Just bear in mind the cost of the toner.
The core selling point is that no other supplies need replacing beyond the cartridges. E.g., no separate photoconductors, developers, and even the waste tone bottle is a lifetime item. So while you might feel the cartridges are expensive – other elements that can require replacing on competitor products don’t need replacing.
Read our full Lexmark MB3442adw review.
Best small
The Canon PIXMA G3270/G3570 is the entry-level all-in-one in Canon’s refillable MegaTank lineup, so you can expect just the basic list of features, but big savings when it comes to consumables.
As a three-in-one, you can scan, copy and print in color on any paper up to A4 in size. It also has Wi-Fi built so you can print from your smartphone using Canon’s companion app, but you’re not getting a touchscreen, a front-loading paper tray, or an auto duplex mode.
If you don’t mind squinting at the small display and manually turning over each page to print on the the other side, this stripped back MegaTank, makes faithful hard copies and prints crisp simplex pages relatively quickly. It costs more than a cartridge-based equivalent, of course, but with bottled ink being around 90% cheaper and enough ink in the box to print 6,000 mono pages and 7,700 color, your running cost will be way lower. If you want to save even more money, check out our Canon coupon codes.
Read our full Canon PIXMA G3270 review.
Best budget
The HP Envy Pro 6420 is a budget-friendly inkjet printer that offers a range of features for home office use. With the ability to print, scan, copy, and even fax via your smartphone, this compact printer is a versatile choice. While the print speed may be slow, the Envy Pro 6420 can duplex print and photocopy stacks of up to 35 pages with its built-in ADF (automatic document feeder). Instead of an Ethernet port, it has Bluetooth and self-healing Wi-Fi built in, making mobile printing with the HP iOS/Android app a breeze.
Despite its limited paper capacity and slow print speed, we were impressed with the ease of use and overall print quality of the Envy Pro 6420. Replacement ink cartridges can be expensive unless you sign up for HP's Instant Ink subscription service, which guarantees cheaper cartridges delivered to your mailbox when needed. However, we recommend caution if you only print occasionally. Overall, the HP Envy Pro 6420 is a solid choice for those needing a compact and versatile home office printer.
Read our full HP Envy Pro 6420 review.
Find the best deals on HP printers with our HP discount codes.
Best A3
The WorkForce WF-7210DTW is a rare find - a printer that can automatically print on both sides of an A3 page for home office use. With impressive print quality for monochrome text and glossy photos, this type of printer has a long list of features, including Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. Its two paper trays can hold up to 500 sheets combined, and it has a longer-than-average warranty at the time of writing. While it lacks scan and fax functionality, we think the ability to print on A3 paper at this price point is a worthwhile tradeoff. Remember that it takes up more space than your average A4 printer.
If you require a reliable home office printer that can handle A3 paper, the WorkForce WF-7210DTW is worth considering.
Read our full Epson WorkForce WF-7210DTW review.
Best inkjet
The Brother MFC-J5945DW is a versatile printer that blurs the line between home and office use. Combining the fast print speed and high capacity of a laser machine with the superior photo finish of an inkjet, this printer is suitable for both applications. It's smaller than the laser equivalent, the MFC-L8690CDW, but it can still handle A3 paper. If you frequently scan multi-page documents, the MFC-J5945DW can automatically scan up to 50 front and back pages. It ships with standard-sized ink cartridges, but the high-yield options offer up to 6,000 pages, making this device more economical than some laser printers. As a fully featured 4-in-1 printer, the Brother MFC-J5945DW can handle any task satisfactorily.
Keep in mind that its features are geared more towards the home office than the family computer desk when selecting the best home printer for your needs.
Read our full Brother MFC-J5945DW Printer review.
Best guillotine
At first glance, the Brother DCP-J1800DW is a sensibly specified and well designed all-in-one inkjet. It has all the features required of a business printer aimed at the home worker with modest print demands. It’s compact enough to fit on a shelf while incorporating a useful 20-sheet automatic document feeder and offers both USB and Ethernet ports with neat cable management.
There’s also a guillotine. Wait, what? It’s the first printer of its kind to come armed with an internal blade for chopping A4 down to A5. This unique selling point could prove invaluable for reducing your consumables cost along with your document size, but even if you never use the cutter, this is a good printer.
As a cartridge-based inkjet, the ink bill is always going to be high, but the print quality is crisp and consistent with both documents and photos. Unless you plan to print lots of pages, we have no reservations recommending this ingenious inkjet.
More top-rated home printers:
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015
This all-in-one printer offers fast printing speeds, automatic document feeding, and smart features such as mobile printing and scan to email. It's also energy efficient, earning an Energy Star certification.
Canon PIXMA TR150
This portable printer is perfect for those on the go, with the ability to print wirelessly from your smartphone or laptop. It also has a long battery life and produces high-quality prints.
Epson WorkForce WF-7710
This wide-format printer can handle large paper sizes up to 13x19 inches and has a high print resolution for clear and detailed prints. It also has a convenient automatic document feeder and wireless connectivity.
Brother MFC-L8900CDW
This laser printer has fast print speeds and can handle a high volume of prints with its large paper capacity. It also has a range of connectivity options including NFC and Wi-Fi Direct.
Canon TS9120
This all-in-one printer offers a range of features including a 5-color individual ink system for high-quality prints, a large touchscreen display, and the ability to print directly from your smartphone or tablet. It also has a versatile paper tray that can hold a variety of paper sizes.
We've also listed the best ink tank printers.
FAQs
What is a home printer?
A home printer is a device designed for personal use in a home setting, typically for printing documents, photos, and other materials. Home printers are typically smaller and more compact than commercial printers and are intended for low-volume use.
How to choose the best home printer for you
Any of the best home printers are great for light home and home office tasks - we've hand-tested them to be sure.
Home printers tend to be inkjet models, since the best inkjet printers are pretty good all-rounders, capable of printing documents and photos at high-quality. They're designed for light use, they don't print particularly quickly, but they get the job done very well. And, generally, they're quite cheap to buy. However, replacing ink cartridges can be expensive compared to laser printers and ink tank printers, which are refilled with bottled ink.
You can print thousands of pages before an ink tank needs to be refuelled. Inkjet cartridges, on the other hand, usually last for only several hundred pages before they need to be replaced.
With the likes of the HP Smart Tank and Epson EcoTank range on the market, we'd recommend an ink tank printer for home printing. These printers are more expensive to buy than inkjets. But they offer all the benefits of inkjet printing with reduced running costs and reduced waste.
However, both inkjet cartridges and ink in tank printers can clog if not used regularly, meaning you may have to do some maintenance to get them in working order again if they remain unused for a period of time.
Laser printers, on the other hand, require little maintenance as they use a dry toner, and can also print pages with great speed compared to ink tank and inkjet models. The toners can print thousands of pages before needing replacement as well, and despite the high upfront costs for the cartridges, their lifespan means they are ultimately economical.
The downside of laser printers is that they are generally quite expensive, with high prices for both the units themselves and their cartridges. They are also usually limited in the types of paper they can print on, with paper used for photos and the like unsuitable.
Speaking of which, if this applies to you, then an inkjet printer is the preferable option, as they generally provide a better quality printout. And unlike laser printers, they can handle different paper types, including the high quality photo paper you’ll usually opt for when printing pictures.
If you have multiple people printing from different locations around the house, then a printer with Wi-Fi is a must. Fortunately, most printers on the market today are equipped with this feature. But even more convenient are those with NFC connectivity, which allows for instant, setup-free connection between your device and printer when in close proximity, making it even faster to print what you need.
What are the different types of home printers?
There are several types of home printers available, including inkjet printers, laser printers, and multifunction printers. Inkjet printers use liquid ink to create prints and are good for printing photos and color documents. Laser printers use toner to create prints and are good for printing text documents and graphics. Multifunction printers combine the capabilities of a printer, scanner, copier, and sometimes a fax machine in one device.
What should I consider when choosing a home printer?
There are several factors to consider when choosing a home printer, including the type of printing you will be doing (e.g. documents, photos), your budget, connectivity options, and size and weight. You should also consider the cost of ink or toner, as this can vary significantly depending on the printer and usage.
How do I maintain my home printer?
To maintain your home printer, you should regularly clean the printer, replace the ink or toner when necessary, and make sure the printer is not overcrowded with paper. You should also keep the printer in a dust-free environment to prevent debris from clogging the machine.
What is the cost of ink or toner for home printers?
The cost of ink or toner for home printers can vary significantly depending on the printer and usage. Some printers have high-capacity ink or toner cartridges that last longer and can save you money in the long run, while others have smaller cartridges that need to be replaced more frequently. It is important to consider the cost of ink or toner when choosing a home printer, as this can be a significant ongoing expense. Some companies offer subscriptions or bulk purchasing options to help reduce the cost of ink or toner. It is also a good idea to shop around and compare prices from different retailers.
What’s the best ink, pigment or dye?
Inkjet printers use two kinds of ink to suit different situations. Pigment inks contain colored particles in suspension. The non-soluble particles bond quickly with the paper leaving bold prints that are less prone to smudging, running or fading under UV light. Pigment ink works well with smooth high-quality paper and is ideal for text documents. With dye-based inks, the colorant is in solution so it needs to soak into the paper and the prints are more susceptible to running and less UV resistant. Dye works well with cheap paper and also coated photo paper thereby making it ideal for photos. Many inkjet printers use both black pigment ink and colored dyes in combination.
What’s the best ink, pigment or dye?
Inkjet printers use two kinds of ink to suit different situations. Pigment inks contain colored particles in suspension. The non-soluble particles bond quickly with the paper leaving bold prints that are less prone to smudging, running or fading under UV light. Pigment ink works well with smooth high-quality paper and is ideal for text documents. With dye-based inks, the colorant is in solution so it needs to soak into the paper and the prints are more susceptible to running and less UV resistant. Dye works well with cheap paper and also coated photo paper thereby making it ideal for photos. Many inkjet printers use both black pigment ink and colored dyes in combination.
What are the different types of printer?
There are three main types of printer: inkjet, laser, and ink tank.
Inkjets are all-rounders using liquid ink for high-quality text, graphics and especially photos. They're your classic home printer, although there are plenty of office inkjets out there. They're small, simple to use, For low-level printing jobs, they're perfect. The printers are cheap to buy, but the high price of ink cartridges make it more expensive long-term.
Laser printers use toners, providing crisp, detailed documents - they're a mainstay of offices. Instead of using liquid ink, lasers use a powder that's heated on the page. As a result, print speeds are faster - more ppm the better. They don't tend to handle photos as well as an inkjet, they're expensive to buy but the replacement toner is cheap, so they're a long-term investment,
Ink tank printers, like laser printers, the initial cost is higher - but they offer a lot of bang for their buck. Like an inkjet, it uses liquid ink in bottles, letting you refillable individual colors as you use them. This leads to reduced running costs and reduced waste. While ink cartridges last for a few hundred pages, ink tank printers can print thousands of pages before needing to be refilled. The overall economical choice.
But these are far from the only printers on the market, as we saw in our guide Inkjet vs Laser vs LED: What’s best for you? The category is incredibly diverse. We've seen everything from the best printers for T shirts to the best sublimation printers for businesses who need to print graphics and marketing materials on larger formats and sheets. In our experience, there's always a way to print almost anything - the difference mostly comes down to the type of inks or dyes used.
Which home printer has the cheapest ink?
The home printer with the cheapest ink will depend on a variety of factors, including the type of printer (inkjet or laser), the brand, and the type of ink or toner it uses. In general, inkjet printers tend to have cheaper ink than laser printers, but the cost can still vary widely. It's a good idea to compare the cost of ink or toner for different printer models before making a decision.
How long do home printers last?
The lifespan of a home printer can vary depending on the brand, model, and how it is used. Some printers may last for several years with proper maintenance, while others may have a shorter lifespan. It's important to consider the overall cost of ownership, including the cost of ink or toner, when deciding whether to purchase a printer for home use.
Should I buy a printer for home?
Whether or not you should buy a printer for home use will depend on your specific needs and budget. If you frequently need to print documents or photos, or if you work from home and need to print materials for business, a printer can be a useful investment. However, if you only occasionally need to print, it may be more cost-effective to use a printing service or access a printer at a local library or office.
What’s the best ink, pigment or dye?
Inkjet printers use two kinds of ink to suit different situations. Pigment inks contain colored particles in suspension. The non-soluble particles bond quickly with the paper leaving bold prints that are less prone to smudging, running or fading under UV light. Pigment ink works well with smooth high-quality paper and is ideal for text documents. With dye-based inks, the colorant is in solution so it needs to soak into the paper and the prints are more susceptible to running and less UV resistant. Dye works well with cheap paper and also coated photo paper thereby making it ideal for photos. Many inkjet printers use both black pigment ink and colored dyes in combination.
What are the different types of printer?
There are three main types of printer: inkjet, laser, and ink tank.
Inkjets are all-rounders using liquid ink for high-quality text, graphics and especially photos. They're your classic home printer, although there are plenty of office inkjets out there. They're small, simple to use, For low-level printing jobs, they're perfect. The printers are cheap to buy, but the high price of ink cartridges make it more expensive long-term.
Laser printers use toners, providing crisp, detailed documents - they're a mainstay of offices. Instead of using liquid ink, lasers use a powder that's heated on the page. As a result, print speeds are faster - more ppm the better. They don't tend to handle photos as well as an inkjet, they're expensive to buy but the replacement toner is cheap, so they're a long-term investment,
Ink tank printers, like laser printers, the initial cost is higher - but they offer a lot of bang for their buck. Like an inkjet, it uses liquid ink in bottles, letting you refillable individual colors as you use them. This leads to reduced running costs and reduced waste. While ink cartridges last for a few hundred pages, ink tank printers can print thousands of pages before needing to be refilled. The overall economical choice.
But these are far from the only printers on the market, as we saw in our guide Inkjet vs Laser vs LED: What’s best for you? The category is incredibly diverse. We've seen everything from the best printers for T shirts to the best sublimation printers for businesses who need to print graphics and marketing materials on larger formats and sheets. In our experience, there's always a way to print almost anything - the difference mostly comes down to the type of inks or dyes used.
How to choose the best printer for you
When choosing which printer is best for you, there are a number of factors to look into - not everyone's needs are the same. These considerations include:
Inkjet or laser
If you print photos, the answer is inkjet. With thousands of nozzles applying liquid ink dots onto plain or coated paper, inkjets achieve superior image quality, while being generally smaller and cheaper than lasers. However, the dry toner used by laser printers is more efficient and allows for faster, cleaner and more consistent printing at higher capacities. For some top recommendations, we reviewed the best inkjet printers, best ink tank printers, and the best laser printers.
Monochrome or color
If you don’t need to print in color, monochrome laser printers are significantly cheaper to buy and run than their color counterparts. They’re also simpler and have more space for higher capacity black cartridges. The same cannot be said of inkjets which are able to deliver all colors via the same printhead, so there’s little advantage in having just one.
Print-only or multifunction
The essential difference between a pure printer and an MFP (multifunction printer) also known as an AOI (all-in-one) is the integrated scanner. Naturally, this feature adds size and cost, but a flatbed scanner will capture documents more satisfyingly than an app on your smartphone and it effectively turns any printer into a photocopier. The more expensive MFPs will also offer an ADF (automatic document feeder) for passing a stack of pages over the scanner for you. We tested out the best all-in-one printers.
Home or office
Printers designed for domestic use tend to be compact and affordable inkjets which can print family photos as well as work documents. In the office, printing at faster speeds and higher volumes is more important than size and operating noise, so lasers are more common. Business printers usually have stronger security and can be accessed by whole networked workgroups.
Subscription plans
Services like HP Instant Ink provide cheaper cartridges in the mail before you run out. It makes sense if you print regularly, but it’s not always right for occasional users and getting out of the contract can be difficult.
Essential features
Most printers print on any size paper up to Letter, or A4, so if you need the best large format printers or the best A3 printers, you can expect to pay more. Most devices have Wi-Fi built in as well as an Ethernet port, but you need to check. Also consider the type of media you will be using and the quantity. If you print a lot, it will be worth avoiding inkjet cartridges in favour of refillable ink tanks. If you want to print on card, check the specifications for the maximum compatible paper weight. A printer offering manual duplex is unable to print on both sides of the page automatically, so unless you don’t mind turning over every sheet by hand, make sure it can auto duplex.
Budget
The best cheap printers are usually inkjet models, but their expensive cartridges are the catch. Always check the price of your printer’s consumables before you buy. Bottled ink costs around eighty percent less than cartridges, so a more expensive ink tank device will give you long term savings. We've come across some excellent Prime Day printer deals and Black Friday printer deals when the sales are live, so keep your eyes peeled around that time.
Have a preferred brand? We’ve tested, reviewed, and rated the best HP printers, the best Epson printers, and the best Brother printers.
How we test
We’ve tested hundreds of printers from the best wireless printers, best sublimation printers, and the best label printers, so we know what to look for, what works, and what to avoid when looking for the best printers.
Our rigorous process starts from the initial set-up, which we time. We're looking for easy set-up that should take no longer than 30 minutes maximum. We use a range of wired and wireless connectivity options throughout our tests. This includes the use of remote printing companion apps like those offered by HP and Epson - both of which, across our tests, make the entire printing process much more fluid.
For printing tests with all printers, we use the same ten-page document featuring text, images, and photos. This way, we can precisely see where print quality excels (and where it doesn’t). A separate document with a series of test patterns allows us to assess color accuracy and fidelity, contrast, and sharpness.
We use our test document to manually test print speeds - because we never take a manufacturer's claim at face value. However, in our experience, quoted print speeds from recognized brands are broadly accurate. For this test, we use a stopwatch app to time the printing process using the same ten-page test document for each printer.
Where available, we assess additional features, from copier speeds and resolution to ADF and auto-duplex printing and scanning. We're looking for printers that make the print process less disruptive and more productlve.
In addition to testing the output of the best printers, we also assess overall build quality - a printer designed for business use should be sturdy to accommodate daily use from multiple users, for example, although we like to see robustness across the board, whether it’s for the home or office. This feeds into a key area of our testing and evaluation: cost. As part of this aspect, we calculate not just initial outlay, but overall running costs in the long term, to make sure users really are getting value for money.
You can find out more about our comprehensive process in our guide to how we test, review, and rate printers on TechRadar Pro.
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