The 4 Best Cheap And Budget Printers - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best budget printer we've tested is the Brother MFC-J1205W, also known as the Brother MFC-J1215W at Walmart. This color all-in-one inkjet model produces sharp documents and detailed photos, and it doesn't cost much to maintain, as it yields a large number of prints, and the ink cartridges are cheap. You can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi or USB, and thanks to its Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service support, you can easily print from your smartphone without needing a third-party app. The scanner's lid hinges extend slightly, making it easier to scan thicker items like books and magazines; however, there's no automatic feeder to process long documents. Another downside for its budget-friendly price is its slow printing speed.

If you have a larger print load and can afford to spend a little more upfront, the Epson EcoTank ET-2400 is a good choice, too. It's very similar to the Brother in features; however, it's a supertank model, meaning it has a refillable ink tank instead of cartridges. A full tank gets you thousands of prints, and replacement ink is cheap, so you'll save more money in the long run. It produces more vibrant photos and scans, but its document printing quality is inferior, although still very good. Minor drawbacks include the lack of extendable scanner lid hinges and support for Apple AirPrint and Morpia Print Service. Also, the design makes it hard to access the sheet rollers to remove paper jams because the scanner bed only opens partially.

If you want to spend as little as possible, check out the Canon PIXMA MG3620, the best cheap printer we've tested. It's a simple all-in-one inkjet printer designed for people who only print occasionally. We say 'occasionally' because this model has a black and tri-color cartridge. It still produces high-quality black and color prints, but it runs out of ink quickly, so you'll have to replace the cartridges often. Also, you'll have to replace the tri-color cartridge even if only a single color runs out. It isn't a cost issue, as the ink cartridges are fairly cheap; it's just a lot of maintenance, and you might end up with many faded or incomplete prints.

The scanner performs well and produces very detailed scans, but don't expect features like an automatic feeder or duplex scanning, as it's a cheap model. You get Wi-Fi, USB connectivity, and Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service support. Overall, if you only print once in a blue moon for those one-off projects, this model can get it done. However, if you print more than that, you'll be better off with a printer with a higher page yield, like our budget pick.

A monochrome laser printer might be better if you only print black and white documents. We recommend the Brother HL-L2350DW, a variant of the Brother HL-L2325DW and one of the best budget printers we've tested. There's nothing wrong with the HL-L2325DW; it's just a little hard to find right now, so the HL-L2350DW is your best bet since it performs almost identically, albeit with a slightly faster printing speed. It has the usual Wi-Fi and USB connectivity and is compatible with Brother's mobile companion app, which you can use to print or perform maintenance tasks from your smartphone.

It feels very well-built and produces sharp-looking documents quickly at up to 32 pages per minute. It yields about 1200 prints, and the toner cartridge is cheap. Plus, since it's a monochrome model, you only ever need to replace a single cartridge. You have to spend extra to replace the drum as it's a separate unit, but the drum usually lasts about 12,000 prints, so you won't have to do it all that often. The biggest downside is its lack of a scanner.

If you want something more affordable than the Brother HL-L2350DW, get the Pantum P2502W, one of the best cheap printers we've tested. Like the Brother printer, this is a print-only unit with no scanner. It also produces high-quality documents and has a very high page yield of a little over 2,000 pages. The drum is built into the toner cartridge, so you don't need to replace it separately, making maintenance easier. It prints quickly at 23 pages per minute; however, it takes a while to warm up and doesn't support automatic double-sided printing.

Unfortunately, this printer tends to push printed sheets off the output tray, which can be inconvenient as you'll have to rearrange your prints into the right order. This issue can also cause misaligned prints, wasting more time and paper. It doesn't always happen, but it's an inconvenience nonetheless. The Brother is a better choice if you want to save yourself the hassle. This model can get the job done; just be aware that you might occasionally encounter problems.