You don't need to spend a lot to get a capable printer, but the cheapest model isn't always the best value. Some low-cost printers have poor page yields and expensive replacement cartridges, making them more costly over time. Our picks focus on models with low regular prices rather than temporary discounts, while also considering long-term running costs.
When choosing a budget printer, consider:
- Upfront price: We prioritize printers with a low MSRP, so they remain affordable even when they aren't on sale.
- Ink or toner costs: Cheap printers can become expensive if their cartridges run out quickly. We test page yields and cost per print to help you understand long-term value.
- What you print: For documents, prioritize sharp text and reasonable print speeds. For photos and graphics, look for good color accuracy and detail.
- How often you print: Inkjet printers are usually cheaper upfront, but they can clog when left unused. Laser printers are a better option for occasional document printing.
- Features: Depending on your needs, consider scanning, automatic duplex printing, mobile printing, and an automatic document feeder.
We've tested over 180 printers, and below are our recommendations for the best budget printers you can buy. If you have more to spend upfront but still want to consider recurring costs, you can check out our recommendations for the best printers with cheap ink. Or, if you want to read up on printers with different features and for other uses, look at the best wireless printers and the best black-and-white printers.
We've tested over 170 printers since 2020 with one goal in mind: to give you reliable, unbiased reviews that help you choose the right printer for your needs. To keep things fair, we purchase every product ourselves from major retailers, just like you would. Each printer then goes through a thorough, standardized testing process that evaluates all the key factors you should consider when buying a new model. From build quality and cost per print to color accuracy and overall performance, we provide as much detail as possible to guide your decision.
Want to learn more about our methods? Look at our How We Test Printers article for a deep dive into our testing procedures.
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Best Budget Printer
HomeSet-And-ForgetSmall OfficeArts, Crafts, & StickersEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldN/ABlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostN/ASee all our test resultsPrint TechnologyLaserIf you only need to print black-and-white documents or simply need a printer for return labels every once in a while, get the Brother HL-L2460DW or one of its variants. The choice depends on your needs and budget, as they have slightly different features. This print-only laser model is simple but reliable, producing sharp, detailed documents. Its printing speed is great at up to 34 pages per minute, and it can automatically print double-sided sheets. Since it's a laser printer, you don't have to worry about clogging even if you don't use the printer often.
A regular toner cartridge gets you around 1,300 pages, and you can get an XL cartridge that yields even more, up to 5,000 prints. The drum is a separate piece that'll require replacement, adding to your maintenance cost, but it usually lasts a long time, around 15,000 prints by Brother's estimate, so you likely won't need to do it often. The lack of a scanner is the main drawback, so make sure you don't need to scan anything with the printer. Thankfully, scanning with mobile phones has become a viable alternative that works for most households.
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Best Budget Inkjet
HomeSet-And-ForgetSmall OfficeArts, Crafts, & StickersEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldprintsBlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostUS$/printSee all our test resultsPrint TechnologyInkjetThe Brother MFC-J1360DW is an excellent budget all-in-one printer if your print load isn't too high. It'll handle whatever work you throw at it, and it'll surprise you with how well it performs. The text looks sharp, and the overall output is very detailed. It also prints photos well enough for casual use, though its color gamut isn't quite as wide as some other similarly priced options like the Canon PIXMA MG3620 below. It also includes a robust scanner with an automatic document feeder that can scan up to 7 pages per minute, producing very detailed output.
Where it falls short, like most budget printers, is page yield. You'll get around 400 black-and-white and 300 color pages before you need to swap the cartridges, though opting for high-yield cartridges roughly doubles that. This remains an excellent result for an inkjet printer in this segment. If you need even more from it, Brother sells the MFC-J1365DW variant as part of its INKvestment line. That version uses LC504 cartridges, which Brother estimates can produce 1,200 black-and-white and 500 color pages. This is definitely a better choice if you plan to print often.
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Best Cheap Printer
HomeSet-And-ForgetSmall OfficeArts, Crafts, & StickersEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldprintsBlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostUS$/printSee all our test resultsPrint TechnologyInkjetWe recommend the Epson Expression Home XP-4200 as our best cheap printer for occasional printing and just getting the job done. It is often priced around $60 USD, making it an excellent value. It's a straightforward all-in-one with Wi-Fi and USB, plus a basic 8.5" x 11" flatbed scanner. It delivers solid document quality, runs at about 15 black or seven color pages per minute, and supports automatic duplex printing. When it comes to photos, it captures fine detail and a fairly wide color range, but colors aren't very accurate, and prints can look a bit grainy.
Cheap printers usually struggle with low page yields, and that's true here. You'll get roughly 250 black and 190 color pages per ink set, so it's not built for heavy use since you'll be swapping cartridges often. The upside is that those cartridges are inexpensive, so long-term costs stay relatively low. All colors are sold separately, so you won't have to replace all of them even if only a single color runs out, unlike tri-color cartridges commonly found in this segment. As with every inkjet printer, you should also expect a risk of clogging if you don't use it regularly, so printing a page around once a week can be a good idea.
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Best Cheap Printer For Photos
HomeSet-And-ForgetSmall OfficeArts, Crafts, & StickersEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldprintsBlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostUS$/printSee all our test resultsPrint TechnologyInkjetFor those trying to spend as little as possible, check out the Canon PIXMA MG3620, the best cheap printer we've tested if you want to print photos. 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, which runs out of ink quickly, so you may end up with many faded or incomplete prints. Also, you'll have to replace the tri-color cartridge even if only a single color runs out, wasting ink. As a result, maintenance requirements can add up quickly.
On the upside, it still produces high-quality black and color prints. Its color rendition is also excellent, especially at this price point. While its color gamut is just okay, the color accuracy is surprisingly decent. The scanner also produces detailed scans; just don't expect features like an ADF or duplex scanning, as it's a cheap model. But you get many connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, USB, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria Print Service support. Overall, if you only print once in a blue moon, this model can get it done; you just have to try to print weekly to avoid clogging, which can occur with any inkjet printer left idle for long periods. If you find it at a similar price, the newer Canon PIXMA TS4320 is another excellent pick. This is a cheaper variant of the Canon PIXMA TR7120 that forgoes the automatic document feeder for the scanner while keeping the same higher page yields and excellent overall print quality.
Notable Mentions
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Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830:
The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 is a good alternative to the Epson Expression Home 4200. It has a better control panel, an ADF-equipped scanner with duplex scanning, an Ethernet port, and faster printing speeds. However, it doesn't yield as many prints, so it'll require more maintenance and cost more over time.
See our review -
Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw:
The Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw is a good alternative to the Brother HL-L2460DW if you want to spend a bit less. It's usually more expensive, but it goes on sale fairly often. The downside is that its print quality isn't as good, and our unit produces crooked prints.
See our review -
Epson EcoTank ET-2400:
If you can squeeze it into your budget and have large print loads, the Epson EcoTank ET-2400 is a great alternative to the Brother HL-L2460DW. It delivers even higher page yields and better photo printing quality.
See our review -
Canon imageCLASS LBP6030w:
The Canon imageCLASS LBP6030w is an alternative to the Brother HL-L2460DW if you want the lowest possible long-term printing costs, as its cost per print is slightly lower. However, it produces worse-looking documents, prints much more slowly, and lacks automatic duplex printing, so it’s only worth considering if you exclusively print black-and-white documents and don't need a scanner.
See our review
Recent Updates
Aug 07, 2026:
The newly reviewed Canon imageCLASS LBP6030w is now in the Notable Mentions as a cheaper black-and-white alternative to the Brother HL-24060DW. We also updated our table for increased clarity.
Jul 17, 2026:
We've reworked this article's introduction to make buying decisions easier. We've also verified that all of our picks are relevant and readily available, but haven't made any additional changes.
May 07, 2026:
We removed the now-discontinued Brother MFC-J1205W, which is almost impossible to find. We added the Brother MFC-J1360DW as our new budget pick, with the Canon PIXMA MG3620 now taking the 'Best Cheap Printer For Photos' spot. We also added the Epson Expression Home XP-4200 as the 'Best Cheap Printer.'
Mar 06, 2026:
We've chosen the Brother HL-2460DW laser printer as our main pick because we believe it's the best choice for most people. We added the Epson EcoTank ET-2400 as a Notable Mention, comparing it to the Brother MFC-J1205W.
Nov 17, 2025:
We haven't tested any budget/cheap printers since our last update, but we checked prices and availability, and everything is still accurate.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best affordable printers for most people. In addition to the test results, we factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, below is a list of our cheap printer reviews, sorted by price from lowest to highest. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no printer is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.