The 4 Best Printers Under $100 - Spring 2023 Reviews

The best printer under $100 we've tested is the Brother MFC-J1010DW, an all-in-one inkjet model designed for home use. It has a sturdy build, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, and a front panel with tons of buttons to make navigating the printer's functions easier. The scanner produces high-quality scans and processes up to eight pages per minute through its automatic feeder. Unfortunately, it doesn't support duplex scanning, so you'll have to flip the pages manually when scanning double-sided sheets.

Documents look sharp whether you're printing in black-and-white or color, and while it doesn't have the widest color range or most accurate color reproduction, photos still look incredibly detailed. Unfortunately, like most printers in this price range, page yields from its ink cartridges are very low, as it can only produce roughly 200 black and 130 color prints, considerably less than many other pricier models. Thankfully, the overall cost per print is still fairly low because the cartridges are relatively cheap.

If you're willing to spend a little more upfront for a model with a better yield, the Brother MFC-J1205W is worth checking out. Its ink cartridges last much longer, so you don't have to replace them as often. However, it doesn't have an automatic feeder and prints slightly slower.

If you don't want to deal with clogged printheads on an inkjet printer, a laser printer can be a better option. We recommend the Pantum P2502W, a black-and-white print-only unit. It produces high-quality black and white documents and doesn't cost much to maintain, as a single new toner cartridge yields over 2000 prints. Plus, the drum is built into the cartridge, so you won't need to replace it separately. It's a little slow to warm up, but it prints very quickly at 25 pages per minute once it gets going.

There are a couple of downsides. The first is the lack of automatic duplex printing, which means you'll have to flip the pages manually when printing double-sided. Second, it tends to push printed pages off the output tray, resulting in out-of-order sheets. It doesn't happen often, but it's still inconvenient, especially during large print jobs. Lastly, while the mobile app is feature-rich, it doesn't have the most user-friendly user interface.

If you're looking for a cheap printer that doesn't take up much space, the HP DeskJet 3755 might be just what you need. This compact all-in-one fits easily on an office desk or a cramped dorm room and comes in three colorful variants to spruce up your workspace. Despite its small size, it manages to pack in a sheetfed scanner, which you can use to scan plain sheets up to 8.5" x 14" in size. Print quality in black-and-white is somewhat grainy, but it does a good job with color prints.

Regarding page yield and maintenance cost, you can expect to get around 100 black and 40 color prints per set of cartridges. The cartridges are cheap, but because you'll have to buy replacements often, it'll cost you a lot, not to mention you'll also have to do more maintenance, potentially interrupting your print jobs. That said, it's worth considering if you only print once in a blue moon and want a compact model that can get the job done.

If you want to print photos on the go, the Canon IVY Mini Photo Printer is the best one we've tested for under $100. It's a super compact photo printer for Android or iOS mobile devices. You can connect to the printer via Bluetooth, and through its mobile app, you can print, create collages, or add stickers. It produces 2" x 3" photos on special ink-filled photo paper, which you can buy in packs of various sizes. The paper isn't overly expensive but can still add up if you print a lot.

The print quality isn't that great, as the pictures look soft, with noticeably inaccurate color reproduction. However, that's to be expected, as it's intended to produce photos that imitate polaroids that you would keep in a wallet or stick on a fridge's door. As for printing speed, it's surprisingly fast for such a compact printer, taking only about a minute or so to print a photo. Unfortunately, the battery is only good for 20 prints, though you can print while charging.