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The 5 Best Printers For Small Business - Winter 2024 Reviews

Updated
Best Printers For Small Business

If you need to print out flyers, process office work claims, or produce hard-copy documents, having a printer that can multitask different jobs is invaluable for a small business. Since a few employees may need to share this printer, a good business printer should be able to print a large number of pages at an affordable cost without constantly running out of ink. Pages should print quickly, and these printers should have additional features like duplex printing or an automatic document feeder that can help simplify your workload.

We've bought and tested over 135 printers, and below are our recommendations for the best small office printers you can buy. See our picks for the best all-in-one printers, the best home printers, and the best office printers.


  1. Best Printer For Small Business

    The best printer for small business use we've tested is the Brother MFC-L8905CDW, an all-in-one color laser model. It produces incredibly sharp documents, doesn't take long to warm up, and prints quickly at up to 32 pages per minute. Its flatbed scanner is large enough to scan Legal-size sheets (8.5x14), and it has an automatic feeder with single-pass duplex scanning to process multi-page and double-sided sheets quickly. The toner cartridges aren't overly expensive and last a long time, but you need to replace the drum separately, which is an added expense.

    Like most printers, the MFC-8905CDW is only one of many variants in the lineup. If you want to save money and don't mind compromising on a few features, you can go with the Brother MFC-L8900CDW (or MFC-L8895CDW at Costco), which performs identically but has a smaller display. The Brother MFC-L8610CDW also performs identically but has an 8.5x11 flatbed scanner and doesn't support duplex scanning. You can see more details about the variants in the full review.

    While the MFC-8905CDW is an excellent laser printer, it has a weakness: photo printing. Laser models aren't ideal because printed pictures look dull and lack detail. If you need to print photos or graphics for your business, we have two recommendations: the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 and the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550. The former prints faster and has more features, like an ADF with duplex scanning, while the latter produces higher-quality photos. They're both supertank models that yield thousands of prints, so you won't have to worry about high running costs; however, they're more expensive upfront.

    See our review

  2. Best Mid-Range Printer For Small Business

    If you want something slightly cheaper and more modest but still capable of handling any task you have in mind, check out the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw. It's also an all-in-one color laser printer with the same features and print quality as the Brother MFC-L8905CDW we recommend above. The tradeoff for its lower price is its slower printing speed. It can print up to 22 pages per minute; however, that's only achievable via a wired connection (USB or Ethernet), which is inconvenient if you don't have space near your desk or router to place the printer.

    Slow printing speed aside, the Canon still has plenty to offer. There are tons of connectivity options, as well as an ADF-equipped scanner with duplex scanning for easily processing double-sided documents. Its scan speed is slower but still respectable at 14 pages per minute. Its toner cartridges also have a very high print yield and won't need to be replaced often. As always, cheaper variants are available, like the Canon Color imageCLASS MF654Cdw, which lacks duplex scanning and fax functionality. See our full review for more details.

    For businesses that only need to print black-and-white documents, get the Brother MFC-L2750DW instead. This monochrome laser all-in-one produces high-quality documents, doesn't take long to warm up, and prints quickly at 36 pages per minute. A regular toner cartridge is also sufficient for about 2,000 prints and is relatively cheap to replace. You'll have to replace the drum separately, unlike the Canon. The Brother's scanner is also a little slower, only being able to process up to seven pages per minute through the feeder, but thankfully, it supports single-pass duplex scanning.

    See our review

  3. Best Budget Printer For Small Business

    The best small office printer for those on a tight budget is the Brother HL-L2390DW. This all-in-one monochrome model is very similar to the Brother MFC-L2750DW mentioned above; it just lacks an automatic document feeder for the scanner and Ethernet connectivity. It still prints sharp-looking documents and does so quickly at 32 pages per minute. The toner cartridge is good for around 1,400 prints and is relatively cheap to replace, keeping maintenance costs low. The HL-L2395DW variant of this printer is also a very good option if you can find it; it's effectively the same printer but with Ethernet connectivity, a larger touch-sensitive display, and slightly faster printing speeds.

    A color inkjet alternative in the same price range would be the Brother MFC-J4335DW. It has an ADF-equipped scanner, prints incredibly detailed photos, and yields more black prints. You also get a better front panel with a larger color display and more buttons to help you navigate the interface. However, it doesn't print as quickly, and like most inkjet printers, it requires more maintenance since printheads can clog during long periods of inactivity.

    See our review

  4. Best Wide-Format Printer For Small Business

    For those needing to print on wide-format paper, get the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740. This all-in-one is great for printing posters, charts, and blueprints, as it supports paper sizes up to 11x17. It has Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet connectivity and can print directly off a USB flash drive. The scanner is feature-rich; the flatbed scanner supports up to 11x17 paper, and there's an automatic feeder with single-pass duplex scanning.

    Yield-wise, you can get around 1,100 black and 650 color prints from a regular set of cartridges. These are respectable yields for a printer with cartridges, though it may be on the lower side in a large office with multiple users. Thankfully, its cost-per-print is still low, as the cartridges are relatively cheap. Also, you can get XL cartridges that'll last longer, which might be more economical in the long run. Its printing speed is decent at 12 black or eight color pages per minute, and you get automatic double-sided printing and two input trays with a combined capacity of 500 sheets.

    See our review

  5. Best Portable Printer For Small Business

    If you travel for your business or run a kiosk at fairs, a portable cordless printer is worth considering. We recommend the HP OfficeJet 250. Thanks to its compact design, it fits easily into a backpack. It also has a rechargeable battery that lasts about 225 prints on a full charge. It produces good-quality documents, but it's on the slower side, so it isn't the best for regularly printing long multi-page reports quickly. Also, it can only print around 100 to 150 pages before it runs out of ink, so you'll need to carry a few extra cartridges if you're printing frequently.

    Despite its compact size, it has an ADF scanner, so you can still scan documents on the go. It scans at a maximum resolution of 600 DPI, which isn't as good as a desktop printer but more than enough for text documents and photos. You can connect to the printer via USB or Wi-Fi or print directly off a USB flash drive. It also supports Wi-Fi Direct, meaning it can generate its own Wi-Fi, which is handy when you don't have access to an existing wireless network.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw/MF751Cdw: The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw/MF751Cdw is a great alternative to the Brother MFC-L8905CDW. It's very similar to the Brother in printing quality; however, it doesn't scan or print as quickly. Its maintenance is more convenient because the drum is integrated into the toner cartridges, meaning you won't need to replace the drum separately. Still, the cartridges are more expensive and don't last as long. See our review
  • Brother MFC-L3780CDW/MFC-L3720CDW: The Brother MFC-L3780CDW/MFC-L3720CDW is a good alternative to the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw if you want faster printing speed. However, it's more expensive and will cost more to maintain because it doesn't yield as many prints. See our review
  • HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e: The HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e is a great inkjet alternative to the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw. It has the same features as the Canon and prints faster, but it doesn't yield as many prints. This model comes with three months of free ink via HP's ink replenishment service, which will help offset the cost of replacement ink for a short time; however, subscribing to the service will block you from using third-party cartridges. Also, the printer must have a continuous internet connection to function. See our review
  • Brother HL-L2325DW: The Brother HL-L2325DW is a cheaper alternative to the Brother HL-L2390DW if you don't need a scanner. It performs nearly identically to the HL-L2390DW regarding print quality; it just takes a little longer to warm up, and its display panel is a little more basic. See our review
  • Epson EcoTank ET-15000: If you have a larger print load, the Epson EcoTank ET-15000 is a good alternative to the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740. Thanks to its refillable ink tank, it yields significantly more prints, and its replacement ink costs less, making it cheaper to maintain. However, the printer costs more upfront and only supports wide-format paper when using the rear feeder instead of the larger main input tray. It also has a smaller flatbed scanner and doesn't support duplex scanning. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Mar 12, 2024: Removed the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e as a Notable Mention and replaced it with the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e since the 9025e is discontinued. Removed the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw from the Notable Mentions and added the Brother MFC-L3780CDW instead because the Brother supports automatic duplex scanning.

  2. Feb 13, 2024: We've reviewed this article and verified our picks for accuracy and availability.

  3. Jan 12, 2024: Replaced the Epson EcoTank ET-15000 with the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 because the HP has better print quality and duplex scanning, and its main input tray supports wide format paper instead of the smaller-capacity rear feeder.

  4. Dec 08, 2023: Verified that all main picks are available and remain the best option for user needs.

  5. Nov 09, 2023: Minor text changes to improve clarity and readability. No change in recommendations.

All Reviews

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best printers for small business you can buy. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.

If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all our printer reviews. 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.