The 5 Best Printers For Mac - Spring 2023 Reviews

The best printer for Mac we've tested is the Brother MFC-L8905CDW. This feature-rich all-in-one produces incredibly sharp documents, prints quickly at up to 32 pages per minute (black or color), and doesn't need much maintenance. It has Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet connectivity, making it easy for everyone in the office to access, and it can even print directly from a USB flash drive. The flatbed scanner can scan sheets up to Legal size (8.5" x 14") and processes documents quickly through its automatic feeder. It also supports single-pass duplex scanning, so you won't need to flip the pages manually when scanning double-sided sheets.

As for its page yield and maintenance cost, although the toner cartridges are somewhat expensive, they last a long time, so the printer won't cost much to maintain over time. You have to replace the drum separately, which is an added expense, but again, it isn't something you need to do regularly since the drum is usually good for 30,000 prints. If you find this model too costly, know that cheaper variants are available, like the Brother MFC-L8610CDW, which lacks duplex scanning and has a smaller 8.5" x 11" flatbed scanner instead of 8.5" x 14". You can see more details about all the variants in the full review.

Like most laser printers, the Brother MFC-L8905CDW isn't ideal for photo printing. Pictures come out looking flat, grainy, and lacking in detail. If you need to print photos, get the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 instead, an all-in-one supertank model. It produces incredibly detailed and colorful photos, supports various paper sizes up to 13" x 19", and doesn't cost much to maintain. There are some trade-offs, though, like the lack of an automatic feeder for its scanner, slower printing speeds, and a higher purchase price. A cheaper alternative would be the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 variant; it gives you the same print quality as the ET-8550 but only supports paper sizes up to 8.5" x 11".

If you only print black and white documents with your Mac computer, get the Brother MFC-L2750DW. It's cheaper than the Brother MFC-L8905CDW and costs less to maintain since you only need to replace the single black ink cartridge. Additionally, the cartridge yields many prints and is cheap to replace. You have to replace the drum separately; however, it's usually good for around 12,000 prints, so you likely won't need to do that too often. It produces sharp, detailed documents, takes little time to warm up, and prints quickly at 36 pages per minute. It has the full complement of standard connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet, and it supports Apple AirPrint, so you can easily print from your Mac, iPad, or iPhone.

A quick note about this printer: there are many variants with slightly different features and performance. So, if you want to save money, you can get a variant like the Brother MFC-L2710DW, which lacks a duplex scanner and has a slower printing speed of 32 pages per minute. Meanwhile, other variants, like the MFC-L2750DWXL, come with high-yield or super-high-yield cartridges that'll provide a greater page yield. You can see all the variants and their differences in the full review.

If you want to save money with a more modest mid-range model, get the Brother MFC-J4335DW. This inkjet all-in-one has four cartridges that yield over 2000 black and 800 color prints, and the cartridges are relatively inexpensive, meaning you won't have to spend too much on maintenance. It wakes up quickly, gets a single page out in only 11 seconds, prints 17 black or 15 color pages per minute, and supports automatic double-sided printing.

Document printing quality in both color and black and white is excellent. Photos also look detailed but are slightly muted due to the printer's narrow color range. There's some graininess in the pictures, too. You get USB and Wi-Fi connectivity along with Apple AirPrint support, so you don't need to go through the hassle of installing drivers or apps to use the printer. It has an ADF-equipped scanner that scans up to 20 pages per minute; however, it doesn't support duplex scanning, so you'll have to flip the pages manually when scanning double-sided sheets.

If you're on a tight budget, we recommend the Brother MFC-J1205W, also sold as the Brother MFC-J1215W at Walmart. Given its low price point, this all-in-one inkjet printer feels surprisingly well-built. Like our mid-range pick, it also uses four ink cartridges. These cartridges yield around 1100 black and 700 color pages and aren't overly expensive, so your cost per print will remain low over time. It supports Apple AirPrint, so you can easily print from your Mac without fiddling with device drivers.

Unfortunately, there are compromises compared to its more expensive brethren, like the lack of an automatic feeder for its scanner and no Ethernet port. Its printing speed is also slower at nine black or six color pages per minute, so it isn't the best option for printing long reports or essays.

If you need a cheap printer that can get the job done for those occasional one-off projects, get the Canon PIXMA MG3620. The build doesn't feel sturdy, and it only has a basic flatbed scanner, but it prints good-quality documents and photos. You still get USB and Wi-Fi connectivity and Apple AirPrint support. It uses two ink cartridges, one black and one tri-color, and yields around 200 black and color prints. Its low page yield means you'll have to replace the cartridges often, and because it uses a tri-color cartridge, you need to replace the entire cartridge even if just one color runs out. Thankfully, the cartridges are cheap, so your maintenance costs will remain low. There are XL cartridges that'll last longer, but they still would yield fewer prints than a model with more cartridges, like our budget pick.