The 5 Best Printers For Mac - Spring 2024 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, and it supports Apple AirPrint, so you can print immediately without installing any drivers or third-party apps. The flatbed scanner is big enough to scan Legal-size (8.5" x 14") sheets and processes multi-page 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.

This printer's cost-per-print is outstanding. The toner cartridges yield lots of prints and aren't overly expensive, and you can also get XL cartridges that'll last even longer, with the TN437 cartridges yielding up to 9,000 black and 8,000 color prints. The drum is a separate unit, and you'll have to spend extra to replace it, but it's usually good for 30,000 prints. Plus, a separate drum means you won't have to discard the entire toner cartridge if the drum gets damaged. Cheaper variants are available if you don't need all the features available on this model, like the Brother MFC-L8610CDW, which lacks duplex scanning and has a smaller 8.5" x 11" flatbed scanner. See more details about the variants in our 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. An inkjet model is best for photo printing, and we have two recommendations: the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 and the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550. The former is better suited for office use, as it prints faster and has more features, like an ADF with duplex scanning, while the latter is a dedicated photo printer. They're both supertank models that yield thousands of prints, so you won't have to worry about high ownership costs, but they're more expensive upfront.

Our best upper mid-range pick is the Canon Color imageCLASS MF656Cdw, a color laser all-in-one. It has the same features as the Brother MFC-L8905CDW and produces documents that look just as good. It yields significantly more color prints, so you won't have to replace the cartridges as often. Since its toner cartridges contain the drum, you won't have to replace the drum separately, making maintenance easier. However, it prints slower at 22 pages per minute, and that's only achievable via a wired USB or Ethernet connection, which is inconvenient if you don't have space near your computer or router to put the printer. Scan speed is also slower but still respectable at 14 pages per minute. Cheaper variants are available; you can see more details in our full review.

If you only print black and white documents, get the Brother MFC-L2750DW. It's slightly cheaper than the Canon, and while it doesn't yield as many prints, it still costs less to maintain because there's only one cartridge to replace. It produces sharp, detailed documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 36 pages per minute. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet, and it supports NFC, so you can connect by tapping your NFC-enabled device against the printer. Again, cheaper variants are available, like the Brother MFC-L2710DW, which will give you the same print quality but lacks duplex scanning and prints a tad slower at 32 pages per minute. You can also get variants with a longer-lasting high-yield or super-high-yield cartridge, like the MFC-L2750DWXL.

Our best mid-range pick is 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 can get a single page out in only 11 seconds, prints 17 black or 15 color pages per minute, and supports automatic double-sided printing. The input tray holds 150 sheets of paper, which is likely enough for most households. If you have a larger print load and want to minimize the number of times you need to refill the tray, you can get the slightly more costly Brother MFC-L4535DW variant, which has an additional 250-sheet tray, bringing the total to 400 sheets.

Document printing quality is excellent, whether you print in black-only or in color. Photos also look detailed but slightly muted due to the printer's narrow color range. There's some graininess in the pictures, too. Like other printers on this list, you get Apple AirPrint support, so you don't need to install anything to use the printer. The scanner is great for digitizing photos, as it produces outstanding scans with lots of fine details and accurate colors. You can scan up to 20 pages per minute via the automatic feeder; however, you'll have to flip the pages manually when scanning double-sided sheets, as it doesn't support duplex scanning.

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 get you around 1100 black and 700 color pages and aren't overly expensive, so your cost per print will remain low over time. Naturally, there are compromises since it's a budget-friendly model, like the lack of an ADF and automatic double-sided printing. 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, consider 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 yield fewer prints than a model with more cartridges, like our budget pick.