While small printers generally lack features and don't have the best print quality, they're very convenient, especially if you have a small room where every inch counts or need to store your printer in a cupboard between print sessions. Small printers come in many forms; you can find all-in-ones designed for home use, portable models with a built-in rechargeable battery, and even film-based printers that produce Polaroid-like pictures. To help you with your purchasing decision, we've put together a few top picks for different budgets, uses, and sizes.
Below are our recommendations for the best compact printers you can buy. If you're looking for printers you can use on the go, check out our recommendations for the best portable printers. You can also check our picks for the best home printers, the best cheap printers, and the best printers for college students if you're looking for dorm-room-specific picks.
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 Small Printer
Build QualityDocument QualityWeightlbs ( kg)Estimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldprintsScanningPrinting SpeedBlack Cartridge PriceUS$See all our test resultsColor Cartridge PriceUS$The Epson EcoTank ET-2980 is the best small printer we've tested. It's a compact all-in-one inkjet supertank that's a great fit for households, delivering high page yields and a low cost-per-print. It's not the tiniest option out there, but it strikes a solid balance of features and performance for its size. Documents come out sharp, and photos look fairly color-accurate and detailed, with an outstanding color range.
Connectivity is flexible, too. It supports wired and wireless connections, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria Print Service, so printing from any mobile device is straightforward. The flatbed scanner is basic, which is the main drawback. If you find the Epson EcoTank ET-2800/ET-2803 at a lower price, or you'd rather trade some color range for slightly more detailed output, it's another excellent option worth considering. It's also worth noting that inkjet printers tend to clog if not used regularly. If you plan on storing your printer for long stretches between uses, the Brother HL-L2460DW is our pick for the best small laser printer and a better fit for that situation.
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Best Small Mid-Range Printer
Build QualityDocument QualityWeightlbs ( kg)Estimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldN/AScanningPrinting SpeedBlack Cartridge PriceUS$See all our test resultsColor Cartridge PriceUS$If you only need to print a return label once in a blue moon, get the Brother HL-L2460DW or one of its variants. While this is by far the largest and heaviest printer on our list, it's quite compact compared to most laser printers, making it a great option for people in small apartments or dorm rooms. It's a monochrome print-only unit, so you can't print in color or scan anything, but there's also no risk of clogging. It prints quickly at up to 32 pages per minute, and with a page yield of around 1,300 prints, you won't have to replace the toner often unless you have a large print load.
The toner cartridge is relatively cheap; just remember that you'll have to spend extra to replace the drum since it's a separate unit. There are many variants that scale features up or down depending on your needs and price point. For cheaper options, the Brother HL-L2405W loses duplex printing but maintains wireless connectivity, whereas the Brother HL-L2400D loses wireless connectivity but maintains duplex printing and most of the printing speed.
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Best Small Budget Printer
Build QualityDocument QualityWeightlbs ( kg)Estimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldprintsScanningPrinting SpeedBlack Cartridge PriceUS$See all our test resultsColor Cartridge PriceUS$The best compact printer we've tested for people on a budget is the Brother MFC-J1205W, also sold as the Brother MFC-J1215W. It has an even smaller footprint and delivers a very well-rounded package. The main downside of this model compared to our top pick, the Epson EcoTank ET-2980, is that it yields fewer prints, making it a little more expensive to maintain over time since you have to buy more ink. You get the same connectivity options as the Epson, including support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. At nine black or six color pages per minute, this model is only marginally faster than the Epson above.
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Best Compact Photo Printer
Build QualityDocument QualityWeightlbs ( kg)Estimated Black Page YieldN/AEstimated Color Page YieldprintsScanningPrinting SpeedBlack Cartridge PriceUS$See all our test resultsColor Cartridge PriceUS$Let's say you're looking for a way to capture the moment at a special event and print small photos on the go; for this use case, get the Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2, our choice for the best compact printer for photo printing. Given its small size and lightweight, it's eminently portable, so you can easily throw it in a bag or purse for a night out. However, it's important to adjust your expectations regarding its photo quality; photos are nicely detailed, but the color and print quality can't match other portable (albeit larger) inkjet printers. Still, for its niche use, this printer is the best.
This printer produces 2" x 3" portraits using Polaroid's proprietary Hi-Print Generation 2 photo paper. You can get the printer on its own or in a bundle with packs of photo paper. Unfortunately, its photo paper is very expensive, so recurring costs will quickly add up if you print a lot. Also, its battery life lasts just 20 prints, so you'll want to keep the charging cable close. As for connectivity options, this printer only works with Android and iOS smartphones or with Chrome OS devices via a Bluetooth connection and its Hi-Print mobile app.
Notable Mentions
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Brother MFC-J4335DW:
If you're looking for a small printer for your home office, the Brother MFC-J4335DW is a better choice than the Epson EcoTank ET-2980. It has an ADF that quickly scans multi-page documents and prints much faster. That said, it's bigger, incurs higher recurring costs, and produces photos that aren't as good-looking as the Epson's.
See our review -
Brother MFC-J1010DW:
Get the Brother MFC-J1010DW instead of the Brother MFC-J1205W if you're looking to minimize upfront costs. It also includes an automatic document feeder to easily handle multi-page documents. However, the J1010DW does incur much higher recurring costs over time.
See our review -
Canon PIXMA MG3620:
For an even cheaper option, consider the Canon PIXMA MG3620 to the Brother MFC-J1205W. It prints better-looking photos but has a very low page yield and high recurring costs.
See our review -
Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw:
If you want a more compact and cheaper laser printer, consider the Canon imageCLASS LBP122dw instead of the Brother HL-L2460DW. However, it produces lower-quality prints and is slower.
See our review -
Canon SELPHY Square QX10:
If you prefer a punchier, brighter image but are still chasing that Polaroid-esque photo aesthetic, get the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 instead of the Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2. They are similar devices, but the Polaroid is better at rendering fine details, and it charges faster, so there's less downtime between photo sessions.
See our review
Recent Updates
Mar 09, 2026:
We replaced the Epson EcoTank ET-2800/ET-2803 with the Epson EcoTank ET-2980 as our new main pick, and the Brother HL-L2460DW is our new mid-range pick. We replaced the Epson Expression Home XP-4200 Notable Mention with the Brother MFC-J1010DW. No other changes were made to the picks.
Oct 28, 2025:
Confirmed that all picks are relevant and available.
May 20, 2025:
We've verified that all picks are still valid and available. There are only small text changes for clarity and conciseness.
Feb 26, 2025:
We've overhauled the article to offer better recommendations for small printers for home use by revising the product categories, changing some of our product picks, and adding new Notable Mentions.
Jan 21, 2025:
We've verified that our recommendations are available and represent the best choices. We also made edits for clarity throughout.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best printers with a small footprint for most people. In addition to the test results, 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.