Brother is a Japanese electronics company best known for its printers. It offers a wide lineup of laser printers ranging from spartan print-only models well-suited for households with basic printing needs to fully-featured all-in-one models for small businesses with large print loads. Brother laser printers tend to have large page yields and print sharp documents regardless of price. The company also has a small lineup of color inkjet printers that use a hybrid between a supertank and a traditional cartridge system. Despite their excellent document quality, Brother's laser and inkjet printers aren't the best for photo printing.
We've bought and tested over 15 Brother printers, and below are our recommendations for the top Brother printers for home and business use.
Updates
- 03/20/2024Brother MFC-L2820DW reviewed
- 03/15/2024Brother HL-L3280CDW reviewed
- 03/08/2024Brother HL-L2460DW reviewed
- 02/19/2024Brother MFC-J4335DW updated
- 12/18/2023Brother MFC-L3780CDW/MFC-L3720CDW reviewed
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 Brother Printer
Build QualityEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldprintsDocument QualityBlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostUS$/printPrinting SpeedSee all our test resultsScanningThe best Brother printer we've tested is the Brother MFC-L3780CDW. This color laser all-in-one produces amazingly sharp documents, warms up quickly, and prints up to 30 black-and-white or 28 color pages per minute. However, you'll have to use it wired to achieve this top speed, as the monochrome document tops out at 20 pages over Wi-Fi. It's also compatible with both AirPrint and Mopria protocols for easy access from any device. It also has an automatic feeder with single-pass duplex scanning to process documents quickly. The regular toner cartridges yield around 1,600 black and 1,200 color prints, so they don't need frequent replacement. You can also buy XL cartridges that'll last even longer; the largest TN229 XXL cartridges can triple that output, according to Brother's estimates.
While this is a great choice in its own right, its bigger brother, and now discontinued, Brother MFC-L8905CDW, delivered even better overall performance. While we haven't tested it yet, we expect its successor, the Brother MFC-L8930CDW, to be at least as well-rounded.
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Best Mid-Range Laser Brother Printer
Build QualityEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldN/ADocument QualityBlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostN/APrinting SpeedSee all our test resultsScanningIf you only need to print in black, get the Brother MFC-L2820DW, one of the best Brother laser printers we've tested at a mid-range price. This all-in-one monochrome laser model has nearly all the features you'd need for a small or home office. It has Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet connectivity. The scanner produces high-quality scans and has an ADF, but doesn't support duplex scanning. It delivers incredibly sharp documents and prints quickly, up to 33 pages per minute. The toner cartridge is good for just under 1,300 prints and is relatively cheap, so you won't have to spend too much on replacement toner.
For those concerned about cost but still want an all-in-one, this printer has many variants. For example, the Brother MFC-L2480DW is a cheaper model that lacks an ADF, although it prints slightly faster. You can also find bundles that include longer-lasting XL toner cartridges, like the Brother MFC-L2820DWXL, which might be cheaper than buying the cartridges separately. You can see all the variants and their differences in our full review.
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Best Budget Laser Brother Printer
Build QualityEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldN/ADocument QualityBlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostN/APrinting SpeedSee all our test resultsScanningIf you only need to print the occasional return label or just print black-and-white documents like articles for school, the Brother HL-L2460DW or one of its variants is a good choice. These budget laser printers have one key advantage over the inkjet printers we recommend below: there's no risk of printhead clogging if it sits inactive between prints. Not only will the printer be ready to go whenever you need it, but if you print infrequently, it can cost you less over time, as you won't need to worry about picking up a new ink cartridge to replace a clogged one.
Beyond expected maintenance concerns, these budget monochrome laser printers have an outstanding cost-per-print and print much faster than our budget inkjet pick below, the Brother MFC-J1205W, at up to 34 pages per minute. While Brother's budget laser printers are known for sharp, detailed print quality, unfortunately, these printers' out-of-the-box performance doesn't quite live up to that reputation. But don't worry, they can still print sharp documents; you just need to do a deep dive into the printer's settings to get there (see our review for the details). Still, we think this is the best budget Brother printer for most people, particularly those with infrequent printing needs.
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Best Inkjet Brother Printer
Build QualityEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldprintsDocument QualityBlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostUS$/printPrinting SpeedSee all our test resultsScanningYou'll want an inkjet if your household needs a printer that can do everything, including photo printing. While for most people, Brother is synonymous with laser printers, they also make some fantastic inkjets. We recommended the Brother MFC-J4335DW, the best Brother all-in-one printer we've tested for home use. This printer produces amazing-looking documents and does so quite quickly, churning out 17 black or 15 color documents per minute. As for photos, they look detailed but slightly grainy with washed-out blacks. You won't need to worry about maintenance costs, as its ink cartridges last a long time and are relatively cheap. XL cartridges are also available if you want to increase the yield further.
The printer feels sturdy and well-built overall; the only downside is that the power cord isn't removable, making it hard to replace if damaged. You can connect to the printer via USB or Wi-Fi, and it's compatible with Brother's mobile companion app, which you can use to print, scan, copy, perform maintenance tasks, and order supplies. The scanner produces high-quality scans and processes up to 20 pages per minute through its automatic feeder; however, it doesn't support duplex scanning, so you'll still have to flip the pages manually when scanning double-sided sheets.
Unfortunately, this model is getting harder and harder to find. While we have received its successor, the Brother MFC-J4355DW, we have yet to test it. However, we do expect it to perform at least as well. We will update this list once testing is done.
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Best Budget Inkjet Brother Printer
Build QualityEstimated Black Page YieldprintsEstimated Color Page YieldprintsDocument QualityBlack-Only Printing CostUS$/printColor Printing CostUS$/printPrinting SpeedSee all our test resultsScanningFor our best budget inkjet pick, we chose the Brother MFC-J1205W, also known as the Brother MFC-J1215DW. This color inkjet model is a great option for people who print more than the occasional one-off project but don't have high print loads. While it produces high-quality black and color documents, the big difference to the Brother MFC-J4335DW above is the printing speed; it's much slower, only getting out nine black or six color pages per minute, and it doesn't support automatic duplex printing. It doesn't have a wide color range, but printed photos still look detailed and reasonably color-accurate.
It feels sturdily built despite its affordable price, with a design that allows easy access to paper jams and ink cartridges. This model's four ink cartridges yield a large number of prints, so you won't need to replace them often. On top of that, the ink cartridges are fairly cheap, resulting in an exceptionally low cost-per-print. You also get Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, as well as Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service support. It has a scanner with extendable hinges to accommodate thick items like textbooks, but it lacks an automatic feeder, so you'll have to scan each page manually. It's a great option for those on a tight budget who don't mind a few compromises.
Compared To Other Brands
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Can yield a high number of pages.
Brother laser and inkjet printers tend to yield many pages before you need to replace their ink or toner cartridges.
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Low cost-per-print.
Although Brother cartridges can cost a little more to replace, you have to do it less often, resulting in an affordable cost-per-print.
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Quick print speed.Most Brother printers can print black-only text documents very quickly.
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Sturdy and well-built.Brother generally makes well-built printers that feel sturdy and have good access to their ink tanks or cartridges.
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Not really for printing photos.
Brother's color inkjet printers typically print grainier photos than other brands.
Brother vs Epson
Brother and Epson are both major printer manufacturers. Brother makes inkjet and laser models, while Epson focuses almost exclusively on inkjet models. Brother printers usually produce higher-quality documents, but Epson printers are better for photos, as they typically have a wider color range. If you're concerned about running costs, it's best to go with an Epson EcoTank printer, as these models yield significantly more prints than almost all Brother printers. See our recommendations for the best Epson printers.
Brother vs Canon
Brother and Canon are among the largest printer manufacturers in the world. While both companies offer a wide range of printers, only Canon makes professional photo printers. Canon home printers generally produce higher-quality photos but yield fewer prints than Brother printers. As for laser printers, Canon usually makes better color models, while Brother usually makes better monochrome models. Check out our list of the best Canon printers to see our recommendations.
Brother vs HP
Like Brother, HP is one of the most well-known printer manufacturers. Brother printers typically have better print quality; however, HP has a wider range of printers, including portable and laser printers with a refillable toner tank, similar to supertank inkjet models. While both manufacturers offer ink subscription services, Brother is typically more lenient regarding using third-party toner and ink cartridges. In contrast, HP often forces users to use genuine HP cartridges. See our recommendations for the best HP printers.
Brother makes well-built printers with a straightforward design. The company mostly focuses on laser printers suited for office use, so you can expect that their products have a quick print speed and high page yields. It also makes a lot of standalone monochrome printers for those who primarily need to print documents. It makes some color inkjet models, though not nearly as many as other printer companies like HP and Epson.
Lineup
Brother has a straightforward lineup of inkjet and laser printers, including:
- Black and White Laser: Print-only monochrome laser models.
- Color Laser Digital: Print-only color laser models.
- Black and White Laser Multifunction: All-in-one monochrome laser models.
- Color Laser Digital Multifunction: All-in-one color laser models.
- Color Inkjet Multifunction: All-in-one color inkjet models.
- INKvestment Tank: All-in-one color inkjet models with Brother's proprietary INKvestment technology, which combines traditional ink cartridges with an internal ink tank to increase page yield.
Recent Updates
Mar 06, 2026:
We swapped the now-discontinued Brother MFC-L8905CDW with the Brother MFC-L3780CDW. We also added references to the successors of some picks, which have become more difficult to find over time.
Apr 09, 2025:
Minor text changes for clarity. No change in recommendations.
Jan 13, 2025:
We've made some edits for clarity and concision and verified that our recommendations are available and represent the best choices.
Oct 18, 2024:
We've verified that our recommendations are available and represent the best choices. We've also made small edits for clarity.
Aug 08, 2024: We've completely revamped this article, introducing a new format, new performance usages, and changes in recommendations to better represent the best choices available.
Conclusion
Brother is a well-known brand that offers a wide range of laser printers. They also have a small line-up of inkjet printers that are great for households with many printing needs. Brother tends to produce sturdy and well-built printers with high page yields at an affordable cost. However, their ink or toner cartridges are more expensive than their competitors. Moreover, Brother printers aren't the best at photo printing. Nevertheless, Brother has solid options at every price point, with models ranging from feature-rich all-in-ones for businesses to simple and dependable print-only units for home use.