The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw is an all-in-one laser printer. It uses four toner cartridges and is compatible with HP 208A Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow toner cartridges, as well as the HP 208X high-yield cartridges. Its ADF-equipped scanner is capable of single-pass duplex scanning. Connectivity options include Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct, as well as support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. You can also print directly from USB flash drives. It's also compatible with the HP Smart app, which allows you to perform various tasks and adds additional functionality, such as mobile fax and optical character recognition.
There are many variants; while some are simply regional or retailer-specific variants, others offer different functionality and performance. See the Differences Between Variants section for more information.
Our Verdict
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw is very good for a home printer if you don't need to print photos. It offers a low cost-per-print thanks to its toner cartridges' high page yields and infrequent maintenance requirements. Its scanner is feature-rich, sporting an ADF capable of single-pass duplex scanning. Unfortunately, the ADF tends to produce crooked scans, and the scan quality is just satisfactory. That said, both black-and-white and color documents look outstanding from this printer. If you tend to print photos often, you should look elsewhere; photos from this printer lack detail and appear dull thanks to its narrow color gamut, and the poor color accuracy means that photos look noticeably different from their originals. On the bright side, the printer offers numerous wired and wireless connectivity options, making it convenient for the entire household to access it. Keep in mind that it's a fairly large printer, so you'll need to ensure you have sufficient space to store it.
Documents look sharp and crisp.
ADF can perform single-pass duplex scanning.
Low recurring costs.
Infrequent maintenance requirements.
Many connectivity options.
Scanner's default image processing removes fine details and background elements.
Photos look dull and lack detail.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw is an excellent choice for small offices. It's ideal for offices with large print or scan loads, as it prints quickly, pushing up to 26 black or color pages per minute, and also processes up to 19 pages per minute through its ADF using the grayscale setting. Unfortunately, the ADF tends to produce crooked scans, and the scan quality is just decent, as the image processing removes many fine details and background elements. The print quality is excellent for both black-and-white and color documents; text is sharp, and graphics are generally clear. Finally, with numerous connectivity options, the printer is easily accessible to everyone in the office.
Documents look sharp and crisp.
ADF can perform single-pass duplex scanning.
Fast print speed.
Infrequent maintenance requirements.
Many connectivity options.
Outstanding page yields.
ADF produces crooked scans.
Scanner's default image processing removes fine details and background elements.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw is an outstanding choice if you want a printer that you can rely on, even when left idle for an extended period. Since it's a laser printer, there's no risk of clogging, and the toner cartridges have very high page yields. This makes for infrequent maintenance requirements. There are also high-yield cartridges that are good for thousands of prints each.
Fast print speed.
Infrequent maintenance requirements.
Many connectivity options.
Outstanding page yields.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw isn't ideal for photo printing. Its very narrow color gamut results in photos that appear dull and lacking in detail, and its sub-par color accuracy makes photos look noticeably different from their originals. This level of color quality is suitable for adding color to a chart, but it's insufficient for photo printing, which is also expensive. That said, it's compatible with glossy laser photo printers and can perform borderless printing on a wide variety of sheet sizes.
Compatible with a wide variety of photo printing sizes.
Photos look dull and lack detail.
Narrow color gamut and middling color accuracy.
Terrible at resolving fine details.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw offers an outstanding page yield. It can print hundreds of pages with a standard cartridge, and high-yield options are available for those who need to print even more.
Outstanding page yields.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw is very fast at printing documents. It can print 26 black or color pages per minute. Photo printing is also very fast, taking just 21 seconds to print a 4" x 6" photo. It does take a while to warm up and get its first page out, though.
Fast print speed.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw produces outstanding documents. Text is sharp and clear, and fine details are all present.
Documents look sharp and crisp.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw's scanner is great. It's feature-rich, with an ADF that supports single-pass duplex scanning up to Legal-size documents. Unfortunately, the scan quality doesn't live up to the feature set, as scans just look decent. While the text is clear and legible, and colors are rather neutral looking, the default image processing using the Document preset is very aggressive in removing artifacts. It also removes all fine details, such as lines on a graph and watermarks. Changing the preset doesn't help. The ADF also produces crooked scans.
ADF can perform single-pass duplex scanning.
ADF produces crooked scans.
Scanner's default image processing removes fine details and background elements.
Performance Usages
Changelog
-
Updated Dec 16, 2025:
We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Dec 16, 2025: We've updated the review to Test Bench 1.3, which adds a number of test boxes including Risk of Clogging and Ease of Unclogging. We also updated the Usage and Performance boxes at the top of the review to better integrate the new aspects covered. See the changelog.
-
Updated Nov 05, 2025:
Added a reference to the Canon Color imageCLASS MF665Cdw in the Cost-Per-Print test box as an alternative with lower cost-per-print.
- Updated Dec 17, 2024: Review published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw. There are several variants with different features, as well as regional and retailer-specific models; these are listed in the table below.
| Model | Color | Region | Feature Differences and Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw | White/Gray (499Q5F) | North America | Print-only, no built-in fax line, 2" MGD non-touchscreen display with four buttons and a directional pad. |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw | White/Gray (499Q3F) | North America | No built-in fax line. |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301cdw | White/Gray (74T92F) | North America | Available from Costco and Sam's Club exclusively. |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw | White/Gray (499Q5F) | North America | N/A |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3302sdw | White/Blue (499Q6F) | Europe, Asia | No built-in fax line. |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3302fdw | White/Blue (499Q8F) | Europe, Asia | N/A |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3303fdn | White/Blue (499M7A) | Europe, Asia | No wireless connectivity. |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3303fdw | White/Blue (499M8A) | Asia, Europe, Middle East | N/A |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3388fdw | White/Gray (74P28A) | Asia, Europe, Middle East | N/A |
See our unit's label.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw is an all-in-one color laser printer for small or home offices. It's a great fit for this use; its toner cartridges yield thousands of prints, and it can print and scan quickly, pushing out up to 26 black or color pages per minute and processing up to 19 pages per minute through its ADF using the grayscale preset. Its document print quality is outstanding, with only minor issues. Its scan quality doesn't quite live up to the rest of its performance, as its image processing is overly aggressive in culling artifacts and also removes fine details and background elements. Photos look terrible from this printer, although that's generally true of color laser printers. Finally, with plenty of wired and wireless connectivity options, it's easy for anyone in the office to access this printer.
See our recommendations for the best all-in-one printers, the best small business printers, and the best laser printers.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw and the Brother MFC-L3780CDW/MFC-L3720CDW are feature-rich, all-in-one laser printers. Both produce sharp documents and yield thousands of prints per cartridge. If you need to scan many documents, the Brother is a better choice; it offers significantly better scan quality, and its ADF can process sheets faster and offers built-in OCR. If you primarily print black-and-white documents, the HP is a better bet, as it can push 26 pages per minute to the Brother's 20.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw and the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw are excellent, feature-rich, all-in-one laser printers from HP. The 4301fdw is the better choice if you have an exceptionally large print load. It can push up to 35 black or color pages per minute, and it has multiple input trays capable of holding 550 sheets of plain paper in total. The 4301fdw also produces more detailed scans, as the image processing on the 3301fdw tends to cull fine details and background elements. On the other hand, the 3301fdw is the better choice for those trying to keep costs down, as it incurs lower recurring costs and tends to be cheaper upfront. It also offers fantastic performance, pushing a respectable 26 pages per minute.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw and the Canon Color imageCLASS MF665Cdw are great all-in-one laser printers. Both deliver outstanding print quality and very complete feature sets. The Canon takes the edge with better-looking scans and higher page yields. When it comes to their physical characteristics, the Canon feels more sturdy, while the HP is more compact.
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is a better printer than the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw for every use. It prints and scans faster, yields more prints per cartridge, has lower recurring costs, and offers much better scan quality. Its scanner also has adjustable hinges to accommodate thicker items and hardware OCR, so you don't need to worry about using different apps and utilities to produce searchable PDFs.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
