The HP Smart Tank 5101 is an all-in-one supertank inkjet printer. It's part of the HP Smart Tank 5000/5100 all-in-one printer series. It uses the usual Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black ink setup and is compatible with HP's 31/32 ink. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and USB, and there's support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. It only has a basic flatbed scanner with no automatic feeder or fax functionality. It doesn't support automatic duplex printing, so you have to flip the pages manually when printed double-sided. It's compatible with HP's Smart mobile app, which you can use to print, scan, copy, and perform maintenance tasks.
The other models in the 5000/5100 series are regional and color variants with identical features and performance. You can see all the variants in the Differences Between Variants section below.
Our Verdict
The HP Smart Tank 5101 is good for family use. Its cheap ink bottle refills and incredible page yields mean it won't cost you much to maintain the printer over time. Its print quality is decent; black-and-white documents look sharp and clean, but color documents aren't as detailed. Photo printing isn't its strong point, as photos look dull and inaccurate due to its narrow color range and poor accuracy. Unfortunately, its printheads have a high chance of clogging, and its sheet rollers can sometimes leave marks on the prints. It also prints very slowly at ten black or three color pages per minute.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Produces detailed photos.
- Produces good quality black-and-white documents.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- Poor color gamut and accuracy.
- High chance of clogging.
- Only supports manual duplex printing.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
The HP Smart Tank 5101 all-in-one printer is okay for small or home office use. Its overall print quality is decent; black-and-white documents look crisp and clean, but color documents aren't as detailed and look a tad washed out. Unfortunately, it prints very slowly, and it lacks features like an automatic document feeder and duplex scanning. While its ink tank is great for large print loads, it still requires a fair amount of maintenance, as the printheads clog easily and are hard to unclog. Also, the sheet rollers can sometimes leave marks on the prints.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Produces good quality black-and-white documents.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- High chance of clogging.
- No automatic feeder.
- Only supports manual duplex printing.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
The HP Smart Tank 5101 is good for student use. Its main selling point is its low ownership costs, as its ink tank yields a large number of prints, and replacement ink is cheap. Its overall print quality is decent; black-and-white documents look crisp and clean, but color documents aren't as detailed and look a tad washed out. Unfortunately, it'll require a fair amount of maintenance, as its printheads have a high chance of clogging, and its sheet rollers can sometimes leave marks on the prints. It also prints very slowly at ten black or three color pages per minute.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Produces good quality black-and-white documents.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- High chance of clogging.
- Only supports manual duplex printing.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
The HP 5101 printer is okay for printing black-and-white documents. It produces sharp black-and-white documents and yields a large number of prints. However, it prints slowly and only supports manual duplex printing, meaning you'll have to flip the pages manually when printing double-sided sheets. Additionally, the printheads clog easily, and the sheet rollers sometimes leave marks on the prints.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Produces good quality black-and-white documents.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- High chance of clogging.
- No automatic feeder.
- Only supports manual duplex printing.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
The HP Smart Tank 5101 is decent for photo printing. Its ink tanks yield a large number of prints, so you don't have to worry about spending too much on ink if you print a lot. Photos look very detailed but dull and inaccurate due to the printer's narrow color range and poor accuracy. The main issue with this printer is that its printheads have a high chance of clogging, so it'll require a fair amount of maintenance. Also, its sheet rollers can sometimes leave marks on the prints.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Produces detailed photos.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- Poor color gamut and accuracy.
- High chance of clogging.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- High chance of clogging.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- High chance of clogging.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- High chance of clogging.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- High chance of clogging.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
- High page yield.
- Low cost-per-print.
- Decent connectivity options.
- Slow printing speeds.
- High chance of clogging.
- Sheet rollers sometimes leave marks.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Apr 15, 2024: We've corrected a mistake in the Cost-Per-Print section. This printer isn't eligible to enroll in HP's ink replenishment service.
- Updated Nov 10, 2023: Added a link to the HP ENVY 6065e in the 'Scanner Features' section of the review to provide an alternative that can scan documents slightly faster.
- Updated Oct 25, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Oct 20, 2023: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the HP Smart Tank 5101. It's part of the HP Smart Tank 5000/5100 series of all-in-one printers. The other models in this printer series are only regional or color variants with identical specifications and performance; you can see them in the table below.
| Model | Region of Sale | Color (scanner lid & output tray) |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Tank 5000 | North America | Tan |
| Smart Tank 5101 | North America | Gray/Slate |
| Smart Tank 5102 | North America | Blue |
| Smart Tank 5105 | Europe | Gray/Slate |
| Smart Tank 5106 | Europe | Blue |
| Smart Tank 5107 | Europe | Tan |
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Printer Comparisons
The HP 5101 printer is a decent printer overall. It has a sturdy build and a very high page yield. However, it's hard to recommend over other printers in its class, as its printheads have a high chance of clogging, and its sheet rollers tend to leave marks.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best inkjet printers, the best all-in-one printers, and the best printers with cheap ink.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800/ET-2803 is much better than the HP Smart Tank 5101. The Epson produces nicer photos due to its wider color range and superior color accuracy. Its scanner performs better, as it can capture finer details, making it a better option for digitizing photos. While both printers have a high page yield, the HP requires more maintenance, as its printheads clog more easily and are hard to unclog.
The HP Smart Tank 7301 is much better than the HP Smart Tank 5101. The 7301 has more features, like an automatic document feeder, fax functionality, and Ethernet. It also produces higher-quality documents, prints faster, and supports automatic duplex printing. While both printers are supertank models and use the same ink, the 7301 yields significantly more prints. Additionally, its printheads don't seem to clog as easily as the 5101's.
The Brother MFC-J4335DW is much better than the HP Smart Tank 5101. The Brother produces higher-quality documents and photos, prints faster, and supports automatic duplex printing. It also has an automatic feeder to scan long, multipage documents and extendable lid hinges to accommodate thicker items like textbooks. The HP yields more prints, but it may need more maintenance, as its printheads clog easily.
While they offer similar features, the Canon PIXMA G3270 is better than the HP Smart Tank 5101. The Canon produces higher-quality documents and photos, yielding significantly more prints. It also takes less time to print its first page. Though clogging is a risk for all inkjet printers, the HP model is especially prone to it.
Test Results
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