“Do I really need a printer?” is a question you’ve probably asked yourself sometime in the past year, and our answer is an emphatic “yes!” Keeping your documents and photos in the digital world is convenient, but every once in a while you’ll need to print something out. It’s better to have a printer around when you need one rather than having to ask a friend or run out to a store.
The good news is that you don’t need to make a big investment when picking up a printer. If your print jobs are fairly light, you can get away with a reliable option in this price range. The best printers under $100 will have most of the same features you’d find in premium models at a more modest price.
— Best Overall: Brother MFC-J1010DW
— Best Budget: Canon PIXMA TR4720
— Best Smart: HP DeskJet 3755
— Best Laser: Pantum P2502W
How We Picked The Best Printers Under $100
Our printer recommendations are based on a mix of hands-on testing and research. Below are the factors we considered most highly when deciding which printers under $100 to include in this buyer’s guide.
Printing Speed: During our research, we found that the best printers in this price range could typically print between eight and 15 pages per minute (ppm). The exception is our laser printer recommendation, which is able to print up to 22 pages per minute. The amount of time it takes your printer to pop out a page will depend on how much toner is required. If the pages you’re printing have a lot of charts or photos, they’ll take longer than those that are text only.
All in One: Some printers fall under the category of “all in one,” which means they’re also able to scan and copy documents. These features are helpful if you want to digitize physical pictures or existing documents, or want to quickly make duplicates of them. All-in-one printers fall on the more expensive side of our price range, but they’re objectively more functional.
Wireless Printing: Traditionally, you needed to plug a printer into your computer for it to work, but that’s no longer the case. Many printers under $100 allow you to send a print job to them wirelessly. You’ll need to keep your printer and device on the same WiFi network for this to work. Wireless printing allows you to send the printer a job from your phone, tablet, or computer without a cable. Naturally, you can also plug in a cable if you’d prefer.
Two-Sided Printing: All printers require paper, but you can cut down on how many pages you need by getting one that supports two-sided printing. This feature will automatically print information on both sides of the page. This will extend the amount of time it takes your job to finish, but lessen the environmental impact of your printing. If you really want to make your printing setup sustainable, switch over to using recycled paper.
Best Printers Under $100: Reviews and Recommendations
Best Overall: Brother MFC-J1010DW
Why It Made The Cut: The Brother MFC-J1010DW is fast, efficient, and has genuinely helpful extra features like sending scans directly to your phone.
Specs:
— Printing Speed: Up to 17 ppm
— Wireless Printing: Yes
— Two-Sided Printing: Yes
Pros:
— All-in-one design
— Automatic document feeder
— Fast printing speed
Cons:
— Price
The Brother MFC-J1010DW’s robust set of features makes it a great printer regardless of your budget. The all-in-one machine supports wireless printing, and can print up to 17 pages per minute, which is double the speed of an average printer. You can set the MFC-J1010DW to automatically print on both sides of each page, which will increase the print time by cutting your paper consumption in half.
You can access the printer’s settings and see its current ink levels on its 1.6-inch color display. The ability to see when your ink is getting low, or whether the printer is connected to WiFi at a glance can be very helpful. You’ll have access to most of the MFC-J1010DW’s common functions — scanning, copying, faxing — by pushing a single button.
This printer supports a feature called duplex printing, which means there are paper slots at the top and bottom of the MFC-J1010DW. The slot at the top will feed documents into the scanner, so you can quickly digitize or copy documents. The slot at the bottom can hold up to 150 sheets of paper, and will feed them into the printer. A duplex printer can save you a lot of time depending on the nature of your print job.
Brother has a mobile application on iOS and Android that’s completely optional, but has a couple of cool features worth mentioning. The coolest one is that you can send scanned documents directly to your phone. Second, the app can be used to access the MFC-J1010DW’s settings in case you don’t want to use its screen, or want to check its status from another room. Again, these features aren’t necessary, but it’s nice to know they’re available.
If you don’t mind getting a printer that’s a little pricey compared to our other recommendations, you should be very happy with Brother’s MFC-J1010DW for years to come.
Best Budget: Canon PIXMA TR4720
Why It Made The Cut: Canon’s PIXMA TR4720 has most of the same features as our top pick, but costs a lot less.
Specs:
— Printing Speed: 8.8 ppm
— Wireless Printing: Yes
— Two-Sided Printing: Yes
Pros:
— Wireless and two-sided printing support
— Duplex printing
— Price
Cons:
— Average printing speed
— So-so display
Canon’s PIXMA TR4720 was a prime contender for our best overall pick, but its average printing speed put it behind the Brother MFC-J1010DW. The PIXMA TR4720 supports wireless printing, duplex printing, two-sided printing, has a built-in fax, features an LCD screen, and is compatible with a mobile app. The printer is also $79 right now, which is $40 cheaper than usual. If you need a printer for basic jobs — printing, scanning, copying, faxing — the PIXMA TR4720 is probably your best bet. It only lags behind when you look at nonessential but nice-to-have features.
For instance, its LCD can only show you when a printing, scanning, or copying job is being done. If you want to check the PIXMA TR4720’s ink levels, or add it to your WiFi network for wireless printing, you’ll need to download Canon’s app. These aren’t dealbreakers, but they’re little speed bumps. We feel the same way about this printer’s 8.8-page-per-minute printing rate, which is perfectly adequate but far from lightning fast.
If you have basic printing needs, and like the idea of having a scanner and copier around just in case, Canon’s PIXMA TR4720 is the printer to get.
Best Smart: HP DeskJet 3755
Why It Made The Cut: HP’s DeskJet 3755 has a handful of smart features that don’t interfere with its primary functions, and you may actually find them useful.
Specs:
— Printing Speed: Up to 8 ppm
— Wireless Printing: Yes
— Two-Sided Printing: Yes
Pros:
— Alexa support
— Compact design
— Price
Cons:
— Average printing speed
If you’re setting up a smart office, or have a limited amount of space, HP’s DeskJet 3755 is the printer you should get. The all-in-one printer is svelte, with a document feeder that’ll scan and copy your options instead of using a flatbed. The downside to this design is that the DeskJet 3755 doesn’t have an automatic document feeder, so you’ll have to stick sheets into it manually. That can get tedious if you’re working on copying or scanning a 40-document project, but shouldn’t be a pain for smaller jobs.
We were impressed that HP managed to fit a color LCD screen onto a printer this small and inexpensive, but it did. You can adjust the DeskJet 3755’s settings and view its current ink levels visually. Of course, these same features are available on HP’s optional mobile app. What makes this printer stand out from the rest is support for a number of genuinely useful smart features. The DeskJet 3755’s most obvious smart feature is support for Amazon’s Alexa, which allows you to print items using your voice.
The items you can print come from Amazon’s HP Printer Skill, which is a free, Amazon Echo-compatible app that you can download through the Alexa app or by asking the smart assistant. Through this feature, you can print anything from your current shopping list (if you use an Alexa skill for your notes app of choice), templates for forms, or coloring pages for kids (and adults). The number of print jobs you can make through Alexa will grow as HP continues to update its skill.
Smart features are nice, but the DeskJet 3755 wouldn’t be worth recommending if its core functionality suffered as a result of them. Thankfully, the printer’s smart and average features don’t clash. If you’re fully invested in Amazon’s Echo ecosystem, and need an inexpensive printer, HP’s DeskJet 3755 is the right choice.
Best Laser: Pantum P2502W
Why It Made The Cut: The Pantum P2502W was designed for workloads that require large print jobs on a daily basis, and will fly through them with no issues.
Specs:
— Printing Speed: Up to 22 ppm
— Wireless Printing: Yes
— Two-Sided Printing: No
Pros:
— Extremely fast printing speed
— Wireless printing support
— Included cartridge lasts for 700 pages
Cons:
— Only prints in black and white
— No scanning and copying functions
If you want a printer with raw power and extreme longevity, Pantum’s P2502W is the clear choice. It can print at a rate of up to 22 pages per minute, and its included cartridge holds enough ink for 700 pages. Pantum considers that to be a “starter cartridge,” and offers a standard one that can print up to 1,600 pages without needing to be replaced for $64. The P2502W supports wireless printing, which you need to manage using an app because this printer has no screen.
The P2502W was obviously designed for large print jobs in an office environment, which is why it can only print in black and white and doesn’t support two-sided printing. If your work requires you to print out a lot of forms, the P2502W is going to shine. It’s our only printer recommendation without the ability to scan or copy documents, but its monotasking ability is what enables the printer to work so quickly.
If you’re replacing an older printer because you ran it into the ground, the Pantum P2502W is right for you. That’s especially true right now thanks to an Amazon coupon, which knocks $15 off its price.
Things to Consider Before buying a Printer Under $100
Eco-Friendly Ink: Some manufacturers have started moving away from using traditional ink cartridges, and begun designing their printers to use ink bottles instead. Ink bottles can be refilled, and contain enough ink to print thousands of pages worth of documents, and lots of photos.
Size: One of the biggest knocks against printers is that they take up a lot of space, which is at a premium in a home office or dorm room. Our recommendations are all 18 inches wide or less. If you’re especially short on space, don’t worry, we have an ultra-portable printer designed for these situations.
FAQ
Q: Does my printer come with ink?
Ye, your printer comes with ink. Even printers that cost less than $100 come bundled with ink cartridges.
Q: How do printers under $100 compare to more expensive models?
Printers under $100 have the same set of features, but may print at a slower speed and lack some features, like automatic double-sided printing.
Q: Where do I recycle my printer?
If you’re replacing and recycling an old printer, we recommend reading our guide on how to responsibly dispose of e-waste.
Q: How long do printers last?
A printer should last at least five years, but your experience will vary based on how often you use it.
Q: How do I find my printer’s IP address?
If your printer can connect to WiFi, use its controls to navigate to the “Internet” section of the settings app. There, you should be able to get information about your printer’s WiFi or wired network connection, which will include its IP address.
Final Thoughts on The Best Printers Under $100
We understand that the idea of having a printer these days may seem antiquated, but that’s only true until you need to print, sign, and scan a contract. Maybe you’ve decided to make a family letter for the holidays, or have a homework assignment that requires you to make a hard copy. It’s these little tasks that pop up unexpectedly that make a printer worth having.
If you’re concerned with how much space it’ll take up on your desk or in your office, get a wireless model and keep it plugged in somewhere discreet. Your printer doesn’t need to be front and center anymore, it can fade into the background. Regardless of your current needs, we can all but guarantee having a printer will come in handy at least once a month or so, which justifies keeping one around just in case.
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