Almost by definition, the best cheap printer is going to be governed by price. Outstanding print quality costs money. So if that’s what you need, you will probably look at something more expensive. But this review concentrates on cheap printers that produce good-quality prints.
The focus is on low-volume, occasional printing. We’ve selected color and monochrome printers. But what does “cheap” mean? All the printers here are below or hovering around the $100 mark in the US. Our top pick is the HP Deskjet 3755 All-in-One Printer. It has solid print speeds, is very compact, and does a good job of printing photos.
What is the Best Cheap Printer?
Before we look at the printers we’ve chosen in more detail, here is a summary of our recommendations.
- Compact design for small spaces
- Wireless connection for easy printing
- Scans and copies documents with ease
- Print up to 8.5 ppm in black, 6 ppm in color
- Affordable price for quality printing
- Fast and reliable printing
- Prints from multiple devices
- Compact and lightweight
- Easy setup and operation
- Affordable price
- Wireless printing from any device
- Includes ink for up to 800 pages
- High-quality prints with vivid colors
- Easy setup with mobile printing app
- Compact design fits any space
- Wireless connectivity
- Color inkjet printing
- All-in-one printer
- Fast print speeds
- Economical ink cartridges
- Compact size fits easily into any home
- Print, scan, copy, and fax with ease
- High quality prints with up to 4800 x 1200 dpi
- Wireless printing from multiple devices
- Easy to set up and use
- High-quality prints with vivid colors
- Compact and lightweight design
- Quick and easy setup
- Auto-expansion paper tray
- Borderless printing capability
- Compact, pocket-sized design
- Prints photos directly from your smartphone
- High-quality 2x3" prints
- Easy to use app with editing features
- Long-lasting, smudgeproof prints
Now let’s look at those printers in more detail.
1. HP Deskjet 3755 All-in-One Printer
| Brand |
Brand
HP
|
| Printer Type |
Printer Type
Inkjet
|
| Color |
Color
Yes
|
| Max Resolution |
Max Resolution
4800 x 1200 dpi
|
| Max Speed (color) |
Max Speed (color)
5.5 ppm
|
| Max Speed (B/W) |
Max Speed (B/W)
8 ppm
|
| Scanner |
Scanner
600 dpi
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi
|
| Duplex |
Duplex
Manual
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Very small footprint, available in seven colors, qualifies for Instant Ink
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone looking for a capable multifunction machine with a tiny footprint and attractive price
|
The HP Deskjet 3755 All-in-One is notable first of all for its size. It takes up very little space on your desk. It is barely bigger than US letter-size paper.
Rather cleverly, this small size doesn’t stop it from being able to scan up to letter/A4 size. Paper is fed through a scanning bar on top of the printer. So there’s no need (nor room) for a scanner bed. One disadvantage is that this limits you to sheets of paper. Scanning from a book, for instance, isn’t possible.
The printing quality is decent. We can’t expect perfect prints from a machine that costs so little. But the HP works well. And perhaps appropriately for our readers, its strength is photo printing.
The printer qualifies for HP’s Instant Ink. The company estimates that this reduces the cost of printing by up to 50%. It might not be such a consideration here. High-volume printing is not what the DeskJet 3755 is made for. But it is a consideration.
Printing speeds are unexciting but acceptable. In fact, everything about the HP Deskjet 3755 All-in-One is pretty much what you would want in a home printer and scanner. It’s an affordable cheap printer and does everything to a decent standard. And it really doesn’t dominate the room.
2. Pantum P2502W Laser Printer
| Brand |
Brand
Pantum
|
| Printer Type |
Printer Type
Laser
|
| Color |
Color
No
|
| Max Resolution |
Max Resolution
1200 x 1200 dpi
|
| Max Speed (color) |
Max Speed (color)
N/A
|
| Max Speed (B/W) |
Max Speed (B/W)
23 ppm
|
| Scanner |
Scanner
N/A
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi
|
| Duplex |
Duplex
Manual
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Wi-Fi direct printing from computers and mobile devices, compact size
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone looking for a fast networkable laser printer at a low price
|
You might not have heard of Pantum, the company that manufactures the P2502W Laser Printer. But the printer has been winning a number of friends. Most of all because of the speed and quality of its printing. And at a price that was unimaginable just a few years ago.
There are a couple of benefits to having a laser printer at home. If you’re printing out homework or letters, then the speed is attractive. We tend to think of a laser as suited to high-volume printing. But they are also useful if you only print occasionally. There is no ink to dry up or nozzles to clog.
There’s no scanner and of course no color. But a networkable printer that can churn out 23 pages per minute for this price is hard to ignore. If you don’t need color, then the P2502W Laser Printer is worth looking at.
3. Canon Pixma MG3620
| Brand |
Brand
Canon
|
| Printer Type |
Printer Type
Inkjet
|
| Color |
Color
Yes
|
| Max Resolution |
Max Resolution
4800 x 1200 dpi
|
| Max Speed (color) |
Max Speed (color)
5.7 ppm
|
| Max Speed (B/W) |
Max Speed (B/W)
9.9 ppm
|
| Scanner |
Scanner
1200x 2400
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, PictBridge
|
| Duplex |
Duplex
Automatic
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Borderless printing, print from iOS and Android, works with Alexa
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone wanting a flexible, everyday all-in-one at a very low price
|
The Canon Pixma MG3620 is a cheap printer from one of the market leaders. It has an impressively-fast scanner. And it prints text and photos of impressive quality. This is partly down to the dye and pigment-based inks. The black cartridge is pigment based which prints crisp text.
The scanner’s 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution is more than enough for everyday needs. Because it’s a flatbed, you can scan your textbook, passport, or other originals with ease.
The separate color and black cartridges mean less waste than a single cartridge. But they’re more wasteful than individual colored ink cartridges. There are three different sizes, so if you are printing a lot, you can go for the XL or XXL. But there’s no getting away from the fact that Canon ink is expensive.
Still, the Canon Pixma MG3620 offers astonishing value for money. For printing low-to-medium volumes with some regularity, it delivers quality and reliability.
4. Brother MFC-J1010DW Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer
| Brand |
Brand
Brother
|
| Printer Type |
Printer Type
Inkjet
|
| Color |
Color
Yes
|
| Max Resolution |
Max Resolution
1200 x 1800 dpi
|
| Max Speed (color) |
Max Speed (color)
9.5 ppm
|
| Max Speed (B/W) |
Max Speed (B/W)
17 ppm
|
| Scanner |
Scanner
1200 x 1800 dpi
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, NFC
|
| Duplex |
Duplex
Automatic
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Automatic document feeder, NFC, mobile app for easy control
|
| Best For |
Best For
Home office or small business users
|
The Brother MFC-J1010DW has a tilting control panel for ease of use. This gives it the look of an office machine. And this isn’t a misleading look. Whilst it might be unexciting, it offers a range of features that are attractive to the small office user.
It has the connectivity we would expect via USB and Wi-Fi. But it also has Ethernet. This is a robust solution to networking a printer that is perfect for an office. The Brother mobile app allows access to all the printer’s controls and settings. And the control panel and screen are clear and easy to use.
Another very handy feature is the automatic document feeder. If you need to copy or scan a number of pages, it will let you get on with other things. It also handles double-sided copying. This is a real bonus. And if you’re in a world where the occasional fax is needed, the Brother MFC-J1010DW has you covered.
The best way to describe the performance of this printer is that it is competent. It won’t wow you with its speed. And you won’t be hanging its photos in an exhibition. But it does everything competently. When you consider the price and the business-friendly features, this is all you can ask for.
The Brother MFC-J1010DW is a solid small-office all-in-one machine at a pretty remarkable price.
5. Epson Expression Home XP-4200
| Brand |
Brand
Epson
|
| Printer Type |
Printer Type
Inkjet
|
| Color |
Color
Yes
|
| Max Resolution |
Max Resolution
5760 x 1440 dpi
|
| Max Speed (color) |
Max Speed (color)
5 ppm
|
| Max Speed (B/W) |
Max Speed (B/W)
10 ppm
|
| Scanner |
Scanner
1200 x 2400 dpi
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi
|
| Duplex |
Duplex
Automatic
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Works with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, color touchscreen
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone looking for a budget all-in-one printer with virtual assistant connectivity
|
The Epson Expression Home XP-4200, as the name suggests, is designed for home use. So there is no Ethernet and no fax modem. But you do get integration with all the major virtual assistants. So you can use voice commands to control the printer. You can also use the Epson app or the touchscreen.
A cheap printer for the home needs to handle the occasional needs well. Typically we might want to print letters. Or we want to copy an important document or print a photo. Homework projects with mixed graphics and text are also common. The XP-4200 handles all of these tasks sufficiently well.
One notable advantage is the individual ink cartridges. That means no more throwing away two colors because one is empty. This is good news for your wallet and the environment.
So for an up-to-date printer with acceptable speeds and print quality, the Epson Expression Home XP-4200 is a solid choice. The price is very attractive. Especially when you consider the advantage of individual ink cartridges.
6. Canon TS202 Inkjet Photo Printer
| Brand |
Brand
Canon
|
| Printer Type |
Printer Type
Inkjet
|
| Color |
Color
Yes
|
| Max Resolution |
Max Resolution
4800 x 1200 dpi
|
| Max Speed (color) |
Max Speed (color)
4 ppm
|
| Max Speed (B/W) |
Max Speed (B/W)
7.7 ppm
|
| Scanner |
Scanner
N/A
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB
|
| Duplex |
Duplex
N/A
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Borderless printing, rear paper tray
|
| Best For |
Best For
Budget-conscious users who need a basic printer
|
The Canon TS202 Inkjet Photo Printer has very few bells and whistles. It is an unashamedly basic and cheap printer. And it is very cheap. So much so, that it’s hard to think that any major manufacturer could undercut this price.
So, if you need a cheap printer with no frills, this is worth looking at. The print resolution is decent, so the occasional photo will be OK. Mixed graphic and text documents will also be produced to an acceptable standard. None of this will be done very quickly. But that isn’t the point of this printer.
The Canon TS202 fills a particular need. It’s for someone who needs to print the occasional letter, project, or photo. And you have a very limited budget. Canon has the answer for you here. If those are your criteria, then it is well worth a look.
7. Kodak Mini Shot 2 Photo Printer
| Brand |
Brand
KODAK
|
| Printer Type |
Printer Type
Instant
|
| Color |
Color
Yes
|
| Max Resolution |
Max Resolution
N/A
|
| Max Speed (color) |
Max Speed (color)
N/A
|
| Max Speed (B/W) |
Max Speed (B/W)
N/A
|
| Scanner |
Scanner
N/A
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
Bluetooth
|
| Duplex |
Duplex
No
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Instant-print film and camera
|
| Best For |
Best For
Truly portable printing
|
The Kodak Mini Shot 2 Photo Printer is a total outlier in this group. It is an instant camera that will also print from your mobile device. If all you want is to print occasional photos, it’s an interesting proposition. Why take up space and buy ink cartridges if all you want is mementos?
And the added bonus here is that you get a fairly funky instant camera as well. It’s not the only printer for mobile devices. We have a review of the best smartphone printers if you want to read more. But it was our top pick in that review.
If you only need to print the occasional photo from your phone, the Kodak Mini Shot 2 Photo Printer could be the answer.
What Should You Consider When Buying a Cheap Printer in 2023?
All the printers in this review offer remarkable value for money. Considering the technology involved in their printing processes, the prices are astonishing. There are a few things for you to consider when looking for a cheap printer.
What Features Should you Look for?
Print resolution is expressed in dots per inch (dpi). The higher the number, the better the image quality. This is because details are finer. Of course, this depends on the surface characteristics of your paper. That’s why a photo will never look great on standard copier paper.
All the printers in this review are capable of printing good-quality photos on specialist paper. If you’re looking for a specialist photo printer, take a look at our review of the best ones available.
A printer’s speed is expressed in pages-per-minute (ppm). Some of these cheap printers are slow by modern office standards. Quick printing needs top-quality engineering to ensure smooth and accurate paper handling. And that is expensive. So a common tradeoff is slower speeds. For the home user, it’s rarely an issue. If you need very high speeds, you will need to pay more.
Duplex printing allows you to easily print on both sides of the paper. If it’s automatic, the print driver will cause the printer to reverse the paper and print the second side. If it’s manual, a dialog box will instruct you how to reinsert the paper for the correct duplex function.
Some of these printers have a built-in scanner. Scanner resolution is also measured in dpi. All of the scanners here will work well for copying documents. And some will be good for scanning photos. If you want to know more about scanners for photos, head on over to our review of the best photo scanners.
What About Running Costs?
If you’ve ever bought ink cartridges, you will know this is an important consideration. Budget printers are not immune to this. The best way to cut down on ink costs is to choose a printer that has individual ink cartridges.
And refillable tanks are even cheaper in the long run. But you won’t find these in the “budget” section. And even separate cartridges might not offset the extra cost of the machine itself. The Pantum P2502W Laser Printer in this review will significantly lower your costs. But of course, it is only a monochrome printer.
Just bear in mind that you will probably print more than you think you will. After all, you have a printer now, so why not?
Conclusion: The Best Cheap Printer
Choosing the best cheap printer is like most of our technology decisions. It involves compromises. A low price doesn’t necessarily mean low quality. But it will mean sacrificing features, speed, or connectivity.
Once you decide what you need from your printer, you can make your choice. If it’s the occasional monochrome printing job, then the Pantum P2502W Laser Printer might be all you need. For something more colorful, like our Photography Cheat Sheets or photos, you’ll need a color printer.
We think that the HP Deskjet 3755 All-in-One Printer offers an appealing blend of features, quality, and price.
