While looking for the best printers for small businesses, you’ll need to determine the features that are right for your business. We recommend looking at the monthly duty cycle and paper capacity of small business printers to ensure that they can handle the high-volume needs of business use. Make sure that you also look at the unit’s wireless connectivity features and cloud service integration to ensure that the system caters to your office workflows like what you can get out of a good portable printer for laptops and monitors. When buying a small business printer, always look for efficient consumable usage, fast print speed, and the ability to handle high-volume production. If you are starting a business, these are some of the best printers you can get.
We researched over 30 printers across a range of categories and determined that the Canon imageCLASS MF741CDW is the best printer for small businesses on the market today. Keep reading about this and our other top picks to learn more about the best printers on the market today.
Top 10 Printers for Small Business
#1 Canon Color imageCLASS MF741CDW Printer for Small Business
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Canon imageCLASS MF741CDW has smart workflow features controlled by its intuitive, large touch screen and fabulous speed and volume printing performance. It has an ideal combination of reliability, efficiency, and high performance for small business use.
- Single-pass duplex document feeder
- Fast 28 ppm print and copy speed
- Up 850 sheet expandable paper capacity
- Wi-Fi connectivity can be buggy
Double down on your small business’s volume and efficiency while maximizing your resources with this Canon imageCLASS MF741CDW laser printer. From the get-go, it’s incredibly user-friendly with a fantastic 5” color touchscreen that flows like a smartphone and has a customizable application library to create your ideal workflow experience. Some of the smart workflow features include the ability to create shortcuts for print templates (like letterheads) and preset destinations for your digital scan uploads. Conscious purchases can help your business succeed, like a photographer getting a great photo printer or an artist investing in the best printers for art prints.
Your print requests will produce fast and can achieve 28 ppm print speed after that. You can speed up your printing process even more with AirPrint. It comes standard with a large 250-sheet standard paper capacity tray that can be expanded up to a whopping 850 sheets. Between the high-volume paper storage and high-capacity toner cartridges that yield up to 4,000 pages a month, you can rest assured that your running costs will be very efficient, and you won’t have to worry about frequent printer maintenance. This will be a great addition to a small office workspace with up to 10 employees regularly using it. Another similar model that will save you costs is the best ink-efficient printer that has an Ink Save Mode you can switch on to ration your ink use.
#2 Brother MFC-L8610CDW Printer for Small Business
Award: Honorable Mention
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Brother laser printer is a versatile option for small businesses that need fast response times and great connectivity to its cloud services. Its advanced scanning features are especially great for digitizing and organizing your files.
- Direct cloud service access
- Advanced network security features to manage access and usage
- Up 900 sheet expandable paper capacity
- Duplex printing is not single-pass
Your small business will feel bigger with the multitude of efficient features in this Brother MFC-L8610CDW printer. Print speeds of up to 33 ppm will have you producing at a pace that fits a busy workspace. Its scanning functionalities are built for the modern world with the ability to choose to send your uploads directly to email and cloud services like Evernote, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneNote, and more. A 50-page capacity auto document feeder and fast 29 IPM scan speeds make those tasks even more efficient.
Printing is a breeze and very cost-efficient. You can expand its 300-sheet storage input tray up to 1,050 sheets for added flexibility. Its four-toner cartridge system produces up to 2400 x 600 dpi resolution and can produce up to 4,500 pages apiece when you use the high-yield cartridges. Print from any of your work devices by connecting via AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria, Brother iPrint&Scan, Cortado Workplace, and Wi-Fi Direct. Compare this to the best wireless printer that offers the most versatile connection options, extraordinary performances, and print quality.
#3 Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850
Award: Best Ink Efficiency
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Epson business printer offers amazing print quality for both monochrome and color documents, two years of unlimited ink, and advanced printing features like auto-duplexing and mobile connectivity.
- Overall low running costs
- Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Epson iPrint mobile printing options
- High ink capacity with EcoTank
- Expensive upfront
- Only average print speed at 25 ppm
The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 is an excellent option for any business that are concerned specifically about rising ink costs and cartridge waste. This printer uses Epson’s innovative EcoTank system, which eliminates the need for traditional ink cartridges. When you run out of ink, simply pour the necessary color into the appropriate tank from refillable ink bottles. On top of that, the cost to print a page with this printer typically falls under a penny per page. Additionally, Epson will reimburse you for two years of unlimited ink refills.
The ET-5850 is also equipped with a veritable wealth of additional functionality. It delivers outstanding print quality, though only at an average speed of 25 ppm. This printer also gives you exceptional wireless and mobile connectivity, along with an automated document feeder and duplex printing. This is also a user-friendly device, with an intuitive touchscreen display and a simple user interface. And for quality printing, it is important to invest in the best printer paper on the market.
#4 Brother MFC-L2750DW Printer for Small Business
Award: Best Multifunction
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Brother multifunction laser printer is as versatile as a small business needs it to be, with large paper capacity, fast performance, a single-pass document feeder, and the ability to create quick shortcuts to popular cloud services.
- Single-pass auto document feeder
- Direct connect with cloud and Office Suite
- Super high-yield cartridges yield 4,500 pages
- Monochrome printing only
This Brother laser printer can do it all, including print, scan, copy, and even fax. All of the features of this efficient printer are designed to give you the versatility needed for a growing business. Store up to 250 sheets of paper in its input tray and print at speeds up to 36 ppm. You can copy, scan, and fax double-sided just as quickly with its single-pass automatic document feeder, which has a great 50-sheet capacity.
The Brother MFCL2750DW also has fabulous functionality when it comes to connecting with your cloud services, devices, and preferred work programs. You can print directly from and scan directly to Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and more. If you use Office, you can digitize documents into a file that’s editable in Word, Excel, and Powerpoint when you scan it. All of these convenient workflow features are accessible on the 2.7” color touch screen, which is also customizable to create the shortcuts you need. Compare this to the best printer for the home, which comes with a 35-sheet auto-loading feature and a clear, responsive touch screen.
#5 HP Color LaserJet Pro M454DW Printer for Small Business
Award: Best Compact Design
WHY WE LIKE IT: Achiever high-resolution prints while saving space with the compact HP Color LaserJet Pro. Not only does it have a small footprint, but the unit’s rich connectivity options also make it easy to conduct all print functions remotely, so you can really stash it away.
- Energy and toner saving features
- Four-color HP ImageREt 3600 resolution technology
- Dual-band Wi-Fi, AirPrint, and Google Cloud printing
- No scanner or copier
When space is a premium, you’ll be hard put to find a laser printer more compact than this HP Color LaserJet Pro, which measures just over 16” wide and less than a foot tall. Its compact size is highlighted by a sleek, modern-looking design with a bright, intuitive 2.7” color touch screen. The unit is highly energy-efficient due to features like HP Auto-On/Auto-Off and is Energy Star certified.
HP still manages to fit great modern and efficient business features into the machine, including a 50-sheet multipurpose tray, an impressive 300-sheet capacity input tray, and a 150-sheet output bin. It can handle high-volume printing with a 50,000-page monthly duty cycle. Its 1200 MHz processing speed allows it to produce documents as fast as 28 ppm. It also has reliable and secure connection options, including dual-band Wi-Fi and cloud print compatibility. Compare that to the best printer for cardstock that gives you access to integrated creative software that allows you to design your stuff before printing.
#6 HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e
Award: Best Tech Features
WHY WE LIKE IT: Achiever high-resolution prints while saving space with the compact HP Color LaserJet Pro. Not only does it have a small footprint, but the unit’s rich connectivity options also make it easy to conduct all print functions remotely, so you can really stash it away.
- Impressive connectivity options
- Tons of smart features
- Low operating cost and fast print speed
- Tilted scans with ADF scanner
- Initial setup can take some time
Small businesses looking for a truly smart printer will be impressed with the HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e’s mobile connectivity options, security features, and modern controls. Use your mobile device as your printer’s hub with the HP Smart App, Apple AirPrint, and Wi-Fi Direct printing. The printer’s advanced Wi-Fi technology is self-healing to ensure a strong, reliable connection. Scan documents directly to email, network folders, thumb drives, and even your preferred cloud services. The HP Smart App allows users to manage efficient workflow between their printer and devices and cloud and storage services.
You can even create Smart Task shortcuts that allow you to initiate your most frequently used operations with a single touch. The 2.7” touch screen and HP app are designed intuitively to maximize the organization of your documents and expenses electronically and wirelessly. Its dual paper trays have a combined 500-sheet capacity, so you won’t have to refill paper frequently. This printer also comes with six months of free ink refilled if you decide to activate an HP+ subscription. Compare this to the best duplex printer with an automatic document feeder you can easily copy, scan, and even fax double-sided documents.
#7 Brother HL-L5100DN Printer for Small Business
Award: Best for Black and White
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Brother HL-L5100DN offers the fantastic efficiency and performance you expect from a monochrome laser printer, with accommodation for up to 1,340 sheets of paper storage while printing at speeds up to 42 ppm.
- Sharp 1220 x 1200 dpi resolution
- Quick 7.2 second print response time
- Produce up to 8,000 from one high-yield toner
- No scanner or copier
The Brother HL-L5100DN printer is a fast and efficient machine that makes it one of the best monochrome laser printers available for small business use. You’ll get super-efficient use of consumables with auto duplex printing and the availability of high-capacity toner that yields up to 8,000 pages. Its efficient performance extends to speed and volume, as it produces up to 42 ppm and can accommodate 520-sheet capacity paper trays in addition to a 50-sheet multipurpose tray. You can extend its capacity up to 1,340 sheets. As such, it’s fantastic for high-volume print jobs while still maintaining sharp printing quality for text and graphics up to 1200 x 1200 dpi.
Users can easily print wirelessly just by connecting to your network. It is also compatible with Apple, Android, Amazon, and Windows operating systems for convenient mobile device printing. You can still protect your data, usage, and settings with a wide range of security features that you can manage for up to 100 users or groups. And if you’re a student, you will want to invest in the best printer for students that offers convenient management of printing functions and monitors ink levels. If you have a Mac that uses iOS, you should consider the best printer for Mac as another compatible option.
#8 Canon PIXMA TR7020a All-in-One Wireless Color Inkjet Printer
Award: Best on a Budget
WHY WE LIKE IT: he quality you get from this Canon PIXMA is above its price range, highlighted by its 2-cartridge hybrid ink system that produces up to 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution prints. You can easily print, scan, copy, and fax using its front tray, rear tray, auto document feeder, and flatbed scanner.
- Bluetooth wireless duplications
- Compact and lightweight under 20 pounds
- Tilt-out smart color touchscreen
- High-volume production can be slow
- No memory card support
You can’t beat the price point of the Canon PIXMA TR7020a inkjet printer for a small office or home office on a budget. This machine fits multifunctional print, scan, copy, and fax features in a compact unit. Still, it offers front and rear paper support and a flatbed scanner and copier.
In addition to versatility, this Canon PIXMA offers an impressive print quality of up to 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution using a 2-cartridge hybrid ink system. This means that you can produce impressive, professional-quality business cards, presentations, color pages, and reports when needed. This printer includes impressive advanced connectivity options for its class, including high-speed USB, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. And with the best printer ink, you’ll get unrivaled quality every single time.
#9 Brother MFC-L8905CDW Printer for Small Business
Award: Best Speed
WHY WE LIKE IT: With a fast printing speed, competitive operating costs, and excellent text printing quality, the Brother MFC-L8905CDW is an ideal choice for small businesses needing a reliable AIO printer. Plus, it’s loaded with tons of extra features, connectivity options, and expandable paper capacity.
- 33 ppm print speed
- Single-pass ADF handles 70 pages
- Always up-to-date with latest security features
- Image print quality isn’t the best
The Brother MFC-L8905CDW is a competent color laser AIO printer perfectly suited for small- to mid-size businesses. Its ability to print upwards of 33 pages per minute is impressive enough, but it also prints text with superb definition and quality. Keep in mind, however, this printer cannot print color documents with nearly as much speed or quality. If you’re focused solely on text documents, though, you shouldn’t have a problem.
The Brother printer is also jam-packed with tons of features, including a 70-page single-pass automatic document feeder and extensive connectivity options. These include Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet, as well as mobile connectivity through AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria, and more. Another unique feature of this printer is the expandable paper tray. By default, this Brother printer can hold 300 sheets of paper, but you can purchase add-on cassettes to increase the capacity to up to 1,300 sheets of paper. Consider comparing this with the best large format printer that features two 250-sheet high-capacity paper feeding trays as well as a rear input tray.
#10 Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw Printer for Small Business
Award: Best Touchscreen
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Canon all-in-one color laser printer is an excellent choice for offices that seek an advanced, customizable, and smart user experience. The printer boasts a large, 5” touchscreen that enables you to access, control, and personalize nearly every one of the printer’s features and functionalities.
- Intuitive and easy user experience
- Fast printing with low maintenance
- Tons of connectivity options
- Can take a minute to warm up
- Color ink cartridge replacements are expensive
The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw is a powerful and incredibly capable color laser printer that offers a user experience like none other. For starters, it provides a large five-inch touchscreen that gives you easy access to nearly everything the printer has to offer. You can create a custom application library to connect with and create one-touch shortcuts to your most-used platforms and cloud services. You can easily customize settings with the touchscreen as well. If you’re looking for a superb user experience, you can’t go wrong with this Canon printer.
The Canon also performs really well when printing. With a print speed of up to 35 pages per minute and a quick first print of around seven seconds, you’ll be up and running in no time. On top of a fast print speed, this laser printer also offers automatic duplex printing and single-pass scanning. You’ll also get extensive connectivity options, including Apple AirPrint, Mopria, and Canon PRINT Business, to name a few. Just like the best laser printer that also has fast, reliable dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options, as well as user control and management options through the HP Smart App. To get a printer that can help you create bold canvases, artwork, and posters, read our best printer screen printing guide.
How We Decided
When it comes to performance, most small businesses require a highly efficient printer that can accommodate high volume and have a fast printing speed. Printers must have multifunctional features and adaptable connection options. Security features and easy management are also important considerations.
As such, we looked at printers that offer efficient use of consumables, like paper and ink, while also being able to produce professional-quality documents when needed. Various features can reduce running costs, including dual-sided printing, high-yield toner cartridges, and accessible ink and printer management controls.
We only looked at printers that can accommodate high-volume usage by looking at each model’s monthly duty cycle, paper tray capacity, and page yield from ink cartridges. We also only included printers with all-in-one print, scan, and copy functionality. Printers with extra efficient features like a single pass document feed, network security features, and advanced cloud and network connectivity were ranked higher.
Best Printers for Small Business Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Volume Capacity
When choosing a dedicated printer for a small business, consider the volume of production your business needs. If you’re doing a lot of printing, you’ll want to invest in the best printer with cheap ink to save on costs. Therefore, it’s crucial to estimate how much you will need to print every month and make sure the type of printer you want to buy can accommodate you.
- If you’re ready to get started now, check out our best printers for the office review with our HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 vs 7720 comparison article.
- Similarly, if you’re seeking a great color printer for a small business niche that requires color printing, like printing wedding invitations or party supplies, you’ll want to be sure your printer can handle the load.
- In fact, search for models that can quickly and affordably produce high volumes of color documents and photo printing on glossy paper. Inkjet printers provide vibrant color at lower operating costs compared to a laserjet. Also, take into account a ream of paper print costs, so you don’t overdo your spending.
- On the other hand, if you’re using receipts to manage transactions, you’ll want to pick up the best receipt printer that can handle large-volume printing.
- Look at the printer’s monthly duty cycle and recommend monthly production. Those numbers will indicate how much volume a good small office printer can handle.
- For example, a great barcode printer can print a lot before it needs an ink refill.
- On the other hand, if you’re doing mostly monochrome printing, then you’ll want to check out a top-rated laser printer for a home business.
- Additionally, you may want to opt for printers that offer high-capacity cartridges and toner so that you can print more pages while replacing cartridges less often. Check out our comparison article of MF743CDW vs MF733CDW office printers to see an example of this.
- Multifunction Features
While multifunction printers are the go-to choice for offices, some of the best small business printers don’t have scanning or copying functions, which can sometimes occur on MFP printers. Consider what built-in functions your business needs on a regular basis before buying. And while a single-function printer might be suitable for some businesses, others may need the multi-functionality.
- The best all-in-one printer for small businesses will be able to scan and copy in addition to print. Many modern printers also include fax capability, which saves you from having to deal with a separate fax machine. This way, you can find the right one with these features as long as you compare printer prices.
- On the other hand, if you’re using the best printer for Cricut, you more than likely won’t need fax capabilities. But if you’re looking for the best all-in-one printer for a small business, a printer with fax capabilities is something to consider.
- Or if you need to mail instead of fax, consider a model like the best envelope printers that can accurately and cleanly print onto envelopes. The best all-in-one printer for home use in your home office will generally be more compact than ones built for larger offices.
- In fact, a top office printer for a small business also offers scanning and copying capabilities, so you can make use of them for an array of tasks.
- When considering multifunction features (e.g., a top printer/scanner for a small business), ensure you’re not sacrificing speed and print quality performance. If you need multiple people to use the printer regularly, key features like Wi-Fi connectivity will make connecting to the printer much easier than via a cord.
- Moreover, if your business is considering producing signage products, you’ll want to get the best sublimation printer to help expand your business and marketing campaigns.
- Alternatively, if you’re only doing a small print of products like shirts or hats, then you’ll want to invest in the best printer for heat transfers. It’s cheaper than sublimation.
- Speed
Print speed is an important factor for businesses, especially when you’re producing a large number of pages. Small business printers are designed to be faster than home-use models, allowing small business owners and employees to produce a large volume of documents, reports, presentations, brochures, and more quickly.
- For the fastest speed, look at laser printers first. The best laser printer for small businesses should achieve print speeds of at least 30 ppm. This is a reasonable minimum standard to set if speed is a priority for you, especially if you work in a fast-paced office environment where office printing involves multiple people using the printer.
- The best office printers for a small business should also have an automatic document feeder (ADF), which allows you to scan multiple pages at once and save them as one file.
- Additionally, look at the speed of a machine’s double-sided printing if you do a lot of that. Machines that have single-pass duplex printing, scanning, and copying will perform the fastest.
- If you’re often printing large documents, consider buying a printer scanner copier for a small business with high-capacity cartridges to reduce the number of times you have to replace printer ink.
