- Top Pick: Canon PIXMA TR4720 All-in-One Wireless Printer, Home Use with Auto Document Feeder, Mobile Printing and Built-in Fax, Black
- Best Value: Canon PIXMA TR8620a – All-in-One Printer Home Office|Copier|Scanner|Fax|Auto Document Feeder | Photo, Document | Airprint (R), Android, Black, Works with Alexa
- Premium Choice: Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Color Printer | Print, Copy, Scan, Refillable Tank System, Compact Desktop Design, Home & Office Use
For most home users the best Canon is a MegaTank refillable model such as the PIXMA G3270, photo enthusiasts should look at the PIXMA G620, small offices at the MAXIFY GX4020, and anyone needing a fax and document feeder with ordinary cartridges at the PIXMA TR8620a. Canon also sells imageCLASS lasers for offices, so the right pick depends on volume, photo needs and whether you want cartridges or ink bottles.
- Canon’s lineup in plain terms
- At a glance: Canon printers compared
- Best Canon printers for home use
- Best Canon photo printers
- Best Canon inkjet printers for a home office or small business
- Canon laser printers
- Running cost compared
- Setup and compatibility
- Pick X if you…
- Choosing between Canon’s lines
- Space, noise and everyday habits
- Alternatives
- Frequently Asked Questions
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Canon’s lineup in plain terms
Canon organizes its consumer and small-office printers into four lines. PIXMA TR and TS models are cartridge-based inkjets for home use. PIXMA G-series MegaTank models use refillable ink bottles and aim at low cost per page. MAXIFY printers target small businesses, with the GX series using refillable tanks. imageCLASS printers are lasers for offices. Most current Canon models support Apple AirPrint and Mopria, so printing from iPhone, Android and Chromebook needs no driver, and the Canon PRINT app handles setup and scanning.
One note on sources: several 2026 roundups of Canon printers are affiliate-style pages, and the specification figures below are taken from review sites and retailer listings. Treat yield numbers as the maker’s rating conditions, not a guarantee of real-world output.
At a glance: Canon printers compared
| Model | Type | Best for | Reported specs | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIXMA G3270 | MegaTank, 3-in-1 | Home use, low running cost | About 6,000 black (up to about 8,300 in economy mode) and 7,700 color pages; 11 ppm black, 6 ppm color; duty cycle up to 3,000 pages monthly | No duplex, no feeder, no front drawer |
| PIXMA G620 | MegaTank photo | Photo prints | Six individual inks; one listing cites up to 3,800 4×6 photos per full set | Print-only, slower on documents |
| PIXMA G6020 | MegaTank | Higher-volume home office | Recommended by roundups for frequent printing | Larger body |
| MAXIFY GX2020 | MegaTank office | Home office | Refillable tanks, fax, document feeder | Slower than a laser |
| MAXIFY GX4020 | MegaTank office | Small business | TechRadar calls it compact, reliable and cost-efficient | Sold as GX4050 or GX4060 in some regions |
| PIXMA TR8620a | Cartridge, 5-ink | Fax plus feeder | About 15 ipm black and 10 color, 20-sheet feeder, duplex, 200 sheets, Ethernet | Cartridge running cost |
| PIXMA TS6420a | Cartridge | Light home use | 13 ppm black, 6.8 color; standard cartridges about 180 black and 165 color pages | Small yields, XL recommended |
| imageCLASS MF665Cdw | Color laser | Offices and schools | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet, Mopria per RTINGS | Larger footprint |
Best Canon printers for home use
PIXMA G3270 for most households
The G3270 shows up as a best-value Canon pick across multiple roundups. TechRadar calls it a cheap MegaTank printer that is ideal for images, and lists two limits: no automatic duplex and no front paper drawer. Reviewers say a full set of ink ships in the box, one site putting it at roughly two years of typical use, which keeps the first-year running cost very low. It supports AirPrint and Mopria, connects by Wi-Fi or USB, and uses GI-21 bottles. Because it is flatbed-only, copying a stack of pages is manual.
PIXMA TR8620a and TS6420a for cartridge users
If you prefer a conventional cartridge printer, the TR8620a adds a 20-sheet feeder, fax and Ethernet, and Canon lists a duty cycle of up to 1,000 pages a month. Its PGI-280 and CLI-281 cartridges come in standard, XL and XXL sizes. The TS6420a is lighter, with PG-260 and CL-261 cartridges that yield about 180 and 165 pages in standard size, roughly triple in XL. Small cartridges mean ink costs add up quickly if you print a lot, so these models suit light users.
Best Canon photo printers
The PIXMA G620 is the Canon photo choice in the roundups reviewed. It uses refillable tanks with six individual colors, and one listing says a full set of ink can print up to 3,800 4×6 color photos. A six-ink system generally gives smoother tones and better skin colors than a four-ink printer, though reviewers compare it with the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550, which RTINGS praises for photo quality and high page yield and which prints borderless up to 13 by 19 inches. If you want to frame large prints, the Epson takes the wider paper; if your needs stop at standard photo sizes, the G620 is more compact.
Best Canon inkjet printers for a home office or small business
The MAXIFY GX4020 is TechRadar’s pick for small offices: a compact MegaTank that emphasizes reliability, performance and cost. The GX2020 adds fax and a feeder for a lighter workload, and the G6020 serves homes or workgroups that print often. Typical office buyers choose these tank models to avoid the frequent cartridge swaps of a TR model. For heavier document work, compare them against a laser, since toner printers are faster for plain text.
Canon laser printers
RTINGS reportedly names the Canon imageCLASS MF665Cdw its best tested Chromebook option and lists Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet and Mopria. A roundup citing PCMag credits the imageCLASS MF455dw, a mono laser, with a 4.5-star rating. Tom’s Guide includes the Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II among its best printers. These are office tools: faster and sturdier than home inkjets, but they cost more upfront and take more desk space.
Running cost compared
Tank printers cost the least per page. Tom’s Guide cites roughly 0.9 cents per color page for the entry-level G3290, a close relative of the G3270. Cartridge printers like the TS6420a cost several times more per page unless you buy XL cartridges. A mono laser has low black cost but a higher outlay for color. If you print fewer than a few dozen pages a month, the cheapest cartridge model may still be the lowest total cost, since you pay little upfront.
Setup and compatibility
- Use the Canon PRINT app to join Wi-Fi and to scan on a phone or tablet.
- AirPrint and Mopria cover iPhone, Mac, Android and ChromeOS without a driver.
- Canon publishes Linux packages for some models, and driverless IPP can work on others.
- Match the bottle type: the G3270 uses GI-21 bottles, which differ from other Canon tank families.
- Store a tank printer upright and level, and follow Canon’s manual when refilling to avoid spills.
Pick X if you…
| If you… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Want the cheapest running cost at home | PIXMA G3270 | Large tanks, ink included |
| Print photos | PIXMA G620 | Six-ink refillable system |
| Run a small business | MAXIFY GX4020 | Compact, office-oriented tanks |
| Need fax and a feeder with cartridges | PIXMA TR8620a | 20-sheet feeder, Ethernet, duplex |
| Need fast office color | imageCLASS MF665Cdw | Laser speed, Ethernet |
Choosing between Canon’s lines
A simple way to narrow the field is to start with volume. Under a few dozen pages a month, a cartridge PIXMA such as the TS6420a keeps the purchase cost down. From there to several hundred pages a month, a MegaTank G-series is the logical step because the bottles replace many cartridges. Above that, or when speed matters, a MAXIFY GX model or an imageCLASS laser is the better fit. Next consider paper handling: the G3270 has a rear tray and no duplex, the TR8620a adds duplex and a feeder, and the lasers add large trays. Finally think about who will use it. A shared family printer benefits from AirPrint and Mopria, while a business may care more about Ethernet, a feeder and fax.
It also helps to keep an eye on service terms. Canon’s manuals describe the warranty and the recommended supplies, so read them before using bottles or cartridges from other makers, and keep the printer powered on a regular schedule so the print head stays maintained, as the manual advises.
Space, noise and everyday habits
Tank printers are taller than cartridge models because the tanks sit beside the scanner, so measure the shelf before buying. Lasers are heavier and usually louder when warming up, while inkjets are quieter but slower on long documents. Placing the printer within good Wi-Fi range matters more than most buyers expect, since dropped connections are among the most common complaints in owner reviews. A router in the same room, or an Ethernet cable on models that have a port, removes most of that friction. Finally, set the printer to quiet or economy modes if the manual offers them, which can reduce ink use on drafts.
Alternatives
- Epson EcoTank ET-2850 or ET-4850: tank rivals with duplex, and the ET-4850 adds a feeder.
- HP Smart Tank 7001: TechRadar’s pick for best overall tank printer.
- Brother HL-L2460DW: a mono laser for text-only households.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Canon printer has the lowest ink cost?
The MegaTank PIXMA G-series and MAXIFY GX models use refillable bottles, which reviewers say give the lowest cost per page. The G3270 is the most commonly recommended budget option.
Does the PIXMA G3270 print on both sides automatically?
No. TechRadar notes it has no automatic duplex, so two-sided printing is done by flipping the pages manually.
Are Canon printers compatible with iPhone and Chromebook?
Most current models support AirPrint and Mopria, so both devices can print without a driver. Scanning uses the Canon PRINT app or the device’s scan tools.
Is a Canon photo printer worth it for home use?
If you print photos often, a six-ink model like the G620 produces better photo output than a standard four-ink printer. If photos are occasional, a general MegaTank such as the G3270 is usually enough.
Should I buy a cartridge or a tank Canon?
Tank models cost more at purchase but far less per page, so they suit regular printing. Cartridge models suit very light use or a tight upfront budget.
Can I use third-party ink in a Canon tank printer?
Canon recommends genuine bottles and its manual covers warranty terms, so read it before using other inks. Poor-quality ink can affect print quality or clog the print head.
