Best Printers for Small Business: Picks and What to Look For

Small businesses that print mostly invoices, contracts and labels in black and white are best served by a mono laser multifunction such as the Brother MFC-L2900DW or Canon imageCLASS MF455dw; those who also need color handouts should look at the Brother MFC-L3780CDW or HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw; and shops that want low ink costs with a lighter machine can choose the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850. What matters is monthly volume, color share, scanning and fax needs, and how much the supplies will cost you over time.

At a Glance: Small Business Printer Shortlist

Business Printers: Start With Volume and Uptime

A printer used by a business is judged on uptime, cost per page and security more than sticker price. Look at two numbers from the maker: the recommended monthly volume and the supply yields. Brother recommends up to 2,500 pages a month for the MFC-L2820DW and up to 4,000 for the MFC-L3780CDW. HP lists 750 to 4,000 for the 4301fdw, Canon lists 750 to 4,000 for the MF455dw, and Epson lists 3,300 for the ET-5850. If your volume sits near the top of a printer’s range, move up a class rather than running it at its limit.

Ask three more questions. Do you need a scanner with an automatic document feeder? Do you still receive faxes? Do you ever print on larger paper, such as 11×17 for plans or posters?

Best Multifunction Printers for Small Business

Mono laser: Brother MFC-L2900DW and Canon MF455dw

For a business that prints black-and-white documents, mono lasers keep cost per page low. The Brother MFC-L2900DW lists up to 36 ppm, a 250-sheet tray and a 50-sheet ADF with single-pass duplex scanning. Toner is listed at about 1,200 pages (TN-830) or 3,000 pages (TN-830XL), with in-box toner small unless you buy an XL bundle. Retail sources differ on its duty cycle, so use Brother’s spec sheet for that number.

The Canon MF455dw steps up to 40 ppm on letter, and Canon lists a 250-sheet cassette, a 100-sheet multipurpose tray and an optional 550-sheet tray. Cartridge 057 black has a high-capacity yield of up to 10,000 pages, which is the lever that reduces both cost per page and the number of toner changes.

Color laser: HP 4301fdw, Brother MFC-L3780CDW and MFC-L8395CDW

Color lasers dominate business buying lists. The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw is the quickest, and Yahoo Tech named it a best all-in-one color laser in a roundup, citing fast print and scan speeds. It includes fax at up to 33.6 kbps with 500 pages of memory, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet. Starter toners are rated around 2,000 pages for black and 1,000 for each color, and HP’s high-yield black is rated at about 7,500 pages. One review warns that HP’s high-yield toner can be locked by firmware.

The Brother MFC-L3780CDW is the compact choice at 31 ppm. The MFC-L8395CDW adds more paper capacity (250 + 30 sheets, up to 530 with an optional tray) and security features such as Secure Function Lock, Secure Print, 802.1x and IPSec, plus super high-yield toner rated around 4,500 pages for black and 4,000 per color. Its duty cycle is up to 50,000 pages a month, with a recommended 4,000.

Best color printers for small business on a tight supply budget

Ink-tank printers shift the cost to the bottles. The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 lists replacement bottle yields of about 7,500 pages (black) and 6,000 (each color), pigment ink, a 50-sheet ADF and a 500-sheet tray capacity. Reviewers describe it as ideal for a busy office or home office, with a high upfront price and large size as the drawbacks.

Best Printers for a Home Business

If you run a business from a spare room, a smaller machine can do the job. The Epson EcoTank ET-4950 (18 ppm black, 9 ppm color ISO, ADF, fax, 250-sheet tray) is a good fit for invoices, packing slips and occasional color flyers, with ink in the box that Epson says covers up to 6,600 black pages. If you print more than about a thousand pages a month, consider the mono lasers above instead.

Commercial Printers for Small Businesses: When You Need More

Shops that print drawings, posters, menus or marketing material often need wide-format output. The Brother MFC-J6955DW prints and scans up to 11×17, listing up to 30 ppm, two 250-sheet trays plus a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, a 50-sheet duplex ADF, and a 40,000-page duty cycle. Its ink is rated at 3,000 pages (standard black) and 1,500 pages (standard color), with XL cartridges at 6,000 and 5,000. The Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7840 prints up to 13×19 with pigment ink and 500 sheets of capacity. Xerox’s VersaLink C7100 series offers A3 color multifunction machines rated at 20, 25 and 30 ppm, built for heavier workgroup use and typically bought through dealers.

Labels, Invoices and Shipping Needs

Many small businesses also print labels and invoices. A standard laser or inkjet handles invoices and packing slips well, and most models above accept envelopes and heavier stock through a multipurpose tray, though the manual lists the supported weights. High-volume shipping labels are better handled by a dedicated thermal label printer, which uses no ink or toner and keeps the office printer free for documents. If you print a handful of labels a day on adhesive sheets, a laser is generally safer than an inkjet, because laser toner is fused by heat and tolerates label sheets designed for lasers.

Security, Fax and Compliance

• Security: user authentication and secure print protect client records. Brother lists these on the MFC-L8395CDW; HP includes HP Wolf Pro Security on the 4301 series per reviewers.
• Fax: the models above include a 33.6 kbps-class modem. You still need an analog line or adapter.
• Network: use Ethernet where possible. Fix the printer’s address or reserve it on the router so staff computers always find it.
• Supplies lock: plan on brand supplies. Some printers block third-party cartridges.
• Warranty and service: Canon’s MF455dw lists a 3-year limited warranty; check each maker’s terms for business use.

Running Cost Without Guessing

To compare machines, divide the supply’s rated page yield by what you pay for it, and add the drum or maintenance parts. For laser printers, drum life matters: Brother lists the MFC-L2820DW drum at roughly 15,000 pages. For ink-tank models, compare the bottle yield per color. For cartridge inkjets, such as the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e, consider whether you will actually print enough to use up cartridges before they age.

Decision Table

Alternatives

• Brother MFC-L8395CDW: a bigger color laser for busier teams.
• HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e: a color inkjet for mixed work.
• Online print or copy services: if you only need large or color jobs occasionally, outsourcing avoids owning a machine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is laser or inkjet better for a small business?

Lasers are usually better for steady document printing because toner does not dry and per-page cost is low. Inkjets and ink-tank machines suit color and graphics, and wide-format work. Pick based on your page mix.

Do I need a color printer for a small business?

Not always. Many offices print color only occasionally and can use a mono laser plus outsourced color jobs. If you print marketing material or color reports weekly, a color laser or ink-tank printer saves time.

How many pages should a small business printer handle?

Choose a model whose recommended monthly volume exceeds your normal use. The models here list recommended volumes from about 2,500 to 4,000 pages a month.

Do I need fax in 2026?

Some industries still require it. If you do, choose a model with a built-in modem, such as the Brother MFC-L2900DW or HP 4301fdw. If you fax rarely, an online fax service may be enough.

What about third-party toner to save money?

It may work or be blocked by firmware depending on the model. If the printer is damaged by a non-brand supply, the maker may refuse the claim. Read the warranty first.

Can a small business use a home printer?

For light use, yes. Home models usually have smaller trays, lower duty cycles and fewer security options. If several people print daily, a business-class machine will cope better.