- Top Pick: HP OfficeJet Pro 8135 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Print, Scan, Copy, Fax, ADF, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home-Office, 3 Month Trial of Instant Ink Included, AI-Capable (C2VK1A)
- Best Value: HP OfficeJet Pro 8139 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Print, Scan, Copy, Fax, ADF, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home-Office, 1 Year Trial of Instant Ink Included, AI-Capable (C2VK3A)
- Premium Choice: Brother MFC-L2820DW Wireless Compact Monochrome All-in-One Laser Printer with Copy, Scan and Fax, Duplex, Black & White | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
For most buyers who still need a fax line, the Brother MFC-L2900DW (mono laser) is the sensible default for black-and-white paperwork, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw or Brother MFC-L3780CDW suit offices that also print color, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e fits a color inkjet workflow, and the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 or ET-5850 suit people who want bottled ink and low running costs. Fax is a niche feature now, so the real question is how much else the machine has to do around it.
- At a Glance: Fax-Capable Multifunction Printers
- Why Fax Still Matters, and What It Needs
- Brother MFC-L2900DW: Best All-Round Mono Fax Printer
- Brother MFC-L2820DW: The Lower-Cost Sibling
- Color Laser Options: Brother MFC-L3780CDW and HP 4301fdw
- HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e: Color Inkjet With Fax
- Epson EcoTank ET-4950 and ET-5850: Ink-Tank Fax Machines
- Decision Table: Pick X If You Need This
- Running Cost and Setup Tips
- Alternatives to Consider
- Frequently Asked Questions
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At a Glance: Fax-Capable Multifunction Printers
| Model | Type | Best for | Stated specs (from the maker or spec sheets) | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother MFC-L2900DW | Mono laser | Document-heavy home offices | Up to 36 ppm, 50-sheet single-pass duplex ADF, 250-sheet tray, fax memory up to 400 pages | No color |
| Brother MFC-L2820DW | Mono laser | Lower-volume fax users | Up to 34 ppm, 33.6K bps fax modem, 400 pages fax memory, 50-sheet ADF, 250-sheet tray | Brother lists duplex copying and duplex faxing as “No” |
| Brother MFC-L3780CDW | Color LED/laser | Small offices needing color | Up to 31 ppm, duplex printing, scanning, copying and faxing, 500 pages fax memory, 50-sheet ADF | Larger and costlier than mono models |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw | Color laser | Busy small offices | Up to 35 ppm black / 33 ppm color (letter/A4), 50-sheet ADF, 250 + 50 sheet inputs, fax up to 33.6 kbps | Toner cartridge firmware restrictions reported |
| HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e | Color inkjet | Mixed color and document work | Up to 25 ppm black / 20 ppm color, 35-sheet 2-sided ADF, 500 sheets of input, fax memory up to 100 pages | Cartridge ink; HP+ enabled |
| Epson EcoTank ET-4950 | Ink tank | Home use, low running cost | 18 ppm black / 9 ppm color (ISO), ADF, fax, 250-sheet tray, ink for up to 6,600 black pages in the box | Single tray |
| Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 | Ink tank, pigment | Higher-volume offices | 25 ppm, 50-sheet ADF, 500-sheet tray capacity, fax memory 550 pages | Large, higher upfront cost |
Why Fax Still Matters, and What It Needs
Some legal, medical, real estate and government offices still ask for a fax. A fax-capable multifunction printer handles that without a second box on the desk. All the models above use a built-in modem. The common Brother and HP fax modems are listed at 33.6 kbps, which is the standard “Super G3” speed.
Two setup points matter before you buy. First, the machine needs an analog phone connection or a phone-line adapter from your internet or phone provider. If your service is a voice-over-internet line, ask the provider whether it supports fax. Second, a flatbed-only machine is slow for multi-page faxes. An automatic document feeder (ADF) lets you load a stack and walk away, and PCMag’s printer guidance makes the same point that anyone scanning, copying or faxing multipage documents should want an ADF.
If you only fax occasionally, an online fax service from a computer may be enough and removes the phone line. The printers below are for people who want a physical machine.
Brother MFC-L2900DW: Best All-Round Mono Fax Printer
Retail listings describe the MFC-L2900DW as a compact mono laser that prints at up to 36 pages per minute, with a 50-sheet ADF that scans both sides in a single pass and a 250-sheet paper tray. Fax memory is listed at up to 400 pages. Reviewers note it is quick at copying, and Digital Trends reviewed it as a small laser printer and fast copier.
Running cost is the draw. The TN-830 toner is listed at about 1,200 pages and the TN-830XL at about 3,000 pages, and some bundles ship with larger in-box toner. Brother’s mono laser line typically beats inkjets on cost per page, but the in-box starter toner on this family is small (the related MFC-L2820DW lists a 700-page starter cartridge), so plan to buy toner early. Duty cycle figures differ between retailers, so use Brother’s own spec sheet for the exact number. Most listings show 35,000 pages a month maximum, with a recommended volume of about 2,500 pages.
The older MFC-L2750DW appears on many “best fax printer” lists. Brother’s own product page now marks it as discontinued, so treat it as a previous generation that may only be available as leftover stock or used.
Brother MFC-L2820DW: The Lower-Cost Sibling
Brother lists the MFC-L2820DW at up to 34 ppm, a 250-sheet tray, a 50-sheet ADF, a 33.6K bps fax modem and 400 pages of fax memory. Connectivity is Ethernet, dual-band wireless and USB. The drum unit is rated at roughly 15,000 pages, and the monthly duty cycle is up to 35,000 pages, with a recommended volume of up to 2,500 pages. The notable catch is that Brother’s spec table shows duplex copying and duplex faxing as not supported, so if you scan or copy two-sided originals a lot, the L2900DW is the better fit.
Color Laser Options: Brother MFC-L3780CDW and HP 4301fdw
The Brother MFC-L3780CDW is listed at up to 31 ppm with duplex printing, scanning, copying and faxing, a 33.6K bps fax modem and 500 pages of fax memory. It has a 50-sheet ADF, a 250-sheet tray that can be expanded with an optional lower tray, Gigabit Ethernet and dual-band wireless. The maker rates the duty cycle at up to 50,000 pages a month and recommends up to 4,000 pages a month.
The HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw is the faster of the two on paper, at up to 35 ppm black and 33 ppm color on letter/A4. It has a 50-sheet ADF that scans both sides in one pass, a 250-sheet tray plus a 50-sheet multipurpose tray, fax at up to 33.6 kbps with 500 pages of memory, and dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet. The in-box starter toners are listed at roughly 2,000 pages for black and 1,000 for each color. The HP 210X black cartridge is rated at about 7,500 pages. One review warns that HP’s high-yield toner can be locked by firmware, so third-party toner may not work.
Both color lasers cost more per page than a mono laser when you print color, but toner does not dry out the way inkjet cartridges can, which helps if you print in bursts.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e: Color Inkjet With Fax
HP’s data sheet for the OfficeJet Pro 9135e lists up to 25 ppm black and 20 ppm color, two 250-sheet trays for up to 500 sheets, a 35-sheet 2-sided ADF, automatic duplex printing, a 33.6 kbps fax modem and up to 100 pages of fax memory. It is described as an HP+ enabled printer. HP+ is an optional program that ties the printer to HP’s ink and account services, so read the setup terms and decline it during setup if you prefer ordinary cartridges. Reviewers who pick it for small offices cite speed and single-pass duplex scanning.
The trade-off is the usual one with cartridge inkjets: lower upfront cost than a color laser, higher cost per page, and cartridges that can dry out if the machine sits idle for months.
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 and ET-5850: Ink-Tank Fax Machines
These suit people who print enough to be annoyed by cartridge costs. The ET-4950 prints at 18 ppm black and 9 ppm color (ISO), has an ADF, fax, a 250-sheet tray, automatic duplex printing, and ink in the box that Epson says is enough for up to 6,600 black or 5,500 color pages. TechRadar named it a top home-office ink tank pick, with double-sided scanning rare at its level. Digital Camera World criticized the single paper tray and lack of a USB port for memory sticks. It supports AirPrint, and TechRadar names it its top choice in a Mac printer guide.
The ET-5850 is the larger, office-oriented model: 25 ppm, a 50-sheet ADF, a 500-sheet tray capacity plus a 50-sheet rear feed, and a SuperG3 fax modem with 550 pages of memory. Replacement bottles are listed at about 7,500 pages for black and 6,000 for each color. The maker rates the monthly duty cycle at up to 66,000 pages, with a recommended volume of 3,300 pages. Upfront cost and size are the downsides.
Decision Table: Pick X If You Need This
| Pick | If you… |
|---|---|
| Brother MFC-L2900DW | Mostly print and fax black-and-white pages and want the lowest toner cost |
| Brother MFC-L2820DW | Fax a few pages a week and do not need duplex copying |
| Brother MFC-L3780CDW | Need color and duplex fax in a small-office machine |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw | Need the fastest color laser here and accept HP’s toner rules |
| HP OfficeJet Pro 9135e | Print color documents and want two trays on an inkjet |
| Epson EcoTank ET-4950 | Want bottled ink and a home-sized machine |
| Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 | Print high volumes and want pigment ink and a big tray |
Running Cost and Setup Tips
- Compare yields, not just sticker specs. Starter toner is often a fraction of a standard cartridge, so budget for a replacement soon after purchase.
- Check the ADF. A 35- to 50-sheet feeder is typical in this list. Duplex ADFs scan both sides without flipping pages.
- Ink-tank versus cartridge. Tank printers cost more up front but, per the maker’s stated yields, produce thousands of pages per refill.
- Mac and mobile. Models listing AirPrint print from Apple devices without extra drivers. Scanning and fax setup may still need the maker’s app.
- Phone line. Plug the fax port into an analog jack or compatible adapter; do not plug it into an ethernet or computer data port.
Alternatives to Consider
- A dedicated fax machine. Roundups name the Brother IntelliFAX-2840 as a standalone fax pick. Its specs were not available from a maker page during research, so treat it as a lead to research rather than a confirmed spec. It makes sense only if you want fax with no printing role.
- Canon imageCLASS MF455dw. A mono laser with print, copy, scan and fax. Canon lists up to 40 ppm on letter, 512 pages of fax memory, a 50-sheet ADF, a 250-sheet tray plus 100-sheet multipurpose tray, and a 3-year limited warranty.
- Online fax from your computer or phone. Skip the phone line and the hardware if you fax rarely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need a landline to use a printer’s fax?
Usually you need an analog phone connection or an adapter that provides one. Some internet voice services work with fax and others do not. Ask your provider before relying on it for important documents.
Is a mono or color fax printer better?
Faxes are black and white in practice, so a mono laser like the Brother MFC-L2900DW does the job at a low cost per page. Choose color only if you also print color documents regularly.
Are laser or inkjet fax printers cheaper to run?
Mono lasers generally have the lowest cost per page. Ink-tank models like the Epson EcoTank line cut ink costs sharply compared with cartridges. Color lasers and cartridge inkjets cost more per page, particularly for color.
What does the ADF do for faxing?
An automatic document feeder takes a stack of pages and sends them in one go. Without one, you place each page on the glass by hand. For anything beyond one or two pages, an ADF saves real time.
Can I fax from a Mac or phone?
Printing from a Mac or phone is usually simple through AirPrint or the maker’s app. Sending a fax from the computer often needs the maker’s software, and the details differ by model. The printer manual lists the supported systems.
Is the Brother MFC-L2750DW still worth buying?
Brother’s own page marks it discontinued. If you find new-old stock it is a proven design, but the MFC-L2900DW and MFC-L2820DW are the current Brother mono options.
