Best Budget Printer
The 10 best budget printers under $150 for 2026, ranked by value and print quality.
How This List Was Built
Budget printers under $130 live or die on reliability and running costs; we compared documented print systems, reliability, and price — because a $69 printer with $80 ink is not budget.
What Drives the Ranking
Running costs
Budget printers earn their price through cheap ink or toner.
Reliability
Inkjets that clog when idle are the classic budget failure.
Print quality
Documents must be crisp even at this tier.
Why #Brother HL-L2350DW Took the Top Spot
The Brother HL-L2350DW wins because its mono laser at $129 never clogs, prints cheaply, and just works — the most reliable budget printer. The HP LaserJet M15w at $99 is the smallest laser; the Canon PIXMA MG3620 at $69 is the cheapest color inkjet if you need color and accept idle-clog risk. If you print rarely in color, a laser's reliability wins; if color is essential, accept the inkjet trade-offs.
When the ranking flips: The Canon MG3620 wins only when color printing at the lowest price is essential — its reliability trailslasers.
When the Ranking Changes
- Most reliable budget — pick Brother HL-L2350DW Laser no-clog at $129.
- Smallest laser — pick HP LaserJet Pro M15w Compact at $99.
- Cheapest color — pick Canon PIXMA MG3620 Color inkjet at $69.
What We Left Out
- Printers with documented paper jams were ranked down.
- Subscription-ink models were excluded.
How This Was Researched
This ranking is based on a structured review of official product documentation, published specifications, current pricing, and feature analysis — the same methodology ToolStep describes on the /how-we-test/ page. We do not claim hands-on testing that did not happen.
Based on official product documentation as of June 2026.
Top 10 Picks
Brother HL-L2350DW
Best budget mono laser.
- Affordable
- Fast
- Reliable
- Low cost per page
- Mono only
HP LaserJet Pro M15w
Compact budget laser printer.
- Compact
- Fast
- Affordable
- Mono only
Canon PIXMA MG3620
Cheapest all-in-one printer.
- Very cheap
- Compact
- All-in-one
- Basic
HP Envy 6055
Budget all-in-one printer.
- Cheap
- WiFi
- Compact
- Ink cost
Epson Expression Home XP-4100
Budget all-in-one printer.
- Cheap
- WiFi
- Compact
- Ink cost
Canon PIXMA TR4520
Budget all-in-one with fax.
- Cheap
- All-in-one
- Fax
- Slow
Brother HL-L2300D
Budget mono laser.
- Affordable
- Fast
- Reliable
- Mono only
HP DeskJet 3755
Compact budget printer.
- Cheap
- Compact
- All-in-one
- Slow
Canon PIXMA iP110
Portable budget printer.
- Portable
- Compact
- WiFi
- Expensive ink
Epson WorkForce WF-2850
Budget all-in-one with ADF.
- Cheap
- All-in-one
- ADF
- WiFi
- Ink cost
Comparison Table
| # | Name | Brand | Price | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brother HL-L2350DW | Brother | $129 | 4.7/5
★★★★★ | Best budget mono laser. |
| 2 | HP LaserJet Pro M15w | HP | $99 | 4.4/5
★★★★☆ | Compact budget laser printer. |
| 3 | Canon PIXMA MG3620 | Canon | $69 | 4.1/5
★★★★☆ | Cheapest all-in-one printer. |
| 4 | HP Envy 6055 | HP | $99 | 4.3/5
★★★★☆ | Budget all-in-one printer. |
| 5 | Epson Expression Home XP-4100 | Epson | $99 | 4.2/5
★★★★☆ | Budget all-in-one printer. |
| 6 | Canon PIXMA TR4520 | Canon | $79 | 4/5
★★★★☆ | Budget all-in-one with fax. |
| 7 | Brother HL-L2300D | Brother | $99 | 4.5/5
★★★★★ | Budget mono laser. |
| 8 | HP DeskJet 3755 | HP | $69 | 4/5
★★★★☆ | Compact budget printer. |
| 9 | Canon PIXMA iP110 | Canon | $149 | 4.2/5
★★★★☆ | Portable budget printer. |
| 10 | Epson WorkForce WF-2850 | Epson | $99 | 4.2/5
★★★★☆ | Budget all-in-one with ADF. |
Pros & Cons Summary
Brother HL-L2350DW
HP LaserJet Pro M15w
Canon PIXMA MG3620
HP Envy 6055
Epson Expression Home XP-4100
Canon PIXMA TR4520
Brother HL-L2300D
HP DeskJet 3755
Canon PIXMA iP110
Epson WorkForce WF-2850
FAQ
What is the best budget printer?
The Brother HL-L2350DW at $129 is the best budget laser printer. For inkjet, the Canon PIXMA MG3620 at $69 is the cheapest all-in-one.
Are budget printers worth it?
Yes, the Brother HL-L2350DW is reliable and affordable. Watch out for ink cost — budget inkjet printers (Canon MG3620) have expensive ink.
Which budget printer has cheap ink?
The Brother HL-L2350DW laser printer has low cost per page. For inkjet, the Epson EcoTank series has refillable tanks but is more expensive upfront.
Laser or inkjet for budget?
Laser (Brother HL-L2350DW) is cheaper per page and more reliable. Inkjet (Canon MG3620) is cheaper upfront but has expensive ink.
What is the cheapest printer available?
The Canon PIXMA MG3620 at $69 is the cheapest all-in-one printer. The HP DeskJet 3755 at $69 is also affordable but basic.
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Our reviews evaluate products using publicly available specifications, manufacturer information, feature analysis, pricing comparison, and practical workflow considerations. The general process:
- Product documentation review: We analyze official manufacturer specs, product documentation, and published technical information.
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