The 7 Best Small Business Printer in 2024 – Buyer’s Guide

Office and business printers usually come in huge sizes, accompanied by major expenses to get replacement cartridges or provide maintenance, which isn’t so ideal if you’re still developing your business and resources aren’t exactly abundant.

Luckily, the market is getting more diverse to suit different needs, including small businesses. In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of choosing a small business printer as well as give you recommendations for the best small business printers that you’ll find on the market.

Comparison Table

The 7 Best Small Business Printers

After this overview, let’s delve into the details of each and every option, going over their pros, cons, and why they may or may not be the best small business printer for your purposes.

1. HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw – Best Overall

If you’re a small business owner looking for an excellent unit for your business needs, you can’t go wrong with the HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw. This all-in-one printer is able to print, scan, copy, and fax all the documents you need.

In terms of printing, its speed reaches 40 pages per minute, which is a high average. This is not surprising, though, as the M426fdw is a laser printer, which also explains why its resolution isn’t the highest at 600 x 600 DPI.

Measuring 16.5 x 15.4 x 12.7 inches, this unit doesn’t occupy a lot of space, which is why it’s one of the best printers for a small office. Despite this, it comes with a pretty impressive monthly duty cycle of around 80,000 pages and an input tray capacity of 350 sheets.

With the HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw, you can enjoy some pretty high-quality scans thanks to the 8.5 x 11.7-inch flatbed coupled with a reliable 50-sheet automatic document feeder, which allows you to get an optical resolution of 1200 x 1200 DPI.

All of the unit’s processes can be controlled via the 3-inch color touch screen, including automatic duplexing, which is available for both printing and scanning.

However, bear in mind that if you’re looking for a very durable unit, the HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw won’t be your best bet as its plastic construction doesn’t help in extending its lifespan that much.

As for the connectivity options, the M426fdw is equipped with USB 2.0 and Ethernet ports for wired connections as well as NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, and Wi-Fi for wireless connections.

Pros:

• All-in-one unit
• Duplex printing available
• Plenty of connections
• Reasonable price

Cons:

• Construction isn’t very durable
• Drivers and software issues may arise

Bottom Line

The HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw is an excellent printer for small businesses overall because of what it has to offer, from all-in-one functionality, quick speed, and compactness at a very reasonable price.

2. Canon Color Image CLASS MF644Cdw – Runner-up

Measuring 16.6 x 17 x 16.6 inches, the Canon Color Image CLASS MF644Cdw is pretty close to the previous printer in terms of size. However, it comes at a much lower printing speed of 22 pages per minute.

While this is adequate enough for environments of small businesses and lives up to the standards of laser printers, it’s not ideal for a very fast-paced one. Still, you can get pretty productive with the Canon MF644Cdw as it’s an all-in-one unit with printing, faxing, scanning, and copying.

Its printing quality is 600 x 600 DPI, which isn’t that high, but the color accuracy is pretty great since it comes with a 4-cartridge configuration. Moreover, it’s capable of duplexing among all functions (printing, scanning, and copying) and handles around 2,500 pages each month with a 250-sheet input tray.

As for connectivity, you get Ethernet and USB Type-B connectors, while Wi-Fi, NFC, and Wi-Fi Direct are also available. You can print using Google Cloud Print, Mopria, Canon PRINT Business, and Apple AirPrint.

With a 5-inch touch screen, you can control all of the unit’s processes as well as the setting for different functions.

Pros:

• Sturdy construction
• Easy to use
• Low cost per page
• Excellent color laser printer
• Reliable security features

Cons:

• Sleep mode is activated too frequently
• Replacement toner isn’t the most budget-friendly

Bottom Line

If you’re specifically looking for a color laser printer for small businesses, you won’t find anything better than the Canon MF644Cdw. This multifunction printer is fast and efficient, with a low cost per page and solid security.

3. Brother MFC-J995DW – Most Compact

While all of the office printers on this list are compact enough to suit a small or a home office, the Brother MFC-J995DW definitely takes the cake when it comes to compactness as it measures 7.7 x 13.4 x 17.1 inches.

This all-in-one inkjet unit is an excellent choice for anyone that’s very tight on space, and it suits those who are on a limited budget as well. This is especially true as it comes with a year’s worth of ink in the box, and it’s Amazon Dash Replenishment-ready, which means that you can automate the process of purchasing and receiving replacement ink!

And as if we haven’t spoken of ink enough, the Brother MFC-J995DW comes with INKvestment technology, which works on holding more ink than average as well as managing the internal storage tanks to prevent the printing process from ever coming to a halt.

Now, let’s delve into the technical specs. The Brother MFC-J995DW comes with a 6000 x 1200-DPI printing quality, and it does so at a rate of 12 pages per minute, which isn’t the highest, but that’s natural for an inkjet printer.

The colors are vivid and accurate, thanks to the 4-cartridge configuration. What’s more, this printer comes with a 5,000-page monthly duty cycle, which means that you can do some heavy-duty, high-volume work without worrying about a deterioration in quality. That is if you’re willing to have some patience with its printing speed and deal with the 150-sheet input tray.

As for the connectivity, like the previous models, you get wired options like Ethernet and USB connectivity as well as wireless ones like Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and NFC. In other words, you can use Apple AirPrint, Mopria, and Google Cloud Print.

Finally, the Brother MFC-J995DW comes with a 2.7-inch touch screen that you can use to adjust the setting of all functions as well as control the processes of the unit.

Pros:

• Comes with a year’s worth of ink outside-of-the-box
• 2-year warranty
• INKvestment technology maximizes efficiency
• Incredible print quality

Cons:

• Input tray requires regular refills
• Rather slow
• Duplex scanning isn’t available

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for an inkjet printer that suits the needs of small businesses, the Brother MFC-J995DW should serve you quite well. It’s not the fastest, and its input tray’s paper capacity is a bit too small, but its monthly duty cycle is more than sufficient, and it produces prints of amazing quality.

4. Brother HL-L6200DW – Fastest Printing

With a 48 page per minute printing speed, printing doesn’t get any faster than the Brother HL-L6200DW. This single-function printer focuses so much on giving you great quality at 1200 x 1200 DPI with the most superior print speeds. It’s also pretty compact at 15.3 x 14.7 x 11.3 inches.

However, it’s a monochrome laser unit, which means that you should only get it if you’re looking for black and white printing only. Like the previous model, it comes with a 5,000-page monthly duty cycle, but its paper capacity is a lot more impressive at a whopping 520-sheet capacity. This means that your trips to refill the tray with paper will be kept to a minimum.

There’s also a multipurpose tray that you can use to print letter, legal, and executive media, and you can use plenty of paper types like envelopes, labels, letterhead, and colored paper.

In terms of connectivity, it’s short of nothing as it offers Ethernet and USB wired connections as well as Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct connections, with the ability to print from Google Cloud Print, Mopria, Brother iPrint&Scan, Cortado Workplace, and Apple AirPrint.

However, its display isn’t really its strongest suit as it comes with a 1-line LCD to indicate printing progress and whether or not you need cartridge replacements.

Pros:

• Super quick printing with decent quality
• Input tray comes with massive paper capacity
• High duty cycle

Cons:

• Black and white printing only
• Display is subpar

Bottom Line

If you’re planning to print in black and white exclusively and want to do so at the fastest pace possible, the Brother HL-L6200DW laser printer is your best bet.

5. Brother HL-L5100DN – Budget Pick

Not only is the Brother HL-L5100DN the cheapest option on the list, but it also comes with very affordable running and printing costs, which means that it’s one of the most cost-efficient options you can make.

Measuring 15.3 x 14.7 x 10 inches, it’s compact enough to suit a small or home office. Despite that, it’s capable of printing at an impressive speed of 42 pages per minute, the second-highest on the list.

Moreover, this monochrome printer can produce prints of 1200 x 1200 DPI quality, which is a good average for a laser printer.

It suits average print volumes with a rate of 3,500 pages per month and a 250-sheet input tray. It also comes with a multipurpose tray that you can use to print on envelopes, labels, and letterhead.

Like the previous model, it comes with both wired and wireless connectivity options as well as a 1-line LCD display that you can use to track the progress of printing.

Pros:

• Highly affordable
• Great for printing text
• Very fast
• Decent paper capacity
• Consumables aren’t costly

Cons:

• Substandard quality of graphics

Bottom Line

One of the most viable reasons the Brother HL-L5100DN is an excellent printer for small businesses is that it’s affordable, has low running costs, and doesn’t compromise print speed or quality. However, it only suits black and white printing.

6. HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 – Best Inkjet Printer

Inkjet printers are known for their versatility as they can work with plenty of paper sizes and types as well as produce amazing colors and graphics quality, and the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 is no exception.

This printer is capable of printing pretty much all types of media, including wide-format media and envelopes, which makes it stand out from others on the list. It comes with two input trays, each of which is able to accommodate 250 sheets, making the total paper capacity a whopping 500. For an inkjet, it’s quite fast as it works with a rate of 22 pages per minute.

There’s also an automatic document feeder capable of accommodating 35 sheets as well as duplexing in a single pass, making the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 a real productivity beast. Despite all that, it measures only 18.38 x 23 x 15.1 inches, which isn’t the most compact and suits the fact that it isn’t the most portable either.

As for connectivity, it comes with wired USB, Ethernet, and two RJ-11 connectors, while it uses Wi-Fi Direct, Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Google Cloud Print, and HP ePrint for wireless printing. With the 2.65-inch touch screen, you’ll be able to manage all of the processes and setting of your HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 without any issues.

Pros:

• Fast for inkjet models
• Affordable
• High-quality output
• PostScript and PCL drivers
• Single-pass, two-sided document feeder

Cons:

• Not very portable despite its compactness
• Running costs are relatively high

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for one of the best inkjet home office printers, you’ll love what the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 has to offer. It’s fast, prints with high quality, and accommodates a huge number of sheets as well as works with a variety of types.

7. Xerox VersaLink C405/DN – Highest Paper Capacity

Coming at a rather hefty price tag, the Xerox VersaLink C405/DN is a premium office printer. Going over the $600 mark, this printer is capable of producing 600 x 600 DPI prints at a rate of 36 pages per minute. And while these aren’t the highest numbers you’ll find on the list, the operation of the printer is so smooth that it makes it worth every penny.

It comes with an ink palette that consists of 4 individual toner cartridges, including black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, which makes its colors very accurate and true to life. Having individual cartridges means that you won’t have to replace the whole set if only one color runs out, which is excellent in terms of running costs.

The Xerox VersaLink C405/DN can print 5,000 pages per month and comes with an automatic document feeder that enables it to duplex scan with 600 x 600 DPI quality.

Moreover, its paper capacity is unprecedented, with 550 sheets for the input tray, 150 sheets for the bypass, and 50 sheets for the automatic document feeder. And though it comes with wireless connectivity as well as wired, the latter includes only USB and not Ethernet.

Pros:

• Impressive paper capacity
• Very smooth operation
• All-in-on functionality

Cons:

• No Ethernet connectivity
• Slow for how pricey it is
• Print quality isn’t the highest

Bottom Line

If you’ve got some money to spare and want to add some luxury to your home office, you should opt for the Xerox VersaLink C405/DN.

Choosing Small Business Printers

When shopping for a small business printer, there are some aspects that you’ll have to bear in mind to make sure that you’re getting one that actually benefits you rather than adding to your costs. In this section, I’ll go over the most important ones.

Inkjet vs. Laser

While there are plenty of types of printers, the most common ones are inkjet and laser printers, and you’ll probably get one of them for your small business needs.

Inkjet printers are better for those who want to create various types of prints, including essays, charts, graphs, photos, text documents, and more. And while this versatility is great, it would be obsolete if your main printing needs involve text documents only, especially if you print in black and white exclusively.

In that case, you should opt for a monochrome laser printer as those come with a much lower cost per page and would serve a small office quite well with their typically fast printing speeds.

Duplexing

Duplex printing refers to your unit’s ability to print on both sides of a paper in a single pass, without the need for manual flipping on your end. Not only does this save effort, but it could also help you reduce costs as you’ll be using less paper. It also saves energy consumption as you’ll need to be running your printer for around half the time that it would take without duplex printing.

Network Connectivity

How users can connect to the printer is very important when it comes to a printer for a small business because it highly affects productivity and how quick or slow the pace of workflow would be.

You want to find a unit that’s easy to connect to and use to make file transfers a breeze. Also, you want a unit with plenty of connectivity options, including both wireless and wired connections.

The former includes Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and NFC connectivity as well as cloud connectivity, while the latter includes USB and Ethernet ports. Cloud connectivity options like Google Print, Apple AirPrint, and Mopria allow you to keep all your files in the cloud in one place where all connected devices can easily gain access to them to maximize productivity.

Cost of Consumables

A printer for small business should be affordable, but that doesn’t stop at the upfront price. Some printers can come at very low upfront prices but cost a fortune in terms of running costs, including cost per page, cost of consumables like cartridges and paper, and maintenance.

So, after you’ve considered the price of your unit, you should consider whether you’ll be able to afford it in the long run or not. Do some research on the replacement costs of cartridges, how long the original ones would have you covered, and the cost per page for printing.

Paper Handling

Small business offices are usually busy environments, and that’s why a printer with reliable paper handling abilities would be essential. This is mainly the capacity of the input tray, which would dictate how often you have to refill it to go on with your work.

Final Thoughts

Now that we’re done with our reviews on the best small business printers, I hope you’re closer to a final purchasing decision. If you’re still having doubts, here’s a quick recap:

The HP LaserJet Pro M426fdw is an excellent choice, as it’s reasonably-priced yet offers incredible functionality in terms of speed and quality. The Canon Color Image CLASS MF644Cdw will be a good alternative if you’re willing to sacrifice some speed for affordability.

If you’re inclined to get the fastest operation, opt for the Brother HL-L6200DW, while the Brother HL-L5100DN gives you the most affordability in terms of upfront cost and running costs. Finally, if space is what you’re most concerned about, opt for the Brother MFC-J995DW as it’s the most compact option of them all.