Inkjet Printers: A Definitive, Research-Backed Guide

We analyzed expert reviews, user feedback, and the real cost-per-page for dozens of printers. Our goal is to cut through the marketing and focus on what truly matters: reliability, features, and the long-term cost of ink. We’ll help you decide between a cheap printer with expensive cartridges and a high-value “supertank” model, ensuring you choose a printer that saves you money.

Best Overall: HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e

The HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e is the quintessential workhorse for a home office or small business, offering a powerful combination of speed, features, and high-quality document output.

• Pro: Class-Leading Speed. Prints a 10-page document in just 32 seconds, making it ideal for productive environments.
• Pro: Advanced Scanning. Features an automatic document feeder that can scan both sides of a page in a single pass—a premium feature perfect for digitizing multi-page documents.
• Con: HP+ Ecosystem. Requires a constant internet connection and locks the printer into using only genuine HP ink cartridges, which can be a significant drawback for some users.

Get more details for the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e on Amazon.

Best Value for the Home Office: Brother MFC-J4335DW

For the value-conscious home office, the Brother MFC-J4335DW is the undisputed champion, striking the perfect balance between a reasonable purchase price and exceptionally low long-term running costs.

• Pro: INKvestment Tank System. A hybrid design that uses high-capacity cartridges to feed an internal ink tank, giving you the low-cost benefits of a tank printer with the clean convenience of cartridges.
• Pro: Extremely Low Cost-Per-Page. A remarkably low cost-per-page makes it an intelligent long-term investment for anyone who prints regularly.
• Con: Basic Scanning. The main trade-off for its great value is that its automatic document feeder does not support two-sided scanning.

Get more details for the Brother MFC-J4335DW on Amazon.

Best for High-Quality Photo Printing: Canon PIXMA G620

The Canon PIXMA G620 is engineered for one primary purpose: producing stunning photographs at an incredibly low cost, making it perfect for photographers and hobbyists.

• Pro: Superior Photo Quality. It uses a six-color dye-based ink system—adding red and grey inks to the standard four—to reproduce images with greater accuracy, richer colors, and smoother tones.
• Pro: MegaTank Economics. The refillable ink bottle system slashes the cost of a 4×6″ photo to just a few cents, liberating users to print their entire libraries without worry.
• Con: Not for Office Use. This specialization means it’s very slow for document printing and lacks an automatic document feeder for scanning.

Get more details for the Canon PIXMA G620 on Amazon.

Best for High-Volume & Wide-Format: Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

The Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is the ultimate creative powerhouse, blending lab-quality photo output with wide-format printing and the extreme cost savings of the EcoTank system.

• Pro: Wide-Format Printing. Its standout feature is the ability to produce gorgeous, borderless prints up to 13″ x 19″, ideal for large photos, posters, and art reproductions.
• Pro: Handles Thick Media. A special rear feeder can handle media like cardstock and posterboard up to 1.3 mm thick, offering incredible creative flexibility.
• Con: No Document Feeder. Despite its high price, it does not include an automatic document feeder for multi-page scanning, a surprising omission.

Get more details for the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 on Amazon.

Best Budget All-in-One for Occasional Use: Canon PIXMA MG3620

The Canon PIXMA MG3620 serves a very specific audience: users with extremely infrequent printing needs who are on a strict budget. Its main appeal is its very low upfront cost.

• Pro: Very Inexpensive. One of the cheapest ways to get a functional all-in-one printer for your home.
• Con: Extremely High Ink Costs. This printer is a classic example of the “razor and blades” model; the long-term cost of ownership is one of the highest on the market due to expensive, low-yield ink cartridges.
• Con: Very Slow. It is very slow and should only be considered if you print just a handful of pages per year.

Get more details for the Canon PIXMA MG3620 on Amazon.

Making Your Final Choice

Choosing the right printer comes down to a simple trade-off: a lower price today versus significant savings on ink tomorrow. For those who print rarely, a budget-friendly model like the Canon PIXMA MG3620 makes sense. However, for most people, investing more upfront in a “supertank” printer like the Brother MFC-J4335DW or the photo-focused Canon PIXMA G620 will save a substantial amount of money in the long run. By matching your printing habits to the models in this guide, you can confidently select a printer that serves your needs without becoming a constant drain on your wallet.