10 Best Printers Under $200 (October 2026) Professional Reviews
If you want one printer under 200 dollars that does almost everything a home or small office needs, the Canon MegaTank G3270 is the pick. It is a color ink tank all-in-one: refillable ink bottles instead of cartridges, print, copy and scan over Wi-Fi, and a full ink set rated at 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages. Its purchase price lands in the middle of this range, and it undercuts almost every cartridge printer on running cost, which is the number that decides this category. We compared ten printers under 200 dollars across tank inkjets, cartridge all-in-ones and monochrome lasers, weighing print speed, duplex, paper capacity and the published ink yield for each.
Here is the thing nobody tells you about budget printers: the sticker price is the least useful number on the page. Printer makers sell the box at or near cost and recover the margin on ink and toner, so a cheap unit with expensive cartridges can cost more over three years than a pricier tank-based model. Every pick below is judged on published page yield, paper handling and whether you can buy third-party consumables, not on the number in the listing headline.
Two more things before we get into the list. Prices in this band move constantly, and a few of these printers cross the line in both directions, so check the button on each card for the current figure before you commit. And if you already know you want a single-function laser rather than a do-everything inkjet, our all-in-one printer guide covers the other half of this market. This list was last checked in October 2026.
Top 3 Best Printers Under $200 (October 2026)
Canon MegaTank G3270
- Refillable ink tank with 6000 black and 7700 color pages per set
- Wireless print copy and scan
- 4800 x 1200 dpi
- 1.35 inch LCD
Epson EcoTank ET-2400
- Cartridge free EcoFit tank
- Up to 4500 black and 7200 color pages
- Compact 8.6 pound body
- Flatbed scanner
Canon PIXMA TS3720
- Print copy and scan
- Lowest entry price in this roundup
- Dual band Wi-Fi
- 1.5 inch LCD
The Canon MegaTank G3270 takes the top slot because it solves the one problem every other budget printer has: the running cost. One set of inks covers 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages, and the tank design means you are not hunting for a cartridge code in a drawer every eight weeks.
The Epson EcoTank ET-2400 is the value pick and the smaller footprint winner. It carries the same refillable-tank logic in a narrower body, which matters if the printer lives on a desk rather than a shelf. The Canon PIXMA TS3720 is the low-cost entry: cartridge ink, but the cheapest way in this roundup to get a working wireless all-in-one on a desk.
All 10 Printers Under 200 Compared at a Glance
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Every row above is a printer that qualifies for the under-200 category. The fastest inkjet here runs at 21 pages per minute in black and white, the fastest laser runs at 36, and three models refill from bottles rather than cartridges: the Canon MegaTank G3270, the Epson EcoTank ET-2400 and the HP Smart Tank 5003.
1. Canon MegaTank G3270 – Best Overall Printer Under 200
- Ink set rated at 6000 black and 7700 color pages
- Refillable tank so no cartridge codes to track
- 4800 x 1200 dpi in color and black
- Compact 13.2 pound body with a 1.35 inch LCD
- Prints square and bordered photos up to 5 x 7 inches
- Single sided printing only
- Modest 100 sheet paper capacity
- 14 percent of ratings are 1 star citing jams and reliability
Ink tank all-in-one
6000 black and 7700 color pages per set
11 ppm black
100 sheet tray
I put the MegaTank G3270 at the top of this list because of one number: a single set of inks is rated at 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages. That is the whole argument. Nearly every other printer in this roundup gets its ink yield from cartridges with a yield figure in the low hundreds, and refilling means buying a new cartridge rather than pouring in a bottle.
The hardware around that tank is unremarkable in the best way. It prints 11 pages per minute in black and 6 in color, copies and scans on a flatbed, connects over USB or Wi-Fi, and has a 1.35 inch square LCD that shows ink levels. Print resolution is 4800 by 1200 dpi in both color and black-and-white, and it handles square and bordered photo sizes up to 5 by 7 inches.
Owners consistently single out the ink economics. Refilling here means topping up a tank rather than fitting a new cartridge, so the running cost per page lands far below anything cartridge-based in this list. The 5-star share in the reviews sits at 67 percent, and 4,000-plus owners have rated it.
The trade-offs are real. Printing is single-sided only, so two-sided work means flipping the stack yourself. The paper tray holds 100 sheets, which is fine for a busy week and annoying during a homeschool print run. And 14 percent of the ratings are one star, with jams and reliability the recurring theme in those. At 13.2 pounds it is also one of the lighter units here, which helps if you plan to refill it often.
Who the G3270 suits best?
This is the printer for a household that prints a moderate amount of everything: worksheets, shopping lists, a school project, and the occasional photo. The tank math works out best when you are not printing a handful of pages a month, because any inkjet will coast on a full set for a while at low volume.
It is also the right call for anyone who has been burned by cartridge costs. Reviewers moving from a cartridge inkjet to this one usually report the same thing: the running cost drops so far that the printer effectively pays for itself in a year of normal use.
Where the G3270 disappoints?
If your workload is two-sided documents, skip it. There is no automatic duplex, and the 100-sheet tray is the second thing you will notice during a long job. This is a printer for mixed personal output, not for a home office running duplex contracts.
The other caution is the jam-and-reliability cluster in the one-star reviews. It is a minority of owners, but it exists, and unlike the cartridge models on this list your only refilling route is Canon’s own bottle ink. Budget for that before you commit.
2. Epson EcoTank ET-2400 – Best Tank Printer Under 200
- Cartridge free tank with one bottle set equalling roughly 80 cartridges
- Up to 4500 black and 7200 color pages per ink set
- 5760 x 1440 dpi Micro Piezo heat free printing
- Narrow 8.6 pound body that suits a small desk
- Flatbed scans come out vibrant and detailed
- No automatic duplex
- 30 sheet output tray fills fast
- Some units jam more often than Canon tank models
EcoFit ink tank all-in-one
4500 black and 7200 color pages per set
10 ppm black
100 sheet tray
The ET-2400 is the same proposition as the G3270 in a different shape. Epson calls it EcoFit, and the tank is fed by ink bottles rather than cartridges, with one bottle set covering roughly the equivalent of 80 cartridges. Published yield is up to 4,500 black and 7,200 color pages, with up to two years of ink in the box depending on volume.
Where it wins is size and clarity. At 8.6 pounds and 22.8 by 14.8 inches, it is the lightest machine in this roundup and 1.6 inches narrower than the Canon MegaTank G3270, which makes it the one to pick if the printer lives on a desk in a small room. Print resolution is 5760 by 1440 dpi through Micro Piezo heat-free technology, which is the highest figure in the list.
On the forums, the tank argument is the one that keeps coming back. Threads in r/printers recommend the EcoTank route for anyone printing beyond the occasional document, on the basis of ink cost, and the EcoTank line is the one most often named in that advice. The heat-free printhead design is also pitched at high-volume reliability, since there is no thermal element to warp.
The compromises are the same category of compromise as the G3270, with one addition. Duplex is manual, and Epson’s print wizard actively prompts you to flip the paper rather than leaving it to you. The output tray holds just 30 sheets, so a 20-page job will stop you mid-run. Several reviewers also report more frequent jams than on Canon tank models, and borderless printing is not supported.
Who the ET-2400 suits best?
Pick this one over the G3270 if desk space is the binding constraint. It is the same running-cost logic in a body that is 1.6 inches narrower and nearly five pounds lighter, which sounds trivial until you are the one refilling it every few months.
It also suits anyone who prints color regularly, because the 7,200-page color yield and the 24-bit color depth are strong for the money. Reviewers praise the scans as vibrant and detailed, and the flatbed is adequate for documents and standard artwork.
Where the ET-2400 disappoints?
Anyone who needs two-sided printing on a regular basis. Manual duplex on a high-volume inkjet is the single most common complaint in the reviews, and Epson’s driver wizard adds friction rather than removing it.
The 30-sheet output tray is the other irritation. If you print a long single-sided run, you will be emptying it more often than seems reasonable. The flatbed glass is also a little tight for 9 by 12 inch pieces, which matters if you scan artwork rather than paperwork.
3. Canon PIXMA TS3720 – Cheapest Printer Under 200 to Start With
- Lowest entry price in this roundup
- Print copy and scan in a compact 8.7 pound body
- Dual band 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
- Supports square 5 x 5 inch and borderless 5 x 7 photos
- Works with the Canon PRINT app plus AirPrint and Mopria
- Single sided printing only
- Small 60 sheet paper tray
- Two cartridge system is costly for heavy color
Cartridge inkjet all-in-one
7.7 ppm black and 4 ppm color
60 sheet tray
Dual band Wi-Fi
The TS3720 is the reason this roundup exists as a category. It is the lowest-cost entry on the list, and for a household that prints a few pages a month it does the job without any real risk. Print, copy and scan, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a 1.5 inch segment LCD at the front.
Setup is the quiet strength here. Reviewers report a streamlined out-of-box experience, and the dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz radio is more robust than the single-band setups that cause so many wireless headaches in budget printers. It also handles square 5 by 5 inch photos and borderless 5 by 7 printing, which is unusual at this entry point.
Output is 7.7 pages per minute in black and 4 in color, which is slow. This is not the printer to run off a 40-page report while you make coffee, and the flatbed is the only scanning path, so multi-page documents mean standing over the lid. Print resolution is 4800 by 1200 dpi, which is fine for documents and ordinary photos.
The ink system is the deciding factor for anyone printing more than occasionally. It uses Canon CL-276 color and PG-275 black cartridges, two per color cycle rather than individual tanks, which keeps the hardware cheap and the running cost high. Reviewers consistently treat this as a light-duty machine rather than a volume one.
Who the TS3720 suits best?
A dorm room, a guest room, a first apartment, or anyone who needs a working printer for a few pages a week without committing. The combination of the lowest entry point and dual-band Wi-Fi makes it the least likely budget printer to frustrate you on setup.
It is also a sensible secondary machine for a home office that already has a laser. Keep the mono laser for contracts and put this on the network for occasional color, square photo prints and quick scans.
Where the TS3720 disappoints?
It disappoints on volume, and it is honest about that. The 60-sheet paper tray is the smallest in this roundup, printing is single-sided only, and the two-cartridge ink system means heavy color work will cost you far more per page than the entry price suggests.
If you are planning to print a few hundred pages a month, step up to a tank model or a mono laser. The savings do not come from this machine.
4. HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e – Best Printer Under 200 With Automatic Duplex
- Automatic duplex plus a 225 sheet input tray and ADF
- Fastest color output in this roundup at 10 ppm with 20 ppm black
- 2.7 inch color touchscreen with a phone style interface
- Dual band Wi-Fi plus Ethernet
- HP AI formatting cleans up web pages and email before printing
- Only works with HP chipped cartridges
- HP+ trial converts to a paid Instant Ink plan unless cancelled
- Color copy resolution capped at 600 dpi
- Weighs 19 pounds
- second heaviest in the roundup
Color inkjet AIO with fax
Automatic duplex and 1 sided ADF
20 ppm black
225 sheet tray
The 8135e is the fastest printer in this roundup, and the only one here that does automatic duplex, includes a document feeder and prints colour fast enough to keep up with a workday. At 20 pages per minute in black and 10 in colour, it outruns the 11 ppm Canon tank model by a wide margin, and its 225-sheet input tray is the largest on any inkjet in this roundup.
It is also the most office-shaped machine on the list. There is a 2.7 inch color touchscreen with a phone-style interface, an Ethernet port alongside dual-band Wi-Fi and USB, and a 1-sided ADF for multi-page faxes and scans. The HP AI formatting feature strips web page and email furniture out of prints, which is a small thing that saves real annoyance.
Its 3.8-star rating is the lowest of the ten, and the reason is not the hardware. It is the cartridge policy. This printer works only with HP cartridges that carry HP chips or circuitry, and third-party ink is blocked. The 3-month Instant Ink trial included with HP+ activation converts to a paid monthly plan unless you cancel it, and overage charges are the loudest complaint in the reviews.
That is a genuine lock-in and you should price it in before buying. Anyone who is comfortable staying inside the HP ecosystem gets a capable machine here. Anyone who resents subscriptions should read the next pick instead, which prints faster still and is not tied to an ink plan.
Who the 8135e suits best?
A home office or small team that prints two-sided documents, contracts and forms, and wants fax capability without a separate machine. The 225-sheet tray and ADF together remove most of the friction from a normal working day.
It is also the pick for anyone who wants speed over ink cost and is already buying HP ink or willing to be. Among the inkjets here, nothing matches 20 ppm black with automatic duplex.
Where the 8135e disappoints?
It disappoints on ink cost and ink choice. Locked cartridges plus a trial that becomes a subscription make this the most expensive printer in the roundup to run, and the 3.8 rating reflects owners who discovered that after the fact.
Color copy resolution tops out at 600 dpi, which is soft for copying photos. And at 19 pounds it is the heaviest machine here, which is awkward if you plan to move it between rooms.
5. Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 – Fastest Inkjet Under 200
- 21 ppm black and 11 ppm color
- the fastest inkjet here
- Automatic duplex with a 35 page ADF
- 250 sheet paper capacity
- Heat free printhead designed for high volume reliability
- DURABrite Ultra pigment ink gives sharp smudge resistant text
- Requires genuine Epson cartridges
- a firmware update has been reported to block non genuine ink
- Average photo quality
- Occasional Wi-Fi drops and slow first prints
- 19.4 pound body needs headroom to reach the cartridges
Color inkjet all-in-one
21 ppm black and 11 ppm color
Automatic duplex and 35 page ADF
250 sheet capacity, Wi-Fi Bluetooth and Ethernet
The WF-3820 is the volume inkjet answer. It prints 21 pages per minute in black and 11 in colour, has automatic two-sided printing, a 35-page ADF and a 250-sheet paper tray. No cartridge-based inkjet in this roundup matches that combination of speed and capacity for the money.
The heat-free printhead is the design decision behind the durability claim. Because there is no thermal element to age or warp, Epson positions it for heavy workloads, and DURABrite Ultra instant-dry pigment ink gives sharp, smudge-resistant text. Connectivity covers Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth and Ethernet, and the LCD handles day-to-day changes without an app.
The trade-off is cartridge lock and photo quality. Reviewers report that genuine Epson cartridges are required and that a firmware update has been observed blocking non-genuine ink, which is the same class of complaint that dominates the HP section. Epson’s driver software also prompts for updates frequently and is described as poorly written.
Image quality is average. This is a document and worksheet printer, not a photo printer, and buyers looking for gallery output should not choose it. Several owners also report intermittent Wi-Fi disconnections and slow first prints after idle periods, which is the classic weak spot in an inkjet of this class.
Who the WF-3820 suits best?
Homeschooling families, teachers and small offices running hundreds of pages a month, especially where two-sided printing is non-negotiable. The 250-sheet tray means you are not refilling it every morning, and the 35-page ADF handles multi-page jobs without the flatbed.
It is also the right inkjet when color is secondary and the workload is documents, forms and drafts. The pigment ink is built for text that has to survive being handled and annotated.
Where the WF-3820 disappoints?
It disappoints on ink cost over a long life, because genuine cartridges are the only supported route. For a three-year ownership window, the tank models at the top of this list cost less to run, and the maths gets worse the more you print.
It also disappoints if you care about photos, and at 19.4 pounds it needs vertical clearance above the body to reach the cartridge bay, so do not plan to slide it under a low shelf.
6. Brother Work Smart 1360 – Best Compact All-in-One Under 200
- Full size features in a compact 15.4 by 7.2 inch body
- Automatic duplex
- 20 sheet ADF and 150 sheet tray
- 16 ppm black with a 6.2 second first page
- 1.8 inch color display prints and scans straight to Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Box and OneDrive
- Brother Mobile Connect app with Page Gauge ink monitoring
- No vendor subscription required
- Small 20 sheet single sided ADF
- Average color copy and print resolution
- Cartridge ink costs more per page than a tank printer
Color inkjet all-in-one
16 ppm black and 9 ppm color
Automatic duplex and 20 sheet ADF
150 sheet tray, 1.8 inch color display
The Work Smart 1360 is the most complete feature set per square inch in this roundup. Automatic duplex, a 20-sheet ADF, a 150-sheet tray, and a 1.8 inch color display, all inside a body that measures 15.4 by 7.2 inches. That footprint is why it earns a place here despite being cartridge-based.
Speed is good rather than class-leading: 16 ppm black, 9 ppm color, and a first black page in roughly 6.2 seconds, which is among the quickest first pages in the list. The display is the differentiator. It prints and scans directly to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and OneDrive, and the Brother Mobile Connect app adds onscreen navigation plus Page Gauge, which tracks remaining ink levels.
What makes it distinctive in the roundup is what it does not do. There is no vendor subscription and no enrollment flow, so you can decline HP-style plans entirely. It runs standard Brother ink cartridges, sits at 1200 by 6000 dpi and copies at up to 1200 by 1200 dpi in black, and connects over USB or Wi-Fi.
The 3.9 rating tracks a straightforward trade: the features are generous, the running cost is ordinary. Cartridge ink here costs meaningfully more per page than a tank printer, and the 20-sheet ADF is single-sided, so scanning a stack means flipping it yourself. Color resolution is average, so this is not a photo machine.
Who the Work Smart 1360 suits best?
Anyone who wants cloud scanning and printing without opening a laptop, and who dislikes being pushed toward a subscription. Printing to Google Drive or Dropbox from the front panel is the feature people mention first after a few weeks of ownership.
It also suits a hybrid worker who needs duplex, an ADF and Wi-Fi in a body that will not dominate a spare room. The tray size is workable for a home, unlike the 60-sheet models.
Where the Work Smart 1360 disappoints?
It disappoints on ink economics over a long ownership period. This is a cartridge machine priced in the cartridge bracket, and anyone printing heavily will feel the difference against a tank printer within the first year.
The ADF is the second disappointment. Twenty sheets, single-sided, is enough to be useful and small enough to disappoint. If you scan multi-page archival documents regularly, budget for the flatbed time instead.
7. Brother HL-L2460DW – Best Black and White Laser Under 200
- Fastest monochrome output in the roundup at 36 ppm
- Automatic duplex on a laser at this price
- First page in under 8.5 seconds
- Dual band Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and USB
- 250 sheet tray with a manual feed slot for envelopes
- High yield TN830XL toner keeps cost per page low
- Prints reliably on Windows
- macOS and Linux
- Monochrome only with no color
- scanning or copying
- Onscreen Wi-Fi setup is tedious with limited buttons
- Refresh EZ Print trial can generate overage charges if left active
- Some units reported failing after about a year of light use
Monochrome laser print only
36 ppm black with 8.5 second first page
Automatic duplex
250 sheet tray with manual feed slot
If you only print black and white, stop reading inkjet specs and start reading this one. The HL-L2460DW runs 36 pages per minute with a first page out in under 8.5 seconds, does automatic duplex, and holds 250 sheets. At 1200 by 1200 dpi the text is genuinely sharp, and laser toner does not dry out in the printhead the way cartridge ink can.
Connectivity is the strongest in this section: dual-band Wi-Fi, plus Ethernet and USB. That matters in a home office where the router is not in the same room, and the Ethernet port gives you a fallback when the wireless pairing misbehaves. The manual feed slot handles envelopes and specialty media. Compatible toner is Brother TN830, TN830XL and the two-pack.
Reviews praise the combination of speed, crisp text and low toner cost, and note that it works reliably across Windows, macOS and Linux, which is not guaranteed at this price. The high-yield TN830XL is what keeps cost per page sensible at volume, and it prints happily after weeks sitting idle.
Two cautions. It prints only, with no scanner, so if you need to digitize anything you are buying a second device or choosing a different pick. And the bundled Refresh EZ Print trial can bill overage pages if it stays active, so check that the trial is switched off after setup. A small number of owners also report units failing after roughly a year of light use.
Who the HL-L2460DW suits best?
Home offices, students printing black and white shipping labels, bookkeepers, and anyone who prints a few hundred monochrome pages a month. Powdered toner plus automatic duplex keeps the per-page cost down here, because the TN830XL high-yield cartridge spreads its cost over far more sheets than any ink set or colour cartridge on this list.
It is also the right answer for a printer that will sit unused for weeks between jobs, because powdered toner does not dry in the printhead the way liquid ink does in a cartridge. One of the owners we read described buying a Brother laser lightly used and expecting it to run for years, which is the reason the mono laser route keeps coming up in forum threads.
Where the HL-L2460DW disappoints?
It disappoints the moment you need color, a scan or a copy. There is no scanner and no color path, which is the deliberate trade that keeps the price and the running cost where they are.
The wireless setup is also fiddly. The limited-button interface makes onscreen Wi-Fi configuration tedious, and a few owners found the subscription trial harder to disable than it should be. Budget five minutes for setup rather than assuming it is plug and play.
8. Brother HL-L2405W – Best Laser Printer Under 200 for Students
- Clean install with no forced email sign up or terms acceptance
- 30 ppm sharp monochrome output
- Built in dual band 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi plus USB
- 250 sheet tray with a manual feed slot
- Long lasting toner and far less maintenance than an inkjet
- Wakes and prints reliably after weeks idle
- Manual duplex only
- QR code Wi-Fi onboarding can be slow and some users fell back to USB
- Deep Sleep mode cannot be disabled and can drop off EERO mesh networks
- Refresh trial can bill overage pages if not cancelled
- Defaults to printing the last page first until toner save mode is set
Monochrome laser print only
30 ppm black with 8.5 second first page
Manual duplex
250 sheet tray, dual band Wi-Fi and USB
The HL-L2405W is the L2460DW without the automatic duplex, and for most students that is the better buy. It runs 30 pages per minute with an 8.5 second first page, holds 250 sheets, and prints at 1200 by 1200 dpi. The toner situation is identical, so the running cost per page is the same low number.
What reviewers like most is the install. There is no forced email sign-up and no terms to accept, which sounds trivial until you have set up a printer that demanded an account. It connects over dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi or USB, includes a manual feed slot, and uses the same TN830 and TN830XL toner family.
It also needs less attention than any inkjet in this list. Owners report long-lasting toner, minimal maintenance, and reliable wake-and-print behaviour after sitting idle for weeks, which matters enormously in a dorm where the printer is used in a two-week window and then ignored for a month.
The compromises are exactly the ones the price implies. Duplex is manual, so two-sided work means flipping. QR-code onboarding is reported as time-consuming, and some users ended up using a USB cable instead. Deep Sleep cannot be disabled and can drop the machine off EERO mesh networks. The Refresh trial can bill overage pages if left on, and the printer defaults to printing the last page first until you set toner save mode.
Who the HL-L2405W suits best?
Students, and anyone printing a stack of black and white shipping labels or assignment PDFs once a month. It is the least demanding machine in this roundup: no subscription to argue with, no cartridge codes, and no risk of a clogged printhead after a semester of disuse.
It is also the value pick for a second office, a rental property or a shared space, because a plain print-only laser is simple to set up and simple to maintain.
Where the HL-L2405W disappoints?
It disappoints on duplex and on colour. Manual two-sided printing is a real step back for anything contract-shaped, and there is no scanning or copying at all.
The setup friction is the second issue. QR-code wireless onboarding runs long, Deep Sleep dropping off mesh networks is a genuine annoyance for EERO users, and the last-page-first default catches people out until they find the toner save setting.
9. Canon PIXMA TS6520 – Best Rated Printer Under 200
- Highest star rating among the cartridge based Canon PIXMA models here with 70 percent five star reviews
- Automatic two sided printing in a compact 6.7 inch tall body
- PG-295 pigment black plus CL-286 color hybrid system keeps refill costs down
- 1.42 inch monochrome OLED display shows ink levels and status
- Dual band Wi-Fi with Canon PRINT
- AirPrint and Mopria support
- Three year manufacturer warranty
- Only a single paper tray with minimal listed capacity
- No automatic document feeder so scanning is flatbed only
- Photo output is decent rather than dedicated photo quality
Cartridge inkjet all-in-one
Automatic duplex
14 ppm black and 9 ppm color
1.42 inch OLED display, 3 year warranty
The TS6520 has the highest star rating in this roundup at 4.2, with 70 percent of its ratings at five stars. That consistency is the reason to look at it: the engineering is not exotic, but the complaints are minor and predictable rather than serious.
What you get is automatic duplex, which most of this list does not have, in a body that stands 6.7 inches tall. Speed is 14 pages per minute in black and 9 in color, with a first page at 7.5 seconds black and 9.5 color. The 1.42 inch monochrome OLED display shows ink levels and status, and connectivity is dual-band Wi-Fi plus USB with Canon PRINT, AirPrint and Mopria support.
Two details push it ahead of the other cartridge Canon. The ink system is a hybrid, with a pigment-based black PG-295 tank and a dye-based CL-286 color tank, which keeps text sharp and refill costs lower than a pure two-cartridge setup. And Canon backs it with a three year manufacturer warranty, which is the longest coverage in this roundup.
Reviewers rate the easy setup, stable wireless behaviour and compact footprint highly. The limitations are the tray and the scanner. There is a single paper tray with minimal listed capacity, so plan refills during longer jobs, and there is no automatic document feeder at all, meaning every scan is a flatbed operation.
Who the TS6520 suits best?
Home users and hybrid workers who want automatic two-sided printing and a small machine, and who print enough to notice ink costs but not enough to need a tank. The hybrid cartridge system is a sensible middle ground on running cost.
The three year warranty also makes it the least risky purchase here for anyone nervous about early failure, and the OLED display removes the guesswork from checking ink levels.
Where the TS6520 disappoints?
It disappoints anyone who scans in volume, because there is no ADF and the flatbed is the only path. It also disappoints during long print runs, because the single small tray is the one place the design compromises.
Photo output is decent rather than dedicated, so if images are the point rather than documents, this is not the machine. And as a cartridge printer it still costs more per page over three years than either of the tank models above.
10. HP Smart Tank 5003 – Least Hassle Refills Under 200
- Cartridge free tank with up to 3 years and 6000 pages of ink included
- Mess free refill that needs no squeezing or spillage
- Print copy scan and borderless printing in an 11.1 pound body
- AirPrint
- Mopria and HP ePrint mobile support
- One year or 30000 page limited hardware warranty
- Manual duplex only with driver support
- Flatbed scanner only with no document feeder
- 21 second first page and 10 ppm black
- Capped at 600 dpi copy resolution
Ink tank all-in-one
Up to 3 years and 6000 pages of ink included
10 ppm black and 5 ppm color
11.1 pounds, 100 sheet tray, manual duplex
The Smart Tank 5003 is the newest listing in this roundup, and its review base is far smaller than the others, with a few hundred ratings rather than thousands. Early sentiment is positive, with 68 percent of ratings at five stars, and the reason is the refill system: you plug the bottle in and let it drain, with no squeezing and no spillage.
The ink inclusion is generous. HP quotes up to three years or 6,000 pages of ink in the box, which is the largest stated allowance of any tank printer here, and the machine handles print, copy, scan and borderless output in a body weighing just 11.1 pounds. Connectivity covers AirPrint, HP ePrint, Mopria, USB and Wi-Fi.
The trade-offs are real and they are in the feature list. Duplex is manual, driver-assisted, so two-sided work is on you. Scanning is flatbed only, with no document feeder. Speed is 10 ppm black and 5 ppm color with a 21 second first page, which is the slowest start in the roundup, and copy resolution caps at 600 dpi.
Warranty is one year or 30,000 pages, whichever comes first, which is a page-count commitment worth noting. The smaller review base also means you are buying on early sentiment rather than a long track record, which is why this sits at the bottom of the list rather than higher.
Who the Smart Tank 5003 suits best?
Anyone who has spilled ink on a desk before and would rather not do it again. The drain-in-place refill bottle is the least messy consumable system in this roundup by a clear margin, and the included ink means most light users will not refill for a year.
It is also a good fit for a family printer used a few times a week for color, since the running cost profile matches the tank models and the footprint stays small.
Where the Smart Tank 5003 disappoints?
It disappoints on document handling. No ADF, no automatic duplex and a 21 second first page make it a poor choice for a home office that runs paperwork, and it is slower than the other two tank options on black output.
It disappoints on proof. A few hundred ratings is not a reliability record, and the page-limited warranty is thinner than the three year coverage on the Canon PIXMA. Treat the first year carefully.
Inkjet or Laser Under 200: How to Choose?
Four questions decide this purchase, and in order they are volume, colour, scanning and consumables. Answer them in that order and the list above shortens to two or three realistic options.
How much do you actually print?
This is the threshold that separates a tank printer from a cartridge printer, and it is lower than most guides admit. Below roughly 50 pages a month, cartridges rarely hurt you because you are not cycling them fast. Above that, a refillable tank pays back its price difference in ink savings within the first year, and above 150 pages a month a monochrome laser becomes hard to argue with.
Homeschooling families and teachers sit firmly in the high-volume band and should start with the tank models or the WF-3820. Our all-in-one printer guide goes deeper on capacity and tray sizes if you are comparing scanners as well.
Do you need colour?
If the answer is no, do not buy an inkjet. Monochrome laser gives you faster output, sharper text and far lower cost per page, and the two Brother lasers in this roundup cost less per page over their life than any colour machine here. Colour is the single most expensive feature in budget printing, because a colour inkjet has to lay down four separate ink passes.
Do you need to scan, copy or fax?
All-in-ones bundle a flatbed scanner, and that is enough for envelopes, receipts and the occasional page. For a stack of paper, you need an automatic document feeder, and here the list thins: the HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e, the Epson WF-3820 and the Brother Work Smart 1360 have one. The Brother ADFs are 20 sheets and single-sided, so check that against the size of the documents you actually scan.
Pay attention to the legal-size nuance. Some models handle legal paper in the feeder but not on the scanner glass, which catches people out. Check both, not just one, before buying.
Consumables, subscriptions and the starter trap
Two traps catch budget buyers. The first is the starter cartridge, the low-yield unit shipped in the box, which runs out sooner than the packaging implies and feels like bait and switch. The second is subscription lock-in: the HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e works only with HP chipped cartridges, and its 3-month Instant Ink trial becomes a paid plan unless cancelled. The Brother lasers ship a Refresh trial with the same overage risk. The Brother Work Smart 1360 has no such enrolment, and neither do the Canon cartridge models.
Third-party ink is a live option on the Canon and Brother cartridge models in this roundup, with two important exceptions: a firmware update on the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 has been reported to block non-genuine cartridges, and the HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e blocks them by design. The tank printers sidestep the question entirely because you are refilling with bottles.
Wireless setup expectations
Prefer dual-band Wi-Fi, which means 2.4 and 5 GHz support, and prefer a machine with an Ethernet port as a fallback. Every printer in this roundup is Wi-Fi capable, but the models with dual-band plus Ethernet are the ones least likely to give you a setup afternoon. Dual-band pairing on dual-band routers is a recurring source of frustration, and the Brother HL-L2405W is the one where owners most often fell back to a USB cable. The HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e and the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 both give you Ethernet if the wireless route misbehaves.
Which Printer Brand Has the Fewest Problems?
Brand is the question forum threads keep circling, so here is the consensus rather than the marketing. On r/printers and in the Tom’s Hardware, bogleheads, birdcats and kiasuparents threads we reviewed, the shape of the argument is consistent.
Brother and Canon get the reliability reputation, largely because their laser lines are dependable and because owners report printers lasting a very long time. One commenter described a 20-year-old Canon printer that outlasted several replacements, which is the buy-it-once bias the forums hold toward both brands. Within this roundup, that shows up in the ratings: the two Brother lasers sit at 4.0 and 4.1 and the Canon PIXMA TS6520 is the highest rated of the ten.
Epson gets the ink-tank economics reputation. The recurring forum advice is that anyone printing beyond occasional documents should go tank-based, and the EcoTank models are the ones named. That is consistent with the yield figures on the ET-2400, at up to 4,500 black and 7,200 color pages per bottle set, and it is why the tank models sit at the top of our list.
HP gets the convenience reputation and the penalty for it. The hardware in this roundup is capable, and the 8135e has the best office feature set, but the 3.8 rating and the volume of subscription complaints are the reason buyers distrust the ecosystem. Firmware that blocks third-party cartridges and a trial that becomes a bill are the two specific objections, and they come up repeatedly.
If you want the short version: Brother for dependable monochrome and no subscription, Epson for the lowest ink cost on colour, Canon for the widest range of reliable machines across both categories, and HP only if you are comfortable inside its cartridge system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best printer for the money for home use?
The Canon MegaTank G3270 is our best printer for the money for home use, because a single set of its refillable inks covers 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages. That running cost matters far more than the purchase price over three years. If you need automatic duplex, the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 is the fastest inkjet in this roundup, and if you only print black and white, the Brother HL-L2460DW laser beats both on cost per page.
Which printer is best value for money?
The Canon MegaTank G3270 and the Epson EcoTank ET-2400 are the best value picks, because both refill from ink bottles and publish their per-set page yields. The G3270 covers 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages per ink set and the ET-2400 covers up to 4,500 black and 7,200 color pages. Either one costs far less to run than any cartridge printer in this roundup.
Which printer has the least amount of problems?
Printers that refill from ink tanks have fewer problems than cartridge machines, because there is no cartridge to clog and no subscription to cancel. Among the brands here, Brother and Canon carry the strongest reliability reputation in owner forums, and Epson leads on ink economics. The HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e has the lowest rating in this roundup at 3.8 stars, driven by cartridge lock-in and subscription complaints rather than hardware faults.
Is inkjet or laser better for home printing?
Laser is better if you only print black and white, because it is faster, produces sharper text and costs less per page. Inkjet is better if you need colour photos, and a tank-based inkjet fixes the usual ink cost problem. Our rule for most homes: mono laser for documents, tank inkjet for colour, and avoid a cartridge inkjet unless you print under 50 pages a month.
Are third-party ink cartridges safe for budget printers?
Third-party cartridges work well on most Canon, Brother and Epson cartridge models, and on the tank printers the question does not apply because you refill with bottles. Two exceptions in this roundup: the HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e works only with HP chipped cartridges by design, and a firmware update on the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 has been reported to block non-genuine ink. Always check the current review reports before buying third-party cartridges.
Do cheap printers dry out if you do not use them?
Inkjet cartridges can dry out and clog if a printer sits unused for weeks, which is the most common complaint about budget inkjets and the main reason forum users recommend laser or tank printers. Toner in a laser printer does not dry out in the printhead, so a Brother mono laser is the safest choice for a printer that goes months between jobs. A tank printer is more forgiving than a cartridge inkjet but still benefits from an occasional print.
The Verdict on the Best Printers Under 200
The Canon MegaTank G3270 wins this roundup because 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages per ink set changes the arithmetic on every other machine here. Print, copy, scan and Wi-Fi are all covered, and the running cost over three years is lower than anything else on this list.
Buy the Epson EcoTank ET-2400 instead if desk space is tight or you want the highest resolution figure available. Buy the Brother HL-L2460DW if you print black and white only and want the lowest cost per page with automatic duplex. Everything else in this roundup is a variation on one of those three paths.
Check the current price on each card before you commit, because models at the top of this price band move above and below the line regularly, and that can change which of these three is the right call for you.