Best printer copier scanner for home use

OCTOBER 2022 - EDITOR'S NOTE

We've compared these all-in-one printers across various factors, like their printing style, quality, size, connectivity, and speed. We assessed their connectivity options and interface, among other aspects.

If you know you won’t need anything other than a peripheral that prints documents, then by all means, just get a regular printer. However, if you know you’ll need something that does other things, only the best all-in-one printers are capable of meeting your varying demands. We found all the top ones out there that are guaranteed to do an excellent job. Whether it’s a compact and affordable device best for home use to a more robust printer that can handle larger workloads, every product on this list is guaranteed to do an excellent job of all the tasks it's built for.

The best all-in-one printers are the bee’s knees of peripherals because they’re practically a one-stop shop for everything you need. Well, maybe not everything, but they serve several input and output functions. They can not only print and copy documents but also scan them as well as send and receive faxes and send documents via email, which makes them an important investment whether you have a household with multiple demands or are running a business.

A printer that can meet all your printing, scanning, and document-sending needs are also more cost-effective. Even if you think you might save by getting one of the best cheap printers, an all-in-one printer might have a better return on investment, depending on your daily needs. And, since it’s a single device that can do a little bit of everything, you’re also saving space.

Also, check out our reviews of the best small business printers and the best UPS. 

The best all-in-one printers of 2022 in full

An all-in-one printer with plenty of ink in the tank

Specifications

Category: All-in-one color inkjet printer

Print speed: 15ppm (mono)

Paper capacity: 250 sheets

Paper size: up to A4

Reasons to buy

+

High ink capacity

Reasons to avoid

-

No touchscreen

This three-in-one inkjet printer can print, scan and copy and has a 30-sheet ADF (automatic document feed) for scheduled copying tasks. There’s no touchscreen or front USB port, but it can print very well at high resolution making it great for photos and text documents.

It also has four refillable ink tanks, which means savings of up to 90 percent on an equivalent cartridge-based model. And there’s a generous amount of bottled ink in the box -- enough for 14,000 black and white pages, or 5,200 colors. The Epson EcoTank ET-3850's running cost is remarkably low, and despite being compact, it can hold 250 sheets of A4 paper and 337ml of ink.

This model is available in ice white in the US and Black in the UK and has an Epson Smart Panel companion app.

Read the full review: Epson EcoTank ET-3850

An all-in-one printer with a smart design and touchscreen convenience

Specifications

Category: All-in-one color laser printer

Print speed: 27ppm (mono)

Paper capacity: 250 + 50 sheets

Paper size: up to A4

Reasons to buy

+

Great touchscreen

Reasons to avoid

-

Not the fastest laser

The crisp design of the Canon i-SENSYS MF742Cdw would not look out of place in the office or the home office, and it comes with all of the features you could need for either situation. There is duplex printing, a fifty-sheet ADF, and a front USB port for walk-up printing from a thumb drive. 

The print speed and print quality are good enough for any small to medium-sized business, and the running cost is competitive. You can load 250 sheets of A4 paper in the main tray and add further paper trays if required. Thanks to the excellent touchscreen interface and built-in Wi-Fi functionality, it is also very easy to use. 

But if your work requires fax, you should look at the almost identical i-SENSYS MF744Cdw model. 

Read the full review: Canon i-SENSYS MF742Cdw

All-in-one printer with added A3 capability

Specifications

Category: 4-in-1 colour inkjet printer

Print speed: 22ppm

Paper capacity: 300

Paper sizes: up to A3

Reasons to buy

+

Vivid colour prints 

Reasons to avoid

-

More costly than laser 

This all-singing all-in-one comes with a long list of features and equally impressive specifications. The Brother MFC-J5330DW's paper tray can hold 250 sheets, and the automatic document feeder has another 50. Its maximum print speed can rival laser printers, and the cost per page is only a little higher if you buy the high-capacity inkjet carts. Colour prints look bold and bright, but this machine’s party trick is its ability to print on A3-size paper. 

The Brother MFC-J5330DW is aimed at busy small to medium-business users and doesn't have some consumer-friendly features on home printers, like an SD card slot or NFC for connecting to a mobile device. But there is Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity so users won't miss out on swift connectivity and convenience. 

Read the full review: Brother MFC-J5330DW

An all-in-one printer with first class laser printing and photocopying

Specifications

Category: 4-in-1 mono laser printer

Print speed: 28ppm

Paper capacity: 300

Paper sizes: up to A4

Reasons to buy

+

Crisp print quality 

Reasons to avoid

-

Expensive device and toner cartridges

If you have the space for it, the multifunction HP LaserJet Pro MFP M227fdw will serve a small business well thanks to its consistently crisp print quality, useful 35-sheet automatic document feeder, and automated photocopying skills. This is a mono machine, and it’s not the fastest laser on the block, but it’s quicker than any inkjet and offers an attractive blend of features and performance.  

The printer's 250-sheet paper capacity and 30ppm print speed make it quite productive, and features like scanning to email, duplex printing, and wireless connectivity for up to five users make it simple and convenient. The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M227fdw's fixed display is a touchscreen, making it easier to use than the mono LCD panels found on regular printers. 

Read the full review: HP LaserJet Pro MFP M227fdw

An affordable all-in-one printer for the home office

Specifications

Category: All-in-one color inkjet printer

Print speed: 17ppm (mono)

Paper capacity: 150 sheets

Paper size: up to A4

Reasons to buy

+

Competitive price

Reasons to avoid

-

No Ethernet port

This inexpensive inkjet is an all-rounder and ideal for a home office with fairly low print demands. It’s a three-in-one with print, scan, and copy capability, and the US model comes with a 20-sheet ADF (automatic document feed). 

The nearest equivalent UK model (Brother DCP-J1140DW) has no ADF, but it prints reliably, quickly (16.5 ppm color and 17 ppm black and white), and with an all-around performance that belies the low price. There’s no front USB port and no Ethernet port at the rear, but there is a touchscreen interface, and we think this basic Brother printer is a bargain.  

The printer has various connectivity options, like built-in Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and NFC for swift mobile device printing. With its compact design and flexible connectivity options, the Brother MFC-J1170DW is suitable for home offices and small offices. 

Read the full review: Brother DCP-J1140DW.

6. HP Envy 5055 (5010 in the UK): Best for photo printing

Another affordable all-in-one printer with a forte for photos

Specifications

Category: 3-in-1 colour inkjet printer

Print speed: 10ppm

Paper capacity: 100

Paper size: up to A4

Reasons to buy

+

Affordable  

Reasons to avoid

-

High ink cost 

This compact and affordable all-in-one can print, scan and photocopy, but its real strength is printing photos on photo paper. To meet the price point, the HP Envy 5055 is fairly light on features, so there’s no Ethernet or front USB port, for example, and it prints very slowly, but the results are rather good when it comes to full-color photos. The supplied starter cartridges are rather light on ink, but if you replace them with high-capacity carts, the running cost is also fairly competitive.

The printer doesn't have an automatic document feeder, but its photo prints are excellent. If you pair it with HP’s Instant Ink subscription program, the running costs decrease fairly. Connectivity options on the printer include Wi-Fi, Wireless Direct, and USB connectivity (single device). 

An inkjet all-in-one printer that prints like a laser

Specifications

Category: 4-in-1 colour inkjet MFD

Print speed: 22ppm

Paper capacity: 500

Paper size: up to A3

Reasons to buy

+

A3 capability   

Reasons to avoid

-

Inconsistent prints 

Brother’s broad range of business-like all-in-ones includes laser and inkjet models, and sometimes the line between them is blurred. This feature-packed four-in-one device prints as quickly as a laser and has a high capacity for ink and paper, but being an inkjet, it’s also very good at printing photos. The Brother MFC-J5945DW is also a little smaller than an equivalent laser model, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a laser at this price that can handle A3 paper.

It comes with standard-sized ink cartridges, but the printer's running costs can be lower than some laser printers if you use high-yield cartridges that can deliver 6000 pages. There's a companion app for smartphones (Brother iPrint&Scan), and once you install it, it'll immediately find and join the printer, so you can print, scan, and monitor the printer’s status from your phone.

Read the full review: Brother MFC-J5945DW

8. Epson EcoTank ET-2756: Best refillable option

Refillable tanks give this all-in-one printer an edge

Specifications

Category: All-in-one color inkjet printer

Print speed: 33ppm (mono)

Paper capacity: 100 sheets

Paper size: up to A4

Reasons to buy

+

Plenty of ink in the box

Reasons to avoid

-

No ethernet port

The Epson EcoTank ET-2760 (opens in new tab) (known as the ET-2756 in the UK (opens in new tab)) costs considerably more than Epson’s cartridge-based all-in-one printers, but in the long term, the refillable tanks promise to reduce your consumables cost by up to 90%. This is a well-specified and fully-featured three-in-one device with Wi-Fi, duplex printing, and a rapid monochrome print rate. What sets it apart from the cartridge crowd is the generous amount of ink included in the box — enough for 7,500 black and white pages or 6,000 colors. 

The printer has a companion app (Epson Connect services) and Wi-Fi connectivity. With this app, you can print remotely using smartphones and tablets and email your documents to the printer's unique email address for swift printing. The EcoTank ET-2756 is also compatible with Apple AirPrint. 

Substantial laser all-in-one printer for heavy workloads

Specifications

Category: 4-in-1 colour laser MFD

Print speed: 35ppm

Paper capacity: 550 + 100

Paper size: up to A4

Reasons to buy

+

Very fast    

Reasons to avoid

-

Expensive and Wi-Fi module is sold separately

If you can find room in your office for this substantial four-in-one laser device, it will almost certainly meet your printing, scanning, and copying requirements. The Xerox VersaLink C405 has a very high capacity for toner and paper, with room for 550 sheets in the main paper tray and another 150 in its multipurpose tray. It photocopies and prints very quickly, and the large touchscreen interface is the most sophisticated you will find on the front of any printer.  

This is a powerful multifunctional printer, and it'll likely accommodate all the paper-handling demands of a medium or even a large office. But it weighs 33kg and has a large footprint, so you'll need enough space to keep it and at least two people to shift it around. Despite looking fairly wide, the Xerox VersaLink C405 can't accommodate A3 paper. 

Read the full review: Xerox VersaLink C405

10. Canon PIXMA G7020: Best for affordability

Affordable all-in-one printer with solid all-round performance

Specifications

Category: All-in-one color inkjet printer

Print speed: 13ppm (mono)

Paper capacity: 250 + 100 sheets

Paper size: up to A4

Reasons to buy

+

Strong all-rounder

Reasons to avoid

-

Small display

The Canon PIXMA G7020 (opens in new tab) (called the G7050 in the UK (opens in new tab)) marks a significant refinement in Canon’s cartridge-free MegaTank technology, and this model sits at the top of its product tree. 

It is very well-featured, with duplex printing and scanning, an automatic document feeder, and a fax facility. There’s plenty of room for paper in the main tray and ink in the box — enough for 18,000 monochrome pages or 7,700 color pages. That makes this all-in-one printer the most economical and ideal for a small office that needs to print plenty of color documents. 

The printer doesn't have touchscreen functionality. Instead, it has a tiny two-line monochrome LCD screen and navigation buttons. Although it's inconvenient using a dated control panel like that, the G7020 has solid connectivity options, like USB 2.0, Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and companion apps for iOS and Android. 

A3 office printer with all the extras

Specifications

Category: All-in-one color inkjet printer

Print speed: 28 ipm (mono)

Paper sizes: Up to A3

Paper capacity: 500 + 100 sheets

Paper size: up to A3

Reasons to buy

+

Print and copy A3 documents

Reasons to avoid

-

Paper trays protrude with A3

The Brother MFC-J6940DW is a big office all-in-one that proves, without a doubt, that inkjet means business. It prints as fast as the average laser, with the advantage of being able to print on coated photo paper. It comes with all the executive toys with NFC, duplex scanning, and a 50-page ADF (automatic document feeder). The generous 8.8cm color touchscreen makes it exceptionally easy to use, while having two separate paper trays is undeniably convenient. The print quality is strong with monochrome text pages and color photos, making it a very flexible workhorse.

The catch, as with all cartridge-based inkjets, is the ongoing print cost. It takes Brother’s standard and high-yield Innobella ink cartridges, which are great quality, but not cheap. Sadly, this model is not compatible with Brother’s super high-yield INKvestment Tank cartridges, which would have made the running cost much more competitive. Toner cartridges, with their higher yield, ensure laser printers will nearly always have a lower cost-per-page than this. Neither can it compete with refillable inkjet printers, which are far more economical to run.

Read our full Brother MFC-J6940DW review (opens in new tab).

•  You might also want to check out our rundown of the best ink tank printers right now 

The best all-in-one printers: How we test

Although there are now many printers out there for individuals to choose from, we specifically wanted to find the best all-in-one printer for this review. This device may not specialize in photographic printing or wireless connectivity, but that can do a bit of everything well. In compiling these nine printers, we looked at countless more, choosing devices that would work in a family home and as part of a small business. 

We assessed these printers across several factors: speed, print quality, price, size, and simplicity. To make the cut as one of our best all-in-one printers, a device had to score well across all these metrics.

Collin is the B2B Hardware Editor for TechRadar Pro. He has been in journalism for years with experience in both small and large markets including Gearadical, DailyBeast, FutureNet and more.