A printer is judged on print quality, but the deciding factor for most homes is what each page costs over years — ink and toner, not the sticker price. Our pick is the Epson EcoTank ET-2800, with an SR Score of 89: refillable tanks give it the lowest running cost here, with about two years of ink in the box. The Brother HL-L2460DW (88) is the runner-up for fast, cheap text printing.
The ranking
| Rank | Printer | Best for | Type / price | SR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | Lowest ink cost | Ink tank AIO / ~$200 | 89 |
| 2 | Brother HL-L2460DW | Text printing | Mono laser / ~$180 | 88 |
| 3 | HP Envy 6555e | Cheap all-in-one | Inkjet AIO / ~$100 | 84 |
| 4 | Brother MFC-J4335DW | Home office AIO | Inkjet AIO / ~$160 | 84 |
| 5 | Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 | Photo printing | Ink tank AIO / ~$700 | 86 |
| 6 | Canon PIXMA G3270 | Color tank value | Ink tank AIO / ~$250 | 83 |
| 7 | Brother MFC-L3780CDW | Color laser AIO | Color laser / ~$450 | 82 |
Methodology
The Printer Score v2026 rubric weights five criteria:
- Running cost (ink/toner) (30) — cost per page over time.
- Print quality (25) — text crispness, color, photo output.
- Features & connectivity (20) — scan/copy/fax, Wi-Fi stability, ADF, duplex.
- Value for money (15) — price for the package.
- Reputation & reviews (10) — tester track record.
Running cost leads, because ink is where printers quietly drain money. Print quality is close behind. Re-weight Print quality up and the photo-focused EcoTank ET-8500 climbs to the top.
Epson EcoTank ET-2800
The lowest-cost pick, around $200. A cartridge-free all-in-one with refillable tanks, up to ~90% ink savings versus cartridges, and roughly two years of ink included — the cheapest to run over time.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Running cost (ink/toner) | 29/30 |
| Print quality | 21/25 |
| Features & connectivity | 16/20 |
| Value for money | 14/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 9/10 |
Trade-off: higher up-front price than a cheap cartridge inkjet, and print speed is modest.
Brother HL-L2460DW
The text pick, around $180. A mono laser that prints fast, crisp black text with very low cost per page and Brother’s stable Wi-Fi — ideal if you mostly print documents.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Running cost (ink/toner) | 27/30 |
| Print quality | 22/25 |
| Features & connectivity | 16/20 |
| Value for money | 15/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: black and white only, with no scanning or color.
HP Envy 6555e
The cheap all-in-one, around $100. A simple inkjet for printing, scanning, and copying at the lowest entry price, good for light, occasional household use.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Running cost (ink/toner) | 18/30 |
| Print quality | 21/25 |
| Features & connectivity | 17/20 |
| Value for money | 14/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: cartridge ink is expensive per page, and HP pushes the Instant Ink subscription.
Brother MFC-J4335DW
The home-office pick, around $160. An inkjet all-in-one with higher-capacity ink, duplex printing, an automatic document feeder, and Brother’s reliable wireless for steady mixed use.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Running cost (ink/toner) | 23/30 |
| Print quality | 21/25 |
| Features & connectivity | 18/20 |
| Value for money | 14/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: cartridge ink still costs more per page than an EcoTank.
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500
The photo pick, around $700. A six-ink tank all-in-one that produces vibrant, gallery-quality photos with the EcoTank low running cost, the best home printer for image output here.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Running cost (ink/toner) | 26/30 |
| Print quality | 24/25 |
| Features & connectivity | 17/20 |
| Value for money | 11/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 9/10 |
Trade-off: a high up-front price aimed at photographers, overkill for plain documents.
Canon PIXMA G3270
The color-tank value pick, around $250. A MegaTank all-in-one with refillable ink, low per-page color cost, and scan and copy for households that print color regularly.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Running cost (ink/toner) | 26/30 |
| Print quality | 21/25 |
| Features & connectivity | 15/20 |
| Value for money | 13/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: slower than laser and fewer office features than the Brother AIO.
Brother MFC-L3780CDW
The color laser pick, around $450. A color laser all-in-one that prints fast color documents with stable Wi-Fi and a full scan/copy/fax suite for busier home offices.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Running cost (ink/toner) | 22/30 |
| Print quality | 21/25 |
| Features & connectivity | 19/20 |
| Value for money | 12/15 |
| Reputation & reviews | 8/10 |
Trade-off: color toner sets are pricey, and it is overkill for light home use.
How to choose
Start with what you print and how much. If you print regularly and want the lowest running cost, the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is the clear pick. If you mostly print black text fast, the Brother HL-L2460DW laser is cheaper still per page and dead reliable on Wi-Fi. Light, occasional users can save up front with the HP Envy 6555e, accepting pricier ink. Photographers should pay up for the EcoTank ET-8500, which tops the list the moment you re-weight the rubric toward Print quality. Busy home offices that need fast color get the Brother color laser. Decide your monthly volume first, then ink versus laser, and the score follows.
Verification
- Epson EcoTank ET-2800 — ink-tank AIO, ~90% ink savings, ~$200 verified via Best Buy and RTINGS.
- Brother HL-L2460DW — mono laser, low cost per page verified via RTINGS and CNN Underscored.
- HP Envy 6555e — inkjet AIO, simple print/scan/copy verified via Tom’s Guide.
- Brother MFC-J4335DW / Epson ET-8500 / Canon G3270 — AIO type and pricing (~$160 / ~$700 / ~$250) verified via RTINGS and Consumer Reports.
- Brother MFC-L3780CDW — color laser AIO verified via Tom’s Guide and Talk of the House.
Related rankings
- Best Photo Printers 2026: 7 Scored
- Best 2-in-1 Laptops 2026: 7 Scored
- Best 4K Monitors 2026: 7 Scored
- Best Action Cameras 2026: 7 Scored
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best printer in 2026?
- The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 for most homes: its refillable ink tanks make per-page cost the lowest of any printer here. For text-heavy printing, the Brother HL-L2460DW mono laser; for a cheap all-in-one, the HP Envy 6555e.
- Ink tank, cartridge, or laser?
- Ink tank (Epson EcoTank) is cheapest per page over time and best for color and photos. Laser (Brother) is fastest and cheapest for black text. Cartridge inkjets (HP Envy) cost least up front but most per page, so they suit light use.
- Should I avoid printers that need a subscription?
- Some HP printers push the Instant Ink subscription and can disable third-party or even unused cartridges. If you dislike subscriptions, the Epson EcoTank and Brother laser models avoid that model entirely with refillable tanks or cheap toner.
- Which brand is most reliable on Wi-Fi?
- Brother printers tend to hold the most stable wireless connections in testing, followed by Canon. If a dropped Wi-Fi printer is your pet peeve, a Brother model is the safe pick.