Reviews
Published August 21, 2022
All-in-one printers are among the best and earliest examples of technological convergence. First introduced in the early 1990s, all-in-one printers (also known as multifunction printers) combine printing with copying, scanning, and in some cases, faxing. These machines not only help save space, but they can also reduce overall maintenance costs since only one device needs to be serviced.
If you’re interested in purchasing a multifunction printer for your home or office, check out our list of the five best to help you make the right decision. In evaluating nearly two dozen choices, we took into account total cost, functionality, print quality, connectivity options, and user reviews.
What to consider before buying the best at-home printer
Purpose: Are you purchasing a printer for work, school, or occasional home use? This will largely influence the type of printer and functions you’ll need.
Inkjet or Laser: For high-res reports or images, opt for an inkjet printer. Meanwhile, a laser printer is best for printing large volumes of documents at a low cost-per-page.
Connectivity: These days, all-in-one printers offer a variety of smart, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity options in addition to hard-wired connections like USB and Ethernet.
Speeds: If you need to print, copy, and scan often, find an all-in-one device that can handle those tasks with minimal delay.
Cost: Beyond the initial cost of the printer, also factor in how much you’ll potentially spend on replacement ink and printer paper each year.
The best all-in-one printer overall is the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e, which includes six months of free ink refills in addition to its already low maintenance costs. Plus, it does an excellent job of rendering black-and-white documents and produces decent color graphics, too. Head below for the rest of our top picks.
Also see: the best budget laptops, the best portable air purifiers, and the best artificial plants.
Our Picks
Top Pick
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e Printer
Best All-in-One Printer Overall
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is an economical all-in-one inkjet printer that’ll suit small businesses and remote workers. Not only is it affordable to maintain (prints costs are as low as 2 cents per page with high-yield cartridges), it also includes six months of free ink refills.
The HP prints, copies, scans, and faxes quickly but not at the expense of quality. It renders text-heavy documents well and does a decent job with color graphics. To further streamline things, the HP 9015e features automatic duplexing for up to 35 pages at a time so you don’t have to manually flip each sheet of paper. There are myriad connectivity options, but the most notable is the self-healing Wi-Fi, which means the printer will attempt to fix itself before displaying an error message and requiring human intervention.
You can set up and control the HP from a phone or tablet via the HP Smart App—which may ultimately be your preference as the tiny icons on the printer’s 2.7-inch touchscreen are difficult to navigate. That minor caveat aside, for a reliable all-in-one home or office printer with relatively inexpensive operating costs, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better than the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e.
Pros
- Comes with six months of free ink refills
- Has built-in malware and data encryption
- Operating costs are as low as 2 cents per page
- Automatic document feeder
Cons
- Tends to be noisy
- Touchscreen icons are tiny
Specs
Type Inkjet
Functions Fax, Scan, Copy, Print
Connectivity USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Mobile Printing Chrome OS, HP Smart App, Apple AirPrint
Display 2.7-inch color touchscreen
Max Print Speed 18 ppm (color)
22 ppm (black)
Splurge
HP Color M479fdw LaserJet Pro
Best All-in-One Laser Printer
The HP Color LaserJet Pro M479fdw is the best laser printer for businesses and home offices that churn out a high volume of documents. It has a max print speed of 28 pages-per-minute (both monochrome and color) and is able to produce up to 4,000 pages a month.
Operating this HP is simple, using the large 4.3-inch color touchscreen, which you can customize with appropriate shortcuts for printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. However, you can also control this all-in-one HP machine via Apple AirPrint or Google Cloud Print. There’s even support for Amazon Alexa voice control, provided you have a compatible Alexa device at the ready.
The business-friendly HP has a wealth of security features that include instant threat notifications and optional PIN printing to protect confidential documents. Note that if you opt to print documents in color, bear in mind that operating costs will skew higher due to the high price of the toner; however, its high-yield toners are good for as many as 7,500 pages per cartridge.
Pros
- High monthly page yields
- Works with Amazon Alexa
- Has a 4.3-inch customizable touchscreen
Cons
- Sometimes prints unevenly
- Expensive maintenance costs
Specs
Type All-in-one color laser
Functions Fax, Scan, Copy, Print
Connectivity USB, Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet
Mobile Printing HP ePrint, Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print
Display 4.3-inch color touchscreen
Max Print Speed 28 ppm (color & black)
Worth A Look
Epson Expression XP-970 Photo Printer
Best All-in-One Photo Printer
The Epson Expression Photo XP-970 stands out among all-in-one home printers for its ability to deliver stunning photos that are on-par with much pricier pro-level photo printers. It’s perfect for novice photographers who want to share their snapshots beyond Instagram.
The Epson XP-970 can print 4 × 6 glossies, 11 × 7 borderless photos, and labels for CDs and DVDs. You can edit your photos directly on the printer using its 4.3-inch color touchscreen plus any of its wired or wireless connections. There’s a built-in memory card slot if you’d prefer not to lug your camera around to access photos. Mobile printing options include Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, and Epson Connect. You can even link the Epson to a compatible Alexa or Google Home device for hands-free operation.
While the Epson Expression produces stellar photos, the quality of its text-heavy documents is middling. Plus, it uses six ink cartridges, which can drive up maintenance costs if you print often. But for amateur photographers seeking an affordable photo printer that also scans and copies, the Epson XP-970 is the best choice.
Pros
- Photo print quality is excellent
- Has a built-in memory card slot
- Multitude of connectivity options
Cons
- Expensive to maintain
- Text documents don’t look as sharp
Specs
Type Color inkjet
Functions Scan, copy, print
Connectivity USB, AirPrint, Ethernet, PictBridge, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Google Cloud Print
Mobile Printing Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPrint, Epson Connect, Google Assistant, Google Cloud Print
Display 4.3-inch color touchscreen
Max Print Speed 8 ppm (color)
8.5 ppm (black)
Best Value
Canon MG3620 Printer
Best Printer for Occasional Use
The Canon MG3620 multifunction color inkjet offers solid value for households that want a printer for infrequent use, such as for family photos or tax forms.
The Canon MG3620 prints text-heavy documents with above-average quality. It also produces rich, glossy photographs, which is great news if you design your own holiday cards or print family portraits. An added bonus here is the high-quality built-in scanner.
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Very good for photo prints
- Superb scan quality for its price
Cons
- No LCD control panel
- Copier functions are limited
- Loss of quality for dual-sided prints
Specs
Type Color inkjet
Functions Scan, copy, print
Connectivity USB, 802.11n Wi-Fi, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print
Mobile Printing N/A
Display N/A
Max Print Speed 5.7 ppm (color)
9.9 ppm (black)
Also Tested
Brother MFC-J497DW Inkjet Multifunction Printer
Best Home All-in-One Printer
The Brother MFC-J497DW Inkjet Multifunction Printer is a capable all-in-one printer for home use. It has higher-than-average operating costs, but that won’t be an issue if you only plan to use it for yearly tax returns or holiday greeting cards.
The Brother contains a built-in flatbed copier and scanner along with a fax machine. This all-in-one printer isn’t a speed demon, but it reproduces text-heavy documents quickly and clearly. (It also does an admirable job with images.) To help shave seconds from your overall print time, there’s an automatic duplexing feature and a document feeder so you won’t have to manually flip or add paper. If you own a compatible Amazon Alexa device, you can set up the Brother Alexa skill and operate the printer with your voice.
The small footprint means you’ll have little trouble finding room for it on your desk. It has a miniscule 1.8-inch touchscreen. It also has a number of mobile printing options, including the aforementioned Amazon Alexa, so you can control it with ease using your favorite device instead.
Pros
- Has a small footprint
- Supports Amazon Alexa
- Prints documents quickly and clearly
Cons
- Touchscreen is very small
- Overall print times are slow
Specs
Type Inkjet
Functions Fax, Scan, Copy, Print
Connectivity Wireless
Mobile Printing Apple AirPrint, Amazon Alexa, Brother Mobile Connect
Display 1.8-inch color touchscreen
Max Print Speed 10 ppm (color)
12 ppm (black)
Compare
Top Pick
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e Printer
Best All-in-One Printer Overall $289.99 Buy Now
Pros
- Comes with six months of free ink refills
- Has built-in malware and data encryption
- Operating costs are as low as 2 cents per page
- Automatic document feeder
Cons
- Tends to be noisy
- Touchscreen icons are tiny
Type
Inkjet
Functions
Fax, Scan, Copy, Print
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Mobile Printing
Chrome OS, HP Smart App, Apple AirPrint
Display
2.7-inch color touchscreen
Max Print Speed
18 ppm (color)
22 ppm (black)
Splurge
HP Color M479fdw LaserJet Pro
Best All-in-One Laser Printer $749.00 Buy Now
Pros
- High monthly page yields
- Works with Amazon Alexa
- Has a 4.3-inch customizable touchscreen
Cons
- Sometimes prints unevenly
- Expensive maintenance costs
Type
All-in-one color laser
Functions
Fax, Scan, Copy, Print
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet
Mobile Printing
HP ePrint, Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print
Display
4.3-inch color touchscreen
Max Print Speed
28 ppm (color & black)
Worth A Look
Epson Expression XP-970 Photo Printer
Best All-in-One Photo Printer $329.99 Buy Now
Pros
- Photo print quality is excellent
- Has a built-in memory card slot
- Multitude of connectivity options
Cons
- Expensive to maintain
- Text documents don’t look as sharp
Type
Color inkjet
Functions
Scan, copy, print
Connectivity
USB, AirPrint, Ethernet, PictBridge, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Google Cloud Print
Mobile Printing
Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPrint, Epson Connect, Google Assistant, Google Cloud Print
Display
4.3-inch color touchscreen
Max Print Speed
8 ppm (color)
8.5 ppm (black)
Best Value
Canon MG3620 Printer
Best Printer for Occasional Use $69.99 Buy Now
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Very good for photo prints
- Superb scan quality for its price
Cons
- No LCD control panel
- Copier functions are limited
- Loss of quality for dual-sided prints
Type
Color inkjet
Functions
Scan, copy, print
Connectivity
USB, 802.11n Wi-Fi, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print
Mobile Printing
N/A
Display
N/A
Max Print Speed
5.7 ppm (color)
9.9 ppm (black)
Also Tested
Brother MFC-J497DW Inkjet Multifunction Printer
Best Home All-in-One Printer $296.98 Buy Now
Pros
- Has a small footprint
- Supports Amazon Alexa
- Prints documents quickly and clearly
Cons
- Touchscreen is very small
- Overall print times are slow