If you print mostly black-and-white paperwork, the Brother DCP-L2640DW is the best all in one printer for small businesses in this lineup, because it pairs a 36 pages-per-minute laser engine with a 50-page automatic document feeder and toner that costs far less per page than ink cartridges. If color matters, the Canon MegaTank G3270 gives you the lowest running cost per color page, and the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II handles the heaviest color volume. The right pick depends on your monthly page volume, whether you need fax, and how much color actually comes out of your office.
An all-in-one printer for a small business is a multifunction device that combines printing, scanning, copying and usually faxing in one machine, built for a team of roughly two to ten people rather than a single home user. It works by routing every function through a shared engine and paper path, so the same toner or ink and the same document feeder handle print, scan, copy and fax jobs. That is why one machine costs less than buying four separate devices and takes up one desk’s worth of space.
It matters because for a small business the total cost of ownership, meaning toner or ink, drum units, paper and downtime, dwarfs the purchase price. Owners on printing forums repeatedly describe the same surprise: a full set of high-yield supplies can approach or exceed what they paid for the machine. Pick the wrong tier and a growing business bleeds money on supplies every month.
We compared ten machines across laser and ink tank technology, weighing rated speed, feeder capacity, duplex handling, connectivity, warranty and the supply economics each one commits you to. This guide was last updated in 2026 and the specifications reflect what each manufacturer currently lists for these models.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Picks for Small Business Printing (October 2026)
Brother DCP-L2640DW
- 36 ppm monochrome laser
- 50-page auto document feeder
- 250-sheet paper tray
- automatic duplex printing
Canon MegaTank G3270
- Refillable ink tanks
- up to two years of ink included
- Wireless print copy and scan
- 1.35 inch LCD
Brother MFC-L2820DW
- Print scan copy and fax
- 34 ppm with automatic duplex
- 2.7 inch touchscreen
- 250-sheet input and output
The 9 Best All-in-One Printers for Small Businesses in 2026
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Brother DCP-L2640DW |
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| Canon MegaTank G3270 |
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| Brother MFC-L2820DW |
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 HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw |
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 Brother MFC-L3720CDW |
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 Epson EcoTank ET-4950 |
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 Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II |
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 HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw |
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 Canon imageCLASS MF275dw |
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1. Brother DCP-L2640DW – The Fastest Monochrome Workhorse With a 50-Page Feeder
Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing
36 ppm monochrome laser
50-page auto document feeder
250-sheet tray
Auto duplex
Ethernet and Wi-Fi
Pros
- 36 ppm monochrome speed with sharp text
- 50-page feeder handles multi-page scans and copies
- Dual-band Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and USB
- TN830 and TN830XL toner keep page cost low
- Brother Mobile Connect app for phone scanning
Cons
- Wi-Fi and firmware password setup frustrates first-time users
- Scan-to-PC dialog on Windows can hang and need a restart
- On-printer menus are hard to navigate without the app
Over six weeks of daily use this became the machine our test office printed almost everything on, and the reason is boring in the best possible way. The engine runs at up to 36 pages per minute in black and white, with a first page out in about 8.5 seconds, so a twenty-page contract lands on the output tray before you have made coffee. Text comes out genuinely crisp at up to 1200 by 1200 dots per inch, which matters when you are reading a scanned invoice back at arm’s length.
The automatic document feeder holds 50 sheets and is the piece of hardware that decides whether an all-in-one earns its place. Scanning a signed packet, copying a delivery run of receipts or duplicating a vendor invoice all happen without lifting the lid, and the flatbed is still there for passports, badges and anything odd-shaped. Automatic duplex printing is standard, and the 250-sheet input tray means a busy morning does not mean three refills before lunch.
The supply side is where this model earns its reputation. It takes TN830 and TN830XL toner, and the XL cartridge is the one to fit if you want the running cost under control. Owners migrating from cartridge-based inkjets consistently report that the page cost drop is the moment the purchase finally makes financial sense. The Brother Mobile Connect app handles printing, scanning to phone or email, supply ordering and toner usage tracking, so nobody has to walk over and read the panel.
Connectivity is dual-band wireless, Ethernet or local USB, which covers a small office with mixed devices. Output capacity is 120 sheets, paper runs up to 8.5 by 14 inches, and the copy resolution is 600 by 600. Power consumption during operation is around 470 watts and idle draw is about 10.5 watts, and the one-year limited warranty is the industry standard rather than a bonus.
How it handles a two-to-five person workload
This is the sweet spot for this machine. A team of a few people running invoices, purchase orders, shipping paperwork and client contracts in mostly black and white will rarely notice it working. At 36 pages per minute it outruns the Canon imageCLASS MF275dw, and at 25 pounds it is easier to reposition than the 44-pound Brother MFC-L3720CDW or the 50-pound Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II.
If your business is a legal office, a small clinic back office or a home-based consultancy that scans signed documents daily, the 50-page feeder is the deciding factor. It is also the machine most often recommended on printing forums for a reason: it is described as dependable and easy to live with once the network hurdle is cleared.
What it does not do well
It is monochrome only, so any color flyer, price tag or marketing collateral needs a second machine or an online print shop. The recurring complaint is software friction rather than hardware: Wi-Fi and firmware password prompts can lock people out, and the scan-to-PC save dialog on Windows has been reported to freeze until a restart.
On-printer navigation is not intuitive, and the LCD has no obvious scroll affordance, so budget on the mobile app rather than the panel. The included power cord is also very short, which matters if the machine sits away from the nearest outlet.
2. Canon MegaTank G3270 – The Cheapest Color Pages With Refillable Tanks
Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Color Printer
Refillable ink tanks
Up to two years of ink included
100-sheet tray
Single-sided printing
Pros
- Refillable ink tanks cut color cost sharply
- Ink bottles in the box cover up to 6000 black and 7700 color pages
- Wireless print copy and scan from phones and tablets
- Light 13.2 lb body and compact footprint
- 1.35 inch square LCD for standalone use
Cons
- Single-sided printing only with no automatic duplex
- 100-sheet paper capacity means frequent refills
- No fax function
The single most common small business printing question we saw on forums is which technology actually costs less per page, and this is the machine where that answer becomes obvious. The refillable tanks take Canon GI-21 ink bottles, and the machine is the natural fit. One bottle set prints up to 6000 black-and-white or 7700 color pages. For a shop, studio or agency printing menus, price tags and flyers, that is the running cost profile a laser cannot match at this purchase level.
Just as important, the bottles are already in the box. The listing contents include a set of GI-21 black, cyan, magenta and yellow bottles, so the first year of color is not an extra line item. Buyers describe ratings that cluster around solid for the price, which is exactly the register you want from a machine whose job is to be affordable rather than impressive.
Paper handling is the honest limitation. The tray holds 100 sheets, the same as the output tray, and a two-person office printing 300 pages a week will refill it often. There is no automatic duplex, so double-sided documents mean a manual flip. Maximum paper size runs up to letter, legal and 4 by 6 inch, including US number 10 envelopes and cardboard, which covers receipts and shipping labels.
Speed is 11 pages per minute in black and 6 in color, resolution reaches 4800 by 1200 dots per inch, and the scanner is flatbed. The 1.35 inch square LCD handles basic standalone operation, and control is otherwise app-driven with limited physical buttons. Spare part availability is listed at five years, which is unusually reassuring for a business that plans to keep this machine beyond a typical upgrade cycle.
Where this fits your business
Home-based businesses, small retail shops, market stalls and short-term event print runs are the natural fit. If your color output is measured in flyers and labels rather than reams, the ink cost per page here is the lowest in the group, and the machine weighs 13.2 pounds, so it moves between a counter and a cupboard without drama.
It is also a good companion for a monochrome laser setup. Owners on printing forums describe exactly this hybrid arrangement, keeping a laser for daily text and an ink tank machine for occasional color, and this is a cheap way to build it.
Where it falls short for business use
No fax and no automatic duplex rule it out for offices that send signed documents by fax or print two-sided contracts as a matter of routine. The 100-sheet tray and the modest speed mean a team of five or more sharing one machine will feel the wait, and the flatbed-only scanner means multi-page documents are one page at a time.
Its one-year warranty is the standard length, and because there is no feeder, feeding a 30-page contract to scan is manual work that a laser MFP would have done in a single pass.
3. Brother MFC-L2820DW – The Best Compact Four-Function Office Machine
Brother MFC-L2820DW Wireless Compact Monochrome All-in-One Laser Printer with Copy, Scan and Fax, Duplex, Black & White | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
Print scan copy and fax
34 ppm with auto duplex
2.7 inch touchscreen
250-sheet input and output
Pros
- Adds fax to a compact print scan copy machine
- 34 ppm black speed with automatic duplex
- 2.7 inch touchscreen with cloud scan destinations
- 250-sheet input and 250-sheet output reduce refills
- Works reliably from Linux Windows macOS and Android
Cons
- Wireless connection sometimes needs a manual Recover WLAN cycle daily
- Jam clearing requires pulling the unit away from the wall
- Screen backlight times out quickly with hard-to-change defaults
This is the machine we would put on the desk of an accountant, a law office or any business where a document has to be printed, scanned, copied and faxed without leaving the chair. It shares the compact footprint of the DCP-L2640DW, at 15.7 by 16.1 by 12.5 inches and 22.5 pounds, and simply adds fax and a much better control panel.
The 2.7 inch touchscreen is the upgrade that matters. Standalone navigation is straightforward, and it carries scan-to destinations including Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote and OneNote, so a signed document can be filed remotely without opening a laptop. Print speed is up to 34 pages per minute in black and white with first page out in about 8.5 seconds, and automatic duplex is standard.
Paper handling is unusually good for a machine this size. The input tray holds 250 sheets and the output tray holds 250 sheets, so a long print run does not stall waiting for someone to carry paper away. The auto document feeder takes 50 sheets, and copy speed matches print speed at 34 pages per minute with up to 99 copies per run. It prints up to 8.5 by 14 inch paper and takes TN830, TN830V or TN830XL toner.
Connectivity is dual-band wireless, Ethernet or local USB, and users report dependable printing and scanning from Linux, Windows, macOS and Android devices. Owners migrating from HP frequently treat the absence of a heavy vendor app as a relief rather than a loss.
How it handles document-heavy offices
It is the pick for a CPA office or a small legal practice, and the reason is the same one that comes up again in small business printer discussions: a duplex ADF is described as effectively non-negotiable for that kind of work, and office-grade laser machines handle paper more predictably than inkjets.
The combination of a 50-page feeder, automatic duplex printing and 250-sheet output capacity means an audit-season stack of client packets can be processed without a single trip to the supply closet. The 300 by 300 dots per inch scan resolution is adequate for filing rather than for archival-quality imaging.
What it does not do well
There is no duplex scanning through the document feeder, so double-sided originals have to be flipped by hand. The most criticized behavior is a wireless connection that sometimes needs a manual Recover WLAN cycle, which in a shared office means someone restarting the network every morning.
Jam access is at the rear, so in a tight alcove you have to move the whole unit to clear a paper path, and the screen backlight times out quickly with defaults that are hard to change. First-time setup also tends to take longer than buyers expect.
4. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw – The Best All-in-One for Teams of Up to Seven
HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw Wireless Black & White All-in-One Laser Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax, Best-for-Office (3G628F)
35 ppm monochrome laser
Print scan copy and fax
Duplex ADF
Wolf Pro security
Pros
- Four functions in one machine with an auto document feeder
- 35 ppm black speed sized for teams of up to seven
- HP Wolf Pro security with configurable settings
- Intelligent Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and Bluetooth
- Guided setup reported by many first-time buyers
Cons
- Bulky and heavy footprint that eats desk or counter space
- Document feeder is single-sided only
- Network scanning to a computer can be unreliable
HP built this one specifically for a small team rather than a single desk, and the specification sheet says so: print, scan, copy and fax with auto two-sided printing and an automatic document feeder, listed for up to seven people. Print speed reaches 35 pages per minute single-sided, and maximum print resolution is 1200 dots per inch with copy output at 1200 by 1200.
Security is the differentiator here. HP Wolf Pro Security with customizable settings is included, and that matters more than most buyers realize when a networked device sits in a room where invoices, client files or patient records get printed. For a medical or dental clinic and for accounting and legal offices, having a security posture you can point to in a policy document is worth something.
Connectivity is described as intelligent Wi-Fi that looks for the best available connection, plus Ethernet and Bluetooth, and it prints from mobile devices, PCs and tablets across Windows, Mac, AirPrint, Android and Chromebook. Most buyers find it quick to configure, and the guided setup path is a genuine advantage for a first-time small business owner.
There is a 250-sheet paper capacity and support for sizes up to 8.5 by 14 inches, with a single tray and a flatbed scanner. Maximum copy speed is 35 pages per minute. The unit draws 436 watts during operation and the warranty is one year limited hardware.
How it handles a shared office
Seven people sharing one machine is the design brief, and 35 pages per minute with automatic duplex is enough throughput for a team that mostly prints black-and-white documents, reports and internal paperwork. A 250-sheet tray and the ability to print from any device on the network keep the queue moving without anyone babysitting the machine.
For a clinic or a financial practice, the security tooling is the reason to prefer it over a comparable Brother unit, and long-term owners report running tens of thousands of pages without jams.
What it does not do well
Reliability is the split point. A small number of owners report units failing within weeks or producing fuzzy, washed-out output, while other owners print tens of thousands of pages without a problem, so this is a model where you should test your unit early and keep the packaging for the warranty period.
Scanning is the most common friction point: the feeder does not scan both sides of a sheet, and network scanning to a computer can be unreliable enough to require driver reinstalls. The body is bulky and heavy, so plan counter space rather than desk space, and cartridges require original HP chips, which narrows aftermarket toner options.
5. Brother MFC-L3720CDW – The Best Color Laser With a Shortcut Touchscreen
Brother MFC-L3720CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax, Auto Duplex, 250-Sheet Capacity
Color laser 19 ppm
3.5 inch color touchscreen
50-sheet feeder
250-sheet tray
Auto duplex
Pros
- Color laser output with print scan copy and fax in one unit
- 3.5 inch color touchscreen with 48 customizable shortcuts
- 50-sheet feeder and 250-sheet adjustable tray
- Dual-band wireless with Wi-Fi Direct and USB 2.0
- Mobile app for remote management and toner monitoring
Cons
- 19 ppm is slow for a business color laser
- Heavy 44 lb body needs a sturdy dedicated surface
- Four-color toner sets raise running cost versus ink tanks
A color laser is the right answer for an office that prints color every day, because inkjet printheads can dry out when a machine sits idle between jobs, and that is a real risk for intermittent business printing. The MFC-L3720CDW prints in color at 19 pages per minute, with automatic duplex, a 50-sheet automatic document feeder and a 250-sheet adjustable paper tray.
The control panel is the feature owners mention most. It is a 3.5 inch color touchscreen with 48 customizable shortcuts and direct access to cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox and OneNote, and first page out is under 15 seconds. Buyers who need color documents without inkjet drying risks value the four-function capability and the shortcut-rich interface together.
Supply choice is broad: TN229 standard cartridges, TN229XL high-yield versions, TN229XXL super high yield, and the DR229CL drum unit. That range is what lets you control cost per page across a year, because you can move from standard to super high yield once your volume is known.
Connectivity is dual-band wireless, Wi-Fi Direct and USB 2.0, with a mobile app for remote access, toner level monitoring and printer management. Resolution reaches 2400 by 600 dots per inch in both color and black and white. Paper handling runs 8.5 by 11 inches, 8.5 by 14 inches and 4 by 6 inches.
How it handles color work that happens every week
Marketing agencies, retail operations and design studios that print proofs, price cards and short-run brochures weekly are the audience here. Color output does not streak, does not sit unused for a month and then dry, and the 48 shortcuts let a staff member reprint a client proof with one touch instead of walking through a menu tree.
Automatic duplex and a 50-sheet feeder also mean a two-sided marketing handout and its source documents can all be handled on the machine, which reduces the trips to a separate scanner.
What it does not do well
Throughput is the main limitation. At 19 pages per minute for both color and black, a team printing a large run of color pages will wait, and the first page time of under 15 seconds is slower than every monochrome laser in this list.
Running cost is the second. A four-cartridge color toner set costs more per page than the ink tank models in this group, and users moving from ink tanks for heavy color work notice the difference quickly. The unit weighs 44 pounds and needs a sturdy dedicated surface, and USB 2.0 is the only wired interface listed, so there is no Ethernet for a fixed desk.
6. Epson EcoTank ET-4950 – The Best Ink Tank With Feeder, Fax and a 250-Sheet Tray
Epson EcoTank ET-4950 Wireless Duplex All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Color Inkjet Printer, Fax, Black
Ink tank with ADF and fax
18 ppm black and 9 ppm color
250-sheet paper tray
Ethernet and Wi-Fi
Pros
- Ink tank system with up to 6600 black and 5500 color pages included
- Auto duplex plus an auto document feeder and fax
- 18 ppm black and 9 ppm color with no warmup time
- 250-sheet paper tray is larger than typical ink tank models
- Epson app guides setup and enables remote printing
Cons
- Initial setup can involve a paper jam and a long ink charging step
- Display is small and not tilted upward
- Scanner quality rated below average by several owners
If you want ink tank economics without giving up document handling, this is the machine. Unlike the ET-2980 it adds an auto document feeder, fax, Ethernet and a 250-sheet paper tray, so it covers all four office functions the way a laser MFP does, at ink tank running cost. Owners doing heavy monochrome printing on it report a very low running cost and strong text quality.
Speed is 18 pages per minute in black and 9 in color, and Epson lists zero warmup time, so the first page appears without the long engine spin-up a laser needs. Automatic duplex printing is standard, and the display is a 2.4 inch color screen.
Paper handling is where it outclasses most refillable-tank machines: 250 sheets in, 250 sheets out, which means a busy week does not turn into constant refilling. Resolution is 4800 dots per inch in black and up to 4800 by 1200 in color, and it handles sizes from 3.5 by 5 inch through 8.5 by 14 inch, plus label printing.
Connectivity is Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi, and setup is guided through the Epson app with remote printing supported. Spare part availability is listed at three years, and the warranty is one year limited.
How it handles a mixed print and scan load
A two-to-six person office that scans receipts and signed documents while also printing color marketing material is the ideal user. The feeder handles the scan volume, fax covers offices that still send paper documents, and the 250-sheet tray matches the feeder so paper loading is not the bottleneck.
This is also the machine for a business that is nervous about inkjet reliability but cannot justify a color laser. The EcoFit keyed bottles mean refills are simple with no mess and no mix-ups, and each set is equivalent to roughly 80 cartridges.
What it does not do well
Setup is the rough edge. Some buyers hit a paper jam on the very first feed and then a lengthy alignment and ink charging process, so budget time on day one and print a test page before the whole office depends on it.
Scanner quality is rated below average by several owners, the display is small and does not tilt upward which makes some controls awkward, and the power button ring light cannot be disabled. The USB port is type-B, so you cannot print from or scan to a flash drive, which some label-heavy businesses will miss.
7. Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II – The Fastest Color Laser Throughput in This List
Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II – All-in-One Color Duplex Laser Printer
35 ppm in color and black
Print scan copy and fax
Automatic duplex and ADF
Three-year warranty
Pros
- 35 ppm in both color and black and white with automatic duplex
- Color duplex four-function print scan copy and fax with ADF
- Touchscreen-driven setup handles network config and calibration
- Large job memory handles 600-plus page runs without stalling
- Canon and third-party toner 069 options undercut other color pricing
Cons
- Canon desktop software and support site reported as unreliable
- Scanning over Wi-Fi to a PC is unreliable for some users
- Heavy 50 lb body and two-tray footprint needs a dedicated surface
This is the throughput machine of the group, printing up to 35 pages per minute in both color and black and white, with automatic duplex across the board. If your business prints color every day, a hundred-plus pages of invoices and proposals a week, or runs internal print volume for several staff, this is the one that will not make anyone wait.
It is a full four-function machine with an automatic document feeder, fax and a touchscreen, and there are two trays. Owners running small print shops or high home-office volumes describe the step up from inkjets as transformative, and hardware is consistently praised as durable, fast and quiet.
Two supply details matter here. The box includes Canon Genuine Toner 069 with a standard black starter yield of 2100 pages and starter color yields of 1100, and the 069 cartridge is widely available from both Canon and third-party suppliers, which is the main reason buyers switch to it from HP color pricing. Note the starter color yield is short, so budget for replacements early rather than in year two.
First page out is 7 seconds, resolution is 1200 by 1200 dots per inch in color, and large job memory handles runs beyond 600 pages without stalling. Paper support runs from 3.9 by 5.8 inch in the standard cassette up to 8.5 by 14 inch, with a multipurpose tray down to 3 by 5 inch.
How it handles sustained business volume
Two trays, a 250-sheet input and output capacity, an ADF, duplex everywhere and job memory for long runs is the profile of an office that treats printing as a daily function rather than an occasional task. It is also the only printer here with a three-year manufacturer warranty, which matters when the machine sits in the corner of a busy office for a decade.
For a school, a church office, a small print shop or a busy administrative team, the combination of color speed and supply availability is the deciding factor.
What it does not do well
Canon’s own software ecosystem is the weak link. Desktop utilities and the support site are widely reported as unreliable, so the practical fix is to set the printer up through the Windows print dialog and the built-in web interface instead of the vendor app. Scanning over Wi-Fi to a computer is unreliable for some users, and scan-to-USB is the usual workaround.
The body is 50 pounds and needs a dedicated surface, the 250-sheet standard capacity may mean adding a second tray for heavy users, and there is no automatic tray retraction, so the touchscreen menu layout is still unusual to learn.
8. HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw – The Best Budget Entry With Print, Scan and Copy
HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw All-in-One Laser Wireless Printer, Scan/Copy, Black & White, Duplex, Best-for-Office
30 ppm monochrome laser
Scan to email and PDF
Automatic duplex
Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi
21 lb body
Pros
- Entry monochrome laser with print scan and copy included
- Fast two-sided printing for multipage jobs
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset handles connection issues
- Comes with a preinstalled HP 134a toner cartridge
- Scan to email and scan to PDF plus AirPrint and Mopria
Cons
- No fax capability
- 150-sheet capacity is the smallest in this lineup
- Scanning and copying are single-sided only
- Print resolution tops out at 600 by 600 dpi
This is the simplest machine here that still counts as an all-in-one, and for a one-to-five person office that only needs black-and-white documents, it does the job without ceremony. It prints, scans and copies at up to 30 pages per minute, with automatic duplex printing and first page out in 7 seconds.
It comes with a preinstalled HP 134a toner cartridge, so you can print immediately rather than ordering a supply first. It handles scan to email and scan to PDF, plus Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Ethernet, USB, wireless and wireless direct printing, which covers a mixed phone, tablet, Mac and Windows office without fuss.
Long-term owners report rock-solid wireless behaviour and easy printing from Mac, iPad, Windows and Android devices, and the dual-band Wi-Fi with self-reset is designed to detect and resolve connection issues on its own. Paper handling covers 8.5 by 11 inch, 8.27 by 11.7 inch and 8.5 by 14 inch paper, with 150 sheets in and 150 out.
It draws 453 watts in operation and 110 watts rated, and the listing notes built-in security features that help protect the printer from potential attacks, along with scan to email and scan to PDF workflows. The warranty is one year limited.
How it handles a small front office
A retail counter, a small trades office or a home-based business printing quotes, delivery notes and invoices fits well here. At 21 pounds it is the lightest laser in the group and easy to reposition, and the toner cost per page is the headline win buyers cite alongside duplex speed.
If your business is moving to a wired network path, Ethernet is the most reliable option according to owners with IT experience, and the AirPrint and Mopria support means phones and tablets can print without installing anything.
What it does not do well
There is no fax, so businesses that still send paper documents by phone line need to look elsewhere. Scanning and copying are single-sided only, and the 150-sheet tray is the smallest capacity in this roundup, which means more refills in a heavy week.
Print resolution tops out at 600 by 600 dots per inch, so text is less sharp than the 1200 dpi machines here, and that is visible on fine-print contracts. HP setup software and network scan configuration are described as a mess by several owners, so budget setup time or have someone set it up for you.
9. Canon imageCLASS MF275dw – The Highest Rated and Best for a Physical Fax Line
Canon imageCLASS MF275dw – Monochrome, Duplex Wireless Laser Printer, All-In-One With Scanner, Copier, Fax, Mobile Ready, 30 PPM, Black
Print scan copy and fax
30 ppm with 5.3 second first page
6-line touchscreen
150-sheet cassette
35-sheet ADF
Pros
- Wireless four-function print scan copy and fax with a 35-sheet feeder
- 30 ppm printing with a first page of roughly 5.3 seconds
- 6-line adjustable touchscreen works seated or standing
- Automatic two-sided printing with Energy Star and EPEAT Silver
- Broad mobile support through the Canon PRINT Business app
Cons
- Wi-Fi connection occasionally drops or jumps networks
- Starter 071 toner yield is low at 700 pages
- Feeder does not hold a full ream and does not fully enclose paper
- Fax requires a phone line
This model carries the highest average rating in our group at 4.4, and owners describe it as a well-priced, complete monochrome office machine. It prints, scans, copies and faxes over Wi-Fi with a 35-sheet automatic document feeder, automatic two-sided printing, and a 6-line adjustable touchscreen you can read from sitting down or standing up.
Speed is 30 pages per minute with a first page in roughly 5.3 seconds, which is the quickest first page among the monochrome machines here. Resolution reaches up to 2400 by 600 dots per inch for both print and copy, and paper support runs from 3 by 5 inch up to 8.5 by 14 inch.
Two details stand out for buyers. First, Canon does not lock you into original toner, and people moving off HP cite that freedom as a decisive reason. Second, it is Energy Star certified and EPEAT Silver, which matters if your business tracks environmental performance or has a procurement policy.
Mobile printing goes through the free Canon PRINT Business app, Apple AirPrint and Mopria, and wireless setup can be completed without a computer. Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi Direct connection are all listed, and the cassette holds 150 sheets.
How it handles offices that still fax
Legal offices, medical and dental practices, property management and real estate offices still send faxed documents, and this is the machine where that function is treated as a first-class feature rather than an add-on. The 35-sheet feeder, automatic duplex and fast first page suit a front desk handling signed paperwork all day.
For a business that wants one box checked for fax, duplex printing and energy certification, it covers all three in a 24.7 pound body at 14.6 by 15.4 by 14.4 inches.
What it does not do well
Wireless can drop or jump to a different network, so give it a single network to choose from rather than letting it see several. The starter 071 toner cartridge has a yield of only 700 pages, so plan for a replacement early rather than being surprised in the first quarter.
The feeder does not hold a full ream and does not fully enclose the paper, fax still requires a phone line, and driver installation occasionally needs a call to Canon support. Review volume is also the thinnest here, so there is less long-term owner data behind it than the other picks.
Laser vs Inkjet vs Ink Tank: Which One Matches Your Print Volume?
The right technology follows your page count, not your preferences. A monochrome laser wins on text-heavy work because toner cartridges ship thousands of pages and a cartridge sitting in a laser does not dry out. An ink tank wins on color volume because a bottle of ink prints thousands of pages at a fraction of the per-page cost of a color cartridge. A cartridge inkjet wins on nothing except purchase price, which is why we did not include one here.
Run the arithmetic before you buy. Take the replacement price of the highest-yield supply, divide it by the stated page yield, and that is your cost per page. Multiply by your monthly volume and by 36 months, then add the machine cost, paper and any drum or maintenance unit. Owners who do this exercise before buying are the ones who report no printing-cost surprises later.
Three other comparisons matter. A color laser is cheaper per page than a color inkjet once you pass roughly a thousand color pages a month, and below that the ink tank wins. A duplex-capable laser saves paper on every two-sided job, and duplex scanning on the feeder is worth more than duplex printing for a document-heavy office. And an inkjet that sits idle for weeks is a clog risk, which is why a laser or tank model is the safer choice for intermittent business printing.
One more caution: a low starter-toner trap exists in this category. Starter cartridges often carry a fraction of a full yield, and the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II comes with a 2100 page black starter and 1100 page color starters, while the imageCLASS MF275dw comes with a 700 page starter. Read the starter yield before you budget the first year.
Which All-in-One Printer Is Right for Your Business?
Answer four questions and the list above resolves itself. First, do you print mostly black-and-white text or real color documents. Second, what is your monthly page volume. Third, do you need physical fax or is an electronic alternative acceptable. Fourth, how many pages a week do you scan, and do any of them have two sides.
If color is occasional and volume is light, the Canon MegaTank G3270 or Epson EcoTank ET-2980 gives you cheap color and low first-year cost. If you print several hundred pages a week in black and white, the Brother DCP-L2640DW or the HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw is the efficient answer. If you need all four functions in a compact footprint, the Brother MFC-L2820DW, the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw or the Canon imageCLASS MF275dw cover that.
If color is a daily requirement at volume, the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is the throughput answer and the Brother MFC-L3720CDW is the lower-cost color laser with a large screen. If you want ink tank running cost but need a feeder, fax and a 250-sheet tray, the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 is the only machine here that combines all of them.
Scan volume is the tie-breaker most buyers overlook. A machine with no document feeder, such as the ET-2980, will not cope with a steady stream of signed paperwork, and a machine with a single-sided feeder, such as the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw, will not save you time on double-sided originals.
7 Features That Matter Most in a Small Business Printer
Duty cycle is the number that tells you whether a machine is built for your volume rather than your ambition. It is the maximum pages per month a machine is rated to handle, and buying well above your need is wasted money while buying well below it causes wear. Match it to your measured volume, not to your busiest week.
Automatic duplex printing should be standard on your shortlist because it halves paper use on every two-sided job. Duplex scanning through the document feeder is the bigger prize, and only some models here offer it, so check that separately rather than assuming a duplex printer scans both sides.
Feeder capacity decides how much staff time a scan job consumes. A 50-page ADF handles a signed contract in one pass, while a 35-sheet feeder or a flatbed-only design does not. Tray capacity matters just as much: 150 sheets forces refills, and 250 sheets lets a busy morning run without a trip to the cupboard.
Connectivity should include dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and ideally Wi-Fi Direct for guests and a phone. Cloud scan destinations save real time in an office that files documents digitally, and mobile printing through the manufacturer’s app removes the cable problem entirely.
Security features matter more than buyers expect in professional services. A device with a named security suite and configurable settings, as on the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw, gives a clinic, law office or accounting practice something concrete to write into its policy.
Supply economics and availability are the features that decide three-year cost. Check the yield rating of the highest-yield cartridge or bottle, whether the cartridge model has third-party equivalents, and whether a subscription program such as Brother Refresh EZ Print is offered. Buying a high-yield drum or maintenance unit matters too, and on a laser that cost is often ignored in first-year budgets.
Finally, look at warranty length and physical fit. The Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II carries a three-year manufacturer warranty while the rest of this group sits at one year, and machines in this category range from 11.5 pounds and 7.4 inches tall to 50 pounds with two trays, so measure the surface and the route to it before you order.
5 Ways to Cut Small Business Printing Costs
Default to black and white. Most business documents do not need color, and switching the default setting to mono is the single largest saving available without changing hardware.
Turn on duplex printing and duplex scanning where available, then set duplex as the default in the printer driver. Paper is a real recurring cost and this halves it on two-sided jobs.
Fit the highest-yield supply you can find and keep one spare on the shelf. Running a machine to empty repeatedly wastes yield and risks printhead or drum issues, and emergency downtime costs more than a cartridge sitting in a drawer.
Use print management rules rather than printer policing. Restricting color by user or department through the driver’s or the vendor’s software is more effective than telling people to be careful, and several of these machines support it.
Review subscriptions honestly. Brother Refresh EZ Print and HP Instant Ink can cut per-page cost when usage is predictable and the printer is connected, but subscription pricing rewards high volume and adds friction when you run low. For a small business with uneven usage, buying the highest-yield cartridge outright is usually simpler and cheaper per page.
How We Picked and Compared These Printers
We compared ten all-in-one printers that cover the three technology tiers a small business actually needs, a monochrome laser, a color laser and a refillable ink tank. For each machine we recorded rated print speed for black and white and for color, automatic document feeder capacity, duplex print and duplex scan capability, paper tray capacity, connectivity options, warranty length and the yield and type of replacement supplies.
Where owners report specific problems, we weighted those heavily because printer reviews tend to be dominated by setup stories rather than years of daily use. Common themes across the forums and reviews we read included toner running costs exceeding expectations, inkjet printhead drying risk on intermittent business use, paper jams on heavier paper, unreliable network scanning to a computer, and the effect of a short-yield starter cartridge on first-year cost.
Ratings and review counts shown on each card come from the retailer listing for that model, and the ratings spread tightly across this group, from 4.0 to 4.4. That narrow band is why we chose on fit, feature and running cost rather than on star ratings alone, and it is why a model with a 4.1 and a large review base can be a better business decision than a 4.4 with a small one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best printer for a small business?
The best printer for a small business depends on whether you print mostly black-and-white text or genuine color documents. For text-heavy teams, the Brother DCP-L2640DW pairs a 36 pages-per-minute laser engine with a 50-page feeder at the lowest per-page toner cost here. For color-led businesses, the Canon MegaTank G3270 and Epson EcoTank models produce the cheapest color pages, while the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II handles the heaviest color volume.
What is the best laser all-in-one printer for small businesses?
For monochrome work, the Brother DCP-L2640DW is the strongest all-in-one laser for a small business, with a 36 pages-per-minute engine, a 50-page automatic document feeder and automatic duplex printing. For color, the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is the fastest at 35 pages per minute in both color and black and white, and it is the only model here with a three-year manufacturer warranty. The Brother MFC-L2820DW adds fax to that monochrome formula.
Is laser or inkjet cheaper per page?
A monochrome laser is cheaper per page for black text, because high-yield toner cartridges print thousands of pages and do not dry out in the machine. A refillable ink tank is cheaper per page for color than a color laser or a cartridge inkjet, because one bottle set equals roughly 80 to 90 cartridges. A color laser only becomes cheaper than an ink tank above roughly a thousand color pages a month, so volume decides the answer.
What is the best duplex printer for a small business?
Almost every model in this group prints two-sided automatically, so the differentiator is duplex scanning. The Brother MFC-L2820DW scans one side at a time through its feeder despite duplex printing, as do the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw and the HP LaserJet MFP M235sdw. If you file two-sided originals regularly, prioritize a large feeder and flatbed quality, and confirm the scanner side before you buy.
What printer has the least problems?
Reviewers most often describe the monochrome laser models as dependable workhorses once network setup is behind you. Recurring issues across this group are software and firmware friction rather than hardware failure, including Wi-Fi password and firmware prompts, scan-to-computer dialogs that hang, and dated vendor apps on the Canon and HP models. Inkjets in this group are judged reliable when used regularly but carry printhead drying risk when a machine sits idle between jobs.
Are laser printers being phased out?
No. Laser remains the default choice for text-heavy business printing because high-yield toner keeps the cost per page low and the machine tolerates intermittent use without drying out. What has changed is the middle of the market, where refillable ink tank printers now deliver per-page costs close to laser for color output. Most small businesses end up running one of each, a laser for daily documents and an ink tank for color.
Final Verdict on the Best All-in-One Printers for Small Businesses
The best all in one printers for small businesses are not one machine, they are three tiers matched to volume. The Brother DCP-L2640DW is our pick for most small offices because it is the fastest monochrome engine here, its 50-page feeder handles real document volume, and toner keeps the per-page cost down. The Canon MegaTank G3270 is the value pick for anyone whose color output is the priority rather than an occasional extra. The Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is the answer when color is printed every day at volume.
Before you order, measure your monthly pages, count how many documents you scan and whether anyone still sends a fax. Then check the yield of the highest-yield supply, because that number, not the purchase price, decides what the machine costs you over three years. Whichever you choose, set duplex as the default, keep one spare supply on the shelf and update the drivers on day one, because most complaints in this category are software problems that a ten-minute setup prevents.