Best budget inkjet printer 2023 - Top picks for cheap home printers


best budget inkjet printer

If you're looking for the best budget inkjet printer, we've got you covered right here. 

Deciding whether you want to go for an inkjet or laser printer to add to your home office is the first decision you have to make here.

And before you decide for certain, it's worth considering the fact that inkjets can be more affordable whilst the best laser printers can print a little quicker. Your choice purely depends on which factor is more important to you.

You’ll also need to consider the size and capacity of the printer you need. It may be the case that you don't need a business-class inkjet printer that will fill up your desk space. Instead, a more compact, traditional home laser printer might suit you better. 

In addition, it's worth considering if you need to print in colour, or whether black and white will suffice. Most affordable inkjets will print in colour, but there's a selection of monochrome inkjet printers out there that you can choose from as well.

With all this in mind, we’ve selected these inkjet printers based on our research into their specs, features, general reviews, and other general points that we think make them worth considering. Plus, we’ve answered some of your most frequently asked questions so you can pick the best one for you.

So with that being said, let’s get into it – here are some top picks for the best budget inkjet printer available today.

Best Budget Inkjet Printer

Best Budget Inkjet Printer HP - HP Deskjet 2755

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Image Credit: HP
Printing Speed: 7ppm | Connectivity: Wired, Wireless | Paper Capacity: 60 sheets | Weight: 3.5kg

If you're looking for a convenient and affordable inkjet printer that will slot nicely into your home office setup, then the HP Deskjet 2755 should be rather good indeed. 

You aren't just getting a printer here but also a copier and scanner, which keeps things convenient and means you can use this particular HP offering can be a father good all-in-one offering.

Connectivity with the HP Deskjet 2755 is also plentiful with the usual wired connection, as well as Google Cloud Print, Apple AirPrint and self-healing WiFi, which means you can also print to it from PCs, phones and other devices also, whether you're using one of the best budget laptops, one of the best mid-range phones or one of the best graphics tablets for photo editing.

A capacity of 60 sheets means you can print in small volumes before needing to change the paper, and a speed of 7 pages per minute is also decent enough for most home office tasks. 

Best Budget Inkjet Printer Canon - Canon PIXMA TS702

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Image Credit: Canon
Printing Speed: 37ppm | Connectivity: Wired, Wireless | Paper Capacity: 500 sheets | Weight: 29kg

The Canon PIXMA TS702 looks like an immense choice if you're wanting more of a heavy-duty inkjet printer with a feature set to match.

Quite a large printer, it features a capacity of 500 sheets, meaning it should be able to fit an entire ream of paper inside before you need to change anything.

Read More: Do laser printers use ink?

If you're wanting a speedy printer too, then the Canon PIXMA TS702 also has the ability to print 37 pages per minute, which is handy if you're working with larger printer loads. 

Its connectivity is great with both wired and wireless options included for both smartphones and PCs with the likes of AirPrint and Canon's PRINT app.

Best Budget Inkjet Printer Epson -  Epson Expression Home XP-2100

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Image Credit: Epson
Printing Speed: 8ppm | Connectivity: Wired, Wireless | Paper Capacity: 100 sheets | Weight: 4kg

The Epson Expression Home XP-2100 looks like a fantastic choice for your home office, especially if you're after some stylish looks. 

It's a convenient all-in-one printer that can print, scan and copy. The only thing it can't do is auto duplex printing, which is a small price to pay with this being such an affordable option. 

Read More: How to fix laser printer smudges

You will also find that the Epson Expression Home XP-2100 features built-in WiFi so you can connect it to a network as well as print directly from your phone too. A printing speed of 8ppm is also efficient enough for your home office needs and means you should get a handful of documents printed in good time. 

It also has a capacity of 100 sheets of paper, giving you a fair amount of time before you need to swap the paper out, depending on how much you print of course. Still, a capacity of 100 sheets gives you the opportunity to print at larger volumes before needing to replace anything. 

Best Budget Inkjet Printer Brother - Brother MFC-J1205W

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Image Credit: Brother
Printing Speed: 6ppm | Connectivity: Wired, Wireless | Paper Capacity: 150 sheets | Weight: 5.8kg

If you're after a marvellous all-in-one choice that looks to be rather well built, then the Brother MFC-J1205W should be a great choice. 

It looks great with a sleek, white design that will fit well into your setup and looks to be pretty well built also with a hard plastic composition meaning it should be built to last. 

Read More: Best 3D printer for miniatures

A capacity of 150 sheets means you should be able to print for a moderate amount of time before needing to change the paper inside the Brother MFC-J1205W

Print speeds of six pages per minute are relatively quick for an affordable printer and mean you should be able to print all the documents you need to in a short period of time. 

Best Compact Budget Inkjet Printer - Canon PIXMA TS302

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Image Credit: Canon
Printing Speed: 7ppm | Connectivity: Wired, Wireless | Paper Capacity: 60 sheets | Weight: 2.9kg

If you're looking for a rather compact and affordable inkjet printer, then the Canon PIXMA TS302 looks like a great choice. 

A weight of 2.9kg means it's rather light and you should be able to carry this on your travels whenever you need a printer. To go along with this, it also looks rather slick with a simple black plastic outer frame. 

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The Canon PIXMA TS302 also features a paper capacity of 60 sheets, giving you some decent headroom before you need run empty, and a print speed of 7ppm also means it's pretty snappy too. 

Connectivity is taken care of with the likes of Canon's official companion app, as well as Bluetooth and AirPrint, giving you plenty of options for wireless printing, which is handy. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are budget inkjet printers worth it?

We'd say that a cheap printer is definitely worth it if you're just looking for an affordable solution that will allow you to print documents for home use. Some may also allow you to copy and scan too, which gives you a decent all-in-one solution for an affordable price. 

How much should I spend on a budget inkjet printer?

As a general rule, anything up to $80 can be considered 'budget' for a printer, so spending around that much will get you a good printer that can print at a good per-minute speed and hold a good amount of pages.

What should I look for in a budget inkjet printer?

In a general sense, looking for a printer that can hold a good amount of pages at once, alongside featuring a decent print speed will be good for an affordable inkjet printer. You may also wish to find a printer that is also a scanner and copier if you're wanting an all-in-one solution.

How long do inkjet printers last? 

Inkjet printers can last for a number of years before they do eventually need to be replaced, and on average, you can expect to get up to 5 years out of a more affordable inkjet option, but they can, of course, go for longer.

We'd say it's definitely worth learning how to clean an inkjet printer if you want to stretch out your printer's lifespan for as long as you can.

Does inkjet ink dry up?

Unlike toner, which doesn’t dry out, inkjet ink can dry out over an extended period of time. Be sure to print regularly (every fortnight or so) just to make sure things are kept in order.

What does inkjet mean in a printer?

In short, inkjet refers to the method by which content is printed onto a piece of paper. It is sprayed with a jet of ink (hence inkjet)which produces an image on the paper as it prints.

Does turning a printer on and off waste ink?

It may sound odd to say so, but in actual fact, turning a printer on and off can waste ink. This is because printers before you set them to print any documents out, run a routine cycle to check everything is still operational.

You can, therefore, get away with leaving your printer on all the time, even if you don't print consistently, as you'll be saving ink in the process compared to if you turn it off after every cycle.

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