If you need a scanner as part of your day-to-day, check out the Canon imageCLASS MF242dw. Alternative With Scanner: Canon imageCLASS MF242dw.That said, it's an excellent choice if you need a cheap option for black and white printing, and it's also among the best laser printers we've tested. Also, like most monochrome laser printers, it isn't a good choice for making photo prints.

It uses only a single-line dot matrix display, making it difficult to tell the printer's status at a glance. Unfortunately, it lacks a scanner, which might be a dealbreaker if you need to scan forms or digitize notes. Connectivity options include an Ethernet port and direct-to-computer USB input, as well as support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. The printer is also compatible with high-yield and third-party cartridges, which give you more flexibility when choosing ink that suits your budget range. Its toner cartridge has an outstanding page yield at a superbly cheap cost-per-print. That said, it's a great choice if you need high-volume monochrome prints done quickly or need to get your essay printed on the spot. This printer-only unit produces only black and white pages, but it has one of the fastest black text document print speeds we've measured at 36 pages per minute (PPM). The best affordable printer that uses laser technology we've tested is the Brother HL-L2370DW.

Best Cheap Laser Printer: Brother HL-L2370DW.

That said, its cheap cost-per-print makes it a good choice if you're on a budget, and it's also one of the best printers for college students we've tested. There's no automatic document feeder, so scanning documents might get tedious.

Unfortunately, documents are slow to print, and it doesn't support automatic duplex printing, so you'll have to wait for long print jobs. It also has decent connectivity options, including Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print service, or Brother's mobile app, which allows you to print, scan, copy, and perform maintenance tasks from your phone. Photos look decent and have passable color accuracy, which should be fine for printing casual photos to hang on the fridge or spruce up a workspace. You can also push the output tray all the way in to make the printer more compact if you're low on space. It feels very well built, with easy access to potential paper jams and ink cartridges. Thanks to its high page yields, its cost-per-print is extremely low, saving you money in the long run. It uses Brother's INKvestment Tank, a hybrid tank–cartridge system, which produces over 1,000 black-only pages, and over 700 color pages before needing replacing. If you're in the market for a standard inkjet printer but don't want to spend a fortune, the best affordable printer we've tested is the Brother MFC-J1205W.

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