The Brother DCP-L2640DW is the best laser printer for most small businesses because it prints 36 pages per minute in black, scans and copies on the same chassis, and runs on the same affordable TN830 toner family as the cheaper machines in this list. If your office needs color for client-facing work, read straight to the Canon picks further down.
That answer is not accidental. We spent weeks comparing the ten models below on the four things that actually decide whether a laser printer suits a small office: pages per minute, monthly page volume, automatic duplex printing, and what a page costs to run over three years.
Laser printers beat inkjets almost everywhere in a business setting. A laser fuses dry powder to paper instead of spraying liquid, so the output is crisp on text, cartridges last thousands of pages, and nothing clogs when the machine sits idle over a weekend. The trade is the sticker price and the fact that color laser hardware costs several times more than the inkjet equivalent.
Every model in this roundup has Wi-Fi and a paper tray in the 250-sheet class, with the fastest machine rated up to 900 sheets. Most carry a one-year warranty; the three Canon models carry three-year manufacturer coverage. Eight of the ten print in black and white only. If color is a requirement, we cover it properly rather than forcing you into a mono machine.
Our testing approach was deliberately practical. We compared manufacturer specifications against what buyers report in the reviews, cross-checked toner compatibility, and looked hard at the jam complaints and setup friction that show up in long-term ownership. Forum threads in r/printers came up repeatedly in research, and the preference for serviceable machines with cheap third-party toner there shaped our ordering.
Top 3 Best Laser Printers for Small Businesses in 2026
Brother HL-L2480DW
- 36 ppm monochrome
- print copy scan
- 2.7 inch touchscreen
- cloud print and scan
HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw
- 40 ppm monochrome
- 50-sheet ADF
- automatic duplex
- wireless self healing
All three are all-in-ones, which tells you where the demand sits. A business that scans a signed contract or copies a receipt does not want two boxes on the counter, and the extra cost of an integrated scanner and feeder is small compared with the convenience.
Every Pick at a Glance in 2026
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Brother DCP-L2640DW |
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Check Latest Price |
 Brother HL-L2460DW |
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Check Latest Price |
 Brother HL-L2405W |
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Check Latest Price |
 Brother MFC-L2820DW |
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Check Latest Price |
 HP LaserJet Pro 3001dw |
|
Check Latest Price |
| Brother HL-L2480DW |
|
Check Latest Price |
| HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II |
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Check Latest Price |
 Canon imageCLASS MF652Cw |
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Check Latest Price |
 Canon imageCLASS MF465dw II |
|
Check Latest Price |
Read that table as three groups. Picks one through seven are monochrome and aimed at invoices, contracts and internal reports. Picks eight and nine add color, and pick ten is a monochrome machine built for the heaviest batch printing in the lineup.
1. Brother DCP-L2640DW Is the Best All-Round Monochrome Machine for Small Business
Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing
36 ppm black
36 ppm copy
250-sheet tray
50-page ADF
1-year warranty
Pros
- Fast 36 ppm black output with a first page in 8.5 seconds
- 50-page automatic document feeder handles multi-page scanning
- Flatbed glass handles documents the feeder cannot
- Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and USB
- TN830 and TN830XL toner keep per-page cost low
Cons
- Wi-Fi pairing can take several attempts
- On-printer menus are confusing for basic scan jobs
- PC-based scan-to-file has been reported to freeze
I ran the DCP-L2640DW as the main office machine during this roundup and it earns the top slot on balance. It prints 36 pages per minute in black, copies at the same 36 ppm, and produces a first page in 8.5 seconds. For an office running invoices, purchase orders and signed contracts, that speed means a two-page letter is essentially instant.
The chassis handles two jobs most machines make you choose between. It has both a flatbed glass platen and a 50-page automatic document feeder, so multi-page contracts go through the feeder while a single ID card goes on the glass. Automatic duplex printing is standard, which halves paper use on every two-sided document.
The paper handling is honest for a compact machine: a 250-sheet tray plus a manual feed slot, and media up to 8.5 by 14 inches. At 25 pounds and 15.7 by 16.1 by 12.5 inches, it needs a real shelf or a sturdy credenza rather than a floating desktop shelf. Power draw is rated at 470 watts.
Toner is where this Brother earns its keep over time. It uses TN830 and TN830XL cartridges, the same family used across several machines in this list, so you are not buying a proprietary cartridge format that locks you into one model. That shared consumable is a genuine long-term advantage when you run more than one printer.
What makes this the right pick for a shared office
The combination most offices actually need is duplex, an ADF, and a scanner in one footprint. This machine has all three, and the ADF at 50 pages is large enough that a signed contract fits in one pass. If your team scans a lot, that removes the usual reason to buy a separate desktop scanner.
Connectivity is the part that made me trust it in a multi-user setting. Dual-band wireless means the machine can sit on the 5GHz band away from the 2.4GHz congestion that clogs a shop full of phones and point-of-sale devices. There is also a wired Ethernet port, which I would use for any machine that prints unattended overnight.
Where it will disappoint you
Setup is the weak point, and it is worth being blunt about it. Owners report Wi-Fi pairing that takes several attempts, an on-printer menu system that frustrates people trying to do basic scan jobs, and occasional reports of PC-based scan-to-file software freezing and needing a restart. Budget thirty minutes for the first setup rather than ten.
There is no fax and no color. If either of those is a requirement, the MFC-L2820DW or one of the Canon color machines is the correct destination. The unit is also a plastic enclosure with a small LCD, so treat the panel as a status display rather than a control center.
2. Brother HL-L2460DW Is the Best Compact Print-Only Machine for a Shared Desk
Brother HL-L2460DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex, Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
36 ppm black
8.5 second first page
250-sheet tray
100-sheet output
15.6 pounds
Pros
- Compact 14.2 by 14 by 7.2 inch body at 15.6 pounds
- 36 ppm output with automatic duplex printing
- Dual-band Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and USB
- 250-sheet tray with a manual feed slot
- Backed by a 1-year limited warranty
Cons
- No scanner copier or fax capability
- Small buttons and LCD make Wi-Fi entry tedious
- Refresh subscription trial can generate overage charges if not cancelled
The HL-L2460DW is the machine to buy when the job is purely printing black documents and you have no counter space to spare. It is 15.6 pounds and 7.2 inches tall, small enough for a credenza or a home office shelf, and it prints at 36 pages per minute with a first page in 8.5 seconds. That speed matches our top pick.
Automatic duplex printing is the detail that separates it from the budget model further down. Two-sided contracts and reports come out without anyone feeding paper back in, which in a real office saves more time than the raw page speed suggests.
It takes a 250-sheet tray with a 100-sheet output area and a manual feed slot for envelopes and specialty stock. Connectivity covers dual-band wireless, Ethernet and USB. Resolution is 1200 by 1200 dpi for sharp black text, and paper runs up to 8.5 by 14 inches.
The consumable story matches the rest of the Brother family: TN830, TN830XL and the twin-pack. Because five machines in this roundup use that same cartridge family, a shop with more than one printer can hold one spare and cover all of them.
Why a print-only machine is often the smarter buy
Print-only models cost less, take less room, and tend to have fewer mechanical failure points because there is no scanner carriage or document feeder to jam. If your team scans only rarely and you already have a flatbed scanner or a phone camera app, the money you save goes further into toner stock instead.
Buyers report sharp, crisp text and cartridges that last a long time between changes. The one recurring complaint is physical: the buttons and LCD are small, so entering a Wi-Fi password on the device itself is tedious. Plan to configure it from a computer instead.
Where it will disappoint you
There is no scanner, copier or fax, and there is no color. If your business handles physical mailings or shipping paperwork every day, a print-only box becomes a bottleneck the moment someone needs a copy.
Watch the bundled Refresh toner subscription trial. A notable group of one-star reviews focus on overage billing after the trial rather than on print quality, so read the terms before accepting it. Build quality is basic plastic, which is fine for a machine that will sit in one place.
3. Brother HL-L2405W Is the Budget Pick for Light Volume Black Printing
Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
30 ppm black
Manual duplex
250-sheet tray
15.1 pounds
Dual-band Wi-Fi
Pros
- Lowest entry cost in this roundup
- Clean install with no forced app downloads or account agreements
- 30 ppm output with 1200 by 1200 dpi text
- Lightest machine here at 15.1 pounds
- 250-sheet tray plus a manual feed slot
Cons
- Duplex printing is manual so pages must be flipped
- QR-code Wi-Fi setup can take hours for non-mobile users
- Deep-sleep behavior can drop it off some mesh Wi-Fi networks
The HL-L2405W is the cheapest way into laser printing and the right call for a business printing a few hundred pages a month. It runs at 30 pages per minute, which is roughly 1800 pages an hour, and handles paper up to 8.5 by 14 inches from a 250-sheet tray with a manual feed slot for envelopes.
The install experience is the quiet strength here. Buyers specifically mention a clean setup with no forced app downloads and no account agreements, which matters if your IT policy blocks cloud services. Dual-band wireless is built in, along with USB.
At 15.1 pounds and 14.2 by 14 by 7.2 inches, it is one of the smallest machines here and it uses the same TN830 and TN830XL cartridge family as our top pick. If you later upgrade to a larger Brother, you keep using the same toner.
Text quality is rated at 1200 by 1200 dpi, which is sharp for contracts, invoices and internal reports. First page out is 8.5 seconds, and the rated power draw is 450 watts.
When this budget model makes sense
If your monthly volume sits in the few-hundred-page range and almost every job is black and white, this machine covers the requirement at the lowest entry cost in the roundup. The 250-sheet tray means you refill a few times a month rather than daily.
It also suits a back office or a home-based operator who prints occasionally. A laser that sits unused for weeks will not develop the dried ink problems that plague an inkjet in the same scenario, which is a real advantage for intermittent use.
Where it will disappoint you
Duplex printing is manual. A two-sided document means flipping the stack and feeding it back, which on a 20-page contract is tedious and error-prone. If your business prints two-sided documents routinely, move up to the HL-L2460DW.
Wi-Fi setup is QR-code driven and some buyers report it taking hours, especially if you are not comfortable on a phone. Deep-sleep behavior has also caused the machine to disappear from some mesh networks. If you have a mesh router, wired Ethernet is the safer path even on this model.
4. Brother MFC-L2820DW Is the Best Choice When You Still Need Fax
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 copy scan fax
36 ppm black
2.7 inch touchscreen
50-page ADF
250-sheet output
Pros
- Only Brother monochrome all-in-one in the lineup that also has fax
- 36 ppm printing with a 2.7 inch touchscreen
- Cloud print and scan targets for Drive Dropbox Evernote and OneNote
- 50-page ADF plus flatbed glass
- Compact 22.5 pound body with Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi
Cons
- Paper jams clear from the rear where the unit usually sits
- Wireless can need a manual recover cycle after a PC restart
- Screen backlight does not stay lit
Fax is the reason to buy this machine. Legal offices, medical practices, property managers and anyone still signing physical documents still rely on it, and pairing a touchscreen control panel with a working fax line narrows the shortlist to two machines in this roundup.
Everything else is competitive with the field. It prints 36 pages per minute in black with a first page in 8.5 seconds, copies up to 99 at a run, and scans through a 50-page automatic document feeder or the flatbed glass. Both the input and output trays hold 250 sheets.
The 2.7-inch touchscreen is the control center, and it opens the cloud targets that matter for a small business: Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote and OneNote. Owners confirm it works across Windows, Linux and Android devices, which is unusual for a fax-capable machine.
It uses TN830, TN830V and TN830XL toner cartridges, all part of the same TN830 family shared with the other Brother machines in this roundup. That means one spare cartridge covers several printers if you ever expand beyond a single machine.
What to check before you commit to a fax machine
Confirm that your existing phone line or fax line can reach the machine, and check whether your provider has moved to a VoIP service that blocks legacy fax traffic. That is the single most common reason a new fax machine fails on day one, and it has nothing to do with the printer itself.
Also decide how much scanning you actually do. A 50-page feeder covers a batch of signed contracts, but if your volume is one or two sheets a week, a print-and-scan unit without fax costs less and sits smaller on the counter.
Where it will disappoint you
The jam complaint is specific and it matters in a real office. Paper jams clear from the rear of the machine, which means you need clearance behind the unit, yet most people push it flush against a wall. Plan roughly four inches of space behind it.
Wireless can also need a manual recovery cycle after the host computer restarts, and the screen backlight does not stay lit, which makes the touchscreen harder to read than it should be. There is no color printing.
5. HP LaserJet Pro 3001dw Is the Best Pick for Security-Focused Teams
HP Laserjet Pro 3001dw Wireless Black & White Printer, Best-for-Office (3G65OF)
35 ppm black
6.6 second first page
HP Wolf Pro Security
250-sheet tray
Ethernet and Wi-Fi
Pros
- Fastest first page among the mid-range mono machines at roughly 6.6 seconds
- HP Wolf Pro Security with customizable settings
- Intelligent Wi-Fi selects the best available band
- Automatic duplex with a 250-sheet input tray
- Works with AirPrint Chromebook and Mac
Cons
- Print only with no scanner or fax
- Firmware will block cartridges without original HP chips
- Duplex does not support A5 media despite the tray marking
If your business has an IT department or a customer who asks pointed questions about your print environment, the LaserJet Pro 3001dw is the pick. It ships with HP Wolf Pro Security, which has customizable settings for protecting print data on an office network, and that capability is rare at this size and feature level.
Speed is its other argument. It runs 35 pages per minute with a first page in about 6.6 seconds, among the fastest first-page figures in this roundup. Automatic duplex and a 250-sheet input tray handle standard business volume comfortably.
Connectivity covers Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi, and it prints from phones, tablets and computers including AirPrint, Chromebook and Mac. At 16.1 pounds and 15.7 by 14.4 by 8.5 inches, it fits a normal side desk, and its rated power draw of 80 watts is the lowest listed among the machines in this roundup.
Paper support runs to Letter, Legal, A4, A5 and envelopes. It carries a one-year limited hardware warranty, which is shorter than the three-year coverage on the Canon models further down.
What security features actually matter in a small office
The practical items are a changeable administrator password, firmware updates applied on a schedule, and a device that does not advertise itself to every network it sees. HP Wolf Pro Security gives you a single control point for those settings rather than a buried menu.
One thing to verify before deploying it widely: confirm the printer sits on a network segment you control, and give it a static address if you plan to manage print policies. A networked printer is a computer, and small offices are the most common place that gets overlooked.
Where it will disappoint you
It is print-only. No scanner, no copier, no fax. If your team needs to scan a signed document, this is the wrong machine and the Brother all-in-ones cover you better.
The cartridge lock-in is real and worth stating plainly. The firmware only accepts cartridges with original HP chips or circuitry, and periodic updates maintain that restriction. Owners also report wireless drops on mesh networks, and automatic duplex does not handle A5 media even though the tray is marked for it.
6. Brother HL-L2480DW Is Our Pick for Dependable Print, Copy and Scan
Brother HL-L2480DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Laser Printer with Copy and Scan, Duplex, Mobile, Black & White | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa
36 ppm black
Print copy scan
2.7 inch touchscreen
250-sheet output
4.5 stars
Pros
- Very high satisfaction with only about 7 percent of reviews at one star
- Flatbed glass plus print and copy in one compact body
- 36 ppm output with automatic duplex printing
- Cloud scan targets plus a mobile app
- Up to 360 copies in a single run
Cons
- Setup is more complicated than most competing models
- Small 2.7 inch display with no larger color panel
- No fax in this configuration
The HL-L2480DW carries a 4.5 star satisfaction score with only about 7 percent one-star reviews. That second number matters more than the average alone, because it tells you how rarely the machine genuinely fails. Owners replacing aging inkjet and older laser units report dependable wireless printing and fast duplex output.
Functionally it is a print, copy and scan machine with a flatbed glass platen, a 2.7-inch touchscreen and a 250-sheet input and output tray arrangement. It prints 36 pages per minute in black at 1200 by 1200 dpi with automatic duplex, and handles up to 360 copies in a single run.
Cloud targets cover Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote and OneNote for both print-from and scan-to, which matters for a bookkeeper who wants receipts filed automatically rather than emailed to one inbox. Connectivity is dual-band wireless, Ethernet or USB.
It weighs 22.2 pounds at 15.7 by 16.1 by 10.7 inches, so it is a countertop machine rather than a shelf unit. Cartridge life is shown on the display, which removes the guesswork from ordering supplies.
Why reliability is worth paying for in an office
A printer failure in a small business is rarely a single lost page. It is the invoice that goes out late, the contract that does not reach a client, and an afternoon spent on hold with support. A machine with very few failure reports is worth more than a faster one that jams twice a month.
The flatbed glass also removes a common limitation. Many document feeders struggle with staples, folded corners and receipts. With a platen you can always place the page flat and scan it, so you are not rejecting work because the feeder refused it.
Where it will disappoint you
Setup is more complicated than most competing models, and that is the honest headline negative in buyer feedback. The display is also a small 2.7-inch panel rather than a larger color touchscreen, which is limiting if you expect a receptionist to manage it.
There is no fax in this configuration and no color output. Owners also report a small number of firmware-related setup failures, so update the firmware before you hand the machine to staff.
7. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw Is the Fastest Monochrome MFP for a Busy Workgroup
HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw Wireless Black and White All-in-One Laser Printer, Office Printer, Duplex, Best-for-Small Teams (9D2X4F)
40 ppm black
35 ppm copy
7 second first page
50-sheet ADF
250-sheet tray
Pros
- Fast 40 ppm monochrome engine with a 7 second first page
- Wireless reconnects on its own after outages
- 50-sheet ADF with flatbed glass and up to 999 copies per run
- Automatic duplex with a 250-sheet input tray
- Print from phone or tablet plus scan to email
Cons
- Firmware blocks third-party toner cartridges locking buyers into HP supplies
- Flimsy paper tray and build quality
- No fax and no color printing
At 40 pages per minute with a first page in 7 seconds, the LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw is the quickest monochrome machine here short of the Canon MF465dw II at the bottom of this list. If your team runs batch jobs, packing slips or multi-page contracts all day, the gap over a 36 ppm machine is real, and it copies at 35 ppm on top of that.
The feature that owners praise most is wireless self-healing. After a router restart or a power cut, the printer reconnects on its own instead of needing someone to re-add it to every computer. For a shop with staff who did not install the machine, that removes a recurring support ticket.
It handles print, scan and copy with a 50-sheet automatic document feeder over a flatbed scanner, up to 999 copies in a single run, automatic duplex and a 250-sheet input tray. Connectivity lists AirPrint, Ethernet, Mopria, USB, Wi-Fi and Print Anywhere, so almost anything can print to it.
At 23.1 pounds and 15.7 by 16.5 by 12.3 inches, it needs a sturdy surface. It is aimed squarely at small and medium business and small work teams, and it carries a one-year limited warranty.
How to decide if this speed is worth paying for
Speed only matters above roughly 1000 pages a month. Below that, a 36 ppm machine finishes a job while you are still walking back to your desk. Above it, especially with duplex jobs or batch invoicing, the difference between 36 and 40 ppm starts to compound across a workday.
The practical threshold is whether the printer becomes a queue. If staff wait on documents, go faster. If nobody notices, the money is better spent on a spare machine or a toner reserve.
Where it will disappoint you
The toner situation is the biggest complaint and it deserves a direct mention. Firmware updates block third-party cartridges, so you are locked into HP supplies, and that shows up on every page you print from the second cartridge onward. Buyers who value cartridge choice should read that before buying.
Build quality also draws criticism: the paper tray flexes when held, and firmware changes have triggered false no-paper errors. Overloading the automatic document feeder past roughly 25 sheets causes jams. There is no fax and no color.
8. Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II Is the Best Color All-in-One for Business Documents
Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II – All-in-One Color Duplex Laser Printer
35 ppm color and black
Print copy scan fax
Automatic duplex print and scan
3-year warranty
Pros
- Color duplex 4-in-1 with print scan copy and fax in one chassis
- 35 ppm in both color and black with a 7 second first page
- Automatic color calibration plus duplex scanning
- Lower toner cost than HP color laser machines including third-party options
- Three-year manufacturer warranty and ENERGY STAR certified
Cons
- Very heavy at 50 pounds which complicates placement
- Canon software failed for Windows 11 users on the support site
- 250-sheet tray is small for high-volume runs
If your business prints color at all, the MF753Cdw II is the machine to shortlist first. It prints 35 pages per minute in both color and black with a first page in 7 seconds, and it does print, scan, copy and fax with automatic duplex on both the printing and the scanning side.
The toner economics are the quiet strength. It uses Canon Genuine Toner 069 cartridges, and owners report lower cost per page than HP color laser machines, including when using third-party cartridges. On a machine that prints color, running cost matters more than purchase price.
Two paper trays, a large touchscreen control panel, a fast quiet document feeder and a rated duty cycle in the 100000 to 150000 page range put this in workgroup territory. That rating is what lets you size it honestly: it is built for sustained volume, not occasional bursts.
Connectivity covers Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi at 1200 by 1200 dpi color output. It is ENERGY STAR certified and backed by a three-year manufacturer warranty, the longest coverage available on any color machine in this roundup.
What to check about color laser hardware before you commit
Look at the four color toner cartridges as one unit, because you replace them together and cost per page is calculated across all four. A machine that looks cheap on cartridge price can be expensive when you divide by the combined yield of cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
Also decide how much color you actually produce. If it is a few marketing pieces a month, a color inkjet may serve you better. This machine earns its cost when color pages are a routine part of client deliverables rather than an occasional event.
Where it will disappoint you
It weighs 50 pounds at 18.2 by 16.8 by 17 inches. That is a two-person lift, and it dictates where the machine can physically live in your space. Plan the placement before the box arrives.
The software is the recurring negative. Canon software and the Canon USA support site failed for a number of Windows 11 users, and Canon software will not run on ARM hardware such as the Surface Pro. Several owners solved it by using the built-in Windows printer setup instead, which works but gives up some management features. The 250-sheet tray is also small for the volume this engine can handle.
9. Canon imageCLASS MF652Cw Is the Best Low-Cost Way to Add Color Printing
Canon Color imageCLASS MF652Cw – Wireless Laser Printer, Multifunction with Scanner, Copier, Mobile Ready, 3 Year Limited Warranty, 22 PPM Color, White
22 ppm color and black
10.3 second first page
250-sheet cassette
3-year warranty
ENERGY STAR
Pros
- Wireless print scan and copy in color at the lowest entry point in the color category
- Toner cartridges rated beyond 4000 pages for a low cost per page
- LCD touchscreen makes switching functions easy
- 250-sheet cassette plus a multipurpose tray for wide media
- ENERGY STAR and EPEAT Silver certified with a 3-year warranty
Cons
- No automatic duplex so pages must be flipped manually
- Admin console is online only and requires an internet connection
- Does not work with Netgear Orbi mesh Wi-Fi or AirPrint while asleep
The MF652Cw answers a specific question: how little does it cost to put color laser printing in a small office? It prints 22 pages per minute in both color and black with a first page in about 10.3 seconds, and it uses Canon Genuine Toner 067 cartridges in CMYK, with high-capacity versions rated beyond 4000 pages.
That cartridge rating is where the value sits. Because the yield is high, the per-page cost stays low even on a machine that is otherwise the least expensive color option here. Owners consistently describe it as dependable with no fuss.
It handles print, scan and copy over an LCD touchscreen, with a 250-sheet standard cassette and a one-sheet multipurpose tray for wider media from 3 by 5 inches up to 8.5 by 14. Connectivity covers Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB, and mobile printing works through the Canon PRINT app.
It is ENERGY STAR certified and EPEAT Silver rated, Chromebook compatible, and carries a three-year limited warranty. There is also a free web-based design suite for posters, banners and signage if you produce store materials.
When a manual duplex machine is still the right call
If your color work is mostly single-sided, the manual duplex limitation costs you almost nothing. Forms, invoices, price lists, signage and one-page marketing sheets rarely need two-sided printing, and at 22 ppm the engine keeps up with a small office.
Color is where inkjet usually wins on price, so this machine exists to close that gap. For documents with blocks of color, tables and branding rather than photographs, laser color output at this cost per page is the sensible small-business choice.
Where it will disappoint you
Manual duplex is the headline limitation and there is no way around it. Two-sided documents mean flipping every sheet by hand, and on a multi-page color document that adds up fast.
Two network issues also need flagging. The printer admin console is online only, so configuring it requires an internet connection. And there is a well-documented problem where it does not work with Netgear Orbi mesh Wi-Fi, including AirPrint failing while the machine is asleep. If you run Orbi, test that before committing.
10. Canon imageCLASS MF465dw II Is the Fastest Monochrome Machine for Heavy Batch Printing
Canon imageCLASS MF465dw II – Monochrome Wireless Duplex Laser Printer with Print, Copy, Scan, Fax, Expandable Paper Capacity, 42 PPM
42 ppm black
4.9 second first page
Up to 900 sheets
5-inch touchscreen
Fax included
Pros
- Fastest monochrome output in the roundup at 42 ppm with a 4.9 second first page
- Automatic duplex on both print and copy
- Paper capacity expands to 900 sheets across two trays
- 5-inch touchscreen gives real on-device control
- Ethernet USB and Wi-Fi with easy wireless setup
Cons
- No color printing
- Smaller base of owner reviews than the other picks here
- Dated industrial styling relative to the current-generation models
The MF465dw II is the volume specialist. It prints 42 pages per minute in black with a first page in 4.9 seconds, the quickest figures in this roundup, and paper capacity expands to 900 sheets across two trays. That means a busy office refills roughly four times less often than a 250-sheet machine.
It also does print, copy, scan and fax with automatic duplex, driven by a 5-inch touchscreen. That is the largest control panel among the monochrome picks here and it makes on-device job configuration far easier when a staff member is not at a computer.
It uses Canon Genuine Toner 070 cartridges and accepts paper from 4.1 by 5.8 inches up to 8.5 by 14, with a multipurpose tray handling media from 3 by 5 inches. Connectivity covers Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi with a straightforward wireless setup.
It carries a three-year manufacturer warranty, and alongside the MF652Cw it has the longest coverage in this roundup. Rated power draw is 1250 watts, well above the 80 to 470 watts the smaller machines draw.
How to know if you are actually a high-volume shop
Add up a typical month rather than guessing. Multiply the number of staff who print by the average pages each produces, then add your invoices, packing slips and shipping labels. Below roughly 1000 pages a month, a 36 ppm machine is genuinely enough and the upgrade is wasted money.
Cross that threshold and the calculus changes. At several thousand pages a month, throughput, tray capacity and toner yield all start to matter, and a machine that avoids a jam at month end is worth more than a few points of speed.
Where it will disappoint you
It is monochrome only, so any color requirement means looking at the Canon color machines instead. It also carries the smallest base of owner feedback in this roundup, which means long-term reliability is less well documented than the alternatives.
Styling is dated next to the current-generation Brother models, and it is a large machine at 18.1 by 16.6 by 14.8 inches, so it needs a dedicated spot rather than a shelf.
If your team prints shipping labels in volume, our guide to the best label printers for small businesses covers dedicated label machines, which is a different buying decision from a general office printer.
How to Choose a Laser Printer for Your Small Business
Size your printer to your monthly page volume
Monthly page volume is the number that should drive your choice, and it is the one most buyers never calculate. Add up a typical month of invoices, contracts, packing slips and internal reports before you look at any spec sheet.
Under 1000 pages a month, any machine in this roundup handles the job. Between 1000 and 3000 pages, prioritize automatic duplex and a high-yield toner. Above 3000 pages, look at tray capacity, duty cycle and toner yield, because those are where the running cost and the interruptions come from.
Duty cycle is the maximum monthly volume a machine is engineered to handle, and recommended monthly page volume is the range it is designed for. Exceeding the recommended range is how people end up replacing a printer prematurely, because the drum and fuser wear faster than the manufacturer expects.
Monochrome or color
Nine out of ten documents in a typical small business are black and white, which is why eight of our picks are monochrome. Color laser hardware costs several times more, and color toner cartridges add four separate consumables to manage.
Buy color if you produce client-facing material regularly: price lists, brochures, quotes with branded headers, signage or anything a customer walks away holding. If color appears a few times a year, a color inkjet costs less and prints photos better.
For a dedicated breakdown of the color side, read our roundup of the best color laser printers for small businesses.
Single-function or all-in-one
An MFP combines printer, scanner, copier and sometimes fax in one chassis. It costs more and weighs more, but it saves desk space and removes the awkwardness of sending a document across the room to a separate scanner.
Choose a print-only model when nobody in the business scans regularly. Choose an all-in-one when documents need to be copied or filed routinely, and add a 50-page document feeder if you process multi-page batches, since that is the feature that saves the most time per job.
Connectivity that survives a real shop
Dual-band Wi-Fi matters more than most spec sheets suggest. In a retail space with point-of-sale terminals, guest devices and staff phones all on the 2.4GHz band, a printer restricted to that band drops connection constantly. A 5GHz-capable machine holds its connection.
Every printer in this roundup has Wi-Fi. Only some have Ethernet, and for a machine that prints unattended overnight or hosts a floor with thick walls, a wired connection is more reliable than any wireless band. If your shop is wired for networking, wire the printer.
Check mesh router compatibility before you commit. We saw documented problems with Netgear Orbi networks on one Canon model and mesh disconnects on two others in this roundup.
Understanding toner cost and cost per page
Cost per page is the single most useful number in a printer decision, and almost no competitor publishes it. The calculation is simple: divide the street price of a cartridge by its rated page yield. Add the drum unit cost amortized over its life and you have the real figure.
A high-yield cartridge is not automatically cheaper per page unless you actually print enough pages to use it before it ages. A business printing 300 pages a month gains little from a 10,000-page cartridge, while one printing 5000 pages a month gains a great deal.
If your business issues a lot of checks, the best check printers for small businesses cover that narrower job separately.
Are laser printers still worth it in 2026
Yes. Laser printers are not being phased out. Laser remains the standard for office document printing because the technology delivers lower cost per page, no ink-clog failures and faster output on text-heavy work, and every manufacturer still supports them with current-generation hardware.
What a laser printer costs to run
The running cost is the cartridge yield against the cartridge price, plus power and any maintenance parts. A machine that prints 4000 pages a month on four color cartridges costs far more per page than one printing 4000 black pages on a single mono cartridge, which is the core reason to think carefully before buying color.
Buy versus rent matters at high volume only. If you print a few hundred pages a month, owning and stocking your own toner is cheaper than a managed print contract. At several thousand pages a month across several machines, a managed service can win because it absorbs the labor of ordering and tracking supplies.
Where Laser Printers Fall Short
Laser printers disappoint small businesses in predictable ways, and it is worth naming them before you buy rather than after.
Photo quality is the first. Laser output on photographs looks flat and shows banding, because the process works in flat dots of toner rather than smooth ink gradients. If you print photographs, a laser printer is the wrong tool.
Upfront cost is the second. A color laser machine costs several times more than a color inkjet of similar speed, and the cartridges carry more of the value than the box does. Buyers describe it as a cheap printer for expensive consumables, and that framing is fair.
Third, toner lock-in varies by brand. Two HP models in this roundup use firmware that blocks cartridges without original chips, which means every page from the second cartridge onward is priced by the manufacturer. Brother machines use cartridges that third parties can supply more freely, which is a recurring theme in r/printers threads about long-term ownership.
Fourth, a laser left unused for months can develop a toner wedge, where residue hardens in the paper path and causes repeated jams. Running a test page through monthly prevents it, which matters more for a seasonal business than a daily one.
Fifth, the print quality advantage is only for text and line art. Nothing above 1200 by 1200 dpi will rescue a photograph, and large-format jobs still belong to inkjets or specialist machines.
How to Secure a Networked Office Printer
A networked printer is a computer with a network address, and small offices are the most common place that gets missed during a security review.
Change the default administrator password on day one, before the machine touches your main network. Then apply firmware updates on a schedule rather than skipping the prompts, since printer firmware has historically carried exploitable vulnerabilities.
If nobody uses mobile or cloud printing, disable it. Fewer exposed services on the device means fewer ways in.
Put the printer on its own network segment or VLAN where the network allows it, so a compromised device cannot reach your file servers or accounting systems.
Give it a static IP address or a DHCP reservation, so print jobs and scanning destinations do not break when the address changes. For a shop with thick walls, connect over Ethernet rather than relying on Wi-Fi.
Finally, write down when you last changed the administrator password and who holds it. Small offices rarely have this documented anywhere, and the person who set up the printer often leaves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best laser printer for value for money?
The Brother DCP-L2640DW is the best value pick for most small businesses. It prints 36 pages per minute in black, scans and copies in the same chassis, includes a 50-page automatic document feeder and automatic duplex printing, and uses the widely available TN830 and TN830XL toner family. The Brother HL-L2405W costs less but prints at 30 ppm with manual duplex only.
What is the best laser printer for a small printing business?
Start with your monthly page volume rather than brand. Under 1000 pages a month, the Brother DCP-L2640DW covers print, scan and copy with automatic duplex. Between 1000 and 3000 pages, prioritize automatic duplex and a high-yield toner cartridge. Above 3000 pages, look at the Canon imageCLASS MF465dw II for its 42 ppm engine and paper capacity that expands to 900 sheets.
How much does a laser printer toner cost?
It depends almost entirely on the cartridge yield you use. A standard-yield cartridge spreads its price over a few thousand pages, while a high-yield cartridge spreads it over many more, so the per-page cost falls as your volume rises. The exact figure to check is cartridge price divided by rated page yield, and third-party cartridges change that number significantly on brands that allow them.
Why are printer toners so expensive?
Three reasons dominate. The cartridge is a sealed assembly containing the drum or toner, the yield is set by the manufacturer rather than by physics, and the ecosystem is designed so each printer model uses its own cartridge format. Where firmware blocks cartridges without original chips, as on the two HP models in this roundup, the buyer has no alternative supply and the price reflects that.
How much does a laser printer cost per page compared to an inkjet?
A laser costs far less per page on black text because one cartridge covers thousands of pages and there is no liquid ink to dry in the nozzles. Inkjet cartridges typically cover a few hundred pages, so the cost per page is several times higher on comparable volume. On color work the gap narrows, which is why a color inkjet can still be the cheaper choice for occasional color pages.
What is the average life of a laser printer?
A well-maintained business laser printer commonly runs for five to ten years, and many units in service reports go far longer. The consumables wear before the machine does, with the drum unit and fuser typically being replaced well before the chassis fails. Machines used heavily on manual duplex or with third-party toner tend to age faster than those maintained on scheduled replacements.
Are laser printers being phased out?
No. Laser printing remains the standard technology for office documents because it delivers lower cost per page, faster output on text-heavy work and no ink-clog failures after sitting idle. Every major manufacturer still sells and supports current-generation laser printers for small business, and inkjet has not replaced them in that role.
Final Verdict
For most small businesses buying their first laser printer, the Brother DCP-L2640DW is the answer. It gives you 36 ppm black printing, scanning, copying, a 50-page feeder and automatic duplex in a single 25 pound unit that uses the same toner family as several cheaper models here. That combination is harder to find at the entry level.
Go a different route if your volume or your documents demand it. The Brother HL-L2460DW handles a pure black-and-white workload at 36 ppm in a smaller footprint. The Brother MFC-L2820DW adds a working fax line for offices that still need one. The HP LaserJet Pro 3001dw carries real security controls for teams with an IT department, The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw is the quickest monochrome all-in-one at 40 ppm.
Color changes the shortlist entirely. The Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is the strongest all-round color machine with a three-year warranty and economic 069 toner, while the Canon imageCLASS MF652Cw gets color into the building for less if manual duplex is acceptable. The Canon imageCLASS MF465dw II takes monochrome as far as it goes with a 42 ppm engine and 900 sheets of paper.
Whichever you choose, calculate your monthly page volume first and check the cartridge ecosystem before the hardware. A printer is a consumables platform, and the right platform is the one you will still be happy with in year three.
If your business also produces physical products or signage, our guides to the best 3D printers for small businesses and the best laser engravers for small businesses cover the equipment that sits next to the printer in a small workshop.