Canon Vs HP: Which Printer Is Best?

Forbes

05-06-2025

Odds are if you're seeking a printer, two brands ubiquitous with these devices have caught your attention: Canon and HP. Deciding between Canon versus HP can feel a little tricky because both brands are well known for quality prints and fast speeds. You have your pick of great options like the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e, an all-in-one printer that has a detailed print resolution as well as the Canon ImageClass MF284DW, a duplex printer built for businesses to print your documents quickly.
Many Canon printers are great at printing detailed color photos, whereas HP often wins in terms of ... More print speed.
Here's the thing: Neither Canon nor HP is ever going to earn an outright best printer victory. That's because Canon and HP printers excel at different tasks. When deciding between Canon versus HP, you should take a few features into account, namely printer type, print quality and price. After extensive research and testing many different printer options, here's how you can choose between Canon versus HP.
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Type: Inkjet | Features: Print/Copy/Scan/Fax | Wireless: Yes | Size: 13.5 x 17.3 x 11 inches | Color print: Yes | Tray capacity: 250 sheets | Ink: 4 cartridges
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Canon
Pages per minute: 35 | Print resolution: 600 x 600 DPI Display: LCD | Weight: 27.6 pounds | Features: Copy, scan
Laser printers use an electrostatic charge and toner powder to transfer text and images on paper. A laser beam 'writes' an image on a photosensitive drum, which then attracts toner powder toward itself. The toner is then rapidly transferred to a sheet of paper and permanently fixed there thanks to heat and pressure.
While some laser printers can print in color, they're not great at it—not compared to inkjet printers, anyway. What laser printers are great at is rapidly churning out black-and-white documents and graphics. Some printers, like the Canon ImageClass MF284DW and the HP Laserjet Pro MFP 3101SDW, can print up to 35 pages per minute and offer wireless printing.
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What it comes down to is the resolution, also known as Dots Per Inch (DPI); the higher the resolution, the better image quality you're going to get. While both of the aforementioned printers print quickly, the resolution is another story: The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101SDW hits 1,200 DPI, while the Canon ImageClass MF284DW can only go as high as 600 DPI. You won't see any difference in text-heavy documents, but again, with images, expect to notice some degradation.
Inkjet printers work by precisely propelling tiny ink droplets onto paper in patterns that form images, graphics and text. They use print heads with hundreds (or in some cases even thousands) of microscopic nozzles to spray out their ink, creating a high level of accuracy and detail.
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Inkjet printers are much slower than laser printers; don't expect to dash out the door two minutes before catching the bus with your completed graphics project. The Canon PIXMA TS8820 Printer, as an example, can only print up to 15 pages per minute, 20 pages less than the 35 pages per minute the Canon ImageClass MF284DW outputs. Another example is the HP Envy 6155E Color Inkjet Printer: It can print 10 pages per minute. But one of our other picks, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e, nabbed our pick as the best home printer available because of its speedy and high quality print jobs.
Note that those pages per minute numbers are for monochrome (black, e.g.) text prints; the color print speeds are slower still, with the Canon achieving just 10 prints per minute in color and the HP a mere seven. Inkjet printers also tend to be smaller in size, a welcome factor when you have limited office space.
While print speeds are important, a high print quality can make or break any art project. Inkjet printers are great for printing photos and other colorful, detailed media. While the DPI is lower on laser printers, you can expect a higher resolution on inkjets. Both the Canon PIXMA TS8820 Printer mentioned above have a DPI of up to 4,800 and the HP Envy 6155E Inkjet Printer hit a DPI of 4,800, making them great for detailed graphics and school art projects. Keep in mind that excellent resolution is only relevant for images printed at best quality, but for text documents, there's no need for such high quality (and extensive ink use) anyway.
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You don't have to spend a fortune to get a high print quality, either. The HP Envy Inspire 7955e, a printer that can also scan and copy, costs around $200 and achieves that same 4,800 x 1,200 DPI in color and 1,200 x 1,200 DPI in black-and-white. The same goes for the HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e, which also uses a 4,800 x 1,200 DPI.
The Canon Pixma G6020, an all-in-one printer, prints both color and black and white at 4,800 by 1,200 DPI and costs around $260. So, does Canon edge out HP there? Sure, but remember that black and white printing really doesn't need that level of detail—you won't be able to tell your text is even crisper than it was with your old printer.
While all-in-all things are pretty close here, if you're primarily printing photos, then Roxy Garrity, chief communications officer with CareYaya Health Technologies, recommends opting for a Canon printer. 'Canon is a master of photo printing and color reproduction, making it the top pick for creative professionals and businesses focused on visual marketing materials,' Garrity says.
For photographers, Canon's Pixma PRO-200S is a dedicated photo printer that achieves 4,800 by 2,400 DPI and costs a little more at around $500. Yes, you'll pay more than if you were going with an all-in-one printer like Canon's Megatank GX6120. But keep in mind that this particular all-in one device maxes out at 1,200 by 1,200 DPI. That's mostly the norm for most all-in-one devices, but this one costs an eye-watering $650 before a sale. That's something to keep in mind: An all-in-one printer can copy, fax, scan, print and more, which may suit your needs more than a dedicated photo printer, but it may come at the cost of the DPI.
HP doesn't offer a dedicated photo printer for photographers and artists. Rather, the company offers all-in-one devices. They can scan, copy and fax, and they're also built for regular and photo printing. The HP Envy 6155E will do the job just fine, but also consider the HP OfficeJet 250, another all-in-one printer with a 4,800 by 1,200 DPI. The HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e is another good option; during testing, we felt the photo print jobs kept colors accurate and vivid. Photographers should consider the Canon if they want a dedicated photo printer, but for business users who also print photos, HP is better for business owners who also need to print photos.
Both companies offer several printers priced well under $100, and both offer several priced well into the hundreds of dollars.
When it comes to price, again it's pretty much a draw between Canon and HP. But there's one catch: Based on our research and testing, HP tends to be a bit pricier in terms of ink, so your long-term costs may add up if you go with HP and you do a lot of printing, especially in color.
There's also the question of ink subscriptions; both companies offer some kind of service. HP has its HP Instant Ink subscription, a service that detects when you're low on ink and automatically orders it for you starting at $1.49 per month.
Canon, on the other hand, offers two tiers, the Canon Auto Replenishment Service and the Canon PIXMA Print Plan. The former ships new ink catridges only when you run low, so depends on how quickly you use up your ink as well as the cost of a catridge. The PIXMA Print Plan focuses on print volumes and ships accordingly, and starts at $4 per month. It's worth noting that the Auto Replenishment Service is built for low to moderate printing and the PIXMA Print Plan is designed with business owners in mind.
Still, if your printing needs are centered on text documents, Garrity advises that you turn to HP, saying 'HP offers better value for high-volume text printing.'
As long as you pick the right printer type for your needs, you're not going to go wrong with Canon or HP; both brands make good hardware that's generally reliable and demonstrates consistent print quality.
That said, Canon is a bit faster and better at printing photos and graphics, and HP ink costs do tend to be higher, especially if you're not using the HP Instant Ink subscription service. If you plan to use ink subscriptions, too, that may sway HP in your favor as its generally more affordable for casual print jobs.
If you're all about text-heavy documents, as is the case in many offices, HP is the way to go, as its toner is expensive up front but churns out hundreds of pages before needing a refill. Garrity sums things up well when she says: 'The choice typically comes down to your single most significant use case—Canon for image quality and brand ecosystem integration, HP for low-cost business document printing.'
The team of tech editors and writers at Forbes Vetted have been testing, researching and reviewing electronics for years, including everything from printers to TVs for bright rooms to the best drones and so much more.
What Is A Good Page Per Minute Print Speed?
A good page per minute (PPM) print speed depends heavily on your own needs, but generally, for household use, speeds from 10 to 30 PPM are sufficient. For small offices or most schools, 20 to 40 PPM is likely sufficient, while businesses, large educational organizations, and other groups with substantial monthly print volumes may require 50 to 75 PPM or even higher.
Why Is Printer Ink So Expensive?
There are two reasons: First, ink cartridges contain microchips and intricate engineering to ensure proper function and to help monitor ink levels. Second, it's on the ink where companies like Canon and HP make their money; they sell printers at relatively low cost, but the ink at a premium.
Do Printers Use A Lot Of Electricity?
Printers don't typically use a large amount of electricity, but it varies depending on the type of printer, how it's used and how often. Laser printers generally consume more power than inkjet printers, but they are much faster.