10 Best Cheapest Color Printer 2026 in the United States

The HP Smart Tank 5000 is a solid choice if you're looking for a budget-friendly color printer that works well at home. It offers very good print quality, especially for color prints, thanks to its high resolution up to 4800 x 1200 dpi. While it prints black and white pages at about 10 pages per minute and color pages at around 5 pages per minute, this speed is fairly typical for an ink tank printer designed for occasional home use rather than heavy office workloads.

One of its standout features is the included ink that can last up to 2 years, making it cost-effective over time since you don't have to buy cartridges frequently. The refillable ink tank system is designed to be mess-free, which is a nice convenience for home users. The printer supports wireless connectivity, allowing easy printing from laptops, smartphones, or tablets, and has a simple USB port for wired connection if needed. It also functions as a scanner and copier, adding extra value for home office tasks. Paper handling is straightforward, with a single tray that holds up to 100 sheets and supports sizes up to legal (8.5 x 14 inches). However, it only supports manual duplex printing, so double-sided printing requires flipping pages yourself.

This printer is fairly compact and lightweight for an ink tank model, making it easy to fit in most home spaces. The included HP Smart app offers helpful AI features that clean up web pages and emails before printing, saving paper and ink. Although the print speeds are not very fast, which may feel slow for large volume printing, and automatic duplexing is missing, the HP Smart Tank 5000 balances low running costs and good print quality with basic multifunction features. It is a practical and affordable pick for home users who print regularly but don’t mind moderate speeds and manual duplexing.

The Epson EcoTank ET-4800 is a budget-friendly color printer that stands out with its cartridge-free printing system. This feature significantly reduces ink costs, allowing you to save up to 90% on replacement ink bottles compared to traditional cartridges. The printer can produce up to 4,500 pages in black and 7,500 pages in color, making it very economical in the long run. Additionally, the built-in high-capacity ink tanks mean you can print for up to two years before needing a refill, which greatly minimizes interruptions and reduces the environmental impact of cartridge waste.

The print quality is impressive, thanks to Epson's Micro Piezo Heat-Free Technology, which ensures sharp text and vibrant color graphics on various paper types. However, the print speeds are relatively slow, with a maximum of 10 pages per minute (ppm) for monochrome and 5 ppm for color prints. This may not be ideal for users with high-volume printing needs. The ET-4800 is versatile, offering scanning, copying, faxing, and automatic document feeding (ADF) capabilities. It also supports modern connectivity options, including wired and wireless connections, Ethernet, and voice-activated printing. You can easily print from smart devices using the Epson Smart Panel App.

The printer's compact design fits well in home offices, but the paper handling is limited to a 100-sheet input capacity, which might require frequent refilling for heavy users. The 2-year limited warranty provides added peace of mind. In summary, the Epson EcoTank ET-4800 is an excellent choice for home office users looking for a cost-effective, multifunction color printer with solid print quality and modern connectivity, though it may not be the best fit for those needing faster print speeds and larger paper capacity.

The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is a budget-friendly color printer that stands out by using refillable ink bottles instead of cartridges, which greatly lowers ink costs and reduces waste. You can print thousands of pages before needing a refill, making it a good choice if you want to avoid frequent ink replacements. It produces sharp prints with high resolution, especially for black and white documents, and decent color quality for home use.

The print speed is moderate: about 10 pages per minute for black and white, and slower at 5 pages per minute for color prints. Connectivity is simple and flexible with both USB and Wi-Fi options, allowing easy mobile printing from phones or computers. It’s an all-in-one device with scanning and copying features, but it lacks automatic double-sided printing, which means you have to manually flip pages if you want two-sided prints. The printer can handle standard paper sizes up to 8.5 x 14 inches and holds around 100 sheets in its tray.

Its size and design are compact enough for home desks, though it’s a bit heavier than basic models. While the upfront cost might be higher than some cheap cartridge printers, the long-term savings on ink make it a smart option if you print often. Epson recommends using their genuine ink bottles to maintain print quality and avoid warranty issues. This printer suits home users who want low ongoing costs, reliable color prints, and a wireless setup without many extra features.