While we’re all doing a lot more work online these days, most of us don’t do a whole lot of printing anymore. If you’re thinking about buying a new printer, consider getting an inexpensive model to help you save money.
You can pay upwards of $1000 for a home printer, but you most likely don’t need to.
This article was updated in March 2024 and I review it every 12 months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.
Where To Buy a Cheap Printer
I recently reviewed more than 70 printer deals posted by ClarkDeals to see where we’ve found the best prices over the last few years. After that, I checked out the most affordable printers recommended by Consumer Reports and researched where to buy them.
I found that you can typically get a great deal on a printer — less than $100 — at Amazon, Office Depot, Staples, Best Buy and Walmart.
In this article, I’ll take a close look at the stores where you’re most likely to find the best cheap printer deals, and I’ll spotlight the highest-rated inexpensive printers so that you can keep an eye out for them.
One thing to keep in mind: Depending on how much you use your home printer, the cost of ink replacement can add up quickly. So, you should consider the price of ink for each printer when you’re making your decision. And note that refurbished printers can be a great deal as long as the seller has a good return and/or warranty policy on its renewed or refurbished items.
In this article, I’ll be looking only at the prices of the printers themselves.
Where To Find the Best Cheap Printer Deals
ClarkDeals has been posting the best deals from around the web, including cheap printer deals, since 2016. Here’s where we’ve seen the best prices.
The Top Five Places To Buy a Cheap Printer:
As you can see, most deals have come from Amazon and Office Depot.
Amazon has offered cheap printers for as low as $19 in the past, and you can typically find a great deal around Prime Day in July or Black Friday in November. We’ve also seen cheap printers at Office Depot ranging from $30 to $50, particularly during the back-to-school season in July, August and September.
Be sure to check out the selection at Staples and Walmart as well. We’ve seen printer deals from as low as $40 at Staples during Black Friday sales, which makes it a great place to shop before the holidays. Walmart has offered cheap all-in-one printers for as low as $19 in the past, which makes it a great option for getting the best price on a cheap printer.
No matter what time of year you’re shopping, you can also bookmark this page for the best daily deals available at Best Buy. You may be able to grab a new printer for a great one-day-only price!
The Best Places To Shop for a Cheap Printer
Whether you have a specific printer in mind or not, you’ll most likely be able to find a deal at Amazon, Office Depot, Walmart, Staples or Best Buy. In fact, you can find two of the top “smart buy” printers according to Consumer Reports (subscription required) at several of these stores.
Customers have rated and reviewed the printers based on predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, speed, quality of text, graphics, photos, ink use and ink cost. Here are three of the most affordable, highly-rated regular printers based on Consumer Reports data, along with prices, as of March 2024.
| Amazon | Office Depot | Staples | Best Buy | Walmart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1: Brother HL-L2370DW XL | $229.99 | $229.99 | $229.99 | $229.99 | $249.99 |
| #2: Brother HL-L2350DW | $171 | Not available | $149.99 | Not available | $226 |
| #3: Canon imageCLASS LBP246dw | Not available | $199.99 | $199.99 | $199.99 | $240.18 |
*Prices may vary based on location
Each store carries a huge selection of printer brands and models both online and in-store. Check out the stores below for more information on shipping, pricing and brands. Also, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with each store’s return policy before you make your final purchase.
Amazon
Amazon currently offers competitive prices on highly-rated Consumer Reports “smart buy” printers. You’ll also find a huge selection of printers at Amazon from brands that include Canon, HP, Epson, and Xerox.
One of the best things about shopping at Amazon is how easy it is to track a product’s price history with Camelcamelcamel. When I searched for the Brother HL-L2350DW, I saw that its price actually dropped to $119.99 around Black Friday last year! Based on that information, I recommend watching the price of this printer for a while. In general, we’ve found that Amazon is a great place to price compare printers as well as a website to watch for price drops and excellent limited-time deals.
Amazon offers free shipping on most purchases over $35, which means most of the printers won’t have additional shipping fees attached to them.
Office Depot
Office Depot is a great place to check for regular deals and a big selection of cheap printers. In fact, we’ve seen the most deals from Office Depot over the years just behind Amazon. In addition to Brother and Lexmark, you’ll also find printers by Canon, Epson, HP and more available at Office Depot.
Qualifying $45 orders are eligible for free next-day shipping. If the printer you’re looking at is cheaper than that, you can choose free one-hour in-store pickup (where available).
Walmart
Walmart has offered great cheap printers for as low as $19 in the past. Right now, the cheapest printer available online from Walmart is listed at $39.
Some printers even come with credit for your first ink cartridge purchase. And you can get free shipping on orders over $35, which includes all printers available at the time of writing. You can also get free in-store pickup. Printers can be returned to Walmart within 30 days, which makes this a great place to make your final purchase.
Best Buy
Best Buy also offers great prices on top-rated printers. In March 2024, I found the Canon imageCLASS LBP246dw for $199.99 with a price match guarantee. This price already beat the current price at Walmart on the same printer by $40!
In addition to this printer, you’ll find great prices on HP, Canon, Epson, Amazon and Insignia brand printers with deals starting as low as $50.
Best Buy offers free shipping on most orders over $35, which means all of the currently available printers are eligible. You can also return printers within 15 days of purchase, so be sure to hold on to your receipt in case it doesn’t work out.
Staples
Staples carries printers from HP, Brother, Epson, Canon, Lexmark and Xerox. The store also currently matched Best Buy’s low price on the Brother HL-L2370DW XL printer.
You can often find printers online at Staples with free next-day delivery. Free shipping extends to most orders over $35, which means all of the printers Staples carries are eligible.
Printers at Staples start as low as $49.99 online right now, which is a pretty great price for a printer. You can return printers bought at Staples within the first two weeks after purchase.
Final Thoughts
If you’re shopping for a cheap home printer, you’ll most likely find the best price at Amazon or Office Depot. Best Buy, Staples and Walmart are also great places to check for regular deals and low prices.
No matter where you decide to shop, be sure to compare prices with a tool like Google Shopping to ensure you’re getting the best deal available.
Before you make your final purchase, be sure to take into account the price of replacement ink cartridges for the printer you’re considering. It’s always a better deal if you can save over time beyond the initial investment!
You also don’t want to pay for bells and whistles you don’t really need. Think about what you’ll be using the printer for. If you don’t need a wireless all-in-one printer/scanner/fax machine, you don’t need to pay for one. Keep it simple and put the extra cash in your pocket.
For the best, most current deals available from around the web (including cheap printers) be sure to follow ClarkDeals.com and sign up for Clark’s free newsletters!
Where have you seen the best deals on printers lately? Let us know in the Clark.com Community!
Article Updates
- March 25, 2024: Added 9 new deals posted by ClarkDeals.com over the past year
- March 25, 2024: Updated current highly rated printers from Consumer Reports and checked prices across all retailers
