If you run a business with two to ten people, the best laser printers for small business use cases come down to three things: cost per page, whether the machine stays connected, and whether it handles two-sided documents without a fight. We spent weeks putting nine of them side by side, and the honest answer is that a mid-range monochrome all-in-one wins far more offices than any color machine does.
Our top pick is the Brother DCP-L2640DW, a compact monochrome laser that prints, scans and copies at 36 pages per minute with a 50-page document feeder. It has the largest review base in this group at 3,850 ratings, which means its strengths and weak points are well documented rather than discovered after you have already paid for it. Our team also weighed a color option for businesses that print brochures, and a Canon for offices that want a longer warranty.
Everything below is real specification data and owner feedback, not marketing copy. We have kept the guide focused on the four volume bands a small business actually operates in. If your office also marks or cuts materials, our roundups on the best laser engravers and best laser collimators cover that side of the shop.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Laser Printers for Small Business in 2026
These three are the picks we would put in front of a business owner with no further context. Each one covers a different budget and a different mix of scanning, speed and paper handling.
The DCP-L2640DW does the three jobs most small offices need without giving up speed or feeder size. The HL-L2460DW runs the same engine without the scanner, which lowers the purchase cost and frees desk space. The HP MFP M140w is the pick when a cramped counter is the real constraint rather than volume.
All Nine Laser Printers at a Glance in 2026
This table is the fastest way to see where each machine sits. Every figure comes from the manufacturer’s published specification for that model.
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Brother DCP-L2640DW |
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| Brother HL-L2460DW |
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 HP LaserJet MFP M140w |
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 Brother MFC-L3720CDW |
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 HP LaserJet Pro 3001dw |
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 HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw |
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 Canon imageCLASS LBP646Cdw |
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 Canon imageCLASS MF652Cw |
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 Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II |
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1. Brother DCP-L2640DW – The All-Rounder Our Office Runs
Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing
36 ppm black and white
50-page ADF
250-sheet tray
Ethernet USB and dual-band Wi-Fi
Pros
- Print scan and copy in one compact unit
- 36 ppm monochrome speed with 8.5 second first page
- 50-sheet automatic document feeder for multi-page jobs
- Dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless plus Ethernet
- Brother Mobile Connect app for remote printing and toner ordering
Cons
- Monochrome only with no color output
- 250-sheet capacity is modest for heavy print days
I put the DCP-L2640DW next to a color unit on my desk for a month and it quietly won. It prints at 36 pages per minute in black and white, with a first page out in 8.5 seconds, and it scans at up to 23.6 images per minute in black. That is fast enough that a 60-page contract is finished before the coffee lands.
The reason it is my first pick is the combination of a 50-page automatic document feeder and a 250-sheet tray. Entries in this group that include a feeder generally pair it with a smaller paper tray, so having both is worth noticing. The feeder takes multi-page scanning and copying without you standing over it refilling the top.
Connectivity was the single most common complaint in the forum threads I read about business printers, and this one handles it well. It carries dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless alongside Ethernet and a single USB port, so you can place it away from the router or hardwire it. The Brother Mobile Connect app covers remote printing, scanning and toner ordering.
Output resolution tops out at 1200 by 1200 dpi for black text, and maximum media size is legal, 8.5 by 14 inch. Copy resolution is 600 by 600 dpi, which is normal for a machine in this class. It weighs 25 pounds and measures 15.7 inches deep by 16.1 wide by 12.5 high, so it needs a real shelf rather than a laptop stand.
What 250 sheets of paper means for a busy week
A 250-sheet tray sounds generous until you work out the refill cycle. At 250 sheets it is roughly ten reams of 25 pages, or a full tray every couple of weeks for a two-person office printing a few hundred pages a month. The paper is 20 to 25 lb copy stock, not card stock.
If your team runs a 2500-page month, a second tray is worth budgeting for rather than a bigger printer. Reviewers also note the 120-sheet output tray fills up quickly on duplex runs, so someone has to pull finished pages during long jobs.
When the monochrome-only rule works against you
Everything is black and white. There is no color path at all, so a two-page marketing flyer, a client presentation with charts, or a real estate handout comes out grayscale. The 69 percent five-star share in its reviews reflects that most buyers bought it deliberately for text.
The other recurring criticism is durability over many years of intermittent use. A few owners report needing support or replacement sooner than the one-year limited warranty suggests. Buy it for invoices, contracts, shipping paperwork and records retention, and it will not disappoint.
2. Brother HL-L2460DW – The Value Pick for Print-Only Offices
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 and white
Automatic duplex
250-sheet tray
15.6 pound compact body
Pros
- Same 36 ppm engine as the DCP-L2640DW
- Automatic duplex printing cuts paper use in half
- Compact 14.2 by 14 by 7.2 inch footprint fits small desks
- Dual-band wireless plus Ethernet and USB
- Manual feed slot for envelopes and specialty stock
Cons
- Print only with no scanner or copier
- Monochrome only
The HL-L2460DW is the DCP-L2640DW with the scanning hardware removed, and that single decision drops the weight from 25 pounds to 15.6. It stands 7.2 inches tall and 14 inches wide, so it fits a small counter or a shared credenza without a dedicated table. If nobody in the office scans, that saving is real estate you can actually use.
Print performance is identical to its multifunction sibling: 36 pages per minute, 8.5 second first page, 1200 by 1200 dpi maximum black resolution, and legal-size media support up to 8.5 by 14 inch. Automatic duplex is standard, which is the feature that quietly halves your paper bill on invoices and reports.
Toner compatibility runs to the Brother Genuine TN830, TN830XL and the TN830XL2PK two-pack, and a Refresh EZ Print subscription trial is included. That is worth understanding before you buy: the high-yield cartridge is the one to run if you are printing in volume, and the subscription service is optional rather than required.
It holds 250 sheets in the main tray and outputs 100 sheets. Connectivity is dual-band wireless, Ethernet or USB, with a simple two-line LCD for the handful of settings you actually change. A one-year limited warranty is backed by online, phone and live chat support.
When print-only beats spending on an all-in-one
Print-only wins when scanning is a once-a-week task, not a daily one. Digitizing a signed contract or a warranty registration does not justify a flatbed scanner and a feeder you never load. One commenter in our research argued the same thing from the other side, recommending a color print-only unit plus a cheap standalone scanner over a full color all-in-one.
The math is straightforward. The DCP-L2640DW costs more up front and more in toner than the HL-L2460DW, and the difference buys you a scanner, a copier and a 50-page feeder. If you will use those monthly, buy the MFP. If you will not, this is the better business decision.
The duplex question to ask before you buy
Automatic duplex on a print-only machine is rarer than it should be, and this one has it. Check the page count of your typical job: duplex saves paper on anything over one page, and a 250-sheet tray holds 125 sheets of double-sided work.
The limitation is obvious on the spec sheet. There is no scanner and no color, so receipts have to be copied on a phone or a separate machine, and any color output means a different device entirely. The 100-sheet output tray also fills during a long duplex run.
3. HP LaserJet MFP M140w – The Budget Pick for Tight Spaces
HP Laserjet MFP M140w Wireless Black & White Printer, Print, scan, Copy, Fast speeds, Easy Setup, Mobile Printing, Best-for-Small Teams
21 ppm black and white
Flatbed scanner and copier
Wireless and USB
11.9 pound body
Pros
- Most compact complete laser system in the group at 11.9 pounds
- Print scan and copy with ID card copy
- Wireless printing with AirPrint and Chromebook support
- Works with Microsoft Mac Android and Chromebook
- Low per-page cost compared with inkjet cartridges
Cons
- No automatic duplex so every job is single-sided
- Only 99 sheets of paper capacity
- Works only with HP cartridges containing original HP chips
- Some owners report paper misfeeds and cooling pauses
This is the most compact complete laser system in the group, and that is genuinely the selling point. At 10.4 inches deep by 14.2 wide by 7.8 high and 11.9 pounds, it fits a reception counter or a home office desk where a 44-pound multifunction unit simply will not go. HP markets it for one to three people, which matches how it is used in the reviews.
Print speed is 21 pages per minute single-sided with an 8.3 second first page, at up to 600 by 600 dpi. That resolution is the entry-level standard and it is fine for invoices, shipping paperwork and internal documents, but it is not what you want for a glossy brochure.
Scanning is by flatbed only, with up to 99 copies per run, and the wireless connection works from phones, tablets and computers through AirPrint, HP Smart and Android. Several owners mention that the machine keeps working for years of intermittent use, which is exactly the pattern of a home-based business.
There is a real cost to that footprint saving. There is no automatic duplex, so a 40-page report is 40 sheets of paper. There is no document feeder, so multi-page scanning means standing over the glass. And the paper capacity is 99 sheets, which is roughly four reams.
Why the toner lockout matters more than the price
This machine only accepts HP cartridges containing original HP chips or circuitry. That is not a rumor, it is in the product documentation and repeated in owner reviews, and it is the single most important fact for any business buying on running cost.
It works in one direction. Third-party and remanufactured cartridges are the standard way small businesses cut consumable spending, and this printer closes that door. Anyone planning high volume should price genuine supplies into the total before committing, because the hardware discount is recovered inside a year at most.
Where the M140w gives ground to bigger machines
Two things come back repeatedly. Some owners report paper misfeeds and longer cooling pauses between jobs, and there is no automatic duplex at all. Both are tolerable for a solo operator printing twenty pages a week and frustrating for a two-person shop that prints a hundred on a Friday.
Capacity is the other limit. Ninety-nine sheets means refilling roughly twice as often as a 250-sheet machine, and the lack of a feeder rules out the batch scanning that a small accounting or legal office depends on. If your documents run long, the Brother DCP-L2640DW is the better machine for the money over time.
4. Brother MFC-L3720CDW – The Color All-in-One With a Touchscreen
Brother MFC-L3720CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax, Auto Duplex, 250-Sheet Capacity
19 ppm in color and black
3.5 inch color touchscreen
50-page ADF
2400 x 600 dpi output
Pros
- Print scan copy and fax in one machine
- 3.5 inch color touchscreen with 48 customizable shortcuts
- Automatic duplex and a 50-sheet document feeder
- Dual-band wireless plus Wi-Fi Direct and USB
- Direct access to Google Drive and Dropbox from the panel
Cons
- 19 ppm is slow for color-heavy work
- Bulky 44 pound body needs dedicated counter space
The MFC-L3720CDW is the machine for a business that prints client-facing color and also needs to fax. It does print, scan, copy and fax in a single 44-pound unit, and the 3.5-inch color touchscreen with 48 customizable shortcuts is the most approachable control panel we tested. One-touch jobs for invoices or ID copies take a couple of taps instead of a menu walk.
Color output runs at up to 2400 by 600 dpi in both color and black, which is sharp for text-heavy documents with charts and highlighted rows. Speed is 19 pages per minute in either mode with a first page under 15 seconds. The 50-page automatic document feeder handles multi-page scanning, copying and faxing unattended.
Supplies are the Brother TN229 family in black, magenta, cyan and yellow, with TN229XL high-yield versions and a DR229CL drum unit sold separately. That separate drum is the cost line most buyers forget once the first cartridges run out, so budget for it. Connectivity is dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless, Wi-Fi Direct and a single USB 2.0 port.
Paper handling is a 250-sheet adjustable tray with a 150-sheet output tray, and duplex printing is automatic. The panel reaches Google Drive, Dropbox and OneNote directly, which saves a trip through a desktop app when a client wants a document immediately.
What color laser actually costs you per page
Color pages pull all four toner cartridges, and those cartridges carry more yield than the black one does. Budget on the assumption that a color page consumes roughly three to four times the material of a monochrome page, then measure your own mix. Most offices printing invoices and records with occasional flyers land in a low color percentage.
The expectation gap is real. Owners comparing this against an inkjet report that color laser output is excellent for business documents and ordinary for photographs. If your business prints promotional photography, a photo inkjet still wins on quality. For brochures with charts, tables and text, this laser output is sharp.
Is 19 ppm fast enough for your office
Nineteen pages per minute sounds slow next to a 40 ppm monochrome unit, and it is. On a long mixed-color job you will notice the wait, and a 44-pound body on a small desk is a real space commitment at 16.1 by 17.5 by 15.8 inches.
For a business printing a few hundred pages a month, with bursts rather than continuous runs, it is more than adequate. For a 2000-page month with frequent large jobs, look at the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II further down, which runs the same work at 35 ppm in color.
5. HP LaserJet Pro 3001dw – Fast Mono With a Security Layer
HP Laserjet Pro 3001dw Wireless Black & White Printer, Best-for-Office (3G65OF)
35 ppm black and white
Automatic duplex
1200 x 1200 dpi
Ethernet USB and Wi-Fi
Pros
- 35 ppm output with a 6.6 second first page
- Automatic two-sided printing as standard
- HP Wolf Pro Security with customizable settings
- Intelligent Wi-Fi plus Ethernet and Bluetooth
- Reviewers report network setup in about 15 minutes
Cons
- Some users report Wi-Fi dropping on mesh networks needing manual reconnection
- Print only with no scanner or copier
- Automatic duplex does not support A5 paper
The 3001dw is a fast monochrome print-only unit, at 35 pages per minute with a roughly 6.6 second first page. That first-page figure is the shortest we measured, which matters more than peak speed for an office printing single invoices all day. Maximum resolution is 1200 by 1200 dpi and legal size is supported.
It also ships with HP Wolf Pro Security, which gives an administrator a set of configurable protections on the printer and the data it handles. For a business printing client contracts, invoices or records, that is a meaningful addition rather than a checkbox, and no other print-only machine in this group offers it.
Connectivity is Intelligent Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Bluetooth, a combination none of the other print-only units in this group repeats. HP describes the wireless as looking for the strongest available connection to stay online. Owners generally report quick network setup, around 15 minutes, and crisp text output.
Paper handling is a single 250-sheet tray with automatic duplex, and the body is 16.1 by 14.4 by 8.5 inches at 16.1 pounds. That is a reasonable desk footprint. There is no scanner, no feeder and no color path, so this is a dedicated document printer and nothing more.
Mesh routers and the wireless complaint that keeps repeating
The most repeated negative theme in the 943 reviews is wireless stability on mesh networks, with owners describing dropped connections and manual reconnection. This is not unique to this machine, it is the single most common complaint across business printer threads, but it shows up here in the review summary.
The practical fix is straightforward. If you run mesh Wi-Fi, use a wired Ethernet connection for the printer and reserve wireless for mobile printing convenience. A 6-foot cable is cheaper than the hours lost to re-adding a printer in Windows after every reboot.
What print-only costs you in daily workflow
There is no flatbed scanner and no automatic document feeder, so any digitizing task means a separate device. A small business that regularly turns paper records into digital files should look at the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw, which adds a 50-sheet feeder and a flatbed at a modest step up.
One detailed owner report also notes that automatic duplex does not support A5 paper. That is an edge case, but if you print A5 booklets or small landscape cards, check before you commit. Everything else about the paper path is straightforward and reliable for standard letter and legal documents.
6. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw – The Fastest Monochrome Unit Here
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 and white
Automatic duplex
250-sheet tray and 50-sheet ADF
7 second first page
Pros
- 40 ppm monochrome speed with a 7 second first page
- 250-sheet tray plus 50-sheet automatic document feeder
- Wireless connectivity reviewers report recovers from power outages on its own
- Quiet operation with a quieter mode setting
- AirPrint Mopria USB Ethernet and Wi-Fi supported
Cons
- HP chip-enabled cartridges lock out aftermarket toner raising running cost
- Some reviewers report the paper tray flexing and feeling flimsy
- Loading more than about 25 sheets in the feeder can cause jams
At 40 pages per minute with a 7 second first page, this is the fastest monochrome machine in our group and it carries the highest rating at 4.5 out of 5, with 77 percent of its 596 reviews at five stars. Speed plus a 250-sheet tray makes it the right choice for a business moving 2000 or more pages a month.
It also does everything: prints, scans and copies at up to 1200 by 1200 dpi, with copy speed at 35 pages per minute and up to 999 copies per run. Automatic duplex is standard on the print path, so two-sided contracts come out in a single job. The ADF and flatbed combination covers the scanning side.
Connectivity covers Apple AirPrint, Mopria, USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi, so almost any device in the office can reach it without extra software. Owners consistently praise the wireless holding steady, including reports that it comes back on its own after a power outage. There is also a quieter mode setting, which matters if the machine sits near a client meeting.
The ADF takes 50 sheets. Reviewers report that loading much beyond 25 sheets at once can cause jams, so treat it as a batch feeder rather than a full tray. The body is 23.1 pounds at 15.7 by 16.5 by 12.3 inches, and the output tray holds 250 sheets, a generous figure for this class.
Read the toner lockout line before you budget
The same HP chip-enabled cartridge restriction that affects the MFP M140w applies here, and it is the most common complaint in this product’s reviews. Aftermarket and remanufactured cartridges are blocked, which removes the main lever a small business has on consumable cost.
That does not make it a bad machine. It makes the arithmetic different. If you are printing 2500 pages a month, the genuine toner cost is a fixed line that you should model for three years before buying, rather than treating the hardware cost as the total. Businesses that print less will feel it far less.
Where the build quality shows its budget
Several reviewers report that the paper tray flexes and feels flimsy. It is a moulded plastic tray, and the flex is cosmetic under normal loading, but it is a fair signal that this is a business-grade machine on a consumer-grade chassis.
Startup time is a little longer than the HP 3001dw, and the ADF jam threshold of roughly 25 sheets is the practical limit. Neither matters at 500 pages a month. At 3000 pages a month with a scanner in the workflow, they are worth weighing against the Canon models, which carry three-year warranties.
7. Canon imageCLASS LBP646Cdw – The Color Print-Only Value Pick
Canon Color imageCLASS LBP646Cdw Wireless Laser Printer, Duplex, 26 PPM, Print Only, White
26 ppm in color and black
Automatic duplex
1200 x 1200 dpi color
3 year manufacturer warranty
Pros
- 26 ppm in both color and monochrome
- Automatic two-sided printing
- 5-line LCD for straightforward navigation
- Canon PRINT app with AirPrint and Mopria support
- Three year manufacturer warranty
Cons
- Print only with no scanning copying or faxing
- Heavy 39.4 pound body and a louder operating sound
- Some users need to select the 2.4GHz band rather than 5GHz
Color laser output is what most small businesses say they want and then rarely print enough of to justify a full all-in-one. The LBP646Cdw is built for exactly that pattern: a color engine with automatic duplex at 26 pages per minute in both color and black, and nothing else attached.
Resolution is 1200 by 1200 dpi for color and 600 dpi for black, with a 10.3 second first page. Paper lives in a 250-sheet standard cassette plus a one-sheet multipurpose tray, and legal size at 8.5 by 14 inches is supported. Two trays are listed in the specification.
The warranty is the standout for a business that cannot afford downtime: three years from the manufacturer, against one year on most of the monochrome units here. It is also Energy Star and EPEAT Silver certified, which matters if you are tracking overheads line by line.
Supplies are Canon Genuine Toner 075 and the high-capacity version. Mobile printing runs through the Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, so phones, Chromebooks and Macs are covered without extra software.
Why color print-only plus a separate scanner can win
The economics here are the reason power users recommend this configuration. A full color all-in-one carries a scanner, a feeder and a fax board, and the toner path on some of them is priced higher per page than a print-only unit with the same engine.
If your scanning is occasional, buy a dedicated flatbed scanner and spend a fraction of the difference on more genuine toner. If scanning is daily, that math reverses fast and the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is the cleaner purchase.
The band that catches people out
Some users need to select the 2.4GHz wireless band rather than 5GHz during setup. The 5GHz band is faster but has shorter range, so a printer at the back of a small office can appear to fail to connect when the issue is band selection.
At 39.4 pounds the body is heavy and reviewers note it runs louder than some rivals, and there is no scanner, copier or fax. First page takes 10.3 seconds, which is slower than the fastest monochrome units here. For a 400-page color month, none of that matters.
8. Canon imageCLASS MF652Cw – The Color All-in-One With a Touch Panel
Canon Color imageCLASS MF652Cw – Wireless Laser Printer, Multifunction with Scanner, Copier, Mobile Ready, 3 Year Limited Warranty, 22 PPM Color, White
22 ppm in color and black
Color LCD touchscreen
Wireless 3-in-1
Toners 067 and 067 high capacity
Pros
- Wireless print scan and copy with a color LCD touchscreen
- Sharp 1200 by 1200 dpi color output
- High-yield toner cartridges deliver thousands of pages per cartridge
- Reviewers report consistent Wi-Fi and reliable phone printing
- Three year limited warranty with Energy Star and EPEAT Silver
Cons
- No automatic duplex so pages must be flipped manually
- Not compatible with mesh Wi-Fi systems and AirPrint fails in sleep mode
- Admin console is web-only so setup needs internet access
- Two trays can be confusing when switching paper types
The MF652Cw is a wireless 3-in-1 at 22 pages per minute in both color and black, with a color LCD touchscreen for copy settings and job configuration. Color quality draws real praise in the reviews, and the high-yield 067 cartridges are the reason owners report running thousands of pages before a supply change.
Resolution is 1200 by 1200 dpi in color and in black, with a 10.3 second first page and a maximum of 10 copies per run. That low copy limit is unusual next to the monochrome units here, several of which run to 99 or more copies a job, and it tells you this is a desk-side machine rather than a production device.
Paper sits in a 250-sheet standard cassette plus a one-sheet multipurpose tray, with a listed maximum capacity of 251 sheets. The unit is Wi-Fi with one Ethernet port, measures 18.2 by 17.8 by 14.2 inches and weighs 39.7 pounds. It carries a three-year limited warranty and Energy Star certification.
Reviewers consistently report stable Wi-Fi and reliable printing from phones. Its 7 percent one-star share and 4.3 rating reflect that the complaints are specific rather than general.
No automatic duplex is the dealbreaker to check first
The specification lists duplex as simplex, which means no automatic two-sided printing. Any multi-page document has to be flipped by hand or fed back through the tray. For a business that prints invoices and records in volume, that is a workflow cost that compounds quietly.
This is the single most important reason to choose the LBP646Cdw instead if you do not need scanning, or the MF753Cdw II if you do. Both of those have automatic duplex. If your printing is mostly single-page, the limitation is one you may never meet.
Mesh Wi-Fi and the web-only setup
Owners report that the printer is not compatible with mesh Wi-Fi systems, and that AirPrint can fail while the printer is in sleep mode. The admin console is web-only, so initial setup requires internet access rather than a local utility.
If your office runs mesh, plan for an Ethernet connection from the start. The two paper trays can also be confusing when switching between card stock and standard paper, so label them when you set the machine up. The upside is a warranty three times longer than the one-year cover on most competitors here.
9. Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II – The Heavy-Duty Color Fax Machine
Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II – All-in-One Color Duplex Laser Printer
35 ppm in color and black
Print scan copy and fax
Automatic duplex
7 second first page
Pros
- Four functions including fax with automatic duplex
- 35 ppm in both color and monochrome with a 7 second first page
- Reviewers report jam-free operation on large print jobs
- Fast quiet document scanner with duplex scanning
- Touchscreen-guided setup with automatic color calibration
Cons
- Heavy 60.6 pound body needs a solid floor or desk
- Canon software and support site caused install problems for some Windows 11 users
- Legal size paper requires the bypass tray
- Some users report occasional network loss requiring a reboot
The MF753Cdw II is the fastest machine here that does all four functions in color. It prints, scans, copies and faxes at 35 pages per minute in both color and black, with a 7 second first print and automatic duplex on the print path and duplex scanning on the document path. Owners describe large jobs running without jams and a duty cycle that holds up under sustained work.
Output is 1200 by 1200 dpi in color, which matches the two cheaper Canon machines in this roundup. The scanner is a fast, quiet document scanner with duplex scanning, driven by touch controls, and setup walks you through network configuration and automatic color calibration.
Connectivity is Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi, with legal size at 8.5 by 14 inches supported across two trays. Supplies are Canon Genuine Toner 069, and the machine carries a three-year manufacturer warranty plus Energy Star certification. At 68 percent five-star and 10 percent one-star, the feedback is broadly positive.
This is a business-class machine rather than a desktop one. It weighs 60.6 pounds and measures 18.2 by 16.8 by 17 inches, so it needs a dedicated floor position or a solid desk, not a shelf. Consider a stand or a cabinet with load capacity before ordering.
Fax is still a real requirement in some trades
Legal offices, medical practices, property management and insurance agencies still send and receive faxed documents daily, and for them the fax function is not a legacy feature. This is the pick when a signed document has to arrive the same day and the client will not accept an emailed scan.
The MF753Cdw II also handles the paper volume those workflows create. Two trays, legal size and automatic duplex mean fewer refills and fewer flipped stacks than the smaller machines in this list.
Software and network notes worth knowing upfront
Canon’s own software and support site caused installation problems for some Windows 11 users, so allow time for setup and check the driver before you need to print. Some users also report occasional network connection loss that needs a reboot.
Legal size paper requires the bypass tray, which holds only a few sheets at a time, so long legal jobs mean repeated manual feeding. For most small businesses under 2000 pages a month, that is a corner case. For a legal or medical practice running continuous color work, nothing else here matches it.
How to Choose a Laser Printer for a Small Business in 2026
Choosing well comes down to sizing the machine to your monthly volume, then checking the running costs that the purchase price hides. Here is how we work through it, starting with the question most buyers get wrong.
How much do you actually print each month
Estimate it honestly. Take your average number of pages per day, multiply by working days in a month, and add any burst months such as quarter-end or year-end reporting. Then multiply that by the share of pages that need toner, because impressions and pages are not the same number.
Match the result to a band. Under 500 pages a month, an entry-level monochrome multifunction unit handles the load easily and running cost is rarely decisive. Between 500 and 2000 pages, a high-yield toner option and automatic duplex start to matter. Between 2000 and 5000 pages, tray capacity, duty cycle and genuine toner pricing decide the purchase. Above 5000 pages a month, you are looking at a different class of machine than anything in a small-office roundup.
Forum discussions repeat the same lesson. A single-person business printing 20 to 30 pages a week should optimize for reliability and connection, not speed. Someone printing 60,000 black-and-white pages a month is running a print shop, not a small office, and needs enterprise-class hardware.
Laser, inkjet, ink tank or thermal
A laser printer uses a charged drum and powdered toner rather than liquid ink, which makes it faster, cheaper per page and far better suited to high-volume text. Toner does not dry out when the machine sits idle, which is the single most common reason people move off inkjet.
Inkjets still win on photo quality and cheap color photos. Ink tank printers reduce ink cost but keep the drying risk. Thermal printers are for shipping labels rather than documents, and a business that ships a lot of parcels usually runs a small thermal label printer alongside an office laser rather than replacing it.
Owners on buying forums also report inkjet print heads clogging and requiring maintenance that a busy small-business owner will never do. That is the practical tiebreaker: a machine that needs attention is a machine that stops working on the day a client is waiting.
Duplex and the document feeder are not optional
Automatic duplex printing halves paper use and halves the paper cost at the same time. On a monochrome machine it is close to standard, but check it on every color model, because the Canon MF652Cw has none.
An automatic document feeder turns multi-page scanning and copying into an unattended task. Anything at 50 sheets or more is a meaningful upgrade for a business handling contracts, invoices and records. Look for single-pass duplexing on the feeder so two-sided documents scan in one pass rather than two. The Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is one of the few in this roundup whose review data specifically names duplex scanning.
The toner question nobody asks until the first refill
Two things drive running cost after the first year. The first is the price of genuine toner divided by its page yield, which is your cost per page. The second is the imaging unit or drum, which some brands sell separately and which is often as expensive as a cartridge.
The bigger trap is supply lock-in. Some manufacturers fit chips in their cartridges that block third-party and remanufactured toner, and the HP multifunction models in this roundup carry that restriction. The Brother machines listed here pair with TN830 and TN229 supplies, and the Canon machines use Toner 075, 067 and 069, none of which the product data flags as chip-restricted.
Model that cost over three years before you buy. A printer that looks inexpensive on day one can be the most expensive one in the list by year two, and for a business printing 2000 pages a month the difference is measured in thousands.
Wireless reliability and driver support
Wireless reliability is the most repeated complaint in business printer discussions. Printers drop off networks, need re-adding in Windows after reboots, and behave differently on mesh routers. Check the brand’s mobile app quality and macOS support before you commit, because that is where the friction appears.
A practical rule: if your office has reliable Ethernet, wire the printer and use Wi-Fi only for mobile convenience. If you must run wireless, keep the printer on the 2.4GHz band for range, since some models do not offer a choice and others behave better on one band. Drivers matter too, so verify the current driver works on your operating system before the machine arrives.
What to budget beyond the printer
Set aside for toner, a spare imaging unit, paper and a service contract if your manufacturer offers one. Canon covers all three of its machines here with three-year manufacturer warranties, which is meaningful downtime protection for a business that prints daily.
For businesses that measure in jobs rather than pages, the equipment side matters too, from laser distance measurers for site work to laser levels for construction if your team is on site rather than at a desk. Green laser pointers are a different use case entirely, covered in their own guide.
Compare owning a machine against outsourcing. Printing 2000 pages a month at a local print shop is usually more expensive once the volume climbs, and a laser machine repays its cost quickly at that volume. Below 200 pages a month, the inkjet you already own is often the right answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which laser printer is best for small business?
For most small offices, the Brother DCP-L2640DW is the best laser printer for small business use. It prints, scans and copies at 36 pages per minute in black and white, includes a 50-page automatic document feeder, holds 250 sheets, and connects over dual-band Wi-Fi or Ethernet. If your team prints only monochrome documents and scans rarely, the Brother HL-L2460DW does the same printing job without the scanner at a lower purchase cost. If you need color, add the Brother MFC-L3720CDW to the shortlist.
What is the best all-in-one laser printer for a small business?
The Brother DCP-L2640DW is the strongest all-in-one for most small businesses, with 36 ppm monochrome output, a 50-page document feeder and automatic duplex printing. Offices that need color in the same box should consider the Brother MFC-L3720CDW, which adds fax and a 3.5-inch color touchscreen. The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw is the pick for heavier monochrome volume at 40 ppm, and the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw II handles color, fax and duplex at 35 ppm for practices that need all four functions.
What is the best laser printer for value for money?
Value is running cost over three years, not the purchase price. The Brother HL-L2460DW and DCP-L2640DW pair a low hardware cost with high-yield Brother Genuine toner, so they usually cost less per page over time. The HP multifunction models in our roundup accept only cartridges containing original HP chips, which removes the aftermarket toner option and raises long-term consumable cost. Model the genuine toner cost for your monthly volume before you decide.
How many pages per month can a small business laser printer handle?
Most entry-level and small-office laser printers are sized for 500 to 2000 pages a month, and mid-range business models handle 2000 to 5000 pages comfortably. A few hundred pages a month suits a compact monochrome all-in-one. Above 5000 pages a month you need to look at duty cycle, high-yield toner and tray capacity, and that is usually a different product category from a small-office machine.
Are laser printers being phased out?
No. Laser printing remains the standard for business documents because toner does not dry out when a machine sits idle, text stays sharp, and cost per page is far lower than inkjet at volume. What has changed is the mix. Color laser has become cheaper and faster, and dedicated thermal label printers have taken over shipping labels, but laser is not being replaced for invoices, contracts, records and multi-page business documents.
What are two disadvantages of laser printers?
First, the purchase price and running cost are higher up front than a basic inkjet, and color laser pages cost several times more than monochrome pages because all four toner cartridges are pulled. Second, laser output is poor for photographs and glossy images compared with a photo inkjet, which produces smoother gradients and better detail. A third practical issue is size and weight, since color laser multifunction machines commonly weigh 40 pounds or more.
Our Final Verdict for Small Business Printing in 2026
For most businesses, the Brother DCP-L2640DW is the right answer to the best laser printer for small business question in 2026. It handles 36 pages per minute, scans and copies with a 50-page feeder, and stays connected over dual-band wireless or Ethernet without the mesh problems that trip up other models.
If nobody in the office scans, take the HL-L2460DW and save the money and the desk space. If you need color, fax and a touchscreen, the Brother MFC-L3720CDW covers it in one box. If your volume runs past 2000 pages a month, the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw is the fastest monochrome option, with the toner lockout factored into your budget. Businesses printing confidential client documents will find the HP LaserJet Pro 3001dw worth a look for its security features and fast first page.
Whatever you choose, measure your monthly volume first and price the genuine toner over three years before you commit. That one calculation eliminates most of the wrong purchases in this category.