By Robin Owens 11 days ago, Scanners
Compare all popular all-in-one scanners.
If you are looking for a universal device for scanning, copying, printing or faxing, then you should carefully study this list to find the best all in one scanner. Nowadays, manufacturers offer a huge range of such machines, differing in price, speed, performance, features, etc. Therefore, it is quite easy to go wrong and, for example, get a slow slide scanner of terrible quality. To help you find the most suitable all-in-one scanner, I’ve tested tons of models and selected only the best options.
If you need to work with documents on the go, and you are interested in a compact machine, then you can also find a suitable all-in-one photo printer scanner on this list.
Optical scan resolution: 2400 x 600 dpi | Scanning speed: 33ppm | Interface: USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi | Feeder capacity: 250
⊕ Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB
⊕ Nuance PaperPort SE document management software
⊕ PCL and PostScript drivers
⊖ Auto two-sided scanning isn’t available
This model is one of the most popular color laser printer scanners. It is an excellent solution for home or small office use. A variety of connectivity options, decent speed, choice of optional and standard paper capacities are this scanner’s strengths. If you are willing to compromise on running costs and dual-sided scanning, then this inexpensive device is a decent option.
Optical scan resolution: 600 x 600dpi | Scanning speed: 20ppm | Interface: USB | Feeder capacity: 150
⊕ Fast printing
⊕ Convenient toner refilling system
⊕ Pretty small
⊕ Great text printing
⊖ Fiddly paper tray
If you are looking for a fast home printer scanner, then this option with a speed of up to 20 pages per minute is worth your attention. When I tested this device with various types of documents and images, it coped with one hundred pages in five and a half minutes. Another advantage is easy toner refilling. All you need to do is slide away the cover and fill the toner through the special inlet.
Fast scanning, easy refilling and small footprint make this device the best all in one scanner for office needs. This HP scanner is based on an advanced toner system that provides virtually instant scanning and printing. Due to its compact design, this is a great solution if you have a limited workspace. Overall, you get decent scan quality at an affordable price.
Optical scan resolution: 1200 x 1200 dpi | Scanning speed: 10ppm | Interface: USB, Wi-Fi | Feeder capacity: 100
⊕ Affordable price
⊕ Instant Ink contributes to low running costs
⊕ Decent print quality
⊕ Good feature selection for the money
⊖ Two-cartridge design could be better
⊖ Very high cost per page if you don’t use the Instant Ink option
⊖ Slow printing
This HP device is a cool home office printer scanner that can use Instant Ink cartridges. It is not a bad option despite the fact that it is inferior to some of its competitors. Consider the Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 or Canon Pixma TR8520 if the lack of some amenities, rather small capacity and poor controls are not suitable for you.
Keep in mind, if you are planning to scan or print a lot, and a couple of hundred pages are not enough for you, you should choose other options. In that case, look for bulk-ink EcoTank or MegaTank devices from Epson and Canon. It will allow you to work with both color and monochrome documents for less than a cent on each page. However, these models are more expensive. If you are looking for an inexpensive printer scanner for small business or home then the HP Envy Pro 6455 is a good choice.
Optical scan resolution: 1200 x 1200 dpi | Scanning speed: 42ppm | Interface: USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi | Feeder capacity: 250
⊕ Cheap
⊕ Speedy printing
⊕ Stunning text quality
⊕ Running costs are very low
⊖ Average graphics and image quality
⊖ Duplex scanning isn’t supported by ADF
This scanner is a worthy alternative to some of the more expensive devices as it is not inferior to them in quality and speed. Moreover, its cost per page is not very high. It doesn’t include an auto-duplexing ADF, unlike most $350 models. Besides, it delivers a rather mediocre performance, whet it comes to grayscale graphics and photos. However, if this minus is not critical for you, and you want to get an affordable printer fax scanner copier all in one model for personal or shared use, then this option is quite good.
Optical scan resolution: 2400 dpi | Scanning speed: 25ppm | Interface: USB, Wi-Fi | Feeder capacity: 250
⊕ Nice ADF capacity
⊕ Decent graphics, text and photo quality
⊕ Good mobile device support
⊖ Running costs could be lower
⊖ Auto-duplex scanning and copying aren’t available
Although this device does not support auto-duplex scanning and copying and does not include some of the other features you might find on the Epson WF-C5790, Canon MF644Cdw and Brother MFC-L3770CDW, it is still a solid choice. However, despite being impressive in speed and performance, the running costs of this color printer with scanner are higher than Epson’s. Nevertheless, this option with an affordable price tag is a good solution for those who are not going to scan or print more than 300-400 pages per month.
Optical scan resolution: 1200 x 1200 dpi | Scanning speed: 22ppm | Interface: USB, Wi-Fi | Feeder capacity: 100
⊕ Running costs are very low
⊕ Amazing print quality
⊕ Small footprint
⊖ Volume and capacity ratings could be higher
⊖ Lack of duplexing ADF and print engine
It is likely that HP repeated Canon and Epson’s mistake with their first bulk-ink devices. This desktop printer scanner also has mismatches in terms of performance and ink costs. If you need to print huge volumes of pages, then you will have to spend quite a lot to reduce your ink costs. The latest bulk-ink products from Canon and Epson boast improved speed, capacity and volume. Due to this, their value increases. However, the more affordable price tag and robust performance make the HP Smart Tank Plus 651 a great option.
Optical scan resolution: 600 x 600dpi | Scanning speed: 22ppm | Interface: USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi | Feeder capacity: 50
⊕ Decent print quality
⊕ Includes a single-pass ADF
⊕ Supports USB thumb drive
⊕ Fantastic UI and security
⊖ Running costs are high
⊖ You can’t increase paper input capacity
This Canon product is the best all in one scanner for small business with low print volumes. It has an incredible feature set and fantastic scan and print quality. This is a great solution even with slightly high running costs. Overall, this scanner is good for small page volumes and is a pretty practical option. For medium loads, I recommend the Epson WF-C5790. The Lexmark MC2535adwe is the best choice for those who scan and print tons of pages.
Optical scan resolution: 600 x 600 dpi | Scanning speed: 17 ppm | Interface: USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi | Feeder capacity: 150
⊕ Nice output quality
⊕ Fast operation
⊕ Compact and lightweight
⊕ Great mobile connectivity
⊖ Lack of ADF
⊖ Automatic two-sided printing isn’t supported
This multifunction scanner printer copier is a suitable option if you plan to work with a small number of pages. The quality and speed of scanning are at a high level. Besides, high running costs won’t be a serious obstacle to purchase it if you have a small workload. However, you should opt for the Canon MF634Cdw if high printing and scanning volumes and an auto-duplexing print engine and ADF are your goals. I also advise you to pay attention to the huge selection of inkjet AIOs for business needs if laser output is not required. This HP is the best choice if you are looking for top quality with few pages printed a month.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Brother MFC-L8610CDW
Our Choice |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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HP Neverstop 5HG82A
For Home |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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HP ENVY Pro 6455
Budget |
CHECK PRICE → |
Modern people don’t need a home printer scanner to perform basic tasks like scanning a single document, photo, or other files, because the majority have good Android or iOS phones that can help do this job more conveniently and faster. All you need to do is download an app like Microsoft's Office Lens or its equivalents from Google Play or App Store. This service can easily scan all types of documents, business cards, and pictures, delivering high quality and clarity of the image.
This method has several key advantages that set it apart from conventional scanners. Firstly, the image quality directly depends on your camera, and secondly, such services are often absolutely free. We recommend using Office Lens, which, apart from being a free service, won’t annoy you with ads. Thirdly, this approach is less troublesome in terms of both time and effort. You just need to take a picture using your smartphone, which will later be saved in the application. The service recognizes characters, improves quality, and corrects distortion.
If you don’t like to scan documents with a phone, choose any scanner described in the article for the task.
We can divide all scanners into such groups:
1. The flatbed scanner comes with a glass surface. You place the document on top of the surface, and the lamp, moving over it, scans your sheet from above. As this type of device is popular, there are many models on the market and you can easily find a great home office printer scanner. The advantage of such a scanner is that it allows scanning documents of various sizes. One of the best flatbed scanners is the Canon 4508B002 CanoScan LiDE210, but due to the high price, not everyone can buy it. A more affordable alternative is the Canon CanoScan Lide 400, which also offers decent scan quality. If you're looking for decent options on a budget, then we recommend considering the Epson DS-1630.
2. The sheet-fed scanner works with individual sheets of a document, so it isn’t suitable for books and magazines. The device is similar to a regular printer where you need to put paper. The sheet enters the device from one side, and after processing, exits from the other. This kind of scanner saves your workspace by being compact, unlike a flatbed scanner. The Brother DS-620 is the best small printer scanner, in our opinion. Along with the portability, it doesn’t require an additional power source, just connect it to your computer and start scanning. Power is supplied via the USB port, allowing you to save a free socket. Epson WorkForce ES-50 is a budget device that amazes with its speed – 5 seconds per sheet.
3. Slide scanner also known as a film scanner is designed to scan slides (film), as the name implies. Flatbed scanners are also suitable for film processing when paired with slide adapters. Although this kind of scanner is the least common, you can find several decent models like the KODAK SCANZA.
The latest models of scanners come with one of two popular image sensors:
1) CIS (Contact Image Sensor) impresses with portability. It is achieved thanks to simple mechanisms. Besides, this type is cheaper than competing CCD. We don’t recommend using CIS scanners for books or crumpled documents, as it delivers shallow depth-of-field, and therefore will blur the image on bends due to the considerable distance between the document and the scanning surface.
2. CCD (Charge Coupled Device) offers good color reproduction and depth-of-field. If you want to get a device that ensures high image quality, then you have to pay quite a lot and free the workplace because such scanners are usually heavy and large. Take the Plustek OpticPro A320L or the Epson Perfection V850 Pro, for example.
If you frequently work with many documents, we recommend using a scanner with an automatic document feeder. It helps speed up the scanning process, protecting you from the hassle of manually changing documents. If scanning, let’s say 20 sheets, will take some time, you can reduce it thanks to a scanner with an automatic document feeder.
Despite the advantages, such scanners have a serious disadvantage – they scan only separate sheets of paper and therefore are not suitable for working with a book or magazine. Brother ADS-2200 high speed scanner printer can handle 50 sheets of paper and scan documents from both sides at a time. The more expensive Canon imageFORMULA DR-C225 II boasts portable dimensions and a scan speed of up to 25 pages per minute.
When choosing the best all in one scanner for your home or small office, you hardly need a device that can handle large sheet sizes like A2 or A1. Typically, the standard A4 size is sufficient. If you buy a flatbed scanner with the maximum scanning area of an A3 document, it will work with any size smaller than A3.
Before deciding on the desired scanning resolution, understand what you need a device for. Typically, standard scanners offer a resolution from 600 to 1200 DPI, which produces a high-quality digitized copy of your document. If you plan to scan a photo, then such a resolution won’t be enough for you.
If you work with old images regularly, we recommend buying devices with a resolution higher than 2000 DPI. Be ready that they will be more expensive than a regular desktop printer scanner. One of the best scanners is Epson Perfection V600. It offers high resolution and has a fairly small footprint. The kit includes film adapters for scanning slides. If you're looking for a more affordable option, we recommend considering Epson Perfection V39.
Color depth plays an important role when choosing a photo scanner. To make the digitized photos look good, we recommend buying devices with a higher color depth.
TLDR: good color depth allows you to achieve richer colors with smooth gradients for vibrant images. If you are only scanning black and white files, then this aspect doesn’t affect your choice. Devices with a color depth of 24 bits or 8 bits for each color are a good option. By saving on this feature, you can spend money on more useful functions instead. For digitizing photos, we recommend models with color depth up to 48-bit, e.g. Epson FastFoto FF-680W.
Be careful when choosing a scanner. Pay attention not only to the basic options, but also to the connection types a scanner supports. Since there are a lot of scams on the market, you can get a model with proprietary and outdated connectors that are not used nowadays. Buy a scanner that supports a USB cable connection to your computer. In this case, MacBook users need to stock up on a USB-A to USB-C adapter.
To prevent possible problems, we recommend choosing a Wi-Fi printer scanner. You can share digitized copies wirelessly. Such models have a high price, but they are worth the money. One example of decent wireless models is Doxie Go SE Wi-Fi – portable sheet-feed scanner. It runs on a built-in battery and transfers data over Wi-Fi. An alternative option is Brother ADS-1700W, which is great for both home and office use.
Unlike smartphones, people don't usually buy a new scanner every year. Thanks to this, you can buy an older model that will work great for a little money. Before buying one, we recommend visiting the manufacturers' websites to find out all the characteristics of the device and make sure it supports the software you use. There is nothing more offensive than buying a new scanner, and after unpacking and launching, understand that it cannot work on your computer with Windows 10 or macOS Catalina, let’s say.
Don’t ignore reviews of other users about a particular scanner model. We recommend listening to the opinions of those, who have already tried the device. As a rule, similar articles provide you with basic information that will help decide on the desired model. While reading customer reviews, you can either get convinced that your choice is right, or change your mind. We hope our article will be useful to you.
There are four main scanner types - Flatbed, Sheet-fed, Handheld, and Drum scanners. The flatbed scanner is one of the most popular types that works both for office and home needs.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 is our choice.
If you digitize printed photos with your smartphone, you will get images of average quality, they will be noisy and unprofessional. If you want to get a high-quality scanned photo, a phone camera shot won’t do the job. We recommend using a scanner as it can deliver crisp images with richer colors.
While sheet-fed scanners work with a large number of sheets, the flatbed scanner works with one paper at a time. Sheet-fed scanners allow you to feed a batch of documents into the device and scan pages one by one automatically, eliminating the need for manual sheet changing.
