Best Budget Printer Under $100 in 2026

You don't need to spend a fortune to get a reliable printer. Here's how to get the most for your money if your budget is under $100, and where budget printers quietly make their money back on ink.

What You Can Expect at This Price

Prices and stock change often. The links below go to Amazon listings for each model; as an Amazon Associate, Castle Ink earns from qualifying purchases.

Under $100 typically buys a basic wireless inkjet all-in-one. Two solid current options are the Canon Pixma TS7720 (check price on Amazon), a cartridge-based all-in-one with automatic duplex printing, and the HP DeskJet 2855e (check price on Amazon), a compact everyday option. Don't expect a fast engine or a big paper tray at this price, but you'll get reliable everyday printing, scanning, and copying. PCMag's best cheap printers guide is updated regularly if you want to compare current options.

Watch Out for the Real Cost: Ink

Budget printers often ship with small "starter" cartridges that run out fast, sometimes within the first few dozen pages, and OEM replacement ink can cost more than the printer itself over a year. This is the real business model behind a lot of $50 to $80 printers: the hardware is sold near cost, and the ink makes up the difference. A starter cartridge is often rated for only 90-150 pages, compared to 300+ pages for a full-size replacement, so that "great deal" printer can need new ink within the first month of regular use. Factor in ink cost, not just the sticker price, before deciding a budget printer is actually cheap. Our breakdown of why printer ink is so expensive goes into why this pricing model exists.

How to Cut Costs Long-Term

Switching to compatible cartridges as soon as the included starter ink runs out is the easiest way to keep a budget printer cheap to run for years, not just to buy. Browse our compatible HP and Canon ink cartridges, or if you print often enough that even compatible cartridges add up, our ink tank vs. cartridge comparison can help you decide whether it's worth spending more upfront. Our honest comparison of compatible ink brands can help you pick a reliable one if you've never tried an off-brand cartridge before.

How We Picked These

We looked for models that consistently show up as reliable, low-complaint picks in current retailer and PCMag testing, then checked real starter and replacement cartridge costs directly against our own ink pricing data, since that's the side of budget printer ownership that actually determines whether you saved money.