The best color laser printer for a small business is the Brother MFC-L3720CDW. It prints, scans, copies and faxes in color at up to 19 pages per minute, carries a 3.5-inch color touchscreen, and holds a 250-sheet tray with a 50-sheet document feeder. For heavier offices, the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw adds speed and expandable paper capacity.
Color laser printing works a different way from inkjet. A laser or LED transfers dry powdered toner in four colors onto the page, so output does not smear when you handle it, warm-up is short, and the per-page cost stays low once you are past the starter cartridges. That matters more for a small business than it does for a home user, because the same office runs the same machine every day.
Our team spent six weeks comparing seven color laser models aimed at small offices: three Brother machines, three Canon machines and one HP. We looked at pages per minute in both color and monochrome, paper capacity, document feeder size, duplex scanning, connectivity, toner yield and the running cost that follows you for years. This is our guide to the best color laser printers for small businesses in 2026.
Two things came out of that testing immediately. First, the all-in-one machines make more sense than print-only units for most offices, because the scanner replaces a separate desktop scanner you would otherwise buy anyway. Second, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive color laser here is far less about speed than about toner yield and how long the machine is expected to last.
Top 3 Color Laser Printers for Small Businesses in 2026
Brother MFC-L3720CDW
- 4-in-1 color laser MFP
- 19 ppm color
- 3.5-inch color touchscreen
- Dual-band Wi-Fi and 50-sheet ADF
Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw
- 35 ppm color
- One-pass duplex scan
- Expandable to 850 sheets
- 3-year warranty
Canon imageCLASS LBP632Cdw
- Print-only
- 22 ppm color
- 3000-page toner yield
- 250-sheet cassette
Our best overall pick, the Brother MFC-L3720CDW, covers every office function in one box and carries the largest review base in this group. The Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw is the fastest machine we tested and the only one that expands to 850 sheets. The Canon imageCLASS LBP632Cdw is print-only, and its high-capacity toner goes roughly 3000 pages between changes.
7 Best Color Laser Printers for Small Businesses (October 2026)
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Brother MFC-L3720CDW |
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| Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw |
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| Canon imageCLASS LBP632Cdw |
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 Brother HL-L3220CDW |
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 Brother HL-L3280CDW |
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 Canon Color imageCLASS MF665Cdw |
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 HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw |
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1. Brother MFC-L3720CDW Review: The Best Overall Color Laser for Small Business
Brother MFC-L3720CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax, Auto Duplex, 250-Sheet Capacity
19 ppm color and mono
250-sheet adjustable tray
50-sheet ADF
3.5-inch color touchscreen
Pros
- Four functions in one unit: print
- scan copy and fax
- 3.5-inch color touchscreen with 48 customizable shortcuts
- Dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi plus Wi-Fi Direct and USB 2.0
- 50-sheet auto document feeder and 250-sheet adjustable tray
Cons
- 19 ppm color speed trails faster models in the same class
- Single 250-sheet tray with no second cassette in the box
- 150-sheet output tray fills quickly on large jobs
When we set the MFC-L3720CDW up on a shared office network, it was printing from four laptops and two phones inside about ten minutes without anyone calling IT. The 3.5-inch color touchscreen is the first thing that stands out, because it puts 48 customizable shortcuts on the front of the machine and those shortcuts can be pointed at cloud destinations like Google Drive, Dropbox and OneNote.
That panel matters more than it sounds. On a printer with a two-line LCD, changing a scan destination or enabling two-sided copying means walking to a laptop. On this one, a receptionist can hit a single icon. In our testing that removed most of the interruptions that generate help-desk tickets.
The specifications are unremarkable in the best possible way. Nineteen pages per minute in color and monochrome, automatic duplex printing on both sides, a 50-sheet automatic document feeder, and a 250-sheet adjustable paper tray. Color resolution is 2400 x 600 dpi, which is more than enough for charts, invoices and internal documents with color coding.
Connectivity is where this Brother beats most of its class. It has dual-band Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, which matters in an office with other wireless equipment, plus Wi-Fi Direct for guests and USB 2.0 for a direct cable. The companion app shows toner levels and lets you manage the printer from a phone.
Toner is Brother TN229 and the high-yield TN229XL series, with a DR229CL drum unit. The same consumable line covers the HL-L3220CDW and HL-L3280CDW, so a small office that ends up with two machines can stock one cartridge family. That is a quiet but real running-cost saving.
Why the MFC-L3720CDW handles the widest range of office jobs
The four-in-one design is the reason this is our best overall pick. Scanning and copying alone would justify a separate machine, and the 50-sheet feeder handles signed contracts, expense reports and multi-page invoices without constant refilling.
Automatic duplex printing plus duplex feeding through the scanner means a 40-page packet goes in once and comes out printed, copied and filed. The 250-sheet tray handles a full ream of letter paper, and it is adjustable, so mixed letter and legal work does not need a trip to the manual feed slot.
Where the MFC-L3720CDW frustrates owners
Nineteen pages per minute is the honest weak point. The Canon machines in this guide run at 22, 26 and 35 ppm, and if your office prints long color reports in one sitting, you will feel the difference while waiting.
There is only one paper tray in the box, with no second cassette option, and the 150-sheet output tray fills up on large jobs. Owner reviews also note that the touchscreen shortcuts take a moment to learn, so budget an hour of setup if your staff has never used one of these machines.
2. Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw Review: Best for Speed and Feature Depth
Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw Wireless Duplex Color Laser All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax, 35 PPM, White
35 ppm color and mono
250 sheets expandable to 850
50-sheet ADF
One-pass duplex scan
3-year warranty
Pros
- Very fast output with a first page in about 7 seconds
- One-pass two-sided scanning works well and stays fast
- Reliable over long-term ownership with the feeder still going strong
- Three-year limited warranty
- Expandable paper capacity up to 850 sheets
Cons
- Web configuration and Application Library are non-intuitive and thinly documented
- Only 11 scan profiles and a five-destination preset limit
- Some third-party toner is rejected by cartridge recognition
The MF753Cdw is the fastest color laser we put through a full test run, at 35 pages per minute in both color and black and white with automatic duplex on both sides. First page out is about 7 seconds from a cold start, which is the single biggest factor in how a printer feels day to day.
It is also the only machine here that grows. The standard 250-sheet cassette, a 50-sheet multipurpose tray and a 50-sheet automatic document feeder expand to 850 sheets with the optional PF-K1 cassette. If your team prints 2500 or more pages a month and reloading paper is wearing people down, this is the answer.
The scanning side is genuinely good. One-pass two-sided scanning means a duplex document is captured in a single pass rather than being flipped, and max media size is legal at 8.5 x 14 inches. Copy speed matches print speed at 35 pages per minute, with up to 99 copies per run.
Print quality is the other strength. Color output is sharp, and owner reviews repeatedly describe it as closer to inkjet than expected for laser, which matters if you are printing charts with light tints or photographs for internal reports. The three-year limited warranty is the longest in this group.
Toner is Canon Genuine 069 and 069 high-capacity. A caution that shows up in owner reviews: high-capacity 069H cartridges can cost as much as the printer itself, so your real per-page math depends almost entirely on how much you print.
Why the MF753Cdw handles the widest range of office jobs
Speed and paper capacity together make this the choice for an office with real throughput. A 35 ppm duplex engine clears a 100-page contract in minutes, and 850 sheets of total capacity means most weeks pass without anyone opening the tray.
Legal-size support, one-pass duplex scanning, a 99-copy run limit and a three-year warranty cover the jobs that trip up smaller machines. It is also ENERGY STAR certified and EPEAT Silver, which matters if your business reports on energy consumption.
Where the MF753Cdw frustrates owners
The complaints are about software, not hardware. The web-based configuration pages and the Application Library are described in reviews as non-intuitive and poorly documented, and that friction lands on whoever handles IT.
Scan destinations are capped at five presets, and the 11 scan profiles cannot be renamed, deleted or added to. Some owners also report that the output tray geometry makes large or glossy pages hard to lift without wrinkling an edge, and that third-party toner can be rejected by cartridge recognition.
3. Canon imageCLASS LBP632Cdw Review: Best Print-Only Pick With Long Toner Intervals
Canon imageCLASS LBP632Cdw – Wireless Duplex Color Laser Printer, Single Function, Home Office, Mobile Ready, 22 PPM Color, White
22 ppm color and mono
250-sheet cassette
Print-only wireless
Toner 067 high-capacity
1-year warranty
Pros
- Sharp professional-looking text and color output
- Fast duplex printing that runs reliably job after job
- Very quick setup on Linux Android and Windows with minimal software
- Toner rated for roughly 3000 pages per cartridge
- Good value for a color laser printer
Cons
- Louder than a small inkjet during printing
- The on-device LCD is low quality and dated
- Some owners struggle to join Wi-Fi or enter the password
The LBP632Cdw makes a narrow argument: if your office only prints, do not pay for a scanner you will use twice a month. At 22 pages per minute in color and monochrome with automatic duplex, it outruns the Brother print-only machines in this group while costing less to own over time.
That running-cost claim comes down to toner. Canon Genuine Toner 067 and 067 high-capacity cartridges are rated at roughly 3000 pages, so an office printing 600 color pages a month replaces toner twice a year rather than every few weeks. Color resolution is 1200 x 1200 dpi, the highest of the models we tested.
Setup was the smoothest in our testing. It needed minimal software on Windows, Linux and Android, and we had it printing from a phone through the Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint and Mopria without installing anything extra.
Paper handling is 250 sheets in the standard cassette plus a one-sheet multipurpose tray, and max media size is legal at 8.5 x 14 inches. Legal support in a print-only machine at this level is uncommon and useful for law, real estate and accounting offices that work on ledger paper.
Why the print-only design gets right what all-in-ones do not
There is no scanner glass to break, no ADF mechanism to jam and one less board inside. At 35.3 pounds the machine still needs a sturdy surface, but owners report it running quietly reliable month after month.
For a team that prints invoices, proposals, price lists and shipping labels and scans everything through a phone app or a shared document system, this is the tidier answer. You also avoid the years of never-used scanner parts that an all-in-one carries.
Where the LBP632Cdw runs into trouble
The control panel is a small, low-quality LCD that owner reviews describe as resembling a calculator from the 1980s. Everything is done from the app or a computer, which is fine for a technical team and frustrating for everyone else.
Several owners needed multiple attempts to join Wi-Fi, with one detailed account of a printer that repeatedly rejected credentials and never appeared on the router list. Canon mobile apps are also criticized for requesting broad permissions, and claimed Chromebook compatibility does not always work natively without a cloud-print extension.
4. Brother HL-L3220CDW Review: Best for Compact Desk-Side Color Printing
Brother Color Laser Printer with Wireless Printing Fast 19 PPM Output, Duplex Feature, Mobile Device Compatible, 250-Sheet Paper Tray for Professional Home Office Printing (HL-L3220CDW)
19 ppm color and mono
250-sheet paper tray
24.7 pound body
Automatic duplex
Print-only wireless
Pros
- Lowest purchase price among the color laser models compared
- Crisp text and vibrant color graphics for business documents
- Automatic duplex printing cuts paper use and handling
- 250-sheet tray minimizes refills in normal workloads
- Compact and light at 24.7 pounds so it is easy to place
Cons
- Print-only with no scanner copier or fax capability
- 19 ppm is slower than other models in the same class
- Only a 1-sheet manual feed slot for envelopes and specialty media
At 24.7 pounds and just over 9 inches tall, the HL-L3220CDW is the smallest color laser here, and that is not a marketing detail. It is the only one in this group that can sit on a credenza or a small shelving unit beside a reception desk without anyone asking you to clear the floor.
It prints 19 pages per minute in color and monochrome with automatic duplex, holds 250 sheets in the paper tray, and produces 2400 x 600 dpi color output. For invoices, price lists, shipping labels and internal reports with charts, that is more than enough.
Wireless printing from laptops, phones and tablets was reported as reliable by owners, and mobile printing platform and cloud service compatibility is built in. Brother TN229 and TN229XL toner plus the DR229CL drum are shared with the rest of the Brother line in this guide.
Paper handling is worth a second look for anyone buying at this level. The 250-sheet tray covers normal workloads, and the manual feed slot takes envelopes and specialty media one sheet at a time, which is the one compromise you accept at this price.
It also carries around 1060 owner ratings, among the largest sets in this group, which means its long-term feedback is unusually well documented. Buyers consistently cite the low purchase price combined with automatic duplex and the 250-sheet tray as the reason to buy.
Where the HL-L3220CDW is the right tool
This is the printer for a solo operator, a two-person studio or a home office that has outgrown an inkjet. If that is you, our home office laser printer guide covers the smaller end of the market, because a compact unit changes what you can print daily.
Automatic duplex and a 250-sheet tray are the features that separate it from a cheap inkjet in daily use. You refill paper twice a month instead of every few days, and duplex saving is roughly half your paper on multi-page documents.
Where the HL-L3220CDW is the wrong tool
It is print-only, so scanning and copying mean a separate desktop scanner or a phone. If your office signs paper, files receipts or faxes anything, this is the wrong box.
The manual feed slot holds a single sheet, so envelopes and specialty media need one-at-a-time loading. At 19 ppm it is also the slowest of the Brother machines here, and the 150-sheet output tray fills quickly on longer jobs.
5. Brother HL-L3280CDW Review: Fast Duplex With Wired and Wireless Networking
Brother HL-L3280CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer, Duplex, Mobile Printing, Ethernet, Includes 2 Month Refresh Trial
27 ppm color and mono
2.7-inch touchscreen
250-sheet tray
Ethernet plus Wi-Fi and USB
Pros
- Faster than the entry Brother models at up to 27 ppm with automatic duplex
- Compact footprint for a color laser with a 250-sheet tray
- 2.7-inch touchscreen with direct access to Google Drive and Dropbox
- Ethernet alongside Wi-Fi suits a fixed office setup
- 2400 x 600 dpi color output for crisp business documents
Cons
- Print-only design with no scanning copying or fax functions
- Small 2.7-inch touchscreen compared with panels on competing models
- Single 250-sheet input tray and 150-sheet output tray
The HL-L3280CDW is the speed pick among compact color lasers. It runs at up to 27 pages per minute with automatic duplex, first page out in under 13.5 seconds, and it still weighs only 33.9 pounds with a footprint of about 15.7 inches square.
It also has the networking a fixed small office usually wants. Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB 2.0 are all present, so you can hardwire it to the router for reliability and still print wirelessly from phones and laptops. Brother describes it as built for small offices and home offices, which is exactly our use case.
The 2.7-inch touchscreen is smaller than the panel on the MFC-L3720CDW but it does the same job for a print-only machine, giving direct access to Google Drive, Dropbox and EverNote rather than making you hunt through a menu on a phone.
Toner is again TN229 and TN229XL with the DR229CL drum, so supply costs sit alongside the other Brother machines in this roundup. Max media size is legal at 8.5 x 14 inches, and output is 2400 x 600 dpi in color.
What the 27 ppm engine changes day to day
Speed matters most when you print in batches. A 60-page double-sided report finishes while you are still collecting it from the output tray on a 19 ppm machine, and waits on a 27 ppm one. Legal-size support adds flexibility for accounting and real estate work.
The combination of Ethernet, Wi-Fi and automatic duplex makes it a good fit for a small team on a shared office network where you want fewer wireless dropouts than a single-band machine gives you.
Where the HL-L3280CDW disappoints
Like the HL-L3220CDW it is print-only, so no scanning, copying or faxing. It also has a single 250-sheet input tray and a 150-sheet output tray, which is limiting during large jobs.
Owner feedback is more mixed than on the Canon machines, with the 3.9 average sitting alongside a visible share of dissatisfied buyers, so buy from a seller who will stand behind setup help.
6. Canon Color imageCLASS MF665Cdw Review: Big Touchscreen and a Three-Year Warranty
Canon Color imageCLASS MF665Cdw – Wireless, All-in-One Duplex Laser Printer
26 ppm color and mono
5-inch color touchscreen
50-sheet duplex ADF
3-year warranty
Pros
- Four functions including fax in a single wireless unit
- 26 ppm color and monochrome speed with a quick first page
- 5-inch color touchscreen with the customizable Application Library
- 50-sheet one-pass duplex automatic document feeder
- Three-year limited warranty is longer than most competitors in this class
Cons
- 600 x 600 dpi print and copy resolution is lower than competing models
- At 50 pounds it is the heaviest unit compared
- Only a 1-sheet multipurpose tray for envelopes and specialty media
The MF665Cdw is the newest machine in this group and it shows in the owner feedback base, which is the smallest at roughly 330 reviews. What it does, it does at a size: the 5-inch color touchscreen is the largest panel we tested, and it runs the Canon Application Library that puts your most-used features one tap away.
Underneath, it is a genuine four-in-one with fax, printing at 26 pages per minute in color and monochrome and a first page in about 10.3 seconds. The 50-sheet automatic document feeder is a one-pass duplex unit, so double-sided documents scan in a single pass.
Canon’s wireless setup claims a short process and, in our testing, joining the network took fewer steps than the multifunction model in this roundup. Printing from a phone works through the Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint and Mopria. Paper is a 250-sheet standard cassette plus a one-sheet multipurpose tray, with legal size supported.
Toner is Canon Genuine Toner 075 and 075 high-capacity, positioned to keep supply costs manageable. The three-year limited warranty, ENERGY STAR certification and EPEAT Silver rating all point the same way: this is built to be kept for several years.
Why the MF665Cdw appeals to a front-desk team
A five-inch panel is a real advantage in a reception or shared studio space. Onboarding a client invoice, scanning a signed form and faxing a document all happen on the machine itself, with fewer failed jobs and fewer people walking to another desk.
One-pass duplex scanning in the feeder plus automatic duplex printing means mixed paper handling in a single machine, and the three-year warranty is the longest offered alongside the MF753Cdw in this guide.
Where the MF665Cdw costs you
Print and copy resolution are 600 x 600 dpi, the lowest of the Canon group here, which shows most clearly on fine text and on charts with light tints. The 600 dpi floor is fine for invoices and labels but not for anything presentation-grade.
At 50 pounds it is the heaviest unit in this roundup, and the 1-sheet multipurpose tray means envelopes are loaded one at a time. Fewer reviews also means less long-term owner data than the other models, so treat early impressions with some caution.
7. HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw Review: Big Flatbed Scanner With the Biggest Review Base
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw Wireless All-in-One Color Laser Printer, Office Printer, Scanner, Copier, ADF, Duplex, Best-for-Office (499Q3F)
26 ppm black and color
250-sheet input tray
Flatbed scanner with ADF
HP 218X toner
Pros
- Print scan and copy in one unit with automatic two-sided printing and a document feeder
- Up to 26 ppm black and color output for small team use
- Next-generation TerraJet toner produces more vivid color output
- 250-sheet input tray and 250-sheet output capacity reduce refills
- Part of the LaserJet Pro line with a one-year limited warranty
Cons
- Intended to work only with HP chips and blocks cartridges using non-HP circuitry
- Periodic firmware updates maintain the effectiveness of that restriction
- 600 x 600 dpi maximum print and copy resolution is the lowest in this group
The 3301sdw is the machine here where the flatbed scanner is the deciding factor. A flatbed lets you scan passports, prescription labels, damaged pages or anything that cannot go through a feeder, and this unit also carries a document feeder so you are not choosing between the two.
Throughput is 26 pages per minute in black and color, with automatic two-sided printing, a 250-sheet input tray and a 250-sheet output tray. Ethernet is built in alongside Wi-Fi and USB, and control is handled through the app and a small display.
Color output comes from next-generation HP TerraJet toner, which is the newer color technology in this roundup and the main reason to keep the machine on a shortlist. Original HP 218A standard and 218X high-yield cartridges feed it, and legal size up to 8.5 x 14 inches is supported.
It also carries the highest number of owner ratings in the group, at about 1250. That cuts both ways: the feedback is thorough, and it shows a consistent minority of owners who are not happy with the experience.
Where the 3301sdw earns its place
If your office scans anything awkward, the flatbed glass is the reason to choose it. Owners consistently single out color quality from the TerraJet toner as the strongest in this group for graphics and charts, and the large output tray suits long duplex runs.
For small teams printing professional color documents and reports, the combination of speed, capacity and scanning hardware is hard to argue with on paper.
Where the 3301sdw draws complaints
The printer is intended to work only with cartridges that have HP chips or circuitry and will block cartridges that do not, with periodic firmware updates maintaining that behaviour. Several owners describe this as deliberate lock-in rather than a safety feature.
It carries the lowest average rating of the models we compared, at 3.7, which is the clearest signal in the group that satisfaction is not universal. Resolution tops out at 600 x 600 dpi, and owners report frustration with the software and scanning behavior, including one account of a scanning queue that would not release for further jobs.
How to Choose a Color Laser Printer for a Small Business
Match the machine to your monthly page volume
Duty cycle is the single most useful number on the spec sheet and the one most buyers skip. It tells you the monthly volume a machine is designed to handle sustainably. Use it as a guide rather than a ceiling, and buy the class that matches your real volume.
Under 500 pages a month, a compact print-only machine like the HL-L3220CDW is enough, because paper refills and toner changes are rare events at that rate. Between 500 and 2000 pages, a small workgroup all-in-one such as the MFC-L3720CDW or MF665Cdw makes sense, since the scanner earns its desk space.
Between 2000 and 4000 pages a month, speed and paper capacity start to matter, which points to the HL-L3280CDW or MF753Cdw. Above 4000 pages, you are in territory where a dedicated office print service usually costs less than the toner, drum replacements and service calls on a machine working that hard.
Work out the real cost per page, then multiply by 24 months
Cost per page is toner price divided by page yield, multiplied by coverage for color. Do that arithmetic for your own mix of color and monochrome pages rather than trusting a headline figure, because a starter cartridge with a partial fill makes the first refill look artificially cheap.
Then extend it over two years. A machine that costs a few hundred more up front but runs high-yield toner can come out ahead by the time you replace the first set of cartridges, and the gap widens with every subsequent refill. This is the calculation that decides between the print-only Canons and the multifunction models.
Print shops remain the right answer below roughly 100 pages a month. Once you are past a couple of hundred color pages a month, an outside shop rate per page usually exceeds what your own color laser delivers, which is why owners on buyer forums argue for owning a machine once volume climbs.
Decide between print-only and a multifunction printer
A print-only machine is simpler, smaller, cheaper to maintain and has fewer parts to fail. If your office scans through a phone or a shared document system and rarely copies, print-only is the honest choice.
If anyone signs paper, files receipts, copies a contract or faxes a form, the all-in-one is cheaper than the printer plus a separate scanner plus a copier. The counter-argument is speed: a print-only machine at 22 or 27 ppm finishes a batch faster than a 19 ppm multifunction.
Check cardstock, envelopes and labels before you buy
This is the most common disappointment in owner forums and the one most spec sheets hide. If you print business cards, postcards or flyers, you need manual feed capability that accepts thicker stock, and you need to know the maximum media size.
Look for a multipurpose tray rather than a one-sheet manual feed slot, and check legal size support at 8.5 x 14 inches if you work in law, real estate or accounting. Paper jams when switching between cardstock and regular paper are a recurring complaint across this class, and a machine with a wider feed path copes better.
Also factor in duplex scanning. Single-pass duplex ADFs capture both sides in one pass; simpler feeders need the stack flipped, which doubles handling on multi-page jobs.
Plan the network and driver setup before delivery day
Owner reviews repeatedly mention setup friction, and it is worth addressing before the box arrives. Dual-band Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz and 5GHz gives you more headroom in an office crowded with other wireless equipment.
Ethernet is worth having even on a wireless machine, because a hardwired connection eliminates the dropouts that happen after firmware updates. Check AirPrint and Mopria support for phone printing, and treat claimed Chromebook compatibility as something to test rather than trust, since owners report it often needs a cloud-print extension.
Budget for the whole life of the machine
Toner is the running cost, but the drum unit, fuser and maintenance kit are not free either, and a machine working hard every day ages faster. Warranty length is a fair proxy for expected service life, and the three-year cover on the two Canon multifunction models here is the strongest in the group.
Energy consumption and certification matter if you report on sustainability. The Canon MF753Cdw and MF665Cdw and the Canon LBP632Cdw carry ENERGY STAR and EPEAT Silver, which you can quote in a procurement conversation.
Check the exact model number before you buy
A genuine source of buyer confusion in this category is regional model-number variation. Printers sold in different markets carry different suffixes for near-identical hardware, and the number on the box is what determines toner, warranty coverage and which driver your computer loads. Write the full model number down before you order.
Owner forums also flag non-US gray-market units arriving through third-party sellers, which manufacturers may decline to register for warranty. Buy from a seller that will confirm the region of the unit and help you register it, because a three-year warranty is worth nothing if the serial number will not activate.
Expect toner yield to fall short of the rating
Rated page yields assume a coverage level that real documents rarely match. A page with a large chart or a dark photograph consumes far more toner than a page of body text, so a cartridge rated at 3000 pages may not reach that on a color-heavy workload.
Starter cartridges generally ship with a partial fill, so the first replacement arrives sooner than the rating implies. The practical response is to buy high-yield toner from the first refill onwards, keep one spare set of each color in the drawer, and track consumption monthly rather than waiting for the machine to warn you.
Know what owners say about long-term reliability
Across owner discussions, Brother machines come recommended most often for small business color laser work, with reliability and running cost cited as the reasons. Canon owners tend to praise print quality and warranty length but report more friction with configuration software and mobile apps.
The recurring long-term complaint on older HP color laser models is eventual failure after years of good service, which turns a routine purchase into a repeat decision. Whichever brand you choose, plan on a four-to-five year horizon and check what local repair support exists before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best laser color printer for a small business?
The Brother MFC-L3720CDW is our top pick for most small businesses. It prints, scans, copies and faxes in color at up to 19 pages per minute, has a 3.5-inch color touchscreen with 48 customizable shortcuts, dual-band Wi-Fi, a 50-sheet document feeder and a 250-sheet tray. Offices printing 2000 pages or more a month should consider the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw, which runs at 35 ppm and expands to 850 sheets.
Do small businesses need a color laser printer or an inkjet?
An inkjet suits very low volume, mostly photo printing and heavy graphics work. Once a small business prints a few hundred pages a month with regular color documents, a color laser wins on speed, on smudge resistance and on cost per page, because high-yield toner cartridges cover far more pages than ink cartridges. If your volume is under about 100 color pages a month, an outside print shop is often cheaper than owning either.
Are laser printers being phased out?
No. Laser and LED printing remains the standard for office documents, and color laser units with automatic duplex, wireless networking and high-yield toner continue to be released. What has changed is the surrounding range: ink tank and subscription models have taken over the low end, while vendors concentrate on workgroup and enterprise laser for volume printing.
What are common problems with color laser printers?
Owners most often report paper jams when switching between cardstock and regular stock, toner yield falling short of the rated figure, wireless drops after firmware updates that need reconfiguration, and confusing setup on Windows. Two models in this roundup also restrict cartridges to their own brand chips. Buying from a seller that will help with setup and registering the warranty avoids most of the pain.
What monthly volume justifies a business color laser printer?
Around 200 to 400 pages a month is the practical starting point for owning a color laser, because that is roughly where running a machine costs less than paying a print shop per page. Between 500 and 2000 pages a month suits a small workgroup all-in-one, and above 2000 pages speed and paper capacity become worth paying for. Below about 100 color pages a month, outsourcing is usually the cheaper option.
Our Top Picks for Small Business Color Printing in 2026
The Brother MFC-L3720CDW is the best color laser printer for small businesses in 2026 because it does everything an office needs in one box, has the clearest touchscreen and control of the group, and draws on the largest pool of owner reviews we could examine.
Pick the Canon imageCLASS MF753Cdw if you need speed above everything else or you are printing past 2000 pages a month and want room to grow. Pick the Canon imageCLASS LBP632Cdw if you only print and want the longest gap between toner changes. Pick the Brother HL-L3220CDW for the smallest footprint and pick the HL-L3280CDW for fast duplex printing with Ethernet available.
The Canon Color imageCLASS MF665Cdw is worth a look when a large touchscreen and a three-year warranty matter more than output resolution. We would think twice about the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw unless you specifically need its flatbed scanner, because of its cartridge restriction and its low owner satisfaction.
Whichever you choose, buy high-yield toner from the start and set up the network properly on day one. Those two decisions do more for your experience over four years than any specification on the spec sheet. If you are still working out your setup, our home office laser printer guide covers the smaller end of the market, and our laser engraver picks cover the other common workshop job.