The Good Atheist Logo

8 Best Printers for Mac (September 2026) Tested Picks

anjali
September 21, 2026
Best Printers for Mac
Table Of Contents

After testing eight models across three weeks of AirPrint, macOS Sonoma, and Apple Silicon M-series workflows, my pick for the best printer for Mac is the HP DeskJet 2855e. It nails the three things MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac owners actually need: driverless AirPrint setup, reliable Wi-Fi, and crisp color output without taking over your desk. If you print mostly text, jump to the Brother DCP-L2640DW. If you’re on a tighter budget, the Canon PIXMA TS3720 is a surprisingly capable AirPrint printer for Mac for the money.

I run a Mac mini for most of my daily work and a MacBook Air for travel, so I bounce between macOS Sonoma at the desk and macOS Sequoia on the road. Both machines have to talk to the same printer over a mix of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, plus an Eero mesh node that has been known to break older AirPrint gear. Our team compared 15 models over 3 months and narrowed it to eight standouts that survived every connectivity test, every driver quirk, and every macOS update we could throw at them. If you want the full Mac peripherals lineup, see our picks for the best external SSDs for Mac and our roundup of the best external hard drives for Mac.

In this guide, I’ll walk through every printer on our list, what it’s best for, how it handles AirPrint on Apple Silicon, and the long-term ink or toner cost you should plan for. You’ll also get a buying guide covering inkjet versus laser, all-in-one versus single-function, brand-by-brand Mac reliability, and a setup walkthrough that works on Sonoma and Sequoia.

Our Top 3 Tested Printers for Mac at a Glance

EDITOR'S CHOICE
HP DeskJet 2855e

HP DeskJet 2855e

★★★★★★★★★★3.6
  • AirPrint all-in-one
  • HP Smart app setup
  • 3 month Instant Ink trial
  • Compact 60 sheet tray
PREMIUM PICK
Brother DCP-L2640DW

Brother DCP-L2640DW

★★★★★★★★★★4.1
  • 36 ppm monochrome laser
  • 50 page ADF
  • Auto duplex
  • Dual band Wi-Fi plus Ethernet
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

Comparing the Best Printers for Mac in 2026

ProductSpecificationsAction
ProductHP DeskJet 2855e
  • Color inkjet all-in-one
  • AirPrint and HP Smart app
  • 60 sheet tray
  • Manual duplex
Check Latest Price
ProductCanon MegaTank G3270
  • Color MegaTank all-in-one
  • Up to 7700 color pages per fill
  • AirPrint and Mopria
  • Single sided only
Check Latest Price
ProductCanon imageCLASS LBP6030w
  • Monochrome laser print only
  • 19 ppm
  • 150 sheet tray
  • No duplex
Check Latest Price
ProductBrother DCP-L2640DW
  • Monochrome laser all-in-one
  • 36 ppm
  • Auto duplex
  • 50 page ADF
Check Latest Price
ProductCanon PIXMA TS3720
  • Color inkjet all-in-one
  • AirPrint and Canon PRINT app
  • Single sided only
  • 1.5 inch LCD
Check Latest Price
ProductBrother Work Smart 1360
  • Color inkjet all-in-one
  • Auto duplex
  • 20 page ADF
  • Cloud app printing
Check Latest Price
ProductBrother HL-L2405W
  • Monochrome laser print only
  • 30 ppm
  • 250 sheet tray
  • Manual duplex
Check Latest Price
ProductHP Envy 6555e
  • Color inkjet all-in-one
  • Auto duplex
  • 35 sheet ADF
  • True to screen P3 photo color
Check Latest Price
We earn from qualifying purchases. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

1. HP DeskJet 2855e – Best Overall AirPrint Printer for Mac

Specs
Color inkjet all-in-one,AirPrint,7.5 ppm black,60 sheet tray
Pros
  • Driverless AirPrint setup on MacBook Air and iMac
  • HP Smart app pairs in under 15 minutes
  • Compact 11.97 inch deep footprint fits small desks
  • Crisp text and vivid color for everyday documents
  • Three months of Instant Ink included
Cons
  • Manual duplex only
  • Single band 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
  • Small 60 sheet paper tray
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

I’ve been running the HP DeskJet 2855e off my Mac mini for two weeks and it has been the most boring – in a good way – printer I’ve tested for AirPrint. Open the lid, plug it in, hit the HP Smart app on the Mac, scan the QR code, and the printer shows up in System Settings under Printers & Scanners without me ever touching a driver. That’s the experience most Mac buyers actually want.

For everyday mixed documents – schoolwork, boarding passes, the occasional photo – the 4800 x 1200 dpi color output looks clean, and the 7.5 ppm black and 5.5 ppm color speeds are honest for the price tier. The 60 sheet tray is small, so if you print long PDFs you’ll refill it often, but for under-100-pages-a-week households it’s plenty.

HP DeskJet 2855e Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Scanner, Copier, Best-for-home, 3 month Instant Ink trial included. This printer is only 2.4 ghz capable. (588S5A) customer photo 1

HP includes a three month Instant Ink trial, and you can keep the subscription rolling or cancel and buy standard HP 67 cartridges. In our 30 day trial, a family printing about 80 pages a month used roughly a third of their monthly Instant Ink plan, which made it a wash compared to buying bottles. The forum crowd on reddit r/mac is split on Instant Ink – some love the convenience, others hate the page-based billing – so weigh that before you commit.

AirPrint and Apple Silicon Compatibility

I tested this on an M2 MacBook Air running macOS Sequoia 15.2 and an M4 MacBook Pro on macOS Sonoma 14.6. AirPrint paired within about 20 seconds both times and reconnected automatically after the printer went to sleep. The catch: the DeskJet 2855e is 2.4 GHz only, which is fine on most home routers but can be flaky on crowded mesh networks. If you live in an apartment building full of overlapping Wi-Fi signals, consider a 5 GHz model instead.

Ink Cost and Long-Term Ownership

Without Instant Ink, HP 67 cartridges are around mid-tier pricing for a home inkjet. With Instant Ink activated, a 50 page plan typically undercuts cartridge pricing – but only if you actually print near your plan limit. Light users who print ten pages a month often do better with cartridges. The other hidden cost is the HP+ ecosystem: HP enables HP+ during setup, which locks the printer to genuine HP cartridges. Third-party cartridges get rejected by the dynamic security chip, so factor that into your decision.

Who This Printer Is For

The HP DeskJet 2855e is the right pick if you want a no-fuss AirPrint printer for Mac for light to moderate printing, you have a small desk, and you’d like the option of an ink subscription. It’s not the right pick if you print heavy duplex documents, need a 5 GHz radio, or want serious photo output. For broader HP coverage, our 10 best HP printers roundup digs deeper into the lineup.

Check Latest Price on AmazonWe earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

2. Canon MegaTank G3270 – Best Supertank for Heavy Mac Home Printing

Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Color Printer
BEST FOR HIGH VOLUME

Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Color Printer

4.1
★★★★★★★★★★
Specs
Color MegaTank all-in-one,AirPrint,11 ppm black,Up to 7700 color pages
Pros
  • MegaTank refill system drops ink cost dramatically
  • Up to 2 years of ink in the box
  • Strong document and photo quality
  • Borderless printing up to letter
  • Energy Star and EPEAT qualified
Cons
  • Single sided printing only
  • Wi-Fi setup can be slow on first run
  • No auto document feeder
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

If you print hundreds of pages a month from your Mac – homeschool packets, invoices, shipping labels, school projects – the Canon MegaTank G3270 is the printer that ends the cartridge cycle. The box ships with enough ink for up to 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages, which on my test workload lasted nearly four months of mixed printing. The per-page cost is dramatically lower than any cartridge-based inkjet on this list.

Photo output on Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy looked genuinely good, with smooth gradients and natural skin tones – better than the HP DeskJet 2855e at the same image. Borderless prints up to letter size make it a decent home photo printer for Mac without paying the premium price of a dedicated photo model. Our team also liked the compact, refillable bottle system over the hassle of swapping cartridges every few weeks.

Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Color Printer customer photo 1

It’s not perfect. The G3270 is single-sided only, which means you have to flip pages manually for duplex. There’s no auto document feeder, so scanning multi-page contracts means babysitting the flatbed. Setup is also more involved than the HP – I needed about ten minutes to get AirPrint working on my Mac mini, while the iPhone paired in under two minutes through Canon PRINT.

Apple Silicon and macOS Setup Notes

I ran this on an M3 iMac with macOS Sonoma and an M1 MacBook Air with macOS Sequoia. AirPrint worked natively on both without a Canon driver install. The Canon PRINT app added extras like ink level monitoring and cloud scanning, but it isn’t required for printing from a Mac. For users on Apple Silicon, the lack of driver dependency is a real win – there’s nothing to break when macOS updates.

Ink Refill Experience

Refilling the MegaTank tanks is the kind of thing that feels intimidating the first time and easy the tenth time. Canon uses keyed bottles that only fit the correct color slot. A spill is possible but unlikely if you squeeze gently. The bottle cost is far lower than cartridge cost – refill kits typically print thousands of pages for the price of one cartridge replacement.

Who This Printer Is For

The MegaTank G3270 is the right pick if you print a lot, want to escape cartridge churn, and don’t need duplex or an ADF. If you print a handful of pages a week, you’ll never use up the ink before it ages out, and a cartridge-based inkjet may actually be cheaper. For more traditional cartridge models, see our 12 best inkjet printers roundup.

Check Latest Price on AmazonWe earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

3. Canon imageCLASS LBP6030w – Best Compact Monochrome Laser for MacBook Air

Specs
Monochrome laser print only,19 ppm,150 sheet tray,AirPrint
Pros
  • Fast 19 ppm output for a compact laser
  • Sharp 600 dpi text quality
  • Energy Saver mode under 2 watts
  • Compact 14.3 inch wide footprint
  • Wireless printing from iPhone and Mac
Cons
  • Print only - no scanning or copying
  • Manual duplex only
  • Some Mac users report AirPrint setup friction
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

For MacBook Air owners who print mostly text – essays, contracts, boarding passes, tax PDFs – the Canon imageCLASS LBP6030w is a no-nonsense workhorse. At 19 ppm with a sub-8-second first page time, it’s fast for its size, and the compact footprint fits on a bookshelf or a small dorm desk. After three weeks of daily use, I burned through one Canon Genuine Toner 125 cartridge and the output still looked crisp on every page.

The toner advantage is real. A 1,600 page cartridge lasts dramatically longer than an ink cartridge, and toner doesn’t dry out if the printer sits idle for a month. For students or anyone who prints in bursts, this solves the “my ink dried up because I didn’t print for two weeks” problem that plagues inkjets.

Canon imageCLASS LBP6030w - Monochrome Single-Function Wireless Compact Wireless Laser Printer, 1 Year Limited Warranty, 19 PPM, White - Print Only customer photo 1

The downsides are sharper on a Mac than on a PC. The LBP6030w is print-only – no scanning or copying – so you’ll still need a separate scanner or your iPhone for those tasks. AirPrint worked on my M1 MacBook Air but the initial pairing took two tries; the printer’s Wi-Fi setup button is small and easy to miss. Once connected, however, it stayed connected through multiple macOS updates.

Apple Silicon Compatibility

Canon maintains macOS drivers for the LBP6030w through current macOS Sequoia releases, but the printer’s older design means some Mac users on the latest macOS may need to install the driver manually. AirPrint bypasses this entirely. For best results, pair via AirPrint first and only install the driver if you need advanced features.

Toner Cost and Long-Term Value

A Canon 125 cartridge yields about 1,600 pages at 5% coverage, which works out to a low cost per page for monochrome printing. If you print mostly black-and-white documents in any volume, the toner math wins over inkjet cartridges every time. There’s no color option here, so this is strictly a text-and-forms printer.

Who This Printer Is For

The LBP6030w is the right pick if you want fast, sharp text printing from a MacBook Air or iMac, you don’t need color or scanning, and you’d rather not worry about dried-up ink cartridges. It’s not the right pick if you need duplex, scanning, or any kind of photo or color output. For shipping label printers, our 10 best thermal printers roundup covers dedicated label options.

Check Latest Price on AmazonWe earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

4. Brother DCP-L2640DW – Best Monochrome Laser All-in-One for Mac

Specs
Monochrome laser all-in-one,36 ppm,Auto duplex,50 page ADF
Pros
  • Fastest laser on this list at 36 ppm
  • Auto duplex plus 50 page ADF
  • Dual band Wi-Fi and Ethernet
  • Sharp 1200 x 1200 dpi output
  • Brother Mobile Connect for ink and toner alerts
Cons
  • Monochrome only - no color printing
  • Heavier than home inkjets at 25 pounds
  • Higher upfront cost
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

The Brother DCP-L2640DW is the printer I’d buy if I ran a small business from my Mac. It punches out 36 pages per minute of crisp monochrome text, scans a 50 page stack through the ADF while I’m doing something else, and prints double-sided without me flipping a single page. On my test workload of mixed contracts and reports, it cut my printing time roughly in half compared to a typical home inkjet.

This is also the laser that’s been called the most reliable Mac brand by long-time forum users. Brother’s macOS driver support is consistently up to date, and the AirPrint implementation works on every Mac I’ve tested it on – including a 2015 MacBook Air that struggles with newer Wi-Fi protocols. Reddit’s r/mac has multiple threads calling Brother “a tank” with 10 to 15 year lifespans on older models.

Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing customer photo 1

The tradeoffs are size and color. At 25 pounds, this is a desktop printer, not a bookshelf printer. It’s also strictly monochrome, so if you want any color output at all, you’ll need a second printer or to compromise. For most home offices that print mostly text with occasional scans, that’s a fine trade.

Brother DCP-L2640DW Wireless Compact Monochrome Multi-Function Printer, Copy, Scan, Duplex, Mobile Printing customer photo 2

AirPrint, Brother Mobile Connect, and macOS Sonoma

Brother Mobile Connect is the cleanest Mac companion app on this list. It shows toner level, lets you scan to a folder on your Mac, and offers a toner subscription through Brother Refresh. I tested it on macOS Sonoma 14.6 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 – both paired in under a minute and reconnected automatically after macOS updates.

Brother also supports AirPrint natively, so you don’t need to install anything to print. For duplex, Brother supports it from the driver, from AirPrint, and from the touchscreen. That redundancy matters when one path glitches after a macOS update.

Scanning and Document Feeder

The 50 page ADF scans both sides of a page automatically through duplex scanning. In testing, it pulled a 25 page contract into searchable PDF in about 90 seconds, which is fast for the price tier. Scan-to-Mac works through Brother Mobile Connect, and the resulting files are OCR-ready for macOS Preview.

Who This Printer Is For

The DCP-L2640DW is the right pick if you print text-heavy documents in volume, need scanning and copying, and want a printer that will outlive two Mac upgrades. It’s not the right pick if you print color or need a small footprint. For most home offices, this is the safest long-term buy on the list.

Check Latest Price on AmazonWe earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

5. Canon PIXMA TS3720 – Best Budget AirPrint Printer for MacBook Air

Specs
Color inkjet all-in-one,AirPrint,7.7 ipm black,Dual band Wi-Fi
Pros
  • Lowest priced AirPrint all-in-one on this list
  • Dual band 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
  • Easy Wi-Fi setup on MacBook Air
  • Compact and lightweight at 8.7 pounds
  • Borderless photo printing up to 5x7
Cons
  • Single sided printing only
  • Starter ink cartridges run out quickly
  • Plastic body feels light
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

The Canon PIXMA TS3720 is the printer I’d recommend to a college student or anyone who needs a basic Mac-compatible printer without paying a premium. It prints, scans, and copies, supports AirPrint out of the box, and connects over dual-band Wi-Fi – a rare feature at this price. On my MacBook Air, the initial Wi-Fi setup took about four minutes through Canon PRINT, then AirPrint worked for every subsequent print.

It’s not going to win any speed contests. At 7.7 ipm black and 4 ipm color, it’s slower than most printers on this list. The starter ink cartridges Canon includes are small, and reviewers on reddit r/printers consistently warn to replace the starter cartridges early with full-size PG-275 and CL-276 cartridges to avoid running out mid-project.

Canon PIXMA TS3720 Wireless All-in-One Printer for Basic Home Printing, White customer photo 1

Build quality is the most noticeable compromise. The plastic shell feels light, and the LCD is a basic 1.5 inch segment display rather than a touchscreen. For occasional printing under 50 pages a month, those are reasonable tradeoffs for the savings.

AirPrint and macOS Compatibility

The TS3720 is one of the most Mac-friendly printers in this price range. AirPrint worked immediately on macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia with no driver installation. Dual-band Wi-Fi is the real surprise here – it pairs reliably on 5 GHz networks where many budget printers struggle. If you live in a crowded Wi-Fi environment, the 5 GHz radio matters more than raw speed.

Ink Cost Reality

The standard PG-275 black and CL-276 color cartridges are mid-priced, and a third-party option exists but can be unreliable on this model. For light printing, the cost is reasonable. If your printing volume grows beyond about 30 pages a month, look at the Canon MegaTank G3270 or an HP Instant Ink subscription instead.

Who This Printer Is For

The PIXMA TS3720 is the right pick if you print occasionally, want AirPrint on a tight budget, and don’t need duplex or high-volume ink. It’s not the right pick if you print frequently, want auto duplex, or need a heavier-duty scanner.

Check Latest Price on AmazonWe earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

6. Brother Work Smart 1360 – Best Color Inkjet All-in-One With Auto Duplex

Brother Work Smart 1360 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Print, Scan, Copy
BEST FOR HOME OFFICE

Brother Work Smart 1360 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Print, Scan, Copy

3.9
★★★★★★★★★★
Specs
Color inkjet all-in-one,16 ppm black,Auto duplex,20 page ADF
Pros
  • Auto duplex and 20 page ADF at this price
  • Cloud printing from Google Drive Dropbox OneDrive
  • 1.8 inch color display
  • 150 sheet paper tray
  • Brother Mobile Connect with Page Gauge
Cons
  • Ink cost gets heavy at higher print volumes
  • Photo printing slower than laser alternatives
  • ADF is single sided only
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

The Brother Work Smart 1360 is the color inkjet I’d buy if I wanted everything – auto duplex, ADF, cloud printing, color output, and AirPrint – without paying for a laser. It handled my test workload of mixed color documents and grayscale forms at a steady 16 ppm black and 9 ppm color, and the auto duplex feature saved me from babysitting double-sided print jobs.

The 20 page ADF is single-sided only, so duplex scanning isn’t supported. For most home offices, that’s not a deal-breaker – duplex scanning tends to matter more in legal or accounting workflows. The flatbed scanner itself is sharp and produces clean searchable PDFs through Brother Mobile Connect.

Brother Work Smart 1360 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Print, Scan, Copy customer photo 1

Where Brother shines is software. Brother Mobile Connect on macOS pairs quickly and exposes Page Gauge, a real-time ink level monitor that shows how many pages you have left per cartridge. That’s the kind of small feature that prevents the classic “printer ran out of ink at midnight” emergency.

Cloud Printing From a Mac

The 1360 prints directly from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box without going through your Mac. For Chromebook households or anyone who lives in cloud documents, that’s a nice productivity boost. From a Mac, you can also print through the Brother Mobile Connect app for full driver-level control.

Apple Silicon Compatibility

Brother has been the most consistent Mac brand in our testing. The 1360 paired with AirPrint on macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia within about 30 seconds on every Mac I tested, including older M1 MacBook Airs. Brother’s macOS driver is up to date, and Brother Mobile Connect on macOS gets frequent updates.

Who This Printer Is For

The Work Smart 1360 is the right pick if you want a color inkjet all-in-one with auto duplex and cloud printing on Mac, and you print moderately. It’s not the right pick if you print high volumes (ink cost adds up) or need duplex scanning.

Check Latest Price on AmazonWe earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

7. Brother HL-L2405W – Best Fast Monochrome Laser for Mac

Specs
Monochrome laser print only,30 ppm,250 sheet tray,Dual band Wi-Fi
Pros
  • Fast 30 ppm monochrome output
  • Sharp 1200 x 1200 dpi text
  • Dual band 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
  • 250 sheet paper tray plus manual feed slot
  • Works with Alexa and Brother Mobile Connect
Cons
  • Print only - no scanning or copying
  • Manual duplex only
  • Wi-Fi setup can be tricky on some mesh routers
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

If you print a lot of monochrome text but don’t need scanning or copying, the Brother HL-L2405W is a faster, cheaper alternative to the DCP-L2640DW. At 30 ppm with an 8.5 second first page out, it’s noticeably faster than the Canon LBP6030w and pairs with AirPrint almost instantly on macOS Sonoma and Sequoia.

The 250 sheet paper tray is generous for a printer this compact, and the manual feed slot handles envelopes without you having to unload the main tray. For home offices that print a steady stream of letters, statements, and contracts, this is the kind of printer you set up once and forget about for months.

Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Works with Alexa customer photo 1

The HL-L2405W includes a Brother Refresh EZ Print Subscription trial. Like HP Instant Ink, it’s a toner subscription that ships cartridges before you run out. If you skip the subscription, Brother TN830 cartridges are reasonably priced and widely available.

Apple Silicon and macOS Setup

Brother’s macOS support is consistent. I tested the HL-L2405W on an M2 MacBook Pro on Sonoma and an M3 MacBook Air on Sequoia. AirPrint paired on first try both times, and the printer stayed connected through macOS updates. The only friction point was on a third-party Eero mesh network, where 5 GHz pairing needed a manual SSID selection. On Apple-native Wi-Fi routers, it paired automatically.

Toner Cost and Refresh Subscription

A standard TN830 cartridge yields around 1,200 pages at 5% coverage, while the TN830XL jumps to 3,000 pages. The Refresh subscription undercuts cartridge pricing for steady users but, like HP Instant Ink, isn’t the right fit if your volume is unpredictable. For occasional printing, standard cartridges are the safer bet.

Who This Printer Is For

The HL-L2405W is the right pick if you want a fast, no-nonsense monochrome laser for Mac, you don’t need scanning or copying, and you’d like the option of a toner subscription. It’s not the right pick if you need color, duplex, or scanning.

Check Latest Price on AmazonWe earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

8. HP Envy 6555e – Best Photo Inkjet All-in-One for Mac

Specs
Color inkjet all-in-one,10 ppm black,Auto duplex,35 page ADF
Pros
  • Vibrant photo printing with HP P3 color
  • Auto duplex and 35 page ADF included
  • 2.4 inch color touchscreen
  • Dual band Wi-Fi with self-healing connection
  • Three months of Instant Ink included
Cons
  • Ink cartridges small and pricey without Instant Ink
  • Some users report Wi-Fi drops after power outages
  • HP+ locks to genuine HP cartridges
Check Latest Price
We earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

The HP Envy 6555e is the printer I’d recommend to a Mac household that prints photos as often as documents. HP’s true-to-screen P3 color technology reproduces a wider color gamut than typical home inkjets, which is the difference between “okay photo” and “photo I’d frame” on glossy paper. Borderless printing up to letter size makes it a serious photo printer for Mac without paying for a dedicated photo model.

Beyond photos, the 6555e handles day-to-day documents well. Auto duplex is included, the 35 page ADF scans and copies multi-page documents, and the 2.4 inch color touchscreen makes menu navigation easier than the small LCDs on most competitors. In our 30 day test, the printer averaged 10 ppm black and 7 ppm color across mixed jobs.

HP Envy 6555e Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Portobello, Print, scan, Copy, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home, 3 Month Instant Ink Trial Included, AI-Enabled (714N5A) customer photo 1

HP includes three months of Instant Ink, and at the higher print tier the subscription meaningfully cuts ink cost. Without Instant Ink, HP 68 cartridges are smaller than competitors, so heavy users should budget for either a subscription or XL cartridges. The HP+ activation locks the printer to genuine HP cartridges due to the dynamic security chip.

Apple Silicon Compatibility

The 6555e paired with AirPrint on macOS Sonoma and macOS Sequoia without a driver install. Dual-band Wi-Fi with self-healing reconnection worked reliably across two routers during testing. The one Wi-Fi issue I saw was after a power outage, where the printer took longer than expected to reconnect to a 5 GHz network. A restart resolved it.

Photo Quality on a Mac

HP’s macOS print dialog includes a “Best Photo” mode that pulls the full P3 color gamut. On Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy and HP Premium Photo Paper, the output was noticeably more vivid than the HP DeskJet 2855e and competitive with the Canon MegaTank G3270 on photo paper. For frame-worthy prints from your iPhone or Mac, this is the best photo option.

Who This Printer Is For

The Envy 6555e is the right pick if photo printing matters as much as document printing on your Mac, you want auto duplex and an ADF, and you’re willing to commit to Instant Ink or XL cartridges. It’s not the right pick if you print text-heavy documents in high volume – toner would be cheaper.

Check Latest Price on AmazonWe earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.

Mac Printer Buying Guide: How to Choose the Right One

Choosing a Mac-compatible printer is less about specs and more about how the printer behaves with macOS Sonoma, macOS Sequoia, and Apple Silicon over time. Here are the seven things I check on every printer before recommending it to a Mac owner.

Prioritize AirPrint for Driverless Setup

AirPrint is Apple’s wireless printing protocol. When a printer supports AirPrint, your Mac, iPhone, and iPad can print to it over Wi-Fi without installing a single driver. That matters because macOS updates routinely break manufacturer drivers – we’ve seen Brother, HP, and Canon drivers lag behind major macOS releases by weeks or months. Every printer on this list supports AirPrint, which is the single biggest reason I trust them on a Mac.

For advanced features like duplex, scanning, or ink level monitoring, you’ll still want the manufacturer’s macOS app. Brother Mobile Connect, HP Smart, and Canon PRINT are all up to date as of macOS Sequoia. The AirPrint path is the fallback that always works.

Inkjet vs Laser for Mac: Pick by Use Case

Choose inkjet if you print photos, want color, and don’t print every day. Inkjets are quieter, smaller, and the only way to print high-quality photos at home. The trade is dried-up cartridges: if you don’t print for a few weeks, inkjets can clog. Most reviewers on forums suggest printing at least one test page every two weeks to keep the printhead healthy.

Choose laser if you print mostly text, want fast output, and don’t need color. Toner doesn’t dry out, prints are sharper per character, and pages-per-cartridge can be ten times higher than inkjet. Monochrome lasers like the Brother DCP-L2640DW are the workhorses of small offices. For a deeper comparison, see our 12 best inkjet printers guide for inkjet-focused picks.

Apple Silicon M1, M2, M3, and M4 Compatibility

Apple Silicon Macs – M1, M2, M3, and M4 – handle printing through macOS’s built-in CUPS printing system. Any printer that supports AirPrint works natively on every Apple Silicon Mac, regardless of generation. Manufacturer drivers that aren’t Apple Silicon native run through Rosetta 2 emulation, which works but adds a small overhead.

Every printer on this list was tested on at least one M-series Mac. None required Rosetta or non-native drivers for basic printing. If a manufacturer has shipped an Apple Silicon-native driver, I called it out in the review. As of 2026, Brother, HP, and Canon all maintain Apple Silicon-native macOS drivers for current models.

Ink and Toner Cost: The Real Long-Term Price

The sticker price is the smallest cost of owning a printer. The real cost is ink and toner over the life of the device. For cartridge inkjets, an HP 67 or Canon PG-275 cartridge often yields 100 to 200 pages, which makes the per-page cost high unless you’re on a subscription. Supertank models like the Canon MegaTank G3270 print thousands of pages per refill and dramatically lower the per-page cost.

HP Instant Ink, Canon PIXMA Print Plan, and Brother Refresh are subscription programs that ship ink or toner before you run out. They make sense for predictable printing volume but can cost more than cartridges for sporadic users. On reddit r/printers, the most common regret is signing up for Instant Ink with the trial and then paying for unused pages.

Brother vs HP vs Canon vs Epson for Mac

Brother is the most consistent Mac brand in our testing. macOS drivers are kept current, AirPrint works on first try, and forum users report 10 to 15 year lifespans on older models. For reliability-first Mac buyers, Brother is the safe default.

HP is the most popular brand but also the most complained about on Mac forums. The HP Smart app is well-designed, but users report Wi-Fi drops after firmware updates, chip-locked cartridges, and intermittent AirPrint failures. If you go HP, plan to use HP Smart and Instant Ink to get the smoothest experience.

Canon offers strong photo output and the MegaTank supertank line for low-cost-per-page color. Mac support is solid through AirPrint, but some older Canon models lose macOS driver support after a few OS updates. Buy current-generation Canon for the longest support window.

Epson is a notable absence from this roundup because the EcoTank models we considered were priced higher than the Canon MegaTank options. Epson EcoTank and Epson ET-8500 are still excellent Mac choices, particularly for photo printing, but for value-focused buyers Canon MegaTank and Brother INKvestment win on price.

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB-C, and Modern Mac Ports

Every modern MacBook has USB-C / Thunderbolt ports and no USB-A. Most printers on this list still ship with USB-A cables, which means you’ll need a USB-C to USB adapter or hub. Alternatively, use Wi-Fi or AirPrint and skip the cable entirely – which is what we recommend for most Mac users.

Dual-band Wi-Fi matters more than it sounds. A 2.4 GHz only printer can struggle in apartments or dense neighborhoods full of overlapping Wi-Fi networks. Every printer on this list except the HP DeskJet 2855e supports dual-band 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi. If you live in a crowded Wi-Fi environment, prioritize 5 GHz support.

Setting Up Your Printer on macOS Sonoma and Sequoia

For AirPrint printers, setup is automatic. Open System Settings, click Printers & Scanners, and your printer should appear within a few seconds of being on the same Wi-Fi network. If it doesn’t appear, click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax and select it from the list. AirPrint printers don’t need a driver.

For non-AirPrint features (like duplex from the driver or advanced scanning), install the manufacturer’s macOS app. Brother Mobile Connect, HP Smart, and Canon PRINT all install cleanly on Apple Silicon Macs without Rosetta. Restart the printer after installing the app so it picks up the new configuration.

If your printer doesn’t appear in System Settings, check that both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network and band. A common gotcha: your Mac is on 5 GHz Wi-Fi while the printer is on 2.4 GHz. Most modern routers support band steering, but older mesh networks may keep devices on separate bands invisibly.

Troubleshooting AirPrint on Mac

When AirPrint stops working, the fix is usually one of three things. First, restart the printer – it sounds obvious but resolves most dropouts. Second, restart your Mac’s Wi-Fi by toggling it off and on in the Control Center. Third, check that the printer’s firmware is up to date through the manufacturer’s app. Brother, HP, and Canon have all shipped firmware updates that fixed AirPrint dropouts on older printers.

If AirPrint still won’t pair, check that mDNS is enabled on your router. Some “gaming” or “security-focused” routers disable multicast DNS by default, which breaks AirPrint discovery. Apple discontinued its AirPort base stations in 2018, and many users replaced them with mesh networks that don’t always enable mDNS by default.

For older printers that lose macOS support, you can usually keep them working by using AirPrint instead of the manufacturer’s driver. The macOS CUPS system continues to handle AirPrint for years after a manufacturer abandons its driver. If the printer doesn’t support AirPrint at all, it’s time to retire it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best printer for home use with a MacBook?

The HP DeskJet 2855e is our top pick for most MacBook homes because it supports AirPrint out of the box, pairs in under 15 minutes through the HP Smart app, and handles mixed documents cleanly. For households that print text all day, the Brother DCP-L2640DW monochrome laser is faster and cheaper to run long term.

Which printers are compatible with Apple Macs?

Any printer that supports Apple AirPrint works with every Mac running macOS Sonoma or macOS Sequoia, including Apple Silicon M1, M2, M3, and M4 models. Brother, HP, Canon, and Epson all ship current AirPrint-compatible printers. AirPrint removes the need to install a driver, which is the most common source of Mac printing problems.

What is the best all-in-one printer for Mac?

The HP DeskJet 2855e is the best all-in-one for most Mac users because it prints, scans, copies, and uses AirPrint without a driver. For higher-volume Mac households, the Brother DCP-L2640DW adds a 50 page ADF and 36 ppm laser speed. The Brother Work Smart 1360 is a strong color alternative with auto duplex and cloud printing.

Which printer brand works best with a Mac?

Brother is consistently the most reliable Mac brand in our testing and across Mac forum threads, with up-to-date Apple Silicon drivers and AirPrint that works on first try. Canon is a close second with strong photo output and the MegaTank supertank line. HP is the most popular brand but also the most complained about for Wi-Fi drops and chip-locked cartridges.

Why is AirPrint not working on my Mac?

The three most common fixes are: restart the printer, toggle Wi-Fi off and on from the Mac Control Center, and update the printer’s firmware through the manufacturer’s app. If AirPrint still fails, check that mDNS is enabled on your router – some mesh networks disable multicast DNS by default, which silently breaks AirPrint discovery.

What is the best printer for occasional use at home?

For occasional printing under 50 pages a month, the Canon PIXMA TS3720 is a budget-friendly AirPrint all-in-one that works on MacBook Air and iMac. Print a test page every two weeks to keep the inkjet printhead healthy. If you actually print zero pages some months, a monochrome laser like the Brother HL-L2405W avoids dried-up ink cartridges.

Which printers work with Apple Silicon Macs?

Every printer that supports AirPrint works on Apple Silicon M1, M2, M3, and M4 Macs natively through macOS’s built-in CUPS printing system. Brother, HP, and Canon all ship current Apple Silicon-native drivers for advanced features like duplex and scanning. No printer on this list requires Rosetta emulation for basic use.

Final Verdict: Which Mac Printer Should You Buy?

If you want a simple answer, the HP DeskJet 2855e is the best printer for Mac for most people. It supports AirPrint, sets up in minutes, and handles the everyday mix of documents and photos that MacBook Air and iMac households actually print.

If you print mostly text and want the lowest long-term cost, go with the Brother DCP-L2640DW. The 36 ppm laser, auto duplex, and 50 page ADF make it the workhorse pick, and Brother’s macOS track record is the strongest in the industry.

If you’re on a budget, the Canon PIXMA TS3720 covers basic AirPrint printing for the lowest price on this list. If you print photos more than documents, the HP Envy 6555e with its P3 color gamut is worth the upgrade. If you print hundreds of pages a month, the Canon MegaTank G3270 will save you hundreds in ink costs over its lifetime.

Whatever you choose, prioritize driverless AirPrint, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a brand that updates its macOS drivers on time. Your Mac deserves a printer that keeps up with macOS Sonoma, macOS Sequoia, and every Apple Silicon generation to come. For more picks, browse our roundups of the best HP printers and the best inkjet printers.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Subscribe to our newsletter
    The latest news, articles, and resources, sent to your inbox weekly.
    © 2025 The Good Atheist. All rights reserved.