2026 Australian Small Business Printer Guide
Best Printer for Small Business Australia 2026
A small business printer needs to be affordable to own, reliable enough for daily use and easy for several people to share. The right choice depends on whether your business mainly prints invoices and reports, needs colour marketing material, scans multi page documents or wants the lowest possible running cost.
This guide focuses on current OZ Toner models that suit Australian small businesses, including low cost EcoTank options, a compact colour laser MFP and a higher capacity MegaTank for growing teams.
Quick Answer
For a typical Australian small business, the Epson EcoTank ET-4950 offers the best balance of low running cost and office functions. Choose the Brother MFC-L8390CDW when faster shared printing and duplex scanning are more important, or the Canon GX7160 when the business needs larger paper capacity and room to grow.
Availability check: Current OZ Toner active listings and stock availability were checked on 2 October 2026. Prices and stock can change.
Our Quick Recommendations
- Best overall for small business: Epson EcoTank ET-4950
- Best budget option: Epson EcoTank ET-2950
- Best step up with ADF and duplex scanning: Epson EcoTank ET-3950
- Best colour laser for professional documents: Brother MFC-L8390CDW
- Best for growing print volume and paper capacity: Canon MAXIFY GX7160 MegaTank
How to Choose a Small Business Printer
Small businesses often overbuy or underbuy printers. A cheaper home printer can become expensive if cartridges run out constantly, while an enterprise printer may be unnecessary for a two person office. Start with five practical questions.
- How many pages do you expect to print each month?
- Do you need colour every day or mainly black text?
- Will you scan multi page documents regularly?
- Do you need fax, Ethernet or automatic duplex scanning?
- Is lower running cost more important than maximum print speed?
Ink tank printers are compelling for small businesses that print regular colour documents and want low ink cost. Colour laser printers are often better where speed, sharper office text, multi user workflows and fast duplex scanning are more important.
Small Business Printer Comparison
| Model | Best For | ADF | Fax | Paper Input | Current Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epson ET-4950 | Best all round ink tank | 30 sheets | Yes | 250 sheets | $635.00 |
| Epson ET-2950 | Budget and low running cost | No | No | 100 sheets | $425.00 |
| Epson ET-3950 | Scanning and low ink cost | 30 sheets | No | 250 sheets | $598.00 |
| Brother MFC-L8390CDW | Fast professional colour laser | 50 sheets | Yes | 250 + 30 sheets | $655.88 |
| Canon GX7160 | Growing small business | Yes | Yes | 500 sheets + rear feed | $795.00 |
Price snapshot: 2 October 2026. Prices and availability can change. Paper capacity shown is the standard main input configuration described by the manufacturer.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-4950
The Epson EcoTank ET-4950 offers one of the best balances of running cost and office functionality for a small business. It includes print, scan, copy and fax, a 30 sheet ADF, automatic two sided printing, Ethernet, Wi Fi and Wi Fi Direct.
Epson rates it at 18 ISO ppm black and 9 ISO ppm colour, with a recommended monthly duty cycle of up to 1,600 pages. Replacement 502 ink bottles are rated at up to 8,500 black pages and 6,500 colour pages under Epson methodology.
Why we recommend it
- Low cost refillable ink system
- ADF, duplex printing and fax
- 250 sheet input tray
- Ethernet and dual band Wi Fi
- Good match for regular small business document volume
Potential drawbacks
- Slower than a business colour laser printer
- Not intended for sustained heavy workgroup volumes
BEST BUDGET SMALL BUSINESS PRINTER
2. Epson EcoTank ET-2950
The ET-2950 is a compact option for sole traders, home businesses and small offices that want very low ink cost without paying for an ADF or fax they will not use.
It prints automatically on both sides and uses the same Epson 502 ink family as the larger ET-3950 and ET-4950. Its main limitation is document handling: scanning is flatbed only, so it is not the right machine for businesses that regularly scan large document packs.
Best for: Sole traders, online businesses, home offices and low volume administration.
BEST ECOTANK FOR REGULAR SCANNING WITHOUT FAX
3. Epson EcoTank ET-3950
The ET-3950 adds the office features many businesses miss on the ET-2950. It includes a 30 sheet ADF, 250 sheet paper input, Ethernet and automatic two sided scanning while retaining the same low cost 502 ink system.
Epson rates the ET-3950 at 18 ISO ppm black and 9 ISO ppm colour and recommends up to 1,600 pages per month. If your business does not need fax, the ET-3950 can be a better value choice than paying extra for the ET-4950.
BEST SMALL BUSINESS COLOUR LASER
4. Brother MFC-L8390CDW
Businesses that prioritise speed and document handling should consider the Brother MFC-L8390CDW. It prints at up to 30 ppm in colour and mono and includes automatic duplex print and scan, a 50 sheet ADF, Gigabit Ethernet, wireless networking and NFC.
Compared with an ink tank model, toner has a higher purchase cost, but the Brother is faster and better suited to shared office workflows where staff regularly print and scan throughout the day.
BEST FOR A GROWING SMALL BUSINESS
5. Canon MAXIFY GX7160 MegaTank
The Canon GX7160 is a strong option when a small business has outgrown a basic desktop printer. Canon positions it for high volume small office use and equips it with two 250 sheet cassettes, a rear feed, duplex printing, duplex scanning, fax, Ethernet and Wi Fi.
Its GI 66 refillable ink system keeps the focus on low running cost, while the much larger paper capacity makes it more practical for a shared team than most compact ink tank printers.
Which Small Business Printer Should You Choose?
Choose ET-2950 if your priority is low purchase price and low ink cost and you rarely scan multi page documents.
Choose ET-3950 if you want ADF and duplex scanning but do not need fax.
Choose ET-4950 if you want the most complete small office EcoTank package with fax.
Choose MFC-L8390CDW if speed and office document handling are more important than the lowest possible colour running cost.
Choose GX7160 if your team is growing and you want refillable ink with significantly more paper capacity.
How We Selected These Printers
Recommendations are based on current OZ Toner availability checked on 2 October 2026, verified manufacturer specifications and the features most relevant to Australian small businesses, including running cost, scanning, paper handling, networking and expected monthly workload.
Explore the Complete OZ Toner 2026 Office Printer Guide Series
Not every office needs the same printer. Use the guides below to compare printers by business size, monthly print volume and industry workflow.
General Office Buying Guides
Choose by Monthly Print Volume
Choose by Industry
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A3 & Technical Office Printing
Start with the main guide: Best Office Printer Australia 2026.
OZ Toner Selection Notes
Best fit
Sole traders and small teams that print regularly, need dependable scanning and want to keep consumable costs under control.
Consider another category if
A light-duty model can become inconvenient if the business consistently prints several thousand pages each month. At that point, move up to a business laser or higher-volume platform rather than choosing only by purchase price.
Selection methodology: How OZ Toner Selects Printers for Buying Guides.
More Questions Buyers Ask
Is laser or ink tank better for a small business?
Ink tank is attractive when low colour running cost matters most. Laser is usually better when several users share the device, speed matters, and the office scans or prints throughout the day.
What if my small business prints only 300 to 500 pages per month?
A lower-cost EcoTank such as the ET-2950 can be enough if you rarely scan multi-page documents. If you need an ADF or regular batch scanning, the ET-3950 or ET-4950 is more practical.
When should a small business move to a higher-volume printer?
If paper refills, consumable changes or print queues are becoming frequent, or monthly volume is consistently around 3,000 pages or more, it is worth moving to a workgroup-class printer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best printer for a small business in Australia?
For many small businesses, the Epson ET-4950 provides an excellent combination of low running cost, ADF, duplex printing, fax and network connectivity. Businesses that need faster shared printing should consider the Brother MFC-L8390CDW.
Is EcoTank good for business use?
Yes, when the model matches the workload. The ET-3950 and ET-4950 are designed with business friendly features such as ADF, Ethernet and duplex functions. Higher volume offices should still compare the manufacturer's recommended monthly volume with their own expected workload.
Is a colour laser printer worth it for a small business?
A colour laser printer is worth considering when several people share the printer, speed matters or the business regularly produces invoices, reports, proposals and other office documents. Ink tank models are often more attractive when low colour running cost is the first priority.
Should a small business buy a printer with an ADF?
If you regularly scan or copy multi page documents, yes. An ADF can save significant time compared with placing every page individually on the scanner glass.
Small Business Printer Selection
Buy for the Workload You Have and the Business You Are Growing Into
Compare current small business printers at OZ Toner and choose a model with the right balance of running cost, scanning, speed and paper capacity.
Browse PrintersLast Updated Date: 2 October 2026