Head-to-head · Best All-in-One Printers Under $300

Canon PIXMA TR8620a vs Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.3 vs 4.4). The gap is mostly about home offices that print high document volume and want the largest paper tray and fastest text — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #4 in Best All-in-One Printers Under $300

Canon PIXMA TR8620a

4.3

$199as of Jun 7

The TR8620a is the photo-and-versatility pick, using a five-ink system with a dedicated photo black that Consumer Reports says prints very good photos on glossy paper, the best of this group. It is a full four-function AIO with a 4.3-inch touchscreen and dual trays. The trade-offs are slow color printing at under 4 ppm and higher running costs from five separate cartridges.

Strengths

— Five-ink system with a dedicated photo black for very good glossy photo prints
— Versatile: print, copy, scan, fax plus a 4.3-inch touchscreen
— Dual paper trays and a 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution

Watch-outs

— Slow color printing at 3.97 ppm, the slowest in this group
— Five separate cartridges raise running costs versus tank systems
— 200-sheet combined tray capacity is modest

$199 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #3 in Best All-in-One Printers Under $300

Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820

4.4

$129.99as of May 26

The WF-3820 is the high-capacity workhorse pick, with a 250-sheet tray, the largest here, and the fastest measured text speed: Consumer Reports clocked 5 pages in 19 seconds at just 6.6 cents per page. It is a full four-function AIO with a big 6.8-inch touchscreen. The compromises are weak photo quality and cartridge running costs that trail the Brother MFC-J4335DW's INKvestment Tank.

Strengths

— Large 250-sheet main tray, the highest input capacity in this group
— Fast text printing: 5 pages in 19 seconds, the quickest measured here
— Very good text quality at a low 6.6 cents per page

Watch-outs

— Below-par photo quality, near the bottom among inkjets tested
— PrecisionCore cartridges cost more long-term than the Brother's INKvestment
— Bulkier footprint than the compact HP Envy 6555e

$129.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

Canon PIXMA TR8620a

The photo-and-versatility pick. Its five-ink system prints better photos than the document-focused Brother MFC-J4335DW, HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e, or Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820. But its 3.97 ppm color speed is the slowest here, and five cartridges cost more to run than the Brother MFC-J4335DW's INKvestment Tank. The HP Envy 6555e is cheaper and more compact for light document use.

Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820

The high-capacity workhorse. The largest paper tray here beats the Brother MFC-J4335DW and the HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e, and its measured text speed is the fastest in this group. But its cartridge running cost trails the Brother MFC-J4335DW's INKvestment Tank, and like the Brother MFC-J4335DW its photo quality is weak compared with the Canon PIXMA TR8620a. It is bulkier than the compact HP Envy 6555e.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Canon PIXMA TR8620a	Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820
Type	Color inkjet (5-ink)	Color inkjet (PrecisionCore)
Functions	Print / Copy / Scan / Fax	Print / Copy / Scan / Fax
Print Speed	11.7 ppm black / 3.97 ppm color	21 ppm black / 11 ppm color (ISO)
Resolution	4800 x 1200 dpi	2400 x 4800 dpi
Paper Capacity	200-sheet dual trays + ADF	250-sheet tray + 35-sheet ADF
Display	4.3" touchscreen	6.8" color touchscreen
Ink	5 cartridges (2 black + CMY)	—
Connectivity	Wi-Fi + Ethernet + USB	Wi-Fi + Ethernet + USB
Duplex	—	Automatic 2-sided print

← See the full ranking of best all-in-one printers under $300