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

Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 vs HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e

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 and HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e score essentially the same (4.4 vs 4.4). Pick the one whose trade-offs match your priorities — the strengths and watch-outs below are where they actually differ.

Ranked #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 →

Ranked #2 in Best All-in-One Printers Under $300

HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e

4.4

$239.99as of May 26

The OfficeJet Pro 8135e is the home-office document pick, praised by RTINGS and Laptop Mag for very good text quality and a smooth, app-driven setup. It is a fast, user-friendly four-function AIO with a 225-sheet tray and a 35-sheet ADF. The downsides are slow measured text speed, expensive color pages, and HP's push toward the Instant Ink subscription, which is why RTINGS still ranks the Brother MFC-J4335DW ahead overall.

Strengths

— Very good text quality, among the best for home-office documents
— Fast, user-friendly setup and everyday use via the HP Smart app
— Full four-function AIO with a 35-sheet ADF and auto duplex

Watch-outs

— RTINGS measured slow text printing, 5 pages in 31 seconds
— Color graphics cost a steep 34.7 cents per page
— HP+ activation and Instant Ink subscription nudge you toward recurring costs

$239.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

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.

HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e

The home-office document pick. Its text quality edges the Brother MFC-J4335DW, but RTINGS rates the Brother MFC-J4335DW ahead overall on speed, yield, and running cost. The larger paper tray beats the Brother MFC-J4335DW but trails the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820, and its color pages cost more to print than the Brother's INKvestment system.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820	HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e
Type	Color inkjet (PrecisionCore)	Color inkjet (cartridge)
Functions	Print / Copy / Scan / Fax	Print / Copy / Scan / Fax
Print Speed	21 ppm black / 11 ppm color (ISO)	20 ppm black / 10 ppm color
Resolution	2400 x 4800 dpi	—
Paper Capacity	250-sheet tray + 35-sheet ADF	225-sheet tray + 35-sheet ADF
Duplex	Automatic 2-sided print	Automatic 2-sided print
Display	6.8" color touchscreen	Touchscreen
Connectivity	Wi-Fi + Ethernet + USB	Dual-band Wi-Fi + Ethernet + USB
Weight	—	17.6 lb

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