Choosing between a mega-tank inkjet and a color laser in the commercial printers copiers aisle comes down to how much you print, how fast you need output, and how much you want to spend on day one. Both are all-in-one color printers, but they sit on different sides of the price and performance trade-off.
Quick verdict
For a buyer who wants the lowest listed price, the Canon MAXIFY GX1020 is the straightforward pick. For a buyer who wants higher rated black speed and a fuller office-connectivity package, the Brother L8900CDW is the more capable candidate, though it is priced higher.
Comparison at a glance
| Feature | Canon MAXIFY GX1020 | Brother L8900CDW |
| Listed price | USD 169.99 | USD 450.00 |
| Price bar | | |
| Condition | New | Used |
| Black print speed | Letter: 15 ipm | 33 ppm |
| Color depth | 16-bit | 24-bit |
| Connectivity | Wireless, Hi-Speed USB | USB 2.0, Wireless, Ethernet |
| Standout features | Auto two-sided printing, 250-sheet cassette, 27,000-page/month duty cycle | Scanner, copier, fax, duplex, 512 MB memory |
Where each printer wins
The Canon wins on the buying side with the lower listed price. The Brother wins on the performance side with faster rated black output and a more explicit all-in-one feature list.
Canon MAXIFY GX1020 MegaTank
The Canon is a new mega-tank color printer that uses Canon GI-25 ink bottles. It prints 15 ipm in black and 10 ipm in color, adds a 2.7-inch LCD touch screen, and carries a listed duty cycle of up to 27,000 pages per month. The 250-sheet cassette and auto two-sided printing make it a practical desk companion, and the easy-to-fill keyed nozzle is a tidy alternative to conventional cartridge swaps. Wireless plus Hi-Speed USB keeps setup flexible, and sharp text with crisp color is listed among its strengths. The display is adjustable as well, so you can position it for a clearer view. The trade-off is speed: the Canon's 15 ipm black print speed is well below the Brother's 33 ppm, so it suits offices that value a new machine and a smaller upfront spend over maximum rated output.
Brother L8900CDW All-In-One Commercial Printer
The Brother is a used color laser all-in-one with a listed page count of 51,092. It is rated at 33 ppm for black-and-white printing and includes scanner, copier, and fax functions, plus duplex printing. It handles A4, A5, and A6 paper sizes, with a maximum resolution of 2400 x 600 DPI and a scan resolution of 1200 x 1200 DPI. The 8-bit grayscale depth and 24-bit color depth cover both black-and-white and color output, and the input type is color. With USB 2.0, wireless, and Ethernet connections and 512 MB of memory, it fits a wired-office setup more naturally than the Canon's wireless-and-USB-only pairing. The limitations to weigh are the used condition and the higher price tag, plus the mileage shown on the page count. If your office leans on scan/copy/fax workflow and needs a faster rated printer, this Brother is the one to budget for.
Final choice by use case
Choose the Canon MAXIFY GX1020 if your priority is a color printer at the lowest listed price. Choose the Brother L8900CDW if you need faster stated output and a fuller office feature set.
