Choosing between today's all-in-one printers and scanners often comes down to a simple trade-off: pay less upfront for a compact model, or invest more in a high-capacity ink tank that keeps printing for years. The four models here span exactly that range, from a $69.95 Canon PIXMA to a $349.99 HP Smart Tank. Each one has a different sweet spot, so the right pick depends on how often you print and which extras matter most.
Quick take
The Canon PIXMA TS6420a is the low-cost entry point. The HP Smart Tank Plus 651 is the high-volume pick. The HP Smart Tank 6001 is the flexible all-around model. The HP Smart Tank 7603 adds office-style extras for document-heavy workflows. If you're replacing an older printer or buying your first home all-in-one, start with these four.
Price comparison at a glance
| Model | Listed price | Price bar |
|---|---|---|
| Canon PIXMA TS6420a | $69.95 | |
| HP Smart Tank Plus 651 | $174.99 | |
| HP Smart Tank 6001 | $199.99 | |
| HP Smart Tank 7603 | $349.99 |
Decision matrix and final recommendation
- Lowest price, occasional printing: The Canon PIXMA TS6420a is the low-cost option.
- Printing high volume without ink worry: The HP Smart Tank Plus 651 is the one to choose.
- Daily speed and flexible connections: The HP Smart Tank 6001 is the all-around pick.
- Fax and multi-page scanning: The HP Smart Tank 7603 is the model to get.
Product notes
Canon PIXMA TS6420a
The Canon PIXMA TS6420a is the entry point at $69.95 and the only Canon in this lineup. It prints, scans, and copies, and it connects over wireless and Bluetooth. If your household prints occasionally and you want the lowest upfront cost, this is the one. The trade-off is speed: its black print speed is listed at 4 ppm, which is well behind the HP Smart Tank models in this comparison. The PIXMA also lists 16-bit color depth, a step down from the 24-bit depth on the HP Smart Tank 6001 and Smart Tank Plus 651. It's a straightforward choice for light document and photo printing, not for heavy daily volume.
HP Smart Tank Plus 651
At $174.99, the HP Smart Tank Plus 651 sits in the middle of the price range and is a strong choice for high-volume printing. It includes 3 years of Original HP ink in the box, enough for 6,000 black and 8,000 color pages, and it carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty. It prints at 11 ppm in black, scans, connects via wireless or USB 2.0, and lists fax among its features. Its main limitation is the higher upfront cost compared with the Canon PIXMA; if you only print a few pages a month, you may not need the included ink supply. When you do print constantly, that ink bundle makes it an easy pick.
HP Smart Tank 6001
This is the balanced all-in-one at $199.99. The HP Smart Tank 6001 prints, scans, copies, and prints on both sides, and it has the fastest listed black print speed in this four-model set at 12 ppm. It also adds Bluetooth, HP Jetdirect, and USB 2.0 to the usual wireless connection, so it has the widest variety of ways to send a job to the printer. HP includes up to two years of Original HP ink in the box. The downside is price: it costs $25 more than the Smart Tank Plus 651, and the Plus 651 comes with three years of ink instead of two. If speed and connection choices matter more than ink capacity, this is the model.
HP Smart Tank 7603
The HP Smart Tank 7603 costs $349.99, making it the most expensive model here. It is also the most function-heavy, combining print, copy, scan, fax, ADF, and wireless in one unit, so it's the model to consider when you need fax and automatic document feeding in a single machine. The limitation is straightforward: at $349.99, it costs $150 more than the HP Smart Tank 6001 and $175 more than the Smart Tank Plus 651. If you don't need fax or an ADF, you're paying for capabilities that won't get used. At 16.83 x 14.33 x 9.46 inches, it's a sizable machine, so plan for desk space.
