Best home printer under $100 for photos?
2 models · updated 2026-07-07
The verdict
Canon PIXMA TS6420a leads — 1 of 2 models rank Canon PIXMA TS6420a the top pick.
Not unanimous: ChatGPT picks Canon PIXMA TR8620a.
As of 2026-07-07, ChatGPT and Claude collectively rank Canon PIXMA TS6420a #1 for home printer under $100 for photos on ModelsAgree by aggregate score. The models' case: Best photo output in the sub-$100 class — dual black + dye-based color inks produce genuinely rich 4x6 borderless prints, plus auto duplex and reliable Wi-Fi for everyday. The models' main caveat: Cut its notoriously high per-print ink cost with cheaper cartridges or an ink subscription that covers photo paper sizes. The strongest alternative is HP ENVY 6555e — Frequently discounted under $100, prints respectable borderless photos, includes a scanner, and HP Instant Ink makes photo printing cheap per page for. Not unanimous: ChatGPT picks Canon PIXMA TR8620a. Source: https://modelsagree.com/best/best-home-printer-under-100-for-photos (modelsagree.com, CC BY 4.0).
Combined ranking
- 1GPT #2Claude #1
Best photo output in the sub-$100 class — dual black + dye-based color inks produce genuinely rich 4x6 borderless prints, plus auto duplex and reliable Wi-Fi for everyday documents
+ model takes & fixes− hide details
Claude Best photo output in the sub-$100 class — dual black + dye-based color inks produce genuinely rich 4x6 borderless prints, plus auto duplex and reliable Wi-Fi for everyday documents
GPT Better photo output than most cheap all-in-ones, borderless printing, duplexing, compact design, rear photo-paper feed, and simple wireless printing
Where it falls shortper GPT Add separate photo black or photo color ink for richer prints
per Claude Cut its notoriously high per-print ink cost with cheaper cartridges or an ink subscription that covers photo paper sizes
- 2GPT #3Claude #2
Frequently discounted under $100, prints respectable borderless photos, includes a scanner, and HP Instant Ink makes photo printing cheap per page for casual users
+ model takes & fixes− hide details
Claude Frequently discounted under $100, prints respectable borderless photos, includes a scanner, and HP Instant Ink makes photo printing cheap per page for casual users
GPT Vibrant casual glossy photos, modern app setup, auto-duplexing, scanner, compact body, and good value when discounted under $100
Where it falls shortper GPT Lower cartridge ink costs without relying on Instant Ink
per Claude Decouple full functionality from the HP+ / Instant Ink ecosystem so owners aren't penalized for using third-party ink
- 3GPT #1Claude —
Five-ink system, strong glossy photo quality, borderless prints, two paper trays, touchscreen, duplexing, scanner, ADF, and memory-card support make it the most photo-capable sub-$100 sale buy
+ model takes & fixes− hide details
GPT Five-ink system, strong glossy photo quality, borderless prints, two paper trays, touchscreen, duplexing, scanner, ADF, and memory-card support make it the most photo-capable sub-$100 sale buy
Where it falls shortper GPT Make its normal street price consistently under $100
- 4GPT —Claude #3
Claria dye inks give punchy, accurate photo color for ~$79, small footprint, and individual color cartridges mean you only replace what's empty
+ model takes & fixes− hide details
Claude Claria dye inks give punchy, accurate photo color for ~$79, small footprint, and individual color cartridges mean you only replace what's empty
Where it falls shortper Claude Faster photo print speeds — a single 4x6 takes noticeably longer than Canon and HP rivals
- 5GPT #4Claude —
Very low purchase price, solid borderless photo prints for the money, auto-duplexing, wireless printing, and better color output than most ultra-budget rivals
+ model takes & fixes− hide details
GPT Very low purchase price, solid borderless photo prints for the money, auto-duplexing, wireless printing, and better color output than most ultra-budget rivals
Where it falls shortper GPT Improve speed and controls with a real display
- 6GPT —Claude #4
Often $69-89, same strong Canon photo pipeline as the TS6420a with borderless 4x6 support and a usable app for phone-photo printing
+ model takes & fixes− hide details
Claude Often $69-89, same strong Canon photo pipeline as the TS6420a with borderless 4x6 support and a usable app for phone-photo printing
Where it falls shortper Claude Add auto duplex and a bigger paper cassette so it doubles better as a household document printer
- 7GPT #5Claude —
Strong glossy snapshots for a cheap home-office all-in-one, ADF, fax, scanner, wireless printing, and broad retail availability under $100
+ model takes & fixes− hide details
GPT Strong glossy snapshots for a cheap home-office all-in-one, ADF, fax, scanner, wireless printing, and broad retail availability under $100
Where it falls shortper GPT Add auto-duplexing and a better control screen
- 8GPT —Claude #5
Cheapest reliable path to acceptable photo prints (~$60-85), compact all-in-one with copy/scan and easy phone printing via the HP app
+ model takes & fixes− hide details
Claude Cheapest reliable path to acceptable photo prints (~$60-85), compact all-in-one with copy/scan and easy phone printing via the HP app
Where it falls shortper Claude Improve photo color depth — its tri-color cartridge system can't match dye-ink rivals on skin tones and saturation
By use case
How this board's leaders rank when the same four models are asked a more specific question.
| Product | This board | home printer under $100 | all-in-one $150 | office | students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon PIXMA TS6420a | #1 | #9 | — | — | — |
| HP ENVY 6555e | #2 | #5 | — | — | — |
| Canon PIXMA TR8620a | #3 | — | #8 | — | — |
| Epson Expression Home XP-4200 | #4 | #7 | — | — | #6 |
| Canon PIXMA MG3620 | #5 | #2 | — | #7 | — |
| Canon PIXMA TR4720 | #7 | #1 | #6 | #1 | #1 |
| HP DeskJet 4255e | #8 | #8 | #9 | #4 | #2 |
Rank history
Just missed the top 5
GPT Epson Expression Home XP-4200 — good compact color printer, but photo quality and ink value trail the Canon and HP picks · HP DeskJet 2855e — very cheap and acceptable for occasional snapshots, but slow, basic, and too ink-costly for photo use
Claude Canon SELPHY CP1500 — superb dedicated 4x6 dye-sub prints but street price usually $110-140 and it can't print documents · Epson EcoTank ET-2400 — transformative ink economics for photo volume, but it sits at $150-200 and never dips under $100
By model
ChatGPT
- 1.Canon PIXMA TR8620a
- 2.Canon PIXMA TS6420a
- 3.HP ENVY 6555e
- 4.Canon PIXMA MG3620
- 5.Canon PIXMA TR4720
Claude
- 1.Canon PIXMA TS6420a
- 2.HP ENVY 6555e
- 3.Epson Expression Home XP-4200
- 4.Canon PIXMA TS5320a
- 5.HP DeskJet 4255e
Common questions
What is the best home printer under $100 for photos? according to AI models?
Canon PIXMA TS6420a leads. 1 of 2 models rank Canon PIXMA TS6420a the top pick. The current top 3: Canon PIXMA TS6420a, HP ENVY 6555e, Canon PIXMA TR8620a. Ranked by asking ChatGPT, Claude the same buying question and merging their top-5 picks, updated 2026-07-07. Source: modelsagree.com.
Which home printer under $100 for photos? did each AI model pick first?
ChatGPT: Canon PIXMA TR8620a. Claude: Canon PIXMA TS6420a.
Do the AI models agree on the best home printer under $100 for photos??
Not unanimous. ChatGPT picks Canon PIXMA TR8620a.
What changed in the latest home printer under $100 for photos? ranking?
In the latest poll (2026-07-07): Canon PIXMA TS6420a climbed 1 spot, HP ENVY 6555e climbed 1 spot; Canon PIXMA TR8620a dropped 2 spots, Canon PIXMA MG3620 dropped 1 spot, Canon PIXMA TR4720 dropped 2 spots; Epson Expression Home XP-4200 and Canon PIXMA TS5320a entered the ranking. The models are re-polled on demand, so this ranking moves.
How is this home printer under $100 for photos? ranking made?
ChatGPT, Claude are each asked the same buying question in a fresh session with no system steering. Their top-5 answers are merged (rank 1 = 5 pts … rank 5 = 1 pt) into the consensus ranking, re-polled on demand and tracked over time.
More on how polling works: full methodology →
Cite this ranking
ModelsAgree, “Best home printer under $100 for photos?” — merged ranking from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & Grok, polled 2026-07-07. https://modelsagree.com/best/best-home-printer-under-100-for-photos (CC BY 4.0)
Tracked by ModelsAgree · rank 1 = 5 pts … rank 5 = 1 pt · re-polled on demand