Experts recommend Brother MFC-J491DW more than HP Envy 5055
As of 2 Apr 2024, experts prefer Brother MFC-J491DW over HP Envy 5055, but both Printers have solid expert endorsements.
As per this month's meta ranking, Brother MFC-J491DW received 1 recommendation: from PhotoWorkout (10 Jan 2024). HP Envy 5055 was also endorsed 1 times: by TechRadar (15 Feb 2024). However, experts generally ranked HP Envy 5055 lower than Brother MFC-J491DW in their articles, which caused it to rank lower in ReviewFinder ranking.
Rank | Change | Price | Printer | PC Guide | reviewed.usatoday.com | BestReviews | TechRadar | PCMag | PhotoWorkout | LD Products | Digital Trends | Rtings.com | ZD Net |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
46 | N/A | $350 | Brother MFC-J491DW The Brother MFC-J491DW printer is a versatile all-in-one printer suitable for light productivity work and low-volume document handling, offering good quality prints, versatile connectivity options, and additional features to enhance productivity. | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | - |
62 | N/A | Check price | HP Envy 5055 | - | - | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Inkjet Printers ranking? It's here
Endorsement summary:
- On 10 Jan 2024 PhotoWorkout ranked Brother MFC-J491DW as #6
Rank Printer Comment ... ... ... #6 out of 8 Brother MFC-J491DW Great for simple ink changes... ... ... Source: www.photoworkout.com - On 15 Feb 2024 TechRadar ranked HP Envy 5055 as #10
Rank Printer Comment ... ... ... #10 out of 10 HP Envy 5055 Budget printer with a talent for photosSource: www.techradar.com
After counting and adding up the 71 expert endorsements of the April rankings, Brother MFC-J491DW outranks HP Envy 5055. This is not to say that HP Envy 5055 is a bad option. Like Brother MFC-J491DW, it is recommended by experts, but less.
Rank | Change | Price | Printer | PC Guide | reviewed.usatoday.com | BestReviews | TechRadar | PCMag | PhotoWorkout | LD Products | Digital Trends | Rtings.com | ZD Net |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $750 | Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 is a versatile all-in-one supertank printer that produces high-quality prints with sharp details and vivid colors, offers a wide range of connectivity options, and has scanning, copying, and faxing capabilities, making it a great investment for home or office use. | 1 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | 1 | - |
2 | - | $109 | Brother MFC-J1205W The Brother MFC-J1205W is a versatile printer with high-quality prints, multiple connectivity options, and the ability to handle different types of paper and media, but lacks automatic duplex printing and an ADF. | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 4 | - |
3 | - | Check price | HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5 |
4 | - | $135 | Brother MFC-J4335DW The Brother MFC-J4335DW is a versatile all-in-one printer suitable for home and small office use, offering good print quality, decent speed, reliable paper handling, and efficient ink usage. | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 3 | - |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [12]
- with a score: 5
- without a score: 7
Highest score by Unreasonable Reviews | 89 |
Average score based on 12 reviews | 81 |
Lowest score by PCMag | 70 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- Simple to connect: Choose from built in wireless or connect locally to a single PC or Mac via USB interface. MFCJ491DW offers easy to set up wireless networking
- Mobile printing: Print wirelessly from mobile devices(1) using Air Print, Google Cloud Print, Brother iPrint & Scan, Mopria and Wi Fi Direct
- Read more
- Replaces the HP ENVY 4520, HP ENVY 5055 comes with Bluetooth, Smart, improved Wi-Fi connectivity, faster print speeds and more
- Step up and create projects at home – Print, scan, and copy borderless, high-quality photos and documents with crisp, sharp text using this versatile all-in-1 printer
- Read more
Technical summary
Brother MFC-J491DW is a $350 wireless injket printer with a built-in scanner, copier and fax.
It supports automatic two-sided printing, borderless printing and prints at the speed of 12.0 ppm (6.0 ppm in color). It's recommended montly page volume is 525 and maximum allowed page volume is 2500.
It can scan a stack of up to 20 papers (using Automatic Document Feeder), as well as custom-sized documents (such as passports) with its flatbed scanner. It has a couple of extra perks: sending scans to an email and converting scans to searchable PDFs.
Brother MFC-J491DW allows printing via Wi-Fi, a mobile phone/tablet, AirPrint, a USB cable and an Ethernet cable.
HP Envy 5055 is a wireless injket printer with a built-in scanner and copier.
It supports automatic two-sided printing, borderless printing and prints at the speed of 10.0 ppm (7.0 ppm in color). It's recommended montly page volume is 250 and maximum allowed page volume is 1000.
It can scan custom-sized documents (such as passports) with its flatbed scanner, but it can't scan stacks of paper, because it doesn't have an Automatic Document Feeder. It has an extra perk of converting scans to PDFs.
HP Envy 5055 allows printing via Wi-Fi, a mobile phone/tablet, AirPrint, a USB cable and an Ethernet cable.
Are they good for Occasional Home Use
- Wireless Printing
- Designed to print about 525 pages per month
- Built-in Scanner & Copier
- Two-Sided Printing
- Status Display
- Touch Screen Status Display
- Flatbed Scanner
- ADF Scanner
- Borderless Printing
- Scan to Email
- Scan to PDF
- Scan to Searchable PDFs
- Colored Status Display
Are they good for Small Office Use
- Wireless Printing
- Designed to print about 525 pages per month
- Two-Sided Printing
- Status Display
- Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
- Scan-To-Email
- Scan to PDF
- No TouchScreen
- Flatbed Scanner
- Fax
- No Ethernet Port
- Scan to Searchable PDFs
- Colored Status Display
Are they good for Heavy Office Use
- Wireless Printing
- Designed to print about 525 pages per month
- Two-Sided Printing
- Status Display
- Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
- Print speed is 12 pages per minute
- Scan-To-Email
- No TouchScreen
- Scan to PDF
- Flatbed Scanner
- Fax
- No Ethernet port
- Scan to Searchable PDFs
- Colored Status Display
Is the price difference of $199 worth it?
- It
can scan/copy custom-sized documents , butHP Envy 5055 can't . - It
can scan/copy stacks of documents , butHP Envy 5055 can't . - It
supports two-sided scanning , butHP Envy 5055 doesn't . - It
is a tiny bit quieter . - It
prints faster in black-and-white - It
takes less time to print the first page in black - It
takes less time to print the first page in color - It
can produce higher quality black prints - It
can produce higher quality color prints - It
is energy star qualified , butHP Envy 5055 is not . - It
can combine scans into searchable PDFs , HP Envy 5055can't combine scans into PDFs .
- It is
$199.99 cheaper - It
prints faster in color
- Brother MFC-J491DW
can scan/copy custom-sized documents , butHP Envy 5055 can't .Flatbed scanners allow scanning documents one by one. Unlike ADF scanners, you can only scan one page at a time. However, flatbed scanners allow you to scan custom-sized documents, like passports, drivers licenses, etc. Flatbed scanners also tend to produce higher quality images. - Brother MFC-J491DW
can scan/copy stacks of documents , butHP Envy 5055 can't .ADF, or Automatic Document Feeder allows a printer to scan or copy a stack of pages. This feature is so important that even the cheapest printers try to include it. Technically speaking, ADF is not a feature of the printer - it is a feature of the scanner or copier. - Brother MFC-J491DW
supports two-sided scanning , butHP Envy 5055 doesn't .A two-sided (duplex) ADF scanner allows scanning a stack of documents on both sides. - Brother MFC-J491DW
is a tiny bit quieter .When printing, HP Envy 5055 has a loudness of 51 dB (decibels), while Brother MFC-J491DW measures at 50 dB.
How loud is that? We made a decibel chart for you to reference. - Brother MFC-J491DW
prints faster in black-and-white (12 vs 10 PPM)In black-and-white, Brother MFC-J491DW prints at 12 pages per minute (PPM). HP Envy 5055 measures at 10 PPM.
Brother MFC-J491DW would take about 08:20 to print 100 pages, HP Envy 5055 would take 10:00. - HP Envy 5055
prints faster in color (7 vs 6 PPM)In color, HP Envy 5055 prints at 7 pages per minute (PPM). Brother MFC-J491DW measures at 6 PPM.
HP Envy 5055 would take about 14:17 to print 100 pages, Brother MFC-J491DW would take 16:40. - Brother MFC-J491DW
takes less time to print the first page in black (8s vs 16s)This initialization is period is called 'First page out' time; it's 16 seconds for HP Envy 5055 and 8 seconds for Brother MFC-J491DW. This makes Brother MFC-J491DW 8 seconds faster at printing first page in black than HP Envy 5055. - Brother MFC-J491DW
takes less time to print the first page in color (14s vs 19s)First page out time is 14 seconds for Brother MFC-J491DW and 19 seconds for HP Envy 5055 (in color). This makes Brother MFC-J491DW 5 seconds faster at printing first page in color than HP Envy 5055. - Brother MFC-J491DW
can produce higher quality black prints (6000 x 1200 vs 1200 x 1200 DPI)The black print DPI of Brother MFC-J491DW is 6000 x 1200. HP Envy 5055 has the DPI of 1200 x 1200. What is DPI? In short: number of dots a printer "draws" per inch. Higher DPI means higher quality print. It's not the easiest thing to understand, so if print quality is very important to you, we suggest reading an article on DPI.- 600 x 600 is more than enough DPI to print any kind of documents.
- Higher DPI takes more ink to print, draining your cartridge/toner faster.
- Whenever you see 'DPI', it's actually referring to the 'maximum DPI'. Your printer will often choose to lower the DPI where necessary to conserve ink.
- Brother MFC-J491DW
can produce higher quality color prints (6000 x 1200 vs 4800 x 1200 DPI)The color print DPI of Brother MFC-J491DW is 6000 x 1200. HP Envy 5055 has the DPI of 4800 x 1200.- Unless you are a professional photographer, 1200 x 600 DPI will be fine for printing photos.
- Brother MFC-J491DW
is energy star qualified , butHP Envy 5055 is not .Energy Star is a set of standards that aims to reduce energy consumption of various devices. An Energy Star Qualified printer consumes less electricity to operate and is more environmentally friendly. - Brother MFC-J491DW
can combine scans into searchable PDFs , HP Envy 5055can't combine scans into PDFs .This is a very important feature for those who plan to scan a lot of multi-page documents. A printer will combine the pages into a single PDF file. So instead of receiving a dozen pictures, you get one PDF. Going a step further, certain printers use embedded OCR Software (convert image to text) to create searchable PDFs. This way allows you to do computer wizardry with the resulting scan file, such as copy, paste, search, edit, etc.
- Both printers
can print over Wi-Fi Printing over Wi-Fi is a very common feature, available even in most budget models. - Both printers
can print from mobile In most cases, if a printer supports wireless printing, it also supports Wi-Fi printing. - Both printers
support two-sided printing Automatic duplex printing (also known as two-sided printing) refers to a printer's ability to print on both sides of the paper, without having to manually flip it. - Both printers
have a built-in scanner & copier Scan and copy technology have a large hardware overlap. If a printer supports scanning, it will likely support copying. -
Both printers have an LCD status display LCD status displays are very useful. Your printer can tell you if ink is low or paper is jammed. -
Neither printer accepts touchscreen commands Touch-screen displays allow you to interface with a printer much faster, especially scanning and copying.
The four main functions of printers are: printing, scanning, photocopying, and faxing. Either your device will be print only, print/scan/copy, or an all-in-one printer that does printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. Note that scanning and copying almost always come together, since the hardware for these features overlaps significantly. Generally speaking, all-in-one printers are larger, so those with space constraints may find this to be an inconvenience. Additionally, printers with a fax feature are typically more expensive. It would be wise to only consider this feature if you plan to fax often. If not, you’ll be satisfied with a print/scan/copy device.
Network printers can be wired or wireless. A printer with a wired network connection uses an Ethernet cord that connects directly to your router. A wireless printer connects to your home or office Wi-Fi network. Any computer also connected to your network can use your printer, whether it’s wired or wireless. You will have to install software, or printer drivers, on the computer before you can print. Also, there is a setup process for the printer to get it on the network. If your printer is not wireless, you’ll need to connect it directly to your computer via USB cable, which is not ideal if you have multiple users that need the printer simultaneously.
Outside of Wi-Fi, there are a number of ways a device can connect to a printer. If the printer is not wireless, you’ll have to connect to your printer via USB cable. Some people prefer using the wired connection because it allows for faster data transfers and quicker printing. Depending on the speed of your Wi-Fi and how strong the signal is, it can take time for the document to send from computer to printer over the network. Using a wired connection eliminates this issue. Other connections you may have are: Ethernet for wired connection to your network; Airprint or Google Cloud Print for quick direct printing over the cloud/internet; USB hard drive or memory card to print directly from storage devices; or PictBridge to print directly from cameras.
Printers with an LCD screen/display give you the option to control some settings directly on the printer, such as a one-touch print, scan, copy, or fax. You may also be able to adjust print quality, preview the print job, and/or view connection settings. Some screens are programmed to offer setup instructions for easy installation. For those who are not particularly tech savvy, this could be helpful.
- Letter
- Legal
- Executive
- A4
- A5
- A6
- Index Card (5" x 8")
- Envelope (C5)
- Envelope (DL)
- Envelope (Monarch)
- Photo (4" x 6")
- Photo (5" x 7")
- A4
- A5
- B5
- DL
- C6
- A6
- Simplex: 3 x 5 to 8.5 x 14 in
- Duplex: 3 x 5.5 to 8.5 x 12.2 in
- Up to 14 watts (Printing)
- 3.75 watts (Ready)
- 0.89 watts (Sleep)
- 0.11 watts (Off)
Brother MFC-J491DW is a very popular option in the middle of the printers price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling printers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Canon Pixma MG3029 or Brother MFC-J805DW .
Brother MFC-J491DW was released in 2018. We don't know any printers that are newer on the market.
Brother MFC-J491DW is $17.89 less expensive than an average printer ($367.88).
HP Envy 5055 is a very popular and one of the cheapest options. It's in the top 3 bestselling printers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 or Canon Pixma G3270 .
HP Envy 5055 is $217.88 less expensive than an average printer ($367.88).