Head-to-head · Best Laser Printers

Brother MFC-L2900DW XL vs Brother MFC-L3780CDW

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

Brother MFC-L3780CDW comes out ahead by a clear margin (3.9 vs 4.5). The gap is mostly about budget-conscious color laser users — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #3 in Best Laser Printers

Brother MFC-L2900DW XL

3.9

$379.99as of Jul 1

The Brother MFC-L2900DW XL is a black-and-white laser all-in-one printer designed for small businesses and home offices. PCMag's M. David Stone praised its fast printing speed and duplex capabilities, while Lifewire's Jerri Ledford noted its effectiveness for scanning and faxing, though she found it louder than expected. The printer supports wireless and Ethernet connections, and works with major cloud services. It's ideal for users needing reliable black-and-white printing and scanning but may not suit those requiring color output or quiet operation.

Strengths

— Fast print speed up to 36 pages per minute
— Includes duplex printing for saving paper
— Good-quality color scanning up to 1200 DPI

Watch-outs

— Loud operation, including audible beeps during use
— Setup can be fiddly, especially on Mac systems

$379.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Laser Printers

Brother MFC-L3780CDW

4.5

$569.98as of Jul 1

The Brother MFC-L3780CDW is a color laser printer designed for home and small office use, offering fast printing speeds of 24 pages per minute. PCMag reviewer David English praised its reliability and ease of use, noting it's particularly suited for users who primarily need black and white printing but occasionally require color. RTINGS.com's review highlighted its value proposition for those seeking a budget-friendly color laser option. The printer supports wireless connectivity and includes scanning and copying functions, though it lacks fax capabilities and only offers black and white scanning.

Strengths

— Prints at 24 pages per minute
— Supports wireless printing
— Includes scanning and copying functions

Watch-outs

— No built-in fax capability
— Limited to black and white scanning

$569.98 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

Brother MFC-L2900DW XL

The Brother MFC-L2900DW XL stands out with its impressive 36 pages per minute speed, surpassing the HP M283fdw and Brother DCP-L2640DW, but it's louder and more difficult to set up on Mac systems than the Brother MFC-L3780CDW. It also lacks color scanning, unlike the HP M283fdw, which offers better photo quality.

Brother MFC-L3780CDW

The Brother MFC-L3780CDW outperforms the HL-L2460DW and DCP-L2640DW in print speed at 24 pages per minute, but lacks fax support and only offers black-and-white scanning, unlike the more feature-rich HP M283fdw. Compared to the MFC-L2900DW XL, it's less noisy but also less versatile in color scanning capabilities.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Brother MFC-L2900DW XL	Brother MFC-L3780CDW
Print Speed	36 ppm	24 pages per minute
Functions	Print / Scan / Copy / Fax	Print, Scan, Copy
Connectivity	Ethernet, Hi-Speed USB 2.0, Wireless, Wi-Fi Direct	Wireless
Paper Capacity	250 sheets	250 Sheet Tray Capacity
Color	Monochrome	color
Paper Size	Letter, Legal, Executive, A4, A5, A6, B5, B6, Folio (8" x 13")	Letter, Legal, Executive, A4, A5, A6, B5, B6, Folio
Dimensions	16.1" (W) x 16.6" (D) x 12.5" (H)	18.2" (W) x 16.1" (D) x 15.8" (H) / 47.8 lbs.

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