As office equipment goes, photocopiers are important staples. But as with many things, what works for one business might not be right for another.
In fact, lots of businesses make the mistake of buying a large and expensive copier, when in fact their needs are very low or short-term. For many, renting a photocopier, either temporarily or long-term, makes far more sense.
With photocopier rental payments starting at only £25 per month, we’ve weighed up the cost of buying versus renting a photocopier. We’ve also explained how to choose the right model.
If you’re short on time, go ahead and fill in this short form to receive tailored quotes from industry-leading photocopier suppliers.
How much does it cost to rent a photocopier?
The type of photocopier your business needs will depend on the volume of copies required, and any extra features.
When looking at photocopier rentals, the machines are usually classed as low, medium, or high volume.
In order to get the best deal, you should first work out how many pages you’ll need to copy each month. This table will help:
| Copies Per Month | Monthly Cost | Functionality | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Volume (Mono) | 750 | ~£25 | Basic hardware Scanner |
| Low Volume (Colour) | 1000 | ~£35 | Basic hardware Colour scanner |
| Mid Volume | 8,000 – 40,000 | ~£50 | Advanced hardware Faxing Colour scanner/printer & more |
| High Volume | 40,000+ | ~£200 | State-of-the-art hardware Faxing Stapling Binding Larger paper trays Hi-def colour printing Network capability Automatic document management & more |
Pay close attention to the features. It may be more cost effective to rent a photocopier that can also simultaneously function as a fax machine, scanner and printer.
Cost of renting vs buying a photocopier
| Photocopier | Monthly rental cost | Monthly leasing cost | Buying cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level black and white photocopier | £20 – £40 | £20 – £35 | £800 – £1,000 |
| Colour copier with scanner | £40 – £100 | £40 – £50 | £2,000 – £4,500 |
| Advanced hardware and networking capabilities | £100 – £300 | £100 – £200 | £5,000 – £10,000+ |
The costs explained
In terms of photocopier hire costs, a standard, black and white photocopier will cost around £25 per month. This includes maintenance and toner costs.
With a five year contract, that amounts to:
£25 x 60 = £1,500 total investment.
To buy this machine outright, you’d pay around £800, which seems a lot cheaper. However, it’s more expensive upfront when you take into account the extra costs:
£800 + (£210 of cartridges per year x 5 years) + £200 likely repair costs = £2,050 total investment.
What’s the difference between renting and leasing?
Well, the two words are often used interchangeably, but in fact they mean slightly different things.
Photocopier rental generally involves a short term, month-to-month rolling contract. Photocopier leasing generally involves paying less each month, but committing to a longer contract (one to five years).
The graph below shows the expenditure for each option over five years:
This investment analysis over a five year period is proof that buying isn’t always best.
Top 5 cheapest office photocopiers to rent
These photocopiers are reliable, no-frills options for businesses with low printing needs:
Brother DCP-9020CDW
This is a compact three-in-one copier, printer and scanner. It produces great quality printouts, and is robust and reliable. This is a great all-round option for a business with low volume needs.
Print Speed – 18ppm
Paper Capacity – 250 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Colour
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan
Connectivity – Wireless, USB, Wired Network
Size (w x h x d) – 602mm x 565mm x 534mm
Canon i-SENSYS MF3010
This highly energy-efficient model is ideal for home offices or very small businesses. It has an all-in-one cartridge containing all the toner, drum and cleaning units. This makes it quick to clean, and reliable.
Print Speed – 18ppm
Paper Capacity – 150 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Mono
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan
Connectivity – USB
Size (w x h x d) – 372mm x 254mm x 276mm
Dell Colour MFP E525w
This is a four in one machine (copy, print, scan, and fax) that champions versatility and value. You can easily connect to Wi-Fi, or via the USB portal, and can even print straight from your smartphone or tablet.
Print Speed – 18ppm
Paper Capacity – 150 sheet
Colour/Mono? – Colour
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Fax
Connectivity – Wireless, USB
Size (w x h x d) – 561mm x 520mm x 549mm
HP Officejet Pro 8620 e-All-in-One
This is an ergonomic copier that uses inkjet technology. This claims to halve printer costs (compared to laser). The machine itself is very small, so perfect for offices with limited space. It can print remotely, although reviews suggest this isn’t always as simple as it could be.
Print Speed – 21ppm
Paper Capacity – 500 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Colour
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Fax
Connectivity – Wireless, USB, Wired Network
Size (w x h x d) – 569mm x 518mm x 377mm
Xerox WorkCentre 6025
This is one of the more modest offerings in the Xerox portfolio, but still stands tall in terms of features and quality. Businesses looking for a high-volume copier should look at a more hi-spec model, but this one is a great fuss-free choice for smaller businesses.
Print Speed – 12ppm
Paper Capacity – 160 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Colour
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Email
Connectivity – USB, Wife
Size (w x h x d) – 410mm x 318mm x 439mm
Top 5 high-volume office photocopiers to rent
These are much more sophisticated photocopiers, and will be able to cope with the most demanding office environments:
Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE C7280i II
This award-winning Canon machine promises unrivalled volume capacity and quality printing. It’s energy efficient with advanced security capabilities and easy cloud integration. In short, it’ll do everything you want it to – and probably a whole lot more.
Print Speed – 70ppm
Paper Capacity – 9,300 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Colour
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Optional Fax
Connectivity – USB, Wired Network
Size (w x h x d) – 689mm x 1,220mm x 941mm
Konica bizhub C754
The Konica bizhub C754 is a high volume, multi-function photocopier. Konica Minolta‘s unique colour technology means this machine offers excellent quality at high volumes. You can also connect it to office servers and provide detailed metric and account tracking for all users.
Print Speed – 75ppm
Paper Capacity – 3,650 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Colour
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Fax
Connectivity – USB, Wired network, (Optional Wireless)
Size (w x h x d) – 650mm x 1155mm x 799mm
Lexmark CX860DTFE
This is another very fast-printing yet economical photocopier. High-yield colour ink cartridges help to cut costs, while fast print speeds and a high-volume paper cartridge keeps you printing for longer. It has an advanced touchscreen that behaves much like a tablet.
Print Speed – 57ppm
Paper Capacity – 4,500 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Colour
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Fax
Connectivity – USB, Wired Network
Size (w x h x d) – 762mm x 1380mm x 830mm
Sharp MX-M950
If you’re after serious speed, the Sharp MX-M950 might be just what you’re looking for. This copier was made for the most demanding office environments, and has a large 80GB internal hard-drive – ideal for remote printing.
Print Speed – 95ppm
Paper Capacity – 8,050 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Mono
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Fax
Connectivity – USB
Size (w x h x d) – 1031mm x 1518mm x 771mm
Xerox WorkCentre 7855
The Xerox WorkCentre 7855 is a reliable, multifunctional photocopier that is perfect for medium to large businesses. Capable of printing crisply finished documents at high speeds, the WorkCentre 7855 is a great office addition.
Print Speed – 55ppm
Paper Capacity – 2,180 sheets
Colour/Mono? – Colour
Functionality – Print/Copy/Scan/Optional Fax
Connectivity – USB, Wired network, (Optional Wireless)
Size (w x h x d) – 640mm x 1150mm x 700mm
Next steps: how to get your photocopier
If you’re interested in buying or leasing a photocopier for your business, fill in this short form. A member of the Expert Market team will get in touch to discuss the best options for you, and will then get you tailored quotes from up to four trusted suppliers.
Do you need to rent a printer rather than a photocopier? If your business is unlikely to need to make many (or any) copies, you’ll be best off looking at leasing an A3 laser printer instead. Some of these models can photocopy as well, but it makes sense to make a choice based on its printing capabilities first and foremost.
FAQs
Why should I rent a photocopier?
The most common reason that businesses choose to rent a photocopier is flexibility. You can get flexible contract-lengths to suit your needs, and you’ll have freedom to switch models at any time. With renting, you can also avoid large upfront costs and ongoing maintenance fees that you’d get from buying a photocopier outright.
Who pays for the maintenance?
The photocopier supplier will offer a separate maintenance contract as part of the overall rental agreement, which will cover all the maintenance fees you might expect to incur over the course of your lease. These fees might include ink toner replacement (around £40 – £90 per toner), or general labour costs typically ranging from £50 – £80 per hour.
How much does photocopier installation cost?
Most photocopier suppliers will offer free installation and training as standard, meaning you can get up and running quickly and stress-free.
What should I look out for in my rental contract?
Photocopier leasing and tax efficiency
By leasing a photocopier, you’ll reduce your tax bill. Payments are 100% tax deductible as a business expense. Buying a photocopier is also tax deductible, but at 40% in the first year and 25% the year after.
Double check unusually low photocopier rental costs
Everyone loves finding a good deal, but be wary of quotes that seem too good to be true. Always read the small print. Often a much larger deposit is required to achieve the stated rate.
