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DeskJet 2855e vs LaserJet 4002dn
This independent, spec-based comparison covers the HP DeskJet 2855e, the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn. All figures below come directly from HP's published manufacturer datasheets — Top 10 Printer accepts no payment for placement and is not affiliated with HP.
HP DeskJet 2855e
Inkjet · budget category
A step-up home all-in-one with faster speeds and Bluetooth support. Great for families who print regularly.
- Price (MSRP): $89.99–$99.99
- Print speed: 10 ppm
- Cost per page: $0.050
- Monthly duty cycle: 1,000 pages
- Resolution: 4800 dpi
- Connectivity: WiFi, USB, Bluetooth, HP+
HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn
Laser · office category
A fast, high-resolution monochrome laser printer for demanding office environments. Wired network connection and auto-duplex printing keep workflows moving.
- Price (MSRP): $499.00–$549.00
- Print speed: 42 ppm
- Cost per page: $0.009
- Monthly duty cycle: 100,000 pages
- Resolution: 1200 dpi
- Connectivity: USB, Ethernet
Which printer is right for you?
When choosing between the HP DeskJet 2855e and the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn, focus on three numbers from the table above: monthly duty cycle (does the printer match your real volume?), cost per page (the long-run figure that dwarfs the sticker price), and print speed in pages per minute (anything under 15 ppm starts to feel slow in a busy office). The cheapest printer on day one is rarely the cheapest printer over three years — our printer cost calculator can model the full total cost of ownership using these exact spec values.
Workflow matters too. Inkjet printers like the HP DeskJet 2855e excel at colour, photos and low up-front cost, but laser printers like the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn pull ahead on speed, durability and cost per page once monthly volume passes a few hundred pages. If you print receipts, shipping labels or text-only documents at scale, the laser side typically wins. If you print photos, school projects or marketing collateral, the inkjet side wins on output quality.
Need help picking? Read our printer buying guide, review our ranking methodology, or learn the underlying terms in the printer glossary. We disclose any future affiliate relationships on our affiliate disclosure page.
How to compare printers like a pro
A spec sheet alone won't tell you which printer is right for you. The most important comparison isn't print speed or DPI — it's how a printer fits the way you actually use it. Below are the metrics our editors weigh most heavily when comparing printers head-to-head, and what each one really means in day-to-day use.
Print speed (PPM) — the headline number
Pages per minute is the spec manufacturers love to advertise, but real-world speed is almost always lower than the rated PPM. ISO/IEC 24734 measures continuous black-and-white printing on plain paper at default quality. If you print mostly colour, photos, or duplex (two-sided), expect throughput to drop by 30–60%. Office shoppers should look for a PPM of 25 or higher; home users rarely benefit from anything above 15 PPM.
Cost per page — the spec manufacturers hide
A $79 inkjet can easily cost more to operate over three years than a $399 colour laser. We calculate cost per page using the printer's official ISO yield (the number of standard pages a full ink or toner cartridge prints) and the current MSRP of the highest-yield supplies. Anything under 1¢ per page for black text and under 5¢ for colour is considered excellent. If you can't find this number on a printer's product page, that's usually a red flag — use our total cost of ownership calculator to estimate it yourself.
Duty cycle and recommended monthly volume
Duty cycle is the maximum number of pages a printer can physically produce in a month without breaking. Recommended monthly volume is what the manufacturer actually expects you to print. The recommended figure is usually 5–10% of the duty cycle and is the number that matters: exceed it regularly and you'll burn through fuser units, rollers, and waste-toner bottles faster than the warranty covers. Match the recommended volume to your real workload, not your peak.
Connectivity, paper handling, and the boring details that decide the winner
The features that look minor on a spec sheet often decide which printer you'll keep using. A 250-sheet input tray means refilling paper once a week instead of every other day. Automatic two-sided (duplex) scanning saves hours over a year of multi-page paperwork. AirPrint, Mopria, and Wi-Fi Direct matter more than the headline "wireless" bullet. And a properly-sized replaceable maintenance kit can mean the difference between a five-year printer and a two-year throw-away.
What to do after you've narrowed it down
Once you have two or three printers selected on this page, click through to each printer's detail page to see the full spec table and our editor's notes. Read the 2026 printer buying guide for category-specific advice on what matters most for home, office, photo, or wide-format printing. Confirm the printer is still in production and that supplies are widely available before buying — older models often have inflated cartridge prices because the manufacturer has stopped subsidising them. Finally, check the methodology page to see exactly which sources, tests, and editorial standards we used to score every printer in this comparison.
All printer data on Top 10 Printer comes from manufacturer datasheets, official product pages, and ENERGY STAR / EPEAT registries. Prices are starting MSRPs and may differ from street prices. We do not earn affiliate commissions from any link on this page — read our affiliate disclosure.