Which is better for a home office that scans and copies?

The Epson. Its 30-sheet ADF and 250-sheet tray handle multi-page jobs without babysitting, and the HP has neither.

The Epson. It does 18 ISO ppm black and 9 ISO ppm color versus 12 ppm black and 5 ppm color on the HP.

Does either print double-sided on its own?

Only the Epson. The HP Smart Tank 5101 has no automatic duplex printing, so you flip pages by hand.

Which is easier to refill?

Both use bottles into tanks. HP's spill-free refill system is widely praised as the simplest, while Epson's bottles are keyed so you cannot put the wrong color in a tank.

Is the Epson worth stepping up to over the HP?

Yes if you scan, copy or duplex regularly. If you mostly print one-sided pages and want a smaller machine, the HP covers that well.

Which lasts longer between ink top-ups?

Both go thousands of pages. Epson rates its bottles at about 8,500 black and 6,500 color pages; HP includes up to 6,000 pages of ink in the box.

Epson EcoTank ET-3950 vs HP Smart Tank 5101

The Epson EcoTank ET-3950 is the stronger all-round machine: it prints faster, duplexes automatically, and has an ADF and a 250-sheet tray. The HP Smart Tank 5101 is simpler and more compact, with no automatic two-sided printing and no document feeder. Buy the Epson if you scan, copy or print double-sided often; buy the HP if you mostly print one-sided pages and want a smaller, easy-to-refill tank printer.

Choose the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 if you want automatic duplex printing, an ADF for scanning and copying, and faster output.
Choose the HP Smart Tank 5101 if you mainly print single-sided pages and prefer a smaller, lighter tank printer with a simple refill system.

Prices

Epson EcoTank ET-3950: $250.45 at eBay (last seen Oct 31)
HP Smart Tank 5101: $139.00 at Whatnot (checked today)
Difference: the HP Smart Tank 5101 is $111.45 cheaper than the Epson EcoTank ET-3950 at the latest prices (Oct 31 and Nov 10)

What separates them

	Epson EcoTank ET-3950	HP Smart Tank 5101
Print speed (black/color)	18 ISO ppm black, 9 ISO ppm color	12 ppm black, 5 ppm color
Automatic two-sided printing	Yes, 7 ISO ppm black and 5 ISO ppm color duplex	No
Document feeder	30-sheet ADF with one-sided to two-sided scanning	None; flatbed only
Paper input	250 sheets	100 sheets
Display	2.4-inch color touchscreen	Button-based control panel
Ink setup	Four refillable bottles, rated about 8,500 black and 6,500 color pages	Four refillable tanks, up to 6,000 pages included
Footprint and weight	Larger and heavier at 7.2 kg	Smaller and lighter at about 5 kg
Monthly duty cycle	Not specified by Epson	Up to 3,000 pages

Specs compared

Spec	Epson EcoTank ET-3950	HP Smart Tank 5101
Ink Type	Inkjet	Pigment-based (black), Dye-based (color)
Color Output	Color	Yes
Dimensions	375mm x 506mm x 269mm (W x D x H)	17.11 x 14.23 x 6.19 in
Weight	7.2kg	11.09 lb
Paper Tray Capacity	250 sheets	100 sheets
Type	Printer	—
Wireless	Yes	—
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, USB	—
Color	White	—
Print Speed (Mono)	18 ppm (mono)	—
Print technology	4-Colour (CMYK), drop-on demand MicroPiezo® ink…	—
Maximum print resolution	4,800 x 1,200 dpi	—

Show all 40 specs

Spec	Epson EcoTank ET-3950	HP Smart Tank 5101
ISO print speed black	18 ISO ppm	—
ISO print speed colour	9 ISO ppm	—
Auto 2-sided ISO print speed	Black: 7 ISO ppm, Colour: 5 ISO ppm	—
Input paper capacity	250 sheets	—
ADF capacity	30 sheets	—
Display	2.4" colour LCD	—
Optical scan resolution	2,400 dpi	—
Brand	Epson	—
Printing tech	Inkjet	—
Printer functions

Epson EcoTank ET-3950 vs HP Smart Tank 5101

Prices

Epson EcoTank ET-3950 vs HP Smart Tank 5101

Prices

HP Smart Tank 5101

What separates them

Price history

Prices at every store