Office & WFH · Head-to-head
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 vs Canon SELPHY CP1500
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Photo Printers for Home: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The ET-8550 is the definitive home photo printer: superb quality from 4x6 to 13x19 with the lowest per-print costs here. If you only want durable 4x6 snapshots, the SELPHY CP1500 delivers most of the joy for a fraction of the outlay.
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550
Buy itThe closest thing to a photo lab on your desk, with refillable tanks that make big, gorgeous prints feel almost free per sheet.
- Six-color refillable ink system delivers rich, smooth gradations that independent testing consistently ranks near the top for home photo printers
- Prints everything from 4x6 snapshots to borderless 13x19 enlargements, and handles documents too
- Per-print running costs are dramatically lower than cartridge printers or instant film once the bottles are in
- Significant upfront cost and a large footprint for a home device
- Overkill if you only ever print occasional 4x6 snapshots
Canon SELPHY CP1500
Buy itThe consensus best 4x6 snapshot printer: dye-sub prints that come out laminated, water-resistant, and built to outlive most albums.
- Dye-sublimation prints get a protective overcoat, so owners report they shrug off fingerprints, splashes, and years in an album
- Fixed cost per print - every ink-and-paper pack yields exactly the number of photos on the box
- Compact and easy to use via Wi-Fi, app, SD card, or USB, with a clear built-in screen
- Maxes out at postcard size, so no enlargements
- Needs mains power out of the box - the battery is a separate add-on
Side by side
The 7 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Our pick | Canon SELPHY CP1500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Photography enthusiasts and family archivists who want gallery-worthy enlargements and lots of them | Anyone who mostly wants durable, true-color 4x6 prints of family photos without fuss |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
| Print technology | 6-color refillable inkjet | Dye-sublimation with overcoat |
| Max print size | Borderless 13x19 | 4x6 postcard |
| Print quality (synthesized verdict) | Outstanding, near lab-grade | Excellent for 4x6 |
| Durability of prints | Excellent on quality photo paper | Excellent - laminated, water-resistant |
| Running cost per print | Very low with ink bottles | Low and fixed per pack |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB, SD card, Ethernet | Wi-Fi, app, USB, SD card |
| Also prints documents | Yes | No |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 if
photography enthusiasts and family archivists who want gallery-worthy enlargements and lots of them.
Know before buying: significant upfront cost and a large footprint for a home device.
Pick the Canon SELPHY CP1500 if
anyone who mostly wants durable, true-color 4x6 prints of family photos without fuss.
Know before buying: maxes out at postcard size, so no enlargements.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 - The closest thing to a photo lab on your desk, with refillable tanks that make big, gorgeous prints feel almost free per sheet. Choose the Canon SELPHY CP1500 instead if anyone who mostly wants durable, true-color 4x6 prints of family photos without fuss.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Photo Printers for Home: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).