HP 515 Vs 530 Smart Tank Printer Specification Comparison
| Features | HP 515 | HP 530 |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality | Multifunction Printer | Multifunction Printer |
| Cost | Less expensive | Expensive |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0, Dual-band WiFi& Bluetooth LE | USB 2.0, Dual-band WiFi& Bluetooth LE |
| Print Speed | 9 IPM (B/W)5 IPM (Colour) | 9 IPM (B/W)5 IPM (Colour) |
| Page Yield | 6000 Prints (B/W) 8000 Prints (Colour) | 6000 Prints (B/W) 8000 Prints (Colour) |
| Ink Cost | ~2200 Rs | ~2200 Rs |
| Cost Per Print | 10p (B/W) 21p (Colour) | 10p (B/W) 21p (Colour) |
| Display | 7-segment display | Touch-screen display |
| Ideal User | Home, small and medium businesses | Home, small and medium businesses |
| OS Support | Windows 7 or higher macOS | Windows 7 or higher macOS |
| ADF | Not Available | Available |
| Memory | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Duplex Printing | Manual | Manual |
| Paper supported | Up to 300 GSM | Up to 300 GSM |
| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Introduction
Printers are one of the most important parts of an office, where the computer systems are regularly used. In printers, HP has been a renowned name since the ’80s. The brand has been popular for producing some great quality printers at affordable prices. There is no price segment in the market where HP has not offered a great printer. With the offerings in the ink tank and wireless printers, the brand has become a more dominant part of the printer industry.
Today, we will have a look at two such ink tank printers from HP that provide a lot of features at a great price. These printers perform exceptionally well and are great for an office or home. Let’s look at HP smart tank 515 and HP smart tank 530 AiO printers to compare their features.
HP 515 Vs 530 Smart Tank Printer Comparison Review
HP has categorized both the printers under the ‘smart tank’ printing devices. They are called in such a manner because of their efficient use of ink while printing. This new technology not only saves on the ink cost but also saves on the ink refill.
Both these printers have identical features, with some exceptions in the higher 530 Smart tank model. Apart from the most common features, both the printers have impressive built quality and print quality.
Let’s have a look at some Key Features and Pros & Cons of the HP 515 & 530 ink tank printers.
Features of HP 515 and 530 Smart Tank Printers
Design
HP 515 and 530 don’t have the usual HP printer look. HP has adopted a new style for their smart tank series printers. Both of the printers are made of high-quality durable plastic with a robust structure.
- The design of the HP 515 printer is minimal. The smaller footprint of the printer makes it apt for office use and home use.
- The design of the HP 530 is also similar except the paper tray placed on the top.
- Both the printers have an integrated ink tank and one can easily check on the ink levels.
- Both the printers come with a small display screen to make the communication with device easier. However, the screen on the HP 530 also provides the touch screen functionality.
- On the top lies the scanner tray for both models.
- HP 515 weighs around 5.15 kgs, while the HP 530 weights around 6.15 kgs.
Print & Scan Properties
We know HP printers to provide the best quality prints when compared to other models in the market. These models are no exception to that. However, some features are only available in the HP 530 models which makes it easier and faster to print on the HP 530.
- Both these printers can yield up to 6000 pages in black and around 8000 pages in colour, which is a great number for a printer in this range.
- HP 515 does not include the ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) function which is disappointing for a printer in this range. Whereas, HP 530 provides the ADF function.
- Both the printers have the same speed of printing is around 8.8 ppm for black and white prints and around 5 ppm for coloured prints.
- The scanner in HP 515 is flatbed whereas the HP 530 has a flatbed and ADF scanner tray, with a tray capacity of 35 pages. The maximum paper size that both the printers can print on is 300 GSM.
- Both these printers can print with a resolution of 1200×1200 dpi and produce a great picture quality. The scanner can work at a maximum size of 216 x 297 mm.
- The scan output file format for HP 515 is Jpg, Bmp, Tiff, Pdf, Rtf, Txt, Png and for HP 530 is Jpeg, Tiff, Pdf, Bmp, Png.
Regardless of the differences in printing and scanning features, both the machines provide a great print quality. Both the printers also support borderless printing and provide a great scan resolution.
Ink Cost
HP has offered both these printers under the name of Smart tank printer. This new series of printers provide a similar output of a normal ink tank printer but optimizes the ink consumption more efficiently.
The cost of printing a page in both the printers is the same. Both these printers can print at 10p for black prints and 21p for coloured prints. The original ink price is around Rs 2100, which is more or less affordable, looking at the yield it provides per refill. The ink tanks in both the printers are integrated into the machine and can be quickly refilled. The ink cost is fairly low in cases where the printer is used in an office environment for printing and scanning.
Mobile Integration
One of the great things about HP 515 and 530 is their integration with smartphones. From giving basic printing commands to checking ink levels, all can be done through smartphones. This feature really makes these printers truly next-generation printers.
Apart from HP Smart app, HP 515 and 530 printers support apps like Mopria and Easy print support. These are premium apps that support several other printers such as Canon, HP, Samsung, Xerox, etc.
Connectivity & OS Support
According to the connectivity option provided by both the printers are very similar.
Both the printers provide the basic connectivity options of a wired USB. Apart from that both the printers are WiFi-enabled and provide great wireless connectivity for printing. This feature is very useful when a printer is placed in an office. Anyone in the workgroup can print through the same printer, regardless of the location because of the WiFi printing feature.
Apart from these, HP 515 and 530 also has an additional connectivity option of Bluetooth LE. This makes wireless printing much easier. One can still print through the printer wirelessly, even if they do not have the WiFi connectivity option. This feature allows the user to connect a device with the printer without the use of wires. Another advantage of Bluetooth LE is that it can automatically wake up the printer from sleep mode if we want to perform any tasks while it is sleeping.
HP 515 and 530 printers support dual-band Wi-Fi option. This feature avoids delays in wireless transmission due to interference with home WiFi devices. It also ensures fast file transmission. Dual-band WiFi uses two frequencies 2.4 GHz (frequencies used in normal home Wi-Fis) and 5 GHz.
Considering OS support, both the printers can work on Windows and Mac operating system. Users can download drivers and other important software for both operating systems from the HP website.
HP 515 Vs 530: Things We Did Not Like
- Cost: Both the printers have good functionality and good features to offer. However, when we look at the price tag of the HP 515 and HP 530, it seems to be a bit overpriced. This might be because of the cutting edge technology used in these printers.
- ADF: HP 515 regardless of its high price miss important features such as automatic document feeder, which is a let down in my opinion.
- Power Consumption: HP 515 consumes more power while printing mode and standby mode when compared to HP 530, which consumes the least power.
- Automatic Duplexing: Both HP 515 and 530 does not have the automatic two-sided printing option, which is another let down for me. They should have added this feature for at least the HP 530. I believe that because Epson L4160 printer with similar price range offers auto duplex printing.
FAQ
1. What does dual-band Wi-Fi compatibility in a printer mean?
Dual-band connectivity in a printer basically means it can send and receive data in two different frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. For normal people, it means better permanence, stable connection between other devices and larger coverage area for wireless connection. This is possible due to the flexible frequency ranges available in dual-band devices. Printers with dual-band Wi-Fi can switch between two frequencies whenever there is a performance issue so that it can maintain a stable connection. This is well suited for office use since there are chances of signal interferences with other wireless devices in that area.
2. What does Bluetooth LE compatibility in a printer mean?
Bluetooth LE or BLE or Bluetooth Smart is a feature that will allow printers to receive Bluetooth commands even while it is on the sleep/low power mode. For us, it just means that if the printer is on the sleep mode we can turn ON the printer and send print files without even physically touching the printer. This is possible due to the mechanism, that allows this function, can work at a very low power that will allow the printer to go on sleep mode and at the same time receive commands from the users.
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Verdict
Finally, both these printers from HP are a great offering in the market. You might select the HP 530 for office, as it provides a great range of connectivity. With so many connectivity options, it is idle for both office and home use. HP 515 would be much better for Home use and will provide a great value for budget printing. We would like to see an upgraded version of both where the features have been upgraded per the price. If you are new to buying a printer, then you can buy these offerings from HP for complete peace of mind.
Table of Contents
only 8 pages per minute? Epson L3110 seems much better choice then.
Hi Jay,
I think you’re confused with Impression per Minute & Pages per Minute. IPM is a standard rate, which tells us the impressions a printer will make in each minute, it is roughly half of the PPM. And one thing about PPM is that almost all companies just make up a PPM by printing in draft mode, which isn’t nearly close to the real-world applications. IPMs are a much better standard to measure print speed.
I’d say 5 IPM for B/W and 10 IPM for colour is the standard speed these days.
HI
Can you please suggest me which printer is better ink or laser catridge ,cost wise and perfomance
I can’t get my 530 to scan pages from the feeder. Is there a trick I am missing?
Hi Chris,
Scanning pages using automatic feeder is pretty straight forward. Use the navigation options in the touch display.
If you’re still facing difficulties, please contact HP printer support.
Thank you
Bottom line, can the 530 print automatically double sided? I have an HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus which does, I don’t want to lose this functionality!
Hi Gabriel,
This printer can’t print two sides of a paper automatically (this function is known as automatic duplex printing), you have to manually turn the sheets in the tray to print two sides. This printer has ADF feature, which will allow you to scan/copy pages through a feeder. Comparing with HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus, HP 530 would be a downgrade in case of features. The only advantage compared to HP Officejet Pro 8600 Plus is that the print cost will be less.
Thank you
No need for an answer, I just noticed that the Things We Did Not Like states quite clearly that no automatic duplexing not available…..
Hi John, how is HP Smart 515 compare to it’s Officejet 8020? The price point is pretty similar for both.
Would like to hear from and thanks in advance.
Hi,
The main difference between Hp 515 printer and HP Officejet 8020 printer is that the printing technology used in them. The 8020 printer uses conventional inkjet mechanism, where you need to change cartridges every time you run out of ink, and the page yield is low. On the other hand, HP 515 uses refillable ink tank technique, where you can buy ink (cheaper than cartridges) and refill the tank. Also, the page yield is higher, like double or triple.
HP Officejet 8020 printer is a feature-rich printer, which might attract a lot of new customers who has a very low printing requirement (less than 50 pages per month), while the HP 515 is users having higher printing requirement (more than 100 prints per month). The colour print quality might be better in HP Officejet 8020 than HP 515, due to the pigment-based ink stored in the cartridges. And with HP 515, you need to use it every week (at least every 10-day), or the ink might go dry.
Thanks John. I also heard from the HP Customer service that Smart Tank technologies are going to phase out not recommending me to buy? How true it is? And will have issue to get the ink replacement.
I dont think I am a high usage user but it also very attractive to hear that Smart Tank can print more and lower in cost.
Hi KF,
I don’t know anything about HP discontinuing Smart Tank series (it’s their latest addition in ink tank printer series). But something I know is that they will always promote conventional inkjet printers because if you buy those, you have no choice but to buy cartridges from them. On the other hand, ink tank printers are much more flexible in using third party consumables. Like gaming consoles and PCs.
Lastly, would you recommend me to choose the HP Officejet 8020?
Hi,
If you can use the printer every week, I’d suggest buying ink tank printers. Ink tank printers are suitable for both low and medium uses (as long as you can use them weekly). That way if your printing requirements ever get increased, you don’t need to change printers.
Otherwise, you know that your printing requirements will stay low or you can’t use them on a weekly basis, I’d suggest you go with HP Officejet 8020.
Is 515 better than 415?
Hi Pedro,
I would say yes, HP 515 is better than 415. HP 515 is one of the latest models from HP. This printer has the latest firmware and additional features compare to HP 415. For me, it’s an easy win for HP 515.
Hi john,
I was wondering about the printing quality in glossy papers, is it good? I usually print many diy Projects and need a good image printing in different types of papers.
Thank you very much
Hi Melissa,
It can certainly print on Glossy paper but don’t expect studio-quality photos. This printer has only 4 colour inks. However, you can get decent quality printouts. Regarding paper support, this printer can print on 300 gsm sheets.
Hi John,
I am looking printer for my home usage as my kids in school. What would you suggest me regarding this ?
Also,I would also like to hear from you on HP515 , what else I should take care of other than “print atleast in 10 days or else ink ll go dry “ as you suggest above..
Hi Danya,
You can opt for either inkjet or ink tank printers. If your family has a weekly print requirement, it’s better to pick an ink tank printer. If the requirement is around 20-50 per month, then you should pick inkjet (considering there won’t be any significant change in requirement in the near future). The ink in inkjet printers won’t get dry as fast as ink tank printers. But the page yield is low and the print cost is high. If you’re considering to buy an inkjet printer go for HP or Canon printer with ink advantage or ink efficient feature.
Regarding your concerns about HP 515, the most crucial thing is keeping the ink from drying out, so use it at least once a week to be on the safe side (just print/copy 2-3 light colour documents). The next thing would be to avoid using third-party inks. That’s it for the most part.
Regards
Ok Thanks for suggestions. I would like to go for HP smart tank 515.Meanwhile ,you may also suggest any alternate for me to consider before buy.
Are you having any YouTube channels regarding introduction and reviews on latest technologies.
Thanks & Regards
It’s long read but if you want to learn more about budget printers, I would suggest you read my article on Best Ink Tank Printers. Hope this helped.
Hi John,
I am confused between hp smart tank 530 and canon pixma g 4010. Il be printing occasional like twice a month or maybe after months when ever required. I am worried about printer heads and ink drying out as il not be using it that frequently. Any suggestions.
Hi Rishab,
Yeah, if your printing frequency is that low you’d face ink clotting issues. I suggest you try to print every week—just a random colour page. Set a weekly notification on your phone and whenever you receive that notification, send a print request from your phone.
If you think you can’t do that I’d suggest inkjet printers, as they are more suitable for once-twice per month usage. But don’t leave it idle for more than one month.
Thanks John for clarifying. Actually my priority is to first look for a printer which at least has smart features like wireless, wifi direct, apple air print, duplex printing and is compatible with mac. Then i can decide whether to go for ink tank or inkjet printer. Can you recommend good inkjet and ink tank printers which have at minimum all these features.
with print, scan and copy feature.
Hey John,
Could you please suggest which might be the best option among canon pixma g6070, brother t910tw and epson l6170.
Ignoring ADF and Fax functions and taking everything else into account.
Hi Liza,
From your description, I assume you are looking for an automatic duplex printer. If you’re not concerned about scanning I’d suggest you look into Canon G5070; cheapest single function duplex printer out there.
Coming to your question, I’d go with Brother because of print speed and ADF option. Let me list out specialities of each printer. Canon G6070 can automatically detect paper so you can store sheets in two different trays and according to your print document the printer will pick the right tray. In other printers, you need to do it manually. Canon printer supports sheet size up to 300 GSM. Brother – 220 GSM, Epson L6170 – 180 GSM. Print speed is slightly high in Brother, but others are right behind. Brother can print directly from USB. Canon has the highest tray capacity. Epson has the highest page yield. Cost per print is similar in all three.
Normally Canon G6070 is the cheapest one and Brother & Epson are 1000 to 1500 costlier.
Hi John,
Thanks for informative article. I am looking for a printer for home use mostly for kids. Earlier was thinking to go to HP Laser 108w but dropped it as school work may require to print color prints also occasionally. (and also saw that per page cost is quite high considering the toner cost initially, And even if I go for after market refill options still it will go close to Rs 1 per page over 3-4 refills)
Then looked at Ink Tank series and liked Epson L3150 but as I own a MacBook and saw that it has issues with MacOS. Also, in general seeing issues mentioned on internet about Epson support so I am not sure if a printer from Epson will be good or I should blindly go with HP Ink Tank 515.
Hi Ashish,
If you are interested in Epson printers, maybe you should look into Epson L3151 or L3152. Both of them support Apple devices.
HP 515 is a great pick, but a little pricey for your purpose, here are my other recommendations: HP 419, Brother DCP T510W
Hey John
Can you give comparison between Brother T710W, Canon Pixima G4010,. Epson L5190 and HP Smart tank 530 Printers, leaving out the Fax feature.
Hi Ishwar,
All of them are ADF printers. Most of the time, Brother one will be the cheapest option. Brother printer also has the highest print speed. HP printer has dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity; others just have Single-band WiFi. Also, the HP printer is using their latest type of ink which is said to be good at print quality. I have already compared three of them here.
Thanks for the reply John, your comparison about these three is very helpful.
Thanks John for the inputs.
I am in the process of buying hp 515 or 530 smart tank printer but are they going to come out with new printer where auto duplex printing shall be there in the near future. Pl suggest.
Hi Jatin,
They haven’t announced any such ink tank printers. I think the next release might be HP 615, it has an additional FAX feature. Another thing I’d like to add is that, if you really need a duplex printer, you should look into other brands.
Does ho smart tank printers have moisture problem?
Hi again,
I haven’t heard any such issues with ink tank printers.
How is the photo printing quality on glossy sheets of HP Smart Tank 530 printer? I would be dealing with legal documents scanning and Printing as well as family photos printing for my album collections. Or is there an other printer I should consider in the same price segment?
Hi Sunil,
This printer will be suitable for your purposes—personal photo printing and printing and scanning legal documents. The photo print quality will be decent. As you might already know, for studio-quality, you require photo printers with a broader colour palette.
Hey John
I am an architect. My primary requirement is printing 2D drawings. It may be color or black only. So it is not a criteria for choosing a printer. I am comparing laser vs ink tank all-in-one options. My shortlisted options in laser is BROTHER’S DCP-L2531DW and Smart Ink Tank option is HP 515. My only concern is that we have very irregular printing frequency, Sometimes only one print a week or more than a week. Based on this, Laser ink will dry out or smart tank ink will dry out? Can you tell me which one is the right choice for me. Thanks in advance
Hi Ashish,
Laser printers are known for their crisp printing. It’ll be crystal clear and the sheets are ready to use instantly. Also, the print will stay intact for at least 2-3 years. I believe that’s why most of my engineer friends use laser printing for floor plans.
Ink tank printers are not bad in this area, but I don’t think the print will stay intact for more than 2 years, especially if you use it a lot. But if you require colour printing this is the best option.
If you are going to buy a laser printer, these are my suggestions other than the one you mentioned: Brother DCP-B7535DW and HP MFP 1200w.
If you’re planning to buy ink tank printer, my suggestions would be: Brother DCP-T710W and Epson L4160 (Epson and Brother printers are known for document print quality)
Hi john,
Your article was very good, I am searching for a printer for my office, my work is related to GST, to scan mostly different size invoices and document, scanning both side, must have automatic document feeder, Print Once in a Week. My budget is 16000, please suggest me.
Hi Reetesh,
Printers that Scan both sides of sheets is an expensive feature. Printers in this price range come with single-sided ADF so if you need to scan the other side you have to tur it over. The cheapest options available are Brother DCP-T710W, Canon G4010, HP 530 and Epson L5190.
Due to this demanding time, the prices are always fluctuating. All of them are okay for your purpose, so I’d recommend purchasing any from the above list that you can get for a low price.
Hi John,
This comparison is very good. I am looking at auto- duplex and preferably ADF, I think 530 has only ADF. Which would be a good printer model with ink tank, ADF and auto-duplex among HP, Epson and Canon? Thank you so much
Hi Aravind,
If you just want a printer (print only) with duplex printing you can look at Canon G5070. It costs around 10-12k. If you want other features such as scanning and copying, these are a few of my suggestions:
1. Epson L6170: Duplex + ADF, great value for money product, usually priced around 21k
2. Brother MFC-T910DW: Duplex + ADF, great value for money product, great print speed, usually priced around 21k
3. Epson L4160: Duplex but no ADF, usually priced around 17k
4. Canon G6070: Duplex but no ADF, advanced features like automatic page sensor, usually priced around 19k
You might need to check regularly to see if these printers are available or not.
Thank you John, Yes I need printing and scanning. Between Epson L6170 and Brother MFC-T910DW, which one would be better? Because I do not see good reviews about Epson L617. Brother MFC T 910DW seems to be a bit old by the manufacturing date. Both are anyway priced about the same. Thank you.
Hi Aravind,
In my opinion, both of them are great printers. Brother is known for delivering good quality products for affordable prices, and Epson is the industry leader when it comes to ink tank printers. Never mind the reviews because only ones that have gone spent the time to write an actual review on printers are those who faced the worst scenario (yes, sometimes it happens) and it won’t be 5% of the total customers. And the release date, they both released on the same date.
My advice would be to go with any that offers lowest price. I know it’s bad advice but I believe that should be the deciding factor between them.
Thank you so much John, I agree..
Hi! Is the HP 515 a better option than the Epson Ecotank L3150 or Canon Pixma G3010 for school use.
Hi Andi,
On paper, it seems HP 515 is better than the other two. But performance-wise I am still not sure if there’s any difference. If the price difference is not so high, I would definitely recommend 515.
Excellent review and thanks for answering all the questions. That helped also.
That’s so kind.
hi john,
i’m looking for adf scanner.
in beloow list can you tell me which one is the right choice for me.
Brother DCP-T710W, Canon G4010, HP 530 and Epson L5190 .
please choose one.
Thanks
All of them are fine. I have seen DCP-T710w to be cheap and more value for money. If you can get it below 14k, I’d recommend it. Or L5190.
Hi John please suggest best all in one printer with wifi, supporting macos for office use, medium to heavy use, with least maintance. I have checked hp 419, 515, epson l3150. ADF will be appreciated, duplex not necessary. Help me choose the best or feel free to suggest the best according to you. Thanks
Hi John, Is HP 515 better than 415? What extra features/ advantages does it have? Which is the latest one?
It’s for my home use.
Hi.. HP 515 AND HP530 which printer is best one for office use like printing scanning.? KINDLY SUGGEST
Hi John, i am based in Dubai and would like to buy a printer for home use. HP 415, HP 515 and Epson L3150 are in the similar price ranges. Which one would be a good buy in terms of performance and less issues?
I have the same questions as above! :)
Hi John,
Can HP smart tank 530 Multi function printer , Scan and copy Indian Legal size documents . Some body told me it can print legal size documents but does not copy and scan. Please shed some light on this
Am I able to enlarge/reduce on both 515 and 530 smart tank printers?
do the hp smart tank 515 and 530 printers have a reduce/enlarge function?
Hi John
Just a quick one.
1 – HP 530 how slow is the print ?
2 – How is the quality of the print ? Fine or spread ?
3 – Lastly, is the paper soggy ? Because with HP Thermal Print the papers comes out warm. So the paper is dry.
Hi John
Confused between,
HP Ink tank 419 Vs HP smart Tank 515/530 and Epson L3151
Please guide to choose the best one.
It’s required for school work for my 2 children’s and very little office work