Are you choosing between the HP Envy 4520 and 5540? Although they came from the same Envy printer lineup from HP, they have a lot of differences. Before you decide to purchase either of these printers you should know the similarities and differences between them as well as the pros and cons of these printers and then it will be easier for you to choose the HP ENVY printer that is better for you. If you are having trouble picking between these printers, then this article is certainly for you. I carefully reviewed all the specifications and features of both printers just to help you.
Printers nowadays should not only print via its USB but also wirelessly via mobile printing services. These small conveniences bring a lot of flexibility to offices and home offices alike. To learn which printer HP Envy 4520 or HP Envy 5540 is the better wireless all-in-one printer, read this comparison.
| Name | HP Envy 4520 | HP Envy 5540 |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |
 |
| Print Technology | HP Thermal inkjet printing | HP Thermal inkjet printing |
| Display | 2.2” Monochrome Touchscreen | 2.2” Monochrome Touchscreen |
| Compatible Ink Cartridges | HP 63 & HP 63XL (North America and Majority of Asia Pacific) | HP 62 & HP 62XL |
| HP Instant Ink | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Alexa | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless Connectivity | 802.11 b/g/n – 2.4 GHz networks only | 802.11 b/g/n – 2.4 GHz networks only |
| USB Connectivity | Hi-speed 2.0 USB | Hi-speed 2.0 USB |
| Mobile Printing Solutions | HP ePrint, HP Smart app, Print solution for Android and Kindle devices, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print | HP ePrint, HP Smart app, Print solution for Android and Kindle devices, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria Certified |
| Input Capacity | Up to 100 sheets of plain paper | Up to 125 sheets of plain paper |
| Output Capacity | Up to 25 sheets of plain paper | Up to 25 sheets of plain paper |
| Duplex Printing | Yes | Yes |
| Print Speed | Up to 9.5 ppm (Black), Up to 6.8 ppm (Color) | Up to 12 ppm (Black), Up to 8 ppm (Color) |
| Borderless Printing | Yes, up to US Letter size | Yes, up to US Letter size |
| Print Resolution | Up to 1200 x 600 dpi (Black), Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi (Color) | Up to 1200 x 600 dpi (Black), Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi (Color) |
| Copy Speed | Up to 7.5 CPM (Black), Up to 4 CPM (Color) | Up to 21 ppm (Black), Up to 19 ppm (Color) |
| Copy Resolution | Up to 600 x 300 dpi (both Black and Color) | Up to 1200 x 600 dpi (Black), Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi (Color) |
| Maximum Copies | Up to 50 copies from original | Up to 50 copies from original |
| Scan Resolution | 1200 x 1200 pixels per inch (ppi) optical | 1200 x 1200 pixels per inch (ppi) optical |
| Maximum Scan Size | 216 x 356 mm (8.5 x 14.0 inches) | 216 x 297 mm (8.5 x 11.7 inches) |
| Color | 24-bit color, 8-bit grayscale (256 levels of gray) | 24-bit color, 8-bit grayscale (256 levels of gray) |
| ADF Scanning Support | Yes | No |
| Other Scanning Features | Scan to e-mail for PDF and JPEG | Scan to e-mail for PDF and JPEG |
| Product Dimensions (W x D x H) | 17.52 x 14.45 x 5.04 inches | 17.87 x 16.14 x 6.14 inches |
| Weight | 5.39 kg (11.89 pounds) | 6.82 kg (15 pounds) |
| Price | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
HP Envy 4520 vs 5540 – Similarities
Wireless Connectivity
All printers can print via its wired USB cable. However, not all printers can print wirelessly via Wi-Fi features. The HP Envy 4520 and 5540 have built-in Wi-Fi so you can print from your smartphones or tablets via your home network. Unfortunately, however, the built-in Wi-Fi only supports 2.4Ghz networks and not 5Ghz networks. Nonetheless, printing wirelessly poses a great help to people sharing a single printer in homes or offices. If you have Amazon Echo devices, you can connect these printers to it to access its voice recognition features. The voice commands you can do with the Echo are limited at this moment.
All-in-One Smart Printers
The Envy 4520 and 5540 are all-in-one printing solutions from HP. It means that these printers are versatile machines that can do multiple tasks on a single machine. Aside from printing, the Envy 4520 and 5540 can also scan and copy photos and documents. These all-in-one printers are perfect for homes, offices, and home offices.
HP Instant Ink
Buying a replacement ink is normally bothersome. You have to go to a physical store just to replace your empty ones. But some people do not have the luxury of time to go to the store every time their printer ink level is low. Why not avail of HP’s replacement ink subscription HP Instant Ink? When you avail of this service, your HP Envy printer will instantly notify HP that your ink levels are low, and your printer will automatically order a replacement ink on your behalf. The ink will be delivered right in front of your doorsteps, conveniently when your ink is almost empty and needs a replacement.
Differences between HP ENVY 4520 vs ENVY 5540
Mobile Printing Solutions
The wireless printing feature of these printers needs an accompanying app for it to work. Let’s see how they stack against each other.
HP Envy 4520
The selection of mobile printing services you can do with the Envy 4520 is wide. You can use HP’s ePrint services or use the printing services of Apple (Apple AirPrint) or Android (Google Cloud Print). However, it lacks one particular service that you might use in your business.
HP Envy 5540
That particular mobile printing service I am referring to is the Mopria. If you use this service, you can’t use the Envy 4520. Only the Envy 5540 is Mopria certified out of these two printers. Besides this certification, you can still use other mobile printing services such as HP ePrint, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, etc.
The Winner Is- HP Envy 5540
Also read: HP ENVY 6055 vs HP ENVY Pro 6455: Which HP ENVY Printer is Better?
Paper Capacity
Paper capacity seems to be a trivial specification in printers. However, it is a vital piece of information for people printing in bulk.
HP Envy 4520
The HP Envy 4520 is still at the disadvantage due to its lower input paper capacity of only 100 sheets of paper. Don’t get me wrong, a hundred sheets of paper are still many. But its competitor holds 25% more.
HP Envy 5540
The HP Envy 5540 has a higher input capacity and can hold up to 125 sheets of paper. Both the HP Envy 4520 and 5540 both can hold 25 sheets of paper in their output trays.
The Winner Is- HP Envy 5540
Printing Speed
Productivity and paper works done depend on how fast a printer can print. This number is more important to people sharing a single printer in their homes or offices.
HP Envy 4520
The printing speed of the HP Envy 4520 is horrendously slow at only 9.5 prints per minute for black prints and 6.8 prints per minute for colored prints. To put that into perspective, the printer can only print a sheet of paper once every 6 seconds at its fastest speed. Can you imagine how slow it can print a colored photo to a photo paper?
HP Envy 5540
The HP Envy 5540 has a lightning-fast printing speed, especially when compared to the Envy 4520 alone. This printer can reach printing speeds of up to 12 prints per minute for black prints and up to 8 prints per minute for colored prints. When you share a printer with other people and have a long printer queue, the HP Envy 5540 will do a better and faster job.
The Winner Is- HP Envy 5540
Copy and Scan Capabilities
Copying and scanning features are equally important as printing. They are also included in the reason why you are buying an all-in-one printer.
HP Envy 4520
Copying using the HP Envy 4520 is even slower than its printing speed. It can only make monochrome photocopies at only 7 copies per minute, while colored copies can take 4 copies a minute. To add insult to injury, the copying resolution is also decreased to only 600 x 300 DPI. Scanning is where the HP Envy 4520 finally redeems itself. It has a higher maximum scan size of 216 x 356 mm (8.5 x 14.0 inches) which is equal to the size of a legal paper. Moreover, the HP Envy 4520 can send the final scans to an email in either PDF or image format.
HP Envy 5540
On the other corner, the HP Envy 5540 has a slightly lower copying speed when compared to its printing speeds. It can copy at the rate of 21 copies a minute for monochrome copies while 19 copies per minute for colored ones. It also has a higher copy resolution of up to 1200 x 600 dpi for monochrome copies and up to 4800 x 1200 dpi for colored copies. It falls short, however, on its maximum scan size of only 216 x 297 mm (8.5 x 11.7 inches), which is the same size as a short bond paper or US Letter paper.
The Winner Is- It’s A Tie
Pros and Cons
The pros and cons of HP ENVY 4520 and HP ENVY 5540 will help us to determine which printer is is a better choice.
HP Envy 4520
Pros:
- The HP Envy 4520 is an all-in-one printer with automatic duplex printing and borderless printing.
- It can print via USB, Wi-Fi, or cloud.
- When you avail of the HP Instant Ink, the printer will automatically order the ink for you.
Cons:
- Its slower printing and copying speed make the Envy 4520 hard to recommend.
HP Envy 5540
Pros:
- The HP Envy 5540 has a 25% larger input paper tray capacity of 125 sheets of paper.
- Printing with the Envy 5540 will take you lesser time.
- It has a separate photo tray.
- It is Mopria certified.
- It has all the features that the Envy 4520 has.
Cons:
- The HP Envy 5540 does not have an automatic document feeder.
- No ethernet connectivity or fax capabilities.
Which HP ENVY printer is better?
As you can clearly see, the HP Envy 5540 wins this race. It has a faster printing speed, a larger paper tray, and a dedicated photo tray among others which make it the better overall wireless all-in-one printer. However, these extra features do not come for free because the HP Envy 5540 has a higher price tag. Although this is the case, I think their slim price gap makes it still worth its price.