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The short answerThe best photo printer for iPhone for most people is the Canon SELPHY CP1500: Wi-Fi printing, a screen, a battery option and prints that come out dry. Choose the HP Sprocket Studio Plus if you want an app full of frames and stickers, or the Kodak Dock Plus if you want a dock.
By Marius. Listing data pulled Oct 30, 2026. Page built Nov 1, 2026. How I rank printers.
Best 4x6 dye-sub printer
The steady choice. Its app was updated with Siri shortcut support on iOS, and prints are 4 x 6 that look like lab prints.
4.4 out of 5 from 2,755 Amazon ratings (Oct 30, 2026)
Best app for decorated 4x6 prints
The most playful app of the group. Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, dye-sub quality, lots of editing tools.
4.3 out of 5 from 314 Amazon ratings (Oct 30, 2026)
Best dock for everyday phone prints
Set the iPhone on the dock and print; Kodak says it charges the phone meanwhile. Check the listing for your phone model’s compatibility.
4.2 out of 5 from 20,100 Amazon ratings (Oct 30, 2026)
Best value snapshot printer
A budget alternative that prints from iOS, Android and PC through its app.
4.5 out of 5 from 2,242 Amazon ratings (Oct 30, 2026)
Most fun instant printer
For wide instant prints you’ll tape up before the party ends.
4.7 out of 5 from 197 Amazon ratings (Oct 30, 2026)
Best pocket instant printer
Pocket-size instant prints for a journal or wallet.
4.7 out of 5 from 531 Amazon ratings (Oct 30, 2026)
Best-rated pocket Zink printer
Zink pocket printer with the best owner score of its kind and Bluetooth 5.0.
4.6 out of 5 from 4,480 Amazon ratings (Oct 30, 2026)
Pocket dye-sub with a battery
Pocket dye-sub with a battery, for 2 x 3 prints with a smoother finish.
4.0 out of 5 from 599 Amazon ratings (Oct 30, 2026)
All of the printers here print from iPhone through their own apps. If you want to print from iOS without an extra app, check whether the listing mentions AirPrint; the inkjets and some dye-sub models vary.
iPhone photos are 4:3 by default, so a 4 x 6 trims a little off the long side and an 8 x 10 trims less. Check the crop in the app before you print. The print size guide has the details.
| Printer | Type | Max print | Ink | Scan | Owner rating | Per 4x6 | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon SELPHY CP1500 | Dye-sub 4x6 | 4 x 6 in | Dye-sublimation | No | 4.4 (2,755) | 42c | Amazon |
| HP Sprocket Studio Plus | Dye-sub 4x6 | 4 x 6 in | Dye-sublimation | No | 4.3 (314) | 44c | Amazon |
| KODAK Dock Plus 4x6 | Dye-sub 4x6 | 4 x 6 in | 4PASS dye-sublimation | No | 4.2 (20,100) | 49c | Amazon |
| Liene M100 4x6 | Dye-sub 4x6 | 4 x 6 in | Thermal dye-sublimation | No | 4.5 (2,242) | 46c | Amazon |
| Fujifilm Instax Link Wide | Instant | Instax Wide film | Instax Wide instant film | No | 4.7 (197) | $1.25 | Amazon |
| Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3 | Instant | 2 x 3 in | Instax Mini instant film | No | 4.7 (531) | $1.15 | Amazon |
| Canon IVY 2 Mini | Zink | 2 x 3 in | Zink zero-ink paper | No | 4.6 (4,480) | n/a | Amazon |
| Polaroid Hi-Print 2nd Generation | Instant | 2 x 3 in | Dye-sublimation cartridge | No | 4.0 (599) | $1.16 | Amazon |
| Printer | Per print | Three-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Canon SELPHY CP1500 | 42c | $614 |
| Liene M100 4x6 | 46c | $622 |
| KODAK Dock Plus 4x6 | 49c | $659 |
| HP Sprocket Studio Plus | 44c | $660 |
The Canon uses Wi-Fi, the HP uses Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, the Liene prints through its Wi-Fi app, the Kodak uses Bluetooth or the dock, and the Instax printers use Bluetooth.
A photo tank prints a 4 x 6 for pennies, but needs a computer-sized printer. A dye-sub is the cheapest compact way.