Top 5 Best Photocopiers For Charities And Churches (2026)
Charities, churches and community groups need a copier that does a lot on a small budget. Weekly newsletters, service sheets, event posters, minutes for trustees and the occasional big run of booklets for a fundraiser. Volumes go up and down with the calendar, and money is always tight. The wrong lease can tie a small charity into five years of payments it can't really afford.
Here's how to pick a sensible machine in 2026, plus five options worth considering.
What charities and churches need
- Low monthly cost. Every pound spent on the copier is a pound not spent on the cause.
- Booklet printing. Service sheets, hymn books and newsletters look better folded and stapled.
- Flexible volumes. Busy at Christmas and Easter, quiet in August.
- Simple controls. Volunteers come and go, so the machine needs to be easy to use.
- Good local service. A dealer who answers the phone when the machine jams on a Saturday.
The 5 best options
1. A refurbished A3 colour copier
For most churches and charities, a good refurbished A3 machine from a reputable dealer is the best value. You get a big name machine with booklet options for a fraction of the new price. Our refurbished photocopiers guide explains what to check.
2. Kyocera ECOSYS or TASKalfa: lowest mono costs
Kyocera machines use long life parts that keep mono running costs low, which suits groups printing lots of black and white newsletters and minutes.
3. Sharp MX: value colour
Sharp MX colour machines give good speed and simple touchscreens at a competitive price, and Sharp dealers are often flexible on service deals.
4. Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX: best booklet finishing
Canon machines with a booklet finisher produce neat folded and stapled booklets, ideal for service sheets and annual reports.
5. A low volume A4 multifunction device
If you only print a few hundred pages a month, a small A4 device may be all you need. See our low volume photocopiers list.
Comparison table
| Option | Best for | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Refurbished A3 colour | Most churches and charities | Lowest for a full size machine |
| Kyocera | Mostly mono print | Low running costs |
| Sharp MX | Colour on a budget | Mid |
| Canon with booklet finisher | Service sheets and booklets | Mid to higher |
| Small A4 multifunction | Very low volumes | Lowest overall |
What it costs
For a typical small business, a new mid size A3 colour copier leases for around £49 a month, with click charges of roughly 0.5p to 1.0p mono and 6p to 10p colour, according to our lease price index. Refurbished machines often cost less. Many dealers offer charity pricing if you ask.
A worked example
A church prints 1,500 mono and 200 colour pages a month. At 0.8p mono and 7p colour, that's £12 plus £14, so £26 a month in clicks. Add a refurbished machine on a short lease or bought outright, and the total can sit well below a new machine on a five year contract. If the colour posters went to a print shop instead, the copier could be mono only and cheaper still.
Avoiding lease traps
Small charities are sometimes sold long leases with high minimum volumes. Before you sign:
- Check the lease length and the total you'll pay over the term.
- Ask whether there's a minimum monthly click volume.
- Look for automatic renewal clauses.
- Ask who the leasing company is and what happens if the charity closes.
- Get trustees to approve the contract.
Our questions to ask a supplier and cancel a photocopier lease guides help if you're already locked in.
Donated copiers
Local businesses sometimes donate old copiers when they upgrade. That can be a great gift, but check the age of the machine, whether a dealer will still service it, and that the hard drive has been wiped. A free machine with no service support can become expensive quickly.
Sharing a machine
Some churches share a copier with a nursery, community café or another group using the same building. A shared machine with user codes makes it easy to split the click costs fairly at the end of each month.
Keeping costs fair
Many churches and charities use one copier for several groups: the main charity, a youth club, a toddler group, a lettings business. Set up user codes on the machine so each group's printing is counted separately. At the end of the month, the meter report shows exactly who printed what, and costs can be shared fairly without arguments. Most modern machines from every major brand support this as standard.
FAQs
What is the best copier for a church?
A refurbished A3 colour copier with a booklet finisher suits most churches.
Do suppliers offer charity discounts?
Many do. Ask for charity pricing when you request quotes.
Should a charity lease or buy a copier?
If funds allow, buying refurbished is often cheapest. Leasing spreads the cost but check the terms carefully.
How can volunteers use the copier safely?
Use simple shortcut buttons and user codes, and keep a one page guide next to the machine.
Is a donated copier a good idea?
It can be, if it's not too old, a dealer will service it and the hard drive has been wiped.