Head-To-Head: HP LaserJet M577dn Vs. Xerox VersaLink C505

MFP Face Off

There's a showdown underway in the office printer market. A3 copier king Xerox is looking to move into A4 printers -- which accommodate standard-sized paper, and which have long been HP Inc.'s turf -- with an array of new products. One recent A4 introduction by Xerox is the VersaLink C505, a color multifunction printer (or MFP) that has HP's LaserJet M577dn as one of its major competitors. Both of the MFPs offer printing, copying and scanning, and are aimed at small to medium-sized businesses and workgroups.

Which of the two MFPs is a better fit for your office? As part of Printer Week 2018, the CRN Test Center takes a look at how the HP LaserJet M577dn and Xerox VersaLink C505 compare on key specs and price.

Print Speed And Resolution

Xerox wins out on print speed in this comparison, with the VersaLink C505 boasting speeds of up to 45 pages per minute. While still fast, the HP LaserJet M577dn is just a bit behind with print speeds of up to 40 pages per minute.

In terms of print resolution, both printers offer extremely sharp prints -- though Xerox's VersaLink C505 is the higher-resolution choice, with prints available at up to 1,200 x 2,400 dpi. The HP LaserJet M577dn offers prints at up to 600 x 600 dpi.

Copy Speed And Resolution

The Xerox VersaLink C505 also offers faster copy speeds in our comparison, with the MFP providing speeds up to 45 copies per minute. HP's LaserJet M577dn is further behind on copy speeds than on print speeds, with copy speeds of up to 38 copies per minute.

However, HP's copies are offered in higher resolution of 600 x 600 dpi, versus the 600 x 400 dpi available for copies with the Xerox device.

Scan Speed And Resolution

The VersaLink C505 stands out on scanning speed with the ability to scan in black-and-white at up to 73 images per minute, and in color at up to 55 images per minute. By contrast, the LaserJet M577dn can scan up to 43 images per minute in black and white and up to 38 images per minute in color. The two MFPs offer identical scanning resolution, of 600 x 600 dpi.

Paper Capacity

The LaserJet M577dn features a 550-sheet standard tray, along with a 100-sheet multipurpose tray and a 100-sheet automatic document feeder. The VersaLink C505 includes the same-sized paper capacity for its standard tray and document feeder, and a slightly larger multipurpose tray capacity at 150 sheets.

Duty Cycle

The monthly duty cycle is a key area for businesses to pay attention to—because it tells you the limit you should place on the number of prints per month (in order to avoid overtaxing the printer). Xerox is promising a higher monthly duty cycle with its VersaLink C505, at up to 120,000 pages a month. HP promises a monthly duty cycle of up to 80,000 pages for the LaserJet M577dn.

Security

Speedy printer functions are nice, but ensuring that an MFP doesn't experience a security breach may be an even bigger imperative for many businesses. And HP has distinguished itself in the print market with its focus on printer security. The LaserJet M577dn comes with a range of embedded security features including HP's Sure Start self-healing BIOS; runtime intrusion detection to protect memory; 256-bit encryption to protect data as it's transmitted; and the HP JetAdvantage Security Manager for establishing security policies and ensuring compliance across printer fleets.

Xerox offers an array of security features for the VersaLink C505, as well, including document security (such as requiring a passcode to release a print job); 256-bit encryption; and an integration with the Cisco Identity Services Engine for ensuring secure access.

Size And Weight

The dimensions of the two MFPs in our comparison are similar, with the main difference being that the Xerox device is a bit taller. The VersaLink C505 is 25.3 inches tall, versus 22.95 inches tall for the LaserJet M577dn.

In terms of width and depth, the VersaLink C505 measures 18.5 x 19.9 inches, while the LaserJet M577dn measures 18.98 x 19.84 inches.

However, LaserJet M577dn is a fair amount heavier, at 84 pounds. The VersaLink C505 weighs 8 percent less, at 77.2 pounds.

Price And Cost Per Page

The two MFPs in our comparison are priced similarly, with the Xerox VersaLink C505 having a slightly lower starting price of $2,119. That's versus the $2,199.99 starting price of the HP LaserJet M577dn.

But over the long term, the bigger expense for businesses is the cost of toner supplies. The Xerox MFP has the advantage here -- at least for color prints. We calculated the cost per page for printing on each MFP, using high-yield toner in each case, and found that the VersaLink C505 offers a cost of 10.6 cents per page for color prints. By contrast, the LaserJet M577dn has a cost of 12 cents per page for color. However, for printing in mono (black-and-white), HP's MFP comes out the winner: the LaserJet M577dn offers mono prints for 1.86 cents per page, while the VersaLink C505 mono cost is 2.1 cents per page.