Brother vs Canon All-in-One Software: Which Is Better?
Short answer: Neither manufacturer's software is strictly better. Modern all-in-one printers from both major brands support the same open standards: IPP Everywhere for driver-less printing from Windows, macOS, Linux and Chrome OS, and Mopria for Android, Chromebook, Windows and Fire tablets mobile printing and scanning. Both brands also ship ENERGY STAR certified models whose defaults include automatic duplexing and sleep mode. The practical difference is layout: each brand organizes its scan, maintenance and color utilities differently. For most buyers the brand's app matters less than whether the model supports these standards.
What the bundled software does
Every all-in-one ships with a software package that covers four jobs: driver installation, a control panel for settings, a scan utility, and maintenance tools such as head cleaning and firmware updates. For the two leading printer brands, those core jobs are the same, and the differences show up in how each organizes its apps. Before comparing the two, it helps to know that open standards have made brand-specific software less necessary than it used to be.
Both manufacturers appear on the ENERGY STAR imaging equipment program, whose criteria push features that software controls: automatic duplexing enabled by default, sleep mode power management, and per-job quality settings. That means the bundled software's real value today is convenience, connectivity and maintenance, not raw print capability.
- Driver installers for wired and wireless setup
- Default print queue and quality settings
- Scan utilities that send to image, email, or a folder
- Firmware update and maintenance tools
- Mobile apps that mirror most of those functions
Drivers and the IPP Everywhere standard
The biggest change in printer software is that you no longer need a vendor-specific driver. The Printer Working Group's IPP Everywhere standard lets personal computers and mobile devices find and print to networked and USB printers without vendor-specific software.
The same standard is supported by popular clients including Chrome OS, CUPS, Linux, macOS and Windows. The IPP Everywhere specification reports that 98 percent of all printers sold today support IPP/2.0 and DNS-SD, along with file formats such as PWG Raster and JPEG for color models.
For an all-in-one from either major manufacturer, that means the first time you connect the printer, the operating system can find it and set it up with no disc or download. If you prefer the brand's own panel, you can still install it, but the fallback is a clean, standard print queue. For most home and small office buyers, the standard path is more stable because the operating system keeps it updated. See printer driver languages and manufacturer driver vs generic driver.
Mobile printing and scanning with Mopria
For phones and tablets, Mopria is the software layer that matters. Mopria provides print and scan applications for Android, Windows, Fire tablets and Chromebook, so a Mopria certified all-in-one from either manufacturer can be reached from those devices without the brand's own app.
Mopria covers both directions: printing to the all-in-one and scanning from it to an Android device or a Windows or Chromebook machine. That is the closest thing to a single answer for mobile users. If a model is Mopria certified, both brands handle the job through the same app.
On Apple computers, macOS is listed as an IPP Everywhere client, so the same standard covers them too, and the desktop apps from either brand add the scan and maintenance functions. Details live in AirPrint and Mopria and printer mobile app requirements.
Setup, firmware and maintenance utilities
Where vendor software still matters is maintenance. Both manufacturers' all-in-one models expose the same kind of utilities: firmware updates, printhead cleaning, nozzle checks, alignment and status monitors. Exactly where those live in the interface differs, but the functions are equivalent.
Firmware updates are worth doing. The same standards that make printers driver-less also make them updatable over the network, and both brands push updates through their desktop apps and their printer web interfaces. The update printer drivers guide explains the routine.
For anyone who prefers not to install a vendor app at all, an IPP Everywhere certified model prints without one, and Mopria scan covers the scanning side. That reduces the software footprint to almost nothing. The printer software uninstall reinstall guide covers what to do when the software gets into a bad state.
Eco settings and ENERGY STAR features
ENERGY STAR certification is partly a software story. The imaging equipment criteria require automatic duplexing capabilities and certain power management features, so certified models from both brands ship with sleep settings and duplex defaults that the driver or the mobile app can adjust.
ENERGY STAR recommends keeping the factory-default sleep and duplex settings, using a lower quality mode for draft jobs, and using apps or widgets that reduce paper use. Both brands' utilities expose those controls. See printer energy star guide and eco mode printers guide.
Which brand should you pick
If both manufacturers sit on the same standards, the decision comes down to your workflows. For document-heavy office work, you will spend your time in the scan and fax utilities; for photo and color work, you will live in the color and layout settings. Pick the brand whose desktop layout feels clear to you, then rely on the standard for printing.
A practical check before buying: confirm the model lists IPP Everywhere and Mopria certification. Then the bundled software becomes a convenience rather than a requirement. Browse best all-in-one printers, best Brother printers and best Canon printers with that filter in mind.
What to pick for your use
| If you | Pick | Buying guide |
|---|---|---|
| You want one app for printing and scanning on your phone | A Mopria certified model from either brand | Best All-in-One Printers in 2026: 14 Picks Compared on Specs |
| You want to print without installing a vendor driver | An IPP Everywhere certified model | Best Wireless Printers in 2026: 15 Picks Compared on Specs |
| You run a document-heavy office workflow | A Brother all-in-one whose utility layout you prefer | Best Brother Printers in 2026: 14 Picks Compared on Specs |
| You do a lot of photo and color work | A Canon all-in-one with the color tools you like | Best Canon Printers in 2026: 15 Picks Compared on Specs |
| You want the least software to manage | Any model certified for both IPP Everywhere and Mopria | Best All-in-One Printers in 2026: 14 Picks Compared on Specs |
Questions
Do I need to install Brother or Canon software to use the printer?
No. A printer that supports IPP Everywhere prints from Windows, macOS, Linux and Chrome OS without vendor-specific software. The bundled utilities are optional extras for scanning and maintenance.
Can I print from Android without the Brother or Canon app?
Yes, if the printer supports the standard mobile printing protocol used by Android and Windows. That protocol works without the brand's own app.
Which brand's scanning software is better?
Both rely on the same underlying scan standards and both work with the mobile scan protocol on Android, Windows and Chromebook. The difference is mostly layout, so pick the brand whose scan utility you find clearer.
Do Brother and Canon update printer firmware automatically?
Neither brand installs firmware without your consent. Both push updates through their desktop utilities and through the printer's web interface. See the printer firmware update guide for the routine.
Does the software work on macOS?
Yes. macOS is an IPP Everywhere client, so a certified model prints with the standard driver, and each brand's desktop apps provide the scan and maintenance functions on macOS as well.
Revision notes
- : First published.