HP Smart, now rebranded as just "HP", insists on an HP account before it will let you scan, change basic printer settings, or finish setup. Calls to HP support confirm the requirement is intentional, not a bug. The app also runs background services and pushes notifications about supplies and product recommendations. For anyone who wants their HP printer to just print, that is more app than the job needs.
We tested seven HP Smart alternatives across two scenarios: keeping the HP printer you already own and using a leaner app to drive it, and switching brands the next time the printer dies. Mopria Print Service is the answer for most HP owners who want to stop signing in. NokoPrint and PrinterShare cover the harder cases like USB printers and remote printing. The brand apps from Canon, Brother, and Epson are for readers who have already decided HP is not getting another sale.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Paid plan | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mopria Print Service | Most HP owners who want no account | Fully free, no ads | None | System-level Android Default Print Service |
| NokoPrint | USB and Bluetooth printers | Free with limits | About £6 one-time Premium | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB, Bluetooth in one app |
| PrinterShare Mobile Print | Remote printing over the internet | Free for nearby printing | About £10 one-time Premium | Print to your home printer from anywhere |
| PrintHand Mobile Print | Mixed device households | Free with test page | About £8 one-time Premium | Templates, calendar print, broad driver support |
| Canon PRINT | Switching to a Canon PIXMA or MAXIFY | Fully free | None | Direct setup for Canon ink and laser models |
| Brother iPrint&Scan | Switching to a Brother MFC | Fully free | None | Reliable scanning to email and cloud |
| Epson Smart Panel | Switching to an EcoTank or WorkForce | Fully free | None | Ink-tank monitoring and quick scan |
Why people leave HP Smart
The biggest reason is the account wall. Threads on the HP Support Community show users reporting that scanning prompts a sign-in every time, that fresh installs refuse to talk to the printer until you create an HP ID, and that an HP rep on the phone confirmed the policy. For anyone who bought a printer to print, having to register with the vendor to use it feels backwards.
The second is the rebrand creep. The app used to be called HP Smart and only managed printers. It is now called "HP" and pulls in laptops, docks, pens, and HP Printables. Users on Reddit and the HP forums describe the app as bloat that grew louder updates after update.
Third is the supplies push. The app monitors ink levels and prompts you to order more, which is useful once and intrusive every time after. The HP Printables tab adds another surface for recommended downloads. Fourth, the Windows shift means new HP printers route users to install HP Smart from the Microsoft Store before they can complete setup on a desktop, which users on Winaero and elsewhere have flagged as forced installation.
Fifth is the privacy concern about scan logs. Users on the HP forums asked why the app needs to know when they scan a document. HP has not given a clear answer beyond pointing to the account terms.
The alternatives
Mopria Print Service, best for HP owners who just want to print
Mopria Print Service is the Android system-level print plugin maintained by the Mopria Alliance, an industry group whose members include HP, Canon, Brother, Epson, Samsung, and Xerox. It registers as a Default Print Service in Android settings, which means any app with a Share or Print option routes the job through Mopria without launching a separate UI. HP printers sold in the last several years support Mopria out of the box.
Where it falls short: there is no scan support. If you scan from your printer's glass to your phone, you still need the HP companion app, the printer's web interface, or a separate scanning app. Mopria covers print only.
Pricing:
- Free: full app, no ads, no upsell.
- Paid: none.
- vs HP Smart: free, lighter, no account.
Migrating from HP Smart: install Mopria Print Service, open Android Settings, search for "Print", enable Mopria as the default service, and uninstall HP Smart if you do not need scanning. Your printer keeps the same Wi-Fi setup. Five minutes for a single printer.
Bottom line: pick Mopria if you own an HP printer and want to ditch HP Smart without buying a new printer. Skip it if you need scan-to-phone, which Mopria does not handle.
NokoPrint, best for USB and Bluetooth printers
NokoPrint is a third-party printing app from NokoPrint LLC that handles Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, and USB OTG printers in one place. It supports a broad printer list, including older HP, Canon, Brother, Epson, and Samsung models that more modern apps quietly dropped. The free tier prints documents and photos with a small footer on output until you upgrade.
Where it falls short: the free tier adds a watermark line on printed pages, which is fine for receipts and annoying for a school assignment. The interface is functional rather than polished, and document conversion sometimes shifts margins on complex Word files.
Pricing:
- Free: prints with a footer line, ads in the app.
- Paid: about £6 one-time Premium unlock to remove the footer and ads.
- vs HP Smart: cheaper long-term, broader printer support, no account.
Migrating from HP Smart: install NokoPrint, let it scan your network, pick the HP printer, send a test page. Bluetooth and USB printers add a few steps the first time but stick after. Ten minutes start to finish.
Bottom line: pick NokoPrint if your printer is older, on USB, or off Wi-Fi. Skip it if a Mopria connection already works and you only need print, since Mopria is free and ad-free.
PrinterShare Mobile Print, best for remote printing
PrinterShare Mobile Print by Dynamix Software is the long-running mobile printing app that handles both local networks and remote printing over the internet. With a PrinterShare account on a home computer that stays online, you can send print jobs from your phone to your home printer from anywhere with data. It also prints directly to nearby Wi-Fi and USB printers without that setup.
Where it falls short: remote printing requires a small companion running on a desktop or laptop at home, which is one more thing to maintain. The free tier limits page count for premium features, and the UI carries its history visibly.
Pricing:
- Free: nearby printing, with a watermark on premium driver use.
- Paid: about £10 one-time Premium unlock.
- vs HP Smart: cheaper if you need remote printing, since HP Smart's remote feature ties to the HP+ subscription.
Migrating from HP Smart: install PrinterShare, point it at your HP printer over Wi-Fi, send a test page. For remote printing, install the desktop companion. Fifteen minutes for the full setup.
Bottom line: pick PrinterShare if you want to print to your home printer while travelling. Skip it if you only print at home and Mopria already works.
PrintHand Mobile Print, best for mixed device households
PrintHand Mobile Print, also from Dynamix, is PrinterShare's sibling with a friendlier interface and built-in templates. It handles a wide driver catalogue including legacy printers, supports Wi-Fi, USB, and Bluetooth, and includes printable templates like calendars, lined paper, and chord charts that HP Smart does not.
Where it falls short: the free version prints a test page only. You need the Premium upgrade for real use, which lands the price closer to a coffee than the marketing implies but is still a paywall. Premium features overlap with PrinterShare enough that owning both is redundant.
Pricing:
- Free: test page only.
- Paid: about £8 one-time Premium unlock.
- vs HP Smart: similar features, one-time payment, no vendor account.
Migrating from HP Smart: install PrintHand, run the printer wizard, pick your HP from the network list, and confirm. The wizard handles driver matching. Ten minutes for one printer, longer if you have several.
Bottom line: pick PrintHand if templates and broad driver support matter. Skip it if you have one modern Wi-Fi printer and Mopria handles the job.
Canon PRINT, best if you are considering a Canon printer
Canon PRINT is Canon's official Android companion for PIXMA inkjet, MAXIFY office, and SELPHY photo printers. It handles setup, scan, copy, and ink levels without requiring a Canon account for the printer side. Canon ID is optional and unlocks cloud features like wireless setup helpers, but routine printing and scanning work without it.
Where it falls short: it only talks to Canon printers. The UI also splits some features between PIXMA, MAXIFY, and SELPHY presentations in ways that confuse first-time users.
Pricing:
- Free: full app.
- Paid: none.
- vs HP Smart: free, no mandatory account, brand-locked to Canon.
Migrating from HP Smart: only relevant if you replace the HP printer with a Canon. After that, install Canon PRINT, run the setup, pair with the printer, and you are set. About fifteen minutes including the physical printer install.
Bottom line: pick Canon PRINT if your next printer is a Canon. Skip it if you are sticking with the HP you have.
Brother iPrint&Scan, best if you are switching to Brother
Brother iPrint&Scan is the official Android app for Brother HL printers and MFC multifunction units. It covers print, scan, copy, fax preview on supported models, and ink or toner levels. Setup is over Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Direct, and the app does not require a Brother account for normal operation.
Where it falls short: only works with Brother hardware. The scanning workflow is solid but the interface dates back a few cycles and feels less polished than newer competitors.
Pricing:
- Free: full app.
- Paid: none.
- vs HP Smart: free, no account, brand-locked to Brother.
Migrating from HP Smart: relevant when you change printer. Install iPrint&Scan, follow the in-app setup, and confirm Wi-Fi. Brother MFC scanning works straight away once the printer is on the network. Twenty minutes including printer setup.
Bottom line: pick Brother iPrint&Scan if your next printer is a Brother MFC. Skip it if you are not changing brands.
Epson Smart Panel, best if you are switching to an EcoTank
Epson Smart Panel is the modern Android companion for Epson EcoTank, WorkForce, and Expression printers. It handles setup, print, scan, ink-tank level checks on EcoTank models, and basic maintenance like nozzle checks and head cleaning. Epson account is optional and only required for cloud features like Epson Connect.
Where it falls short: Smart Panel is Epson-only and the maintenance workflow varies between WorkForce and EcoTank models. Older Epson printers may still need the legacy Epson iPrint app.
Pricing:
- Free: full app.
- Paid: none.
- vs HP Smart: free, no required account, brand-locked to Epson.
Migrating from HP Smart: relevant when you change printer. Install Smart Panel, pair over Wi-Fi, run the test print. EcoTank owners get refill prompts that are useful rather than promotional. Twenty minutes including unboxing.
Bottom line: pick Epson Smart Panel if EcoTank ink savings are on your shortlist. Skip it if you are happy with the HP and only want a leaner app.
How to choose
Pick Mopria Print Service if you own an HP printer, you only print, and you want to stop signing in. It is free, ad-free, and Android-native. Most readers should start here.
Pick NokoPrint if your printer is older, connects over USB or Bluetooth, or sits on a network Mopria cannot see. The Premium unlock pays for itself once.
Pick PrinterShare if you travel and want to print to your home printer from elsewhere. The desktop companion is a small cost for that capability.
Pick PrintHand if templates and broad driver support matter to a household with multiple printers. Otherwise it overlaps with the picks above.
Pick the brand app for Canon, Brother, or Epson only when the printer is already due for replacement. None of those apps will help with an HP printer.
Stay on HP Smart if you actively use HP+, the Instant Ink subscription, or HP Smart Tasks for scan-to-cloud routing. Those features have no clean equivalent in the alternatives above. Everyone else benefits from a smaller app.
FAQ
Can I print to an HP printer without HP Smart? Yes. HP printers sold in recent years support Mopria Print Service, which is built into Android. Install Mopria, enable it as a Default Print Service in Settings, and use the standard Share or Print menu in any app. No HP account, no installer.
Why does HP Smart force me to sign in? HP has confirmed on its support community that the account requirement is intentional. The stated reasons include syncing settings across devices and unlocking HP+ features. For users who do not want either, the account adds friction without benefit.
Is there a way to scan without HP Smart? The printer's built-in web interface, reached by typing the printer's local IP into a browser, can trigger a scan and save the file. On Android, NokoPrint, PrinterShare, and the brand apps for Canon, Brother, and Epson all handle scan-to-phone. Mopria does not.
What is the best free HP Smart alternative? Mopria Print Service for print-only users, since it is fully free, has no ads, and integrates with the Android system. NokoPrint's free tier is a close second when USB or Bluetooth is involved.
Does HP Smart work without an HP account? Recent versions of HP Smart require an HP account during setup and for several core functions including scanning. Some users report being able to skip the prompt on older versions, but the trend is towards mandatory sign-in.
Will I lose HP Instant Ink if I uninstall HP Smart? No. Instant Ink is tied to the printer enrollment and the HP account, not the app. You can manage the subscription from hpinstantink.com on any browser.
