Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Brother - MFC-J5855DW | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW |
|---|---|---|
| Pages/min (mono) | 30 | 33 |
| Pages/min (color) | 30 | 33 |
Between the MFC-J5855DW and MFC-L8905CDW, the MFC-J5855DW comes out ahead in several specs, while the MFC-L8905CDW wins on pages/min (mono) / pages/min (color). Overall, the MFC-J5855DW scores 76.3 and the MFC-L8905CDW scores 78.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (76.3 vs 78.3). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
The MFC-J5855DW does not pull ahead on any single popular-comparison spec — its strengths sit in the spec-table groups rather than the headline advantages.
Pick the MFC-L8905CDW if you care most about pages/min (mono) / pages/min (color). Its strongest claims are pages/min (mono), pages/min (color). The single most decisive one: Pages/min (mono) — 10.00% more. 33 vs 30.
Both ship with comparable color, auto duplex, adf, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Brother - MFC-J5855DW or Brother - MFC-L8905CDW?
Brother - MFC-L8905CDW leads the current Mars Score by 2.0 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare pages/min (mono), pages/min (color) against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Brother - MFC-J5855DW if…
Brother - MFC-J5855DW does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
Choose Brother - MFC-L8905CDW if…
Brother - MFC-L8905CDW has the measurable edge on ppm mono, ppm color.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Brother - MFC-J5855DW wins
- No decisive advantages.
Why Brother - MFC-L8905CDW wins
- ▲Pages/min (mono) — 10.00% more. 33 vs 30.
- ▲Pages/min (color) — 10.00% more. 33 vs 30.
Spec comparison
Spec
| Spec | Brother - MFC-J5855DW | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Inkjet AIO | Laser AIO (color) |
| Color | true | true |
| Pages/min (mono) | 30 | 33lead |
| Pages/min (color) | 30 | 33lead |
| Resolution | 4800x1200 dpi | 2400x600 dpi |
| Max paper size | Tabloidlead | Letter |
Features
| Spec | Brother - MFC-J5855DW | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW |
|---|---|---|
| Auto duplex | true | true |
| ADF | true | true |
| Wi-Fiⓘ | true | true |
| AirPrint | true | true |