Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW | Xerox - VersaLink C405 |
|---|---|---|
| Pages/min (mono) | 33 | 36 |
| Pages/min (color) | 33 | 36 |
Between the MFC-L8905CDW and VersaLink C405, the MFC-L8905CDW comes out ahead in several specs, while the VersaLink C405 wins on pages/min (mono) / pages/min (color). Overall, the MFC-L8905CDW scores 78.3 and the VersaLink C405 scores 80.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (78.3 vs 80.2). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
The MFC-L8905CDW 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 VersaLink C405 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) — 9.09% more. 36 vs 33.
Both ship with comparable type, color, auto duplex, 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-L8905CDW or Xerox - VersaLink C405?
Xerox - VersaLink C405 leads the current Mars Score by 1.9 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-L8905CDW if…
Brother - MFC-L8905CDW does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
Choose Xerox - VersaLink C405 if…
Xerox - VersaLink C405 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-L8905CDW wins
- No decisive advantages.
Why Xerox - VersaLink C405 wins
- ▲Pages/min (mono) — 9.09% more. 36 vs 33.
- ▲Pages/min (color) — 9.09% more. 36 vs 33.
Spec comparison
Spec
| Spec | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW | Xerox - VersaLink C405 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Laser AIO (color) | Laser AIO (color) |
| Color | true | true |
| Pages/min (mono) | 33 | 36lead |
| Pages/min (color) | 33 | 36lead |
| Resolution | 2400x600 dpi | 600x600 dpi |
| Max paper size | Letter | Letter |
Features
| Spec | Brother - MFC-L8905CDW | Xerox - VersaLink C405 |
|---|---|---|
| Auto duplex | true | true |
| ADF | true | true |
| Wi-Fiⓘ | true | true |
| AirPrint | true | true |