PaperCut MF vs QZ Tray
PaperCut MF
papercut.comQZ Tray
qz.ioSide by side
| Figure | PaperCut MF | QZ Tray |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $62.42/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Print Management Software | 7.9 (#10) | 8.2 (#7) |
| API | PaperCut MF provides APIs, including web services and command-line variants, for languages such as C, C++, Python, Java, JavaScript, and Go. | The JavaScript connector enables printing and device communication from JavaScript. |
| Founded | 1998 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia | Canastota, New York, United States |
| Support | PaperCut describes support through its team, Help Centers, knowledge base, and network of local PaperCut experts. | The maker offers free public community support on a best-effort basis and premium support with a two-business-day response. |
Plans
QZ Tray
- Sponsored SupportFree
- Premium Support$749 a year
- Company Branded + Premium Support$3,499 a year
In their own words
PaperCut MF
PaperCut MF manages print, copy, fax and scan activity on multifunction devices. Its Find-Me printing holds jobs until a verified user authenticates at a printer and releases them. Integrated Scanning can send documents to email, home or network folders, and cloud connectors such as Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive. Administrators can set print and copy quotas, use shared accounts and track per-page costs. Centralized job logs and more than 60 built-in reports help monitor activity; more than 100 integrations connect to payment, document storage and accounting systems. APIs include web services and command-line variants for several programming languages. PaperCut MF is self-hosted and designed to scale from five users to 500,000 or more. Supported platforms include Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome OS and web. Pricing is listed from $1.90/user/mo, with a 40-day trial. New installations and trials are obtained through an authorized PaperCut partner; the MF plan itself requires a custom quote based on devices running embedded MF software.
QZ Tray
QZ Tray connects web clients to local printers and attached devices, enabling browser-based printing and hardware communication through its JavaScript connector. Printing support includes PDF, PNG, HTML, PCL, ESC/POS, EPL, ZPL, SBPL, and FGL. Device connections can use serial, HID, USB, socket, or file I/O. The maker lists Zebra, SATO, Epson, Citizen, Star, Boca, and Dymo among compatible printer brands. Desktop editions run on Windows, macOS, and Linux, including Intel and ARM or Apple Silicon systems; supported platforms also include iOS, Android, and ChromeOS. QZ Tray can be downloaded and used for free, with warnings, and the maker offers a free demonstration with warnings. Removing print dialogue warnings and enabling silent printing requires message signing with a certificate and private key. QZ says the signing keys are generated in the customer's browser and that it never receives a copy of the private key. Only one instance can run per machine because the software uses a localhost WebSocket connection to a single port. Premium Support costs $749.00 per year.