Printix alternative
A Printix alternative for printers shared beyond your own staff
Printix is a good way for a company to get rid of its print servers. If the people printing are members, clients or visitors on their own devices, though, a client on every laptop is a hard ask. Commontray works from a web page, releases with a QR sticker and is priced per location.
The short answer
Printix or Commontray?
Choose Printix if you run a company with managed Windows and Mac laptops and want to retire your print servers, including alongside Microsoft Universal Print. Choose Commontray if people print from devices you don’t manage, you want to charge per page, or you’d rather pay per location than per user.
Choose Printix if…
- You manage the laptops and can install the Printix Client on all of them.
- Your company prints through Microsoft Universal Print.
- You want to release documents at any printer, from anywhere in the building.
- You want card login at supported printers with Printix Go.
- Your headcount is stable, so per-user pricing is predictable.
Choose Commontray if…
- Members, clients or guests print from their own phones and laptops.
- You want nothing installed on anyone’s device.
- You charge for printing, with color detected page by page.
- You’d rather pay one price per location than per active user.
- You want a box that keeps the printers off the shared network.
Side by side
Commontray and Printix, compared
| Commontray | Printix | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Coworking spaces, serviced offices and small companies | Companies replacing print servers |
| On people’s devices | Nothing. They use a web page. | The Printix Client on Windows and Mac; apps for phones and tablets |
| Where documents wait | On the computer or Commontray Box at your site | On the person’s computer or in the cloud |
| Release at the printer | Scan the QR sticker or tap Print now | From the Printix App on a phone, tablet or computer; card at the printer with Printix Go on supported devices |
| Release at any printer | No | Yes |
| Guests and visitors | Sign in on the print page | Printix Mobile Print on phones and tablets |
| Charge people per page | Yes. Color detected page by page, charged after printing | Not something we found on Printix’s site; check with them |
| Coworking platform integration | Nexudus | None we found |
| How it’s priced | Per location, any number of people: free for one printer, then $29 or $59 a month | Per user per month: $2.09 on Starter (15–50 users), $29.85 a month minimum under 15 users; Enterprise on request |
Printix details are from Printix’s own public website and documentation, checked in November 2026. Products and prices change, so check with them before you decide. Commontray prices are per location, in US dollars.
Credit where it’s due
What Printix does well
No print servers for companies
Printix replaces Windows print servers with a cloud service and a small client on each computer, which suits companies whose laptops IT already manages.
Release anywhere
With Printix Anywhere, a document waits until the person releases it at whichever printer they’re standing next to.
Works with Microsoft
Printix works alongside Microsoft’s Universal Print, which suits companies that already run their printing through Microsoft 365.
Published prices
Printix lists its Starter price openly and gives verified non-profits a discount.
Where Commontray is different
For people whose laptops you don’t manage
Nothing to install
Coworking members and serviced office clients won’t install your company’s print client, and you shouldn’t have to support it. With Commontray they print from a web page. See mobile printing.
Charging built in
Per-page prices for black & white and color, color detected page by page, credit used first, and nothing charged until it has printed. See charging and credits.
Per location, not per user
A coworking space’s member count changes every month. Commontray’s price doesn’t. See pricing.
Waiting documents stay on site
Documents wait on the computer or Commontray Box at your site, so someone can send from a laptop, close it and still release at the printer.
Questions
Printix alternative questions
Does Commontray need a client on every computer, like the Printix Client?
No. People print from a web page in the browser they already have, so there is nothing to install or keep updated on their laptops or phones.
Can documents be released at any printer, like Printix Anywhere?
Not today. People choose the printer when they send, and release at that printer by scanning its QR sticker or tapping Print now. See print release.
How do the prices compare?
Printix publishes a Starter price of $2.09 per user per month for 15 to 50 users, with a minimum of $29.85 a month for fewer than 15 users. At that rate, 40 users would be $83.60 a month. Commontray is priced per location, whatever the number of people: $29 a month on Team, or $59 on Space with charging. See pricing.
Does Commontray connect to Microsoft Entra ID?
Not today: people sign in on Commontray’s print page. If your company already runs printing through Microsoft, Printix’s Microsoft integration may suit you better.
Can we charge people for printing with Commontray?
Yes. Set prices per page for black & white and color. Color is detected page by page and charged only after the printer reports the pages as printed. See charging and credits.
Printing for people you don’t issue laptops to.
Try Commontray on one printer, free. Nobody installs anything to use it.