HP Smart, Canon PRINT and Ricoh Smart Device Connector compared
Each major MFP manufacturer ships a mobile app that extends AirPrint and Mopria with vendor-specific features. This guide compares the three most-deployed European apps and identifies when the manufacturer app delivers value above the generic standards.
HP Smart
HP's mobile companion for HP printers and MFPs. Strong scan workflow, integrated supply ordering, and HP Smart Tasks for repeatable print/scan flows.
Canon PRINT
Canon's mobile app for imageRUNNER ADVANCE and PIXMA devices. Polished UI with strong photo-printing tools alongside office-document features.
Ricoh Smart Device Connector
Ricoh's enterprise-focused app with strong NFC integration. Tap an NFC-equipped Ricoh MFP with the phone to release print jobs or initiate scan workflows.
Each of the major office MFP manufacturers ships a vendor-branded mobile app that extends the generic AirPrint and Mopria protocols with brand-specific features. The apps overlap considerably on core print-and-scan functionality but differentiate on the deeper integration features — supply ordering, custom scan workflows, device-discovery refinements, and authentication patterns. For offices on a single-vendor fleet, the manufacturer app typically delivers operational value beyond what generic mobile printing provides; for mixed-vendor fleets, the generic protocols cover the common workflows and the vendor apps cover the deeper integrations on their respective devices.
The matrix below compares HP Smart, Canon PRINT, and Ricoh Smart Device Connector across nine dimensions that surface the structural differences. The companion-app conversation typically becomes relevant when an office is deploying a 5-plus device fleet of a single brand and wants to surface the vendor's full functionality to mobile users.
Nine-dimension comparison matrix
When the vendor app matters and when AirPrint/Mopria suffice
For routine print-and-scan workflows from mobile devices, AirPrint on iOS and Mopria on Android handle the vast majority of needs without app installation. The vendor apps deliver incremental value when the office wants supply-level visibility (HP Smart leads here), NFC tap-to-print convenience (Ricoh leads), or polished photo-printing (Canon PRINT). For single-vendor fleets deploying 5 or more devices, installing the manufacturer app on staff phones produces small but compounding daily-workflow benefits.
For mixed-vendor fleets, the practical configuration enables AirPrint and Mopria as the common baseline, then layers the manufacturer app for the devices where the vendor-specific features matter most. The combination delivers full coverage without forcing every user to choose between three different mobile apps depending on which device they happen to use.