DYMO vs Brother Label Maker: Matched Models and Tape Cost

A DYMO vs Brother label maker decision looks like a choice between two similar gadgets, but the tape decides more than the machine. Brother's P-touch models print on Brother TZe tape, DYMO's LabelManager models print on DYMO D1 tape, and DYMO's LetraTag line uses its own 12mm LetraTag tape. Your first purchase sets the refill you keep paying for.

This guide pairs comparable models from each brand, from entry keyboard handhelds to phone-app and desktop models, using the spec pages and list prices on brother-usa.com and dymo.com as of October 9, 2026. It is research, not a hands-on test, and the dishwasher results below are Wirecutter's.

Quick answer: Brother is the safer default for most homes and small offices. Its PT-H110 lists for less than the DYMO LabelManager 160, its TZe tape is sold as laminated, and its refill prices are published, so you can work out the cost per foot. Choose DYMO when you want a rechargeable keyboard handheld that connects to a computer (LabelManager 280) or iron-on fabric labels printed from a phone (LetraTag 200B).

DYMO vs Brother label maker: matched models side by side

Each row uses the manufacturer's own spec page. DYMO prices come from the undated comparison table on its LabelManager page, and Brother prices from each product page.

Model	Class	Max tape width	Tape system	Print resolution	Power and connection	Official price
DYMO LabelManager 160	Entry keyboard handheld	12mm (1/2 in)	D1 (6, 9, 12mm)	180 dpi	6 AAA per DYMO's table; product page says rechargeable, so check the listing	$39.99
Brother PT-H110	Entry keyboard handheld	12mm (about 1/2 in)	TZe (3.5, 6, 9, 12mm)	Not stated	6 AAA, not included; no computer or phone link	$34.99
Brother PT-D220	Keyboard handheld	12mm (about 1/2 in)	TZe (3.5, 6, 9, 12mm)	180 dpi	6 AAA, not included; no app support	$44.99 list ($34.99 sale on Oct 9)
DYMO LabelManager 280	Rechargeable keyboard handheld	12mm (1/2 in)	D1 (6, 9, 12mm)	180 dpi	Rechargeable lithium-ion; USB to PC or Mac	$89.99
DYMO LetraTag 200B	Phone app, no keyboard	12mm (1/2 in)	LetraTag, direct thermal	160 dpi	4 AA, not included; Bluetooth Low Energy	Not shown on DYMO's page
Brother PT-P300BT (CUBE)	Phone app, no keyboard	12mm (about 1/2 in)	TZe, laminated	Not stated	6 AAA (not included) or included AC adapter; Bluetooth	$69.99
DYMO LabelManager 420P	Wide-tape model, PC link	19mm (3/4 in)	D1 (6, 9, 12, 19mm)	180 dpi	Rechargeable battery pack; PC or Mac	$149.99
Brother PT-D610BT	Desktop keyboard, PC and app	24mm (about 1 in)	TZe up to 24mm	180 x 360 dpi	6 AA (not included) or included AC adapter; USB and Bluetooth	$114.99

Brother does not state a print resolution for the PT-H110 or PT-P300BT. Five of the six P-touch label maker pages we read list a 1 year limited warranty; the PT-D610BT page lists a 2 year limited warranty, as does the QL-1100 label printer page. For differences inside Brother's own range, see our Brother P-touch label maker comparison.

DYMO LabelManager 160 vs Brother P-touch PT-H110

This is the pair most shoppers weigh, and it is close on paper: both have a QWERTY keyboard and print on tape up to 12mm wide. The differences are price, stated resolution and a muddled DYMO power spec.

• Price: DYMO lists the LabelManager 160 at $39.99. Brother lists the PT-H110 at $34.99, so Brother is $5 cheaper at list.
• Resolution: DYMO states 180 dpi for the 160. Brother gives no figure for the PT-H110 but states 180 dpi for the PT-D220.
• Power: the PT-H110 runs on 6 AAA batteries, not included, with the AC adapter sold separately. For the 160, DYMO's comparison table lists 6 AAA and no computer connection, but its product page describes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a PC or Mac connection. Check the box contents on the listing you buy.

Wirecutter, which tested 19 devices, liked the LabelManager 160's screen and keyboard but reported inconsistent print quality and fewer customization options than its Brother picks. If you want the Brother with a stated 180 dpi, the PT-D220 lists at $44.99 and was on sale on Brother's site for $34.99 on October 9, 2026.

Step-up models: rechargeable and computer-connected

Above $80 the brands split. DYMO adds a rechargeable battery and a computer connection to its keyboard handhelds, while Brother keeps its 12mm keyboard models on AAA batteries.

DYMO LabelManager 280 ($89.99)

The 280 has a computer-style QWERTY keyboard, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a USB cable for DYMO Connect for Desktop on Windows and Mac. DYMO rates it at 15 mm per second on D1 tape up to 12mm. None of the Brother keyboard models we checked pairs a rechargeable battery with a computer link at 12mm, so the 280 is the pick if you want both.

DYMO LabelManager 420P ($149.99) vs Brother PT-D610BT ($114.99)

For wider labels on shelves, bins and equipment, the PT-D610BT costs $35 less at list and prints on TZe tape up to 24mm (about 1 in), against 19mm (3/4 in) on the 420P. Brother states 180 x 360 dpi against DYMO's 180 dpi. The PT-D610BT adds a QWERTY keyboard, an automatic cutter (DYMO lists a manual cutter for the 420P), a color LCD and up to 4 lines of print. It connects by USB to P-touch Editor on a PC and by Bluetooth to the iPrint&Label app on iOS and Android.

The 420P answers with a rechargeable battery pack, a backlit 4-line display, a PC or Mac connection and built-in barcode formats (UPC-E, Code 39, Code 128, EAN 13, EAN 8 and UPC-A). The PT-D610BT runs on 6 AA batteries, not included, or its included AC adapter. If you want a rechargeable Brother, the keyboard-less P-touch CUBE Plus (PT-P710BT) has a built-in lithium-ion battery, prints on TZe tape up to 24mm and lists at $114.99.

Brother P-touch CUBE vs DYMO LetraTag 200B for phone printing

Both are keyboard-less 12mm printers run from a phone app, the pairing behind the common question of whether a Brother P-touch or a DYMO LetraTag is better.

• Brother PT-P300BT (CUBE), $69.99: prints laminated TZe tape up to 12mm over Bluetooth with the free P-touch Design&Print 2 app for Apple and Android. It takes 6 AAA batteries, not included, and ships with an AC adapter.
• DYMO LetraTag 200B: prints at 160 dpi over Bluetooth Low Energy with the LetraTag Connect app (Android 10 or later, iOS 13 or later). It needs 4 AA batteries, not included, prints two lines at 7 mm per second and supports iron-on fabric tape. DYMO's page did not show a US price when we checked.

The deciding difference is the tape. LetraTag prints direct thermal on 12mm paper, clear, plastic and textile tapes, while TZe is a thermal transfer tape that Brother sells as laminated. The iron-on fabric option is the reason to pick LetraTag for kids' clothing. For labels that get washed or frozen, only Brother makes a dishwasher and freezer claim for its tape on the pages we checked, and Wirecutter names the PT-P300BT its best on-the-go pick.

DYMO vs Brother tape cost per foot

Running cost is the hardest part to compare, because only Brother's site showed us current tape prices. DYMO's D1 pages listed cassette lengths but no price when we checked, so the DYMO side is a break-even price.

• Brother TZe 12mm x 8m (26.2 ft), black on white, $16.49: about $0.63 per foot, or $2.06 per meter.
• The same tape in a 4-pack, $44.99: about $0.43 per foot, or $1.41 per meter.
• Brother TZe 24mm x 8m, $22.99: about $0.88 per foot, or $2.87 per meter.
• DYMO D1 Standard 12mm: 23 ft (7m) per cassette. DYMO D1 Durable 12mm: 5.5m (about 18 ft) per roll.

At Brother's single-cassette rate, a 3-inch label on 12mm TZe uses about 16 cents of tape, or about 11 cents at the 4-pack rate. Margins add a little tape to every label, so treat those figures as minimums.

To compare DYMO, divide the price you see by the length. A D1 Standard cassette holds 7m against 8m of TZe, so a 12mm D1 cassette is only cheaper per foot than a single TZe cassette if it costs less than about $14.43. To beat the TZe 4-pack rate, it has to cost under about $9.84 per cassette. A 5.5m D1 Durable roll has to cost under about $11.34 to beat the single TZe rate. We did not price third-party compatible cassettes for either brand, so these figures use each brand's own tape.

Both brands ship a short starter tape (12mm x 4m with the Brother PT-D220, PT-H110 and PT-P300BT, 1/2 in. x 10 ft with the LabelManager 280), so price refills before you pick.

Which labels last longer: TZe, D1 or LetraTag?

Brother sells TZe tape with 7-layer lamination and says its labels can "go from the freezer to the microwave to the dishwasher." DYMO says its D1 tapes resist UV light, heat, humidity, near-freezing conditions and household cleaners, but it does not call standard D1 tape laminated on the pages we read. For harsher jobs DYMO sells D1 Durable, rated from -40°C to 80°C (-40°F to 176°F) with UV, moisture and cleaner resistance.

The one side-by-side wash test in the current top search results is Wirecutter's. It reported that Brother labels were the most durable in its testing and survived the dishwasher, while none of the DYMO LabelManager 420P labels did. Here is how that maps to common jobs:

• Freezer, kitchen and dishwasher: Brother TZe, or D1 Durable if you already own a DYMO label maker that takes D1 tape.
• Outdoors and sunlight: D1 Durable states UV resistance and a -40°C to 80°C range; the TZe pages we checked give no temperature range.
• Kids' clothing: LetraTag 200B with iron-on fabric tape.
• Files, shelves and pantry: any of the three systems works, so cost per foot matters more than durability.

Label maker or label printer for shipping labels?

The tape machines above top out at 12mm to 24mm (1/2 to 1 in), far too narrow for a 4 x 6 in shipping label. Both brands sell separate label printers that print on rolls of labels without ink or toner. DYMO says its LabelWriter 5XL's 4 x 6 in labels work with USPS, FedEx, UPS, Amazon, eBay and Etsy. Brother's QL-1100 prints labels up to 4 in wide, which Brother calls ideal for shipping and postage labels. If you ship packages and also label a pantry, you will likely want one of each.

DYMO vs Brother label maker FAQ

Which label maker is better, the Brother P-touch or the DYMO LetraTag?

It depends on the tape. The P-touch CUBE (PT-P300BT, $69.99) prints laminated TZe tape, while the LetraTag 200B prints direct thermal tape and supports iron-on fabric. Pick Brother for labels that must survive washing or cold, and LetraTag for clothing labels and light home use.

Is DYMO or Brother label tape cheaper?

Brother's 12mm TZe tape costs about $0.63 per foot as a single cassette and $0.43 per foot in a 4-pack at list price. DYMO's pages showed no current D1 price when we checked, so use a break-even: a 7m D1 cassette must cost under about $14.43 to beat the single TZe rate.

Can I use DYMO tape in a Brother label maker?

Plan on buying tape from the same system as the machine. Brother's P-touch spec pages list TZe tape, DYMO's LabelManager pages list D1 tape, and LetraTag machines take LetraTag tape. Check the tape type named on your machine's spec page before you order refills.

What is the best label maker for home use?

For a keyboard model at home, the Brother PT-H110 or PT-D220 covers names, jars and folders on 12mm tape at $34.99 to $44.99 list. To design labels on a phone, compare the PT-P300BT with the LetraTag 200B. Wirecutter's top pick is another Brother model, the PT-N25BT, which this guide does not cover.

What is the best label printer for home shipping?

A tape label maker cannot print a 4 x 6 in shipping label. Look at a label printer such as DYMO's LabelWriter 5XL or Brother's QL-1100, which both print 4 in wide shipping labels without ink.

Verdict: Brother vs DYMO, which brand to buy

For most homes and small offices that want a keyboard label maker, start with the Brother PT-H110. It lists for $5 less than the DYMO LabelManager 160, prints on TZe tape that Brother sells as laminated, and its refills have a published cost per foot. Amazon sells it as the PT-H110BP bundle with 4 label tapesAs an Amazon Associate, Fieldnotes earns from qualifying purchases. Prices shown were checked on the date stated and may have changed., which helps since the starter tape is only 4m.

Choose DYMO in two cases. If you want a rechargeable 12mm keyboard handheld that connects to a computer, buy the DYMO LabelManager 280As an Amazon Associate, Fieldnotes earns from qualifying purchases. Prices shown were checked on the date stated and may have changed.. If you want iron-on fabric labels designed on a phone, buy the LetraTag 200B. For wide labels on shelves and equipment, the Brother PT-D610BT gives you 24mm tape and an automatic cutter for $35 less than the LabelManager 420P at list. Whichever you choose, price a refill cassette first, because tape is the cost that keeps coming.

Prices and plan details checked on October 9, 2026 and may change.