Check printing guides
What you need to print your own checks, what the MICR line is, and how the software options compare. Written by the people who make OwnChecks.
How-to guides
How to print checks at home
Print checks at home with a printer you may already own, check stock and a $50 one-time app. What you need, the steps, and the one call to make first.
Can you print checks on a regular printer?
Yes. Most laser and inkjet printers can print checks. You need check stock and a test page, and most banks accept these. Laser vs inkjet, explained.
How to print business checks
How to print business checks on Windows with OwnChecks: accounts you can sign, payees, a logo, a register, and a test page. $50 once.
Print checks on blank check stock
How to print checks on blank check stock with MICR software, MICR toner, and a test page. OwnChecks is $50 once on Windows.
Pre-printed vs blank check stock: which should you buy?
Pre-printed check stock already has your bank numbers. Blank check stock lets your software print the whole check. Which one to buy, and how to switch.
MICR toner and ink: what it is, and when you need it
What MICR toner and ink are, when a bank may want the MICR line in magnetic ink, and when pre-printed stock skips it. OwnChecks does not sell toner.
What is MICR software? (And do you need it to print checks?)
MICR software prints the bank line at the bottom of a check on blank stock. When you need it, when pre-printed checks make it optional, and what it costs.
Can you print your own checks? Is it legal?
Yes. In the US you can print your own checks on accounts you're allowed to sign. The catch is your bank, not the law. What to ask.
Choosing software
Best check printing software for Windows: $50 once, no subscription
The best check printing software for Windows if you hate monthly bills: OwnChecks is $50 once. No subscription, no print credits. Free trial.
A Checkeeper alternative with no monthly fee: $50 once, not $14.99 a month
No monthly fee Checkeeper alternative: OwnChecks is $50 once for one Windows PC. Checkeeper costs $14.99/mo ($179.88/yr) as of Oct 21, 2026.
A VersaCheck alternative for Windows is $50 once, with no print credits
VersaCheck alternative for Windows: OwnChecks is $50 once for one PC, with no print credits. VersaCheck X1 Silver bundle was $99.99 on Oct 2, 2026.
Business Check Printing
Business check printing on your Windows PC: payee, amount and MICR line on blank stock, or fill pre-printed checks. OwnChecks is $50 once. Free trial.
Cheap check printing software for Windows: $50 once for one computer
OwnChecks is $50 once for one Windows PC. Checksoft Personal Deluxe $41.99; Checkeeper $14.99/mo. Prices as of Oct 2, 2026.
Check writing software for a small business that still mails a paper check
Check writing software for a small business on Windows. $50 once. A local register, logo, and payees. No monthly fee. Not a payroll or accounting suite.
MICR check printing software for blank stock, on Windows
MICR check printing software for Windows 10 and 11. OwnChecks prints the E-13B line on blank check stock on a regular printer. $50 once.
Check register software that stays on the Windows PC that prints the checks
Check register software for Windows: search, void, edit, reprint, export CSV, and back up checks on your PC. $50 for the first computer, $25 each extra in the same order.
No subscription check printing software
What paying once covers, and what it does not.
Check printing software prices compared
Published prices, update policies and platforms, with sources.
By type of business
Check printing for landlords who still pay vendors by check
Check printing for a landlord on Windows. Pay a plumber or return a deposit from the property account. $50 once. Not rent-collection software.
Check printing for a church treasurer on one Windows PC
Check printing for a church treasurer on one Windows PC. Vendor and benevolence checks, a local register, $50 once. Not donation software.
Check printing for a small nonprofit that is not ready for fund accounting
Check printing for a small nonprofit on Windows. Vendor checks and reimbursements, a local register, $50 once. Not fund accounting.
Check printing for contractors who pay suppliers with a paper check
Check printing for contractors on Windows. Pay a supplier or a sub from the shop PC, with the job in the memo. $50 once. Not job-cost software.