Which printer has the cheapest ink? Cost per page compared (2026)

Quick answer: the cheapest way to print is with a tank printer that you refill with bottles, such as a Canon PIXMA G (MegaTank), an Epson EcoTank or an HP Smart Tank or Ink Tank. With compatible bottles, a black page costs between 0.05 and 0.07 cents. For cartridge printers, it all depends on the cartridge they use: with compatible XL cartridges, it ranges from 0.10 to 1.02 cents per page, and the most expensive cartridge per page is about five times more expensive than the HP 950XL. Look at the cartridge, not the price of the printer.

How we calculated it

Cost per page = price of the black cartridge or bottle divided by the pages stated by the manufacturer. This yield is measured according to the ISO/IEC 24711 standard, using a fixed set of test pages similar to office documents: mainly text, no photos. If you print many images, you will get fewer pages and each one will be more expensive, but the difference between printers remains roughly the same.

Prices are for our compatible ink in our shop for Ireland and the rest of the EU, including VAT, as of 10 October 2026. We are talking about black. Colour is calculated in the same way, using the price and yield of the colour cartridge shown on the product page.

Cost per page by printer (black, compatible ink)

The full list of compatible printers is on the page for each cartridge or bottle. If your printer does not appear, write to us before placing your order.

What this says about which printer is cheap

• Tank printers are the cheapest to run. With compatible bottles, you print 1,000 black pages for €0.50 to €0.75. These printers cost more to buy than a simple cartridge printer, so they are mainly worth it if you print frequently.
• With cartridge printers, the large cartridge wins. The HP 940XL and HP 950XL, with 2,200 and 2,300 pages per black cartridge, cost €1.90 and €2.08 per 1,000 pages. If you already have an HP OfficeJet Pro 8100, 8600 or 8610, you have one of the most economical cartridge printers available.
• Small cartridges are expensive per page, even if they seem cheap. An HP 903XL costs about five times more per page than a 950XL, because it only yields 825 pages: €10.17 per 1,000.
• Always choose the XL version if it exists. More pages per cartridge almost always means a lower price per page.

Tank or cartridges: when is it worth it?

If you print just a few pages a month, it will take time to recoup the higher price of a tank printer, and a cartridge printer with affordable XL cartridges is usually the most sensible option. If you print every week, for school, working from home or a small business, the difference grows quickly. Do the maths with your own figures in our tank or cartridge printer comparison.

Watch out for HP: firmware updates

On some HP printers, the firmware checks the chip of each cartridge. HP states that cartridges with a non-HP chip may stop working after a firmware update. If you use compatible cartridges in an HP, disable automatic updates from the printer settings or the HP Smart app. If your printer is already rejecting a cartridge, read My printer does not recognise the cartridge: 9 solutions.

How to save ink with any printer

• Print text in black and white when you don't need colour: colour cartridges will last longer.
• Do not run a head cleaning every five minutes: each cleaning uses ink. Only do it if you really see streaks or missing lines.
• Do not leave the printer for months without use. A few pages a month prevents ink from drying in the print head.
• Do not throw away the cartridge at the first low ink warning: you can often continue printing for a while. Change it when the print starts to look pale.

Frequently asked questions