Ink cartridges cost up to 80× more per page than refillable tank ink
We ranked 34 current printer inks by true cost per page (cartridge price divided by its ISO page yield). The cheapest, Brother BTD60 bottle, prints at 0.26¢ a page; the priciest, 305 Black, costs 20.8¢ a page, the same words on paper, at a wildly different price.
Method: cartridge/bottle price divided by manufacturer ISO page yield, in US cents. Cite this: "usefulHQ Printer Ink Cost Study 2026", usefulhq.com/ink-prices/. Figures update as prices are reviewed.
Embed or cite this stat
| ¢/page ▲ | Cartridge / bottle | Brand | Price | Page yield | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.26¢CHEAPEST | Brother BTD60 bottleTANK | Brother | $17.00 | 6,500 pages | Check price → |
| 0.27¢ | MegaTank GI-590 bottleTANK | Canon | $16.00 | 6,000 pages | Check price → |
| 0.30¢ | Smart Tank 32XL bottleTANK | HP | $18.00 | 6,000 pages | Check price → |
| 0.32¢ | MegaTank GI-53 bottleTANK | Canon | $19.00 | 6,000 pages | Check price → |
| 0.33¢ | EcoTank 664 bottleTANK | Epson | $15.00 | 4,500 pages | Check price → |
| 0.38¢ | Smart Tank GT53 bottleTANK | HP | $15.00 | 4,000 pages | Check price → |
| 0.38¢ | EcoTank 502 bottleTANK | Epson | $17.00 | 4,500 pages | Check price → |
| 0.40¢ | EcoTank 522 bottleTANK | Epson | $18.00 | 4,500 pages | Check price → |
| 1.1¢ | LC3219XL Black | Brother | $33.00 | 3,000 pages | Check price → |
| 2.2¢ | TN2420 Toner | Brother | $65.00 | 3,000 pages | Check price → |
| 2.4¢ | 953XL Black | HP | $48.00 | 2,000 pages | Check price → |
| 2.6¢ | 963XL Black | HP | $52.00 | 2,000 pages | Check price → |
| 3.5¢ | 405XL Black | Epson | $38.00 | 1,100 pages | Check price → |
| 3.9¢ | HP 05A Black Toner | HP | $90.00 | 2,300 pages | Check price → |
| 4.0¢ | LC3217 Black | Brother | $22.00 | 550 pages | Check price → |
| 4.6¢ | 912XL Black | HP | $38.00 | 825 pages | Check price → |
| 6.0¢ | 603XL Black | Epson | $30.00 | 500 pages | Check price → |
| 6.4¢ | 604XL Black | Epson | $32.00 | 500 pages | Check price → |
| 6.7¢ | PGI-580XXL Black | Canon | $40.00 | 600 pages | Check price → |
| 7.0¢ | LC3213XL Black | Brother | $28.00 | 400 pages | Check price → |
| 7.0¢ | HP 207A Black Toner | HP | $95.00 | 1,350 pages | Check price → |
| 7.3¢ | 302XL Black | HP | $35.00 | 480 pages | Check price → |
| 8.3¢ | 67XL Black | HP | $33.00 | 400 pages | Check price → |
| 8.5¢ | PG-560XL Black | Canon | $34.00 | 400 pages | Check price → |
| 8.8¢ | PG-545XL Black | Canon | $35.00 | 400 pages | Check price → |
| 9.0¢ | PGI-580 Black | Canon | $18.00 | 200 pages | Check price → |
| 9.0¢ | LC3211 Black | Brother | $18.00 | 200 pages | Check price → |
| 10.5¢ | 302 Black | HP | $20.00 | 190 pages | Check price → |
| 10.7¢ | 603 Black | Epson | $16.00 | 150 pages | Check price → |
| 11.1¢ | PG-560 Black | Canon | $20.00 | 180 pages | Check price → |
| 12.2¢ | PG-545 Black | Canon | $22.00 | 180 pages | Check price → |
| 15.8¢ | 67 Black | HP | $19.00 | 120 pages | Check price → |
| 16.7¢ | 305XL Black | HP | $40.00 | 240 pages | Check price → |
| 20.8¢ | 305 Black | HP | $25.00 | 120 pages | Check price → |
Common questions
How is cost per page calculated?
Cartridge price ÷ its ISO page yield, shown in cents per page. A cheap cartridge that prints very few pages usually costs more per page than a dearer high-yield one.
What's the cheapest way to print at home?
An ink-tank printer (EcoTank, MegaTank, Smart Tank). You refill from bottles at roughly 0.3-0.5¢/page versus 5-15¢ for cartridges. It costs more up front but pays for itself fast if you print much.
Are XL cartridges cheaper?
Almost always. XL cartridges cost more up front but hold far more ink, so the cost per page is usually much lower than the standard size of the same cartridge.
Do compatible (third-party) cartridges work?
Often yes and they're cheaper, but quality varies and some printers block non-genuine ink via firmware. For important prints, genuine or ink-tank refills are the safer bet.