Printers are sold cheap so the maker can sell you ink forever. This ranks them by what they actually cost to run: the cost per page, and the real 2-year cost once you add ink to the purchase price. Spoiler, a $200 EcoTank often costs less over two years than an $85 inkjet.
Prices and ink costs reviewed 31 July 2026 . Cost per page uses standard cartridge or tank yields; check the model for exact figures.
| Printer | Type | Black /page | Colour /page | Printer price | 2-yr real cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon imageCLASS LBP6030wCheapest to run | Mono Laser | 3.0¢ | Mono | $100 | $145 | Check price |
| Brother HL-L2405W | Mono Laser | 2.0¢ | Mono | $120 | $150 | Check price |
| Brother HL-L2350DW | Mono Laser | 1.5¢ | Mono | $130 | $152 | Check price |
| Brother HL-L2460DW | Mono Laser | 1.5¢ | Mono | $160 | $182 | Check price |
| HP LaserJet M110we | Mono Laser | 3.5¢ | Mono | $130 | $182 | Check price |
| HP LaserJet M209dwe | Mono Laser | 3.0¢ | Mono | $150 | $195 | Check price |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | Ink Tank | 0.3¢ | 2.6¢ | $200 | $218 | Check price |
| Brother MFC-L2710DW | Mono Laser | 1.5¢ | Mono | $200 | $222 | Check price |
| Canon MegaTank G3270 | Ink Tank | 0.4¢ | 1.0¢ | $230 | $241 | Check price |
| Brother MFC-J4335DW | Inkjet | 3.0¢ | 8¢ | $160 | $245 | Check price |
| Lexmark MB2236adw | Mono Laser | 2.5¢ | Mono | $220 | $258 | Check price |
| Brother MFC-J1010DW | Inkjet | 5.0¢ | 12¢ | $130 | $265 | Check price |
| Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3820 | Inkjet | 4.0¢ | 10¢ | $180 | $290 | Check price |
| HP Smart Tank 6001 | Ink Tank | 0.5¢ | 1.0¢ | $280 | $292 | Check price |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2850 | Ink Tank | 0.3¢ | 2.6¢ | $280 | $298 | Check price |
| HP DeskJet 2755e | Inkjet | 8.0¢ | 20¢ | $85 | $305 | Check price |
| Epson EcoTank ET-4800 | Ink Tank | 0.3¢ | 2.6¢ | $300 | $318 | Check price |
| HP DeskJet 4155e | Inkjet | 8.0¢ | 20¢ | $100 | $320 | Check price |
| HP Envy 6055e | Inkjet | 7.0¢ | 18¢ | $130 | $325 | Check price |
| Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 | Inkjet | 3.5¢ | 9¢ | $230 | $328 | Check price |
| HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e | Inkjet | 5.0¢ | 12¢ | $200 | $335 | Check price |
| Canon PIXMA TR4720 | Inkjet | 9.0¢ | 22¢ | $90 | $335 | Check price |
| Canon Color imageCLASS LBP622Cdw | Color Laser | 2.0¢ | 13¢ | $250 | $345 | Check price |
| HP Smart 4001e | Inkjet | 8.0¢ | 19¢ | $130 | $345 | Check price |
| Epson WorkForce WF-2960 | Inkjet | 7.0¢ | 18¢ | $150 | $345 | Check price |
| Canon MegaTank G6020 | Ink Tank | 0.3¢ | 1.0¢ | $350 | $360 | Check price |
| HP Smart Tank 7301 | Ink Tank | 0.5¢ | 1.0¢ | $350 | $362 | Check price |
| HP Envy Inspire 7955e | Inkjet | 6.0¢ | 16¢ | $200 | $370 | Check price |
| Canon PIXMA TS6420a | Inkjet | 10.0¢ | 24¢ | $100 | $370 | Check price |
| HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e | Inkjet | 5.0¢ | 12¢ | $250 | $385 | Check price |
| Canon MegaTank G7020 | Ink Tank | 0.3¢ | 1.0¢ | $400 | $410 | Check price |
| Canon PIXMA TR8620a | Inkjet | 9.0¢ | 20¢ | $180 | $415 | Check price |
| Epson EcoTank ET-3850 | Ink Tank | 0.3¢ | 2.6¢ | $400 | $418 | Check price |
| Brother HL-L3270CDW | Color Laser | 1.5¢ | 12¢ | $350 | $432 | Check price |
| HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw | Color Laser | 2.0¢ | 12¢ | $350 | $440 | Check price |
| Epson EcoTank ET-15000 | Ink Tank | 0.5¢ | 3.0¢ | $500 | $522 | Check price |
| Brother MFC-L3750CDW | Color Laser | 1.5¢ | 12¢ | $450 | $532 | Check price |
| HP Color LaserJet MFP 3301fdw | Color Laser | 1.8¢ | 11¢ | $500 | $582 | Check price |
Ink-tank printers (EcoTank, MegaTank, Smart Tank) at well under 1¢ per black page. A cartridge inkjet costs 5-20¢/page, so it can cost more over two years than a pricier ink-tank. Mono laser is very cheap for text.
The printer is cheap; the money is in the ink. A $50-100 inkjet at 8-20¢/page burns more in ink than a $200 EcoTank that prints for a fraction of a cent. The 2-year cost column shows the truth.
Mono laser is cheapest for black text and never dries out. Ink-tank inkjet is cheapest for colour and photos. Colour laser is cheap for black but pricey per colour page. Match to what you print.
Printer price plus ink for ~1,500 black + 500 colour pages over two years, a like-for-like real cost where cheap cartridge printers lose to ink-tanks.