Best Printers with Cheapest Ink: Features, Costs and Trade-offs

The printers with the cheapest ink are tank models: the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 and ET-3850, the Canon MegaTank PIXMA G3270 and G3290, the HP Smart Tank 5101 and 7301, and the Brother INKvestment Tank MFC-T780DW, with the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 leading for heavy office volume. Cartridge printers cost less to buy but far more to run. This guide explains how to read ink-cost claims, compares the main low-cost options, and lists the trade-offs of each.

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#1 Pick

HP Smart Tank 5003 Ink Tank Printer | 3 Years of Ink Included | All-in-One | Low Cost Printing | Cartridge-Free Refillable Ink System | Wireless Printer | Print, Scan, Copy | Ideal for Home

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#2 Pick

HP OfficeJet Pro 8125 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Print, Scan, Copy, ADF, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home Office, 3 Month Trial of Instant Ink Included, AI-Capable (C2VJ4A)

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#3 Pick

HP Envy 6155 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, Print, Scan, Copy, Duplex Printing Best-for-Home, 3 Month Trial of Instant Ink Included, AI-Capable (C2WR7A) Portobello

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#4 Pick

HP Smart Tank 5003 Ink Tank Printer | 3 Years of Ink Included | All-in-One | Low Cost Printing | Cartridge-Free Refillable Ink System | Wireless Printer | Print, Scan, Copy | Ideal for Home

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Why Cartridge Printers Cost More to Run

A basic cartridge inkjet is cheap on the shelf, but its starter cartridges are tiny. Consumer Reports lists a claimed page yield of just 200 pages for both black and color on Brother’s MFC-J1010DW, and its own tests produced 170 black and 82 color pages. RTINGS reports about 220 black-and-white pages or 130 color pages from standard cartridges. For anyone searching for the best home printers with cheapest ink, that comparison is the key insight: a machine that looks inexpensive can end up costing more through replacement cartridges.

Tank printers invert the model. They cost more to buy, but each bottle set prints thousands of pages. HP states about 0.4 cents per black page and 1.7 cents per color page for Smart Tank, versus 15 cents and 62 cents for standard cartridges. Those are the maker’s ink-only figures, and independent figures for the 7602 are around 0.5 cents black and 2.1 cents color. Digital Trends quotes about 0.3 cent per mono page and 0.8 cent per color page for the Epson ET-3850.

How to Compare Ink Cost Honestly

• Page yield per bottle set: Look for the maker’s ISO/IEC-based figure and note that bundled bottles yield less than replacements.
• Cost per page is ink only: It leaves out paper, electricity and maintenance.
• Black versus color: Many buyers print mostly text, so the black rate matters most.
• Ink lock-in: If a printer blocks third-party ink, you depend on the maker’s pricing.
• Usage pattern: Printing weekly avoids clogs that waste ink on cleaning cycles.

At a Glance: Low-Ink-Cost Printers

Best Value Picks by Maker

Epson

Epson models appear most often as best overall or best value among reviewers. The ET-2800 and ET-2400 share the same 522 bottles, and the ET-3850 and ET-5850 raise the yield for black ink. Epson says bundled bottles yield a little less than replacements, and one independent test found about 3,990 black pages from the ET-2800 starter set.

Canon

Canon’s GI-21 bottle set is rated at up to 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages in default mode, and economy mode stretches that to 7,600 and 8,100. Tom’s Guide names the G3290 its budget recommendation for low ink cost and affordable up-front cost.

HP

HP bottles are inexpensive per page by the maker’s claims, but HP’s Dynamic Security firmware is built to work with genuine bottles. Castle Ink and a 2026 guide to the 7602 both note that third-party sets may not work with current firmware. If you plan to buy cheaper compatible ink, this is the wrong ecosystem.

Brother

Brother’s MFC-T780DW includes up to three years of ink according to the listing, which front-loads the savings. Tom’s Guide gave it an Editor’s Choice for very low ink cost. Printersupport.io notes it is not a classic refillable-bottle design, so confirm refill details.

Features That Save Ink and Effort

• Economy mode: Canon lists higher yields in economy mode; draft modes on other models work similarly.
• Black-only printing: Choose grayscale for documents to avoid color ink use.
• Duplex printing: Saves paper, not ink, but helps total cost.
• Regular use: Printing weekly avoids cleaning cycles that consume ink.

When a Laser Is Cheaper

If you only print black-and-white documents, a mono laser all-in-one such as the Brother MFC-L2820DW is described by reviewers as fast and low in running cost for text. Toner does not dry out, which suits infrequent printing. Color is the limit.

Pick X If… Decision Table

Alternatives

• HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e: Forbes Vetted names it a top all-in-one for color and fast duplex scanning, but reviewers note running costs are higher than tank models.
• Epson EcoTank ET-4800: 30-sheet ADF and the same 522 ink.
• Cartridge subscription plans: Maker subscriptions can lower cartridge costs, though terms vary.

A Worked Way to Compare Models

Pick the number of pages you print in a typical year and divide by the maker’s stated yield per bottle set. A household printing around 1,000 pages a year, mostly black text, would use well under one black bottle of an Epson ET-2800 family model, which Epson rates at 4,500 pages. Such a user could go several years on a single replacement set. A cartridge printer with a claimed starter yield of 200 pages would need many replacements across the same period. The same arithmetic shows why the per-page cost is more useful than the up-front cost tier when you print often, and why it barely matters when you print rarely.

Also compare black and color separately. Epson lists 4,500 pages for black but 7,500 for each color bottle on the 522 family, whereas the ET-3850 and ET-5850 flip the pattern with higher black yields. Canon and HP bottles list higher color than black yields in default mode. If your pages are mostly text, favor the model with the best black yield.

Common Mistakes That Raise Ink Cost

• Buying the cheapest cartridge printer: Small starter cartridges run out quickly, and replacements cost more per page than tank bottles.
• Printing everything in color: Choose grayscale for documents that do not need color.
• Leaving the printer idle for weeks: Cleaning cycles and clogs waste ink, so print a short page weekly.
• Ignoring ink lock-in: A printer that blocks other ink ties you to the maker’s bottle pricing.
• Choosing by headline yield alone: Bundled bottles yield less than replacements, and real documents with images use more ink than the test pattern.

Setup Tips That Protect Your Savings

Fill tanks slowly and stop at the fill line so no ink is wasted. Keep the printer on a level surface, and avoid moving it with full tanks unless the manual says it is safe. Use the maker’s app to see ink level estimates, but remember that on-screen indicators are approximate, so refill when the level approaches the lower mark rather than waiting for a warning. Store spare bottles upright in a cool place, away from children and pets.

Final Buying Checklist

Before buying, write down how many pages you print in a typical month, whether they are mostly black text or color, and whether you need an ADF, duplex printing or Ethernet. Then compare the maker’s stated bottle yield for each shortlisted model, check the ink restrictions, and read the warranty. A model that fits these four points will usually give the lowest real running cost, even if it is not the cheapest machine on the shelf. Keep the receipt and registration details, since some makers extend warranty terms when you register the product within a set period.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which printer has the cheapest ink per page?

Tank models from Epson, Canon, HP and Brother all publish very low figures, around half a cent or less per black page by makers’ claims. The lowest depends on the model and your mix of black and color.

Are ink tank printers worth it for occasional use?

Occasional users gain less because the higher up-front cost tier takes longer to recoup. Heavy users save the most.

Do ink-saving modes reduce quality?

Economy or draft modes use less ink and look lighter. They suit drafts and internal documents, and standard mode suits final copies.

Can I use cheaper third-party ink?

Epson and Canon advise using their own bottles but reviewers do not report firmware blocks. HP’s Dynamic Security can block non-HP ink, and using other ink may affect warranty terms.

Why does my printer use ink when idle?

Printers run cleaning cycles to keep the print head clear. Printing a page each week reduces how often they trigger.

Is a laser printer cheaper than an ink tank?

For black-and-white text, a laser can be very economical and does not dry out. For color, tank printers are generally cheaper to run.