If you’re searching for the best printer for low ink cost, you have to look beyond flashy sale prices and focus on long-term printing expenses. The biggest savings don’t come from the printer itself—but from the consumables you’ll be buying for years. Ink tank and laser printers almost always deliver a much lower cost per page than traditional inkjet cartridges, even if the printer costs more upfront.
Many budget printers follow the classic “razor and blades” model: the printer is cheap, but the ink is expensive. A $60 inkjet seems like a bargain—until you start replacing $50 cartridges every couple months.
For example, the HP DeskJet 2755e sells for around $60, but a genuine HP 67XL cartridge set costs over $45. You’ll replace those often if you print regularly.
The best way to compare printers is to focus on cost per page (CPP)—not the sticker price.
Standard inkjet printers are affordable, but the cost per page adds up fast. A budget Canon PIXMA cartridge might only yield 180 pages.
Better for:
– Light printing
– Occasional photo use
Ink tank printers like the Epson EcoTank and Canon MegaTank use refillable bottles instead of disposable cartridges.
Epson EcoTank bottles can print 6,000+ pages
Canon MegaTank models offer similarly high yields
This makes ink tanks one of the best printers for low ink cost, especially for color.
Laser printers use dry toner powder, which never dries out—perfect for office environments or infrequent printing.
A Brother high-yield toner (TN-760) prints 3,000 pages and delivers rock-bottom CPP.
| Printer Type | Best For | Upfront Cost | Long-Term Ink Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inkjet Cartridge | Low volume | Low | High |
| Refillable Ink Tank | Color & volume | Medium/High | Very Low |
| Laser Toner | High-volume B&W | Medium/High | Very Low |
The best printer for low ink cost will always be either a laser printer or refillable ink tank—depending on whether you print mostly black & white or color.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/cq_oet3KFbs
Refillable ink tank printers have completely flipped the script on printing costs. For years, the biggest complaint about traditional inkjets has been the sky-high price of replacement cartridges. Ink tank models tackle this problem head-on.
Instead of those small, pricey cartridges you have to replace constantly, these printers come with built-in reservoirs you top up yourself from large, affordable bottles of ink. It’s a simple change, but it’s the secret to finding a printer with the cheapest ink for anyone doing a lot of color printing.
The idea is refreshingly simple. You buy bottles of ink that are good for thousands of pages, not just a few hundred. Brands like Epson with their EcoTank line and Canon with their MegaTank series are the big players here, and they offer a trade-off that’s hard to ignore.
While you’ll pay more for the printer itself compared to a standard inkjet, the long-term running costs are unbelievably low. This model completely reverses the old “razor and blades” business strategy. The cost is in the hardware, not the consumables you have to buy over and over again.
Inkjet printers often look cheap upfront, but their ink dries out, clogs printheads, and produces expensive maintenance cycles. HP explains this in its printhead maintenance guide—inkjets require regular use to stay efficient.
Laser printers, however:
✔ Don’t dry out
✔ Print thousands of pages
✔ Offer dramatically lower cost per page
Brother’s laser support page highlights toner’s longevity and efficiency, which is why most offices rely on it.
If your goal is long-term savings, laser printers are the best printers for low ink cost for black-and-white printing.
For more helpful printing tips, our own Toner Connect blog is packed with useful resources. Ultimately, if you’re a busy family, a student, or run a home office that prints regularly, an ink tank printer is an incredibly smart choice that stops you from constantly worrying about the cost of ink.
$80 printer
$40 cartridges (200 pages)
Business prints 500 pages/month
Annual cost = $1,200 in ink
$200 printer
$60 toner (2,600 pages)
Annual toner cost ≈ $138
Annual savings: $1,000+
Ink tank printers have become the best printers for low ink cost for color printing.
Example:
Standard cartridge inkjet: $40 for 200 pages
Epson EcoTank ET-2800: $55 ink bottles for 6,500 pages
CPP comparison:
Cartridge ink: 9.6 cents/page
Ink tank bottle: 0.3 cents/page
Consumable Price ÷ Page Yield = Cost Per Page
Examples:
| Consumable | Price | Yield | CPP |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP 67XL | $23 | 240 pages | 9.6¢ |
| Brother TN-760 | $85 | 3,000 pages | 2.8¢ |
| Epson 502 Ink Bottle | $20 | 7,500 pages | 0.3¢ |
This formula is essential for finding the best printer for low ink cost.
Beyond the ink:
✔ Print volume
✔ Whether you need color
✔ Printhead maintenance
✔ Toner/ink shelf life
✔ Environmental disposal costs
According to the EPA, reducing consumable waste significantly lowers environmental impact—another reason to choose ink tank or laser printers.
For sustainable disposal options, Earth911 offers guidance.
Brother (laser)
Epson EcoTank (ink tank)
Canon MegaTank
Standard HP & Canon cartridge inkjets
Any entry-level printer under $100
Choosing the right printer is a contextual decision. You must align the technology with your primary use case to achieve the lowest overall cost and avoid frustration with a tool that doesn’t fit your workflow.
And don’t forget about the end of the line. Your total cost also includes what you do with the printer when it’s time to upgrade. Finding responsible printer recycling options is a final, and often forgotten, part of the equation.
When you’re trying to figure out which printer has the cheapest ink, you’ll quickly realize that not all brands play the same game. It’s less about the printer and more about the company’s entire business model. Some brands have built their empires on the classic “razor and blades” strategy, while others have earned a reputation for focusing on long-term running costs.
Take HP and Canon, for example. They dominate the home printer market, and you’ll find their printers on sale for incredibly low prices. The catch? The standard ink cartridges for these budget-friendly models often carry a shockingly high cost per page. While both companies offer excellent ink tank and business-class printers with much better economics, their entry-level machines are designed to keep you buying expensive ink.
On the other hand, you have brands like Brother. For years, they’ve been a quiet favorite among small businesses, especially for their laser printers. They’re known for making no-nonsense monochrome laser printers with high-yield toner cartridges that just keep going. This dedication to a low cost per page for text-heavy documents has made them the default choice for offices that just need to print without breaking the bank.
Then there’s Epson, who threw a wrench in the whole system by introducing their EcoTank line. They completely flipped the script: charge more for the printer itself but make the ink ridiculously cheap. This move created a huge following among home users, families, and small businesses who needed to print a lot of color without the constant fear of running out of ink.
The numbers don’t lie. A typical black ink cartridge will set you back anywhere from $20 to $50, and a color one can run from $30 to $60. The real story is in the cost-per-page (CPP): printers that cost less than $200 average around 5.5 cents for a black-and-white page. Jump up to a model over $200, and that cost drops to 3.9 cents. It might not sound like much, but when you’re buying ink several times a year, those pennies add up fast. If you want to dive deeper, there’s some great data on how much you are really spending on ink.
Best for Black & White:
✔ Brother Monochrome Laser (e.g., HL-L2350DW)
Best for Color:
✔ Epson EcoTank (ET-2800 or ET-2850)
Best Budget Option:
✔ Canon MegaTank G3270
If you have surplus, unopened OEM cartridges, Toner Connect LLC can help you turn them into cash.
Get a competitive quote and free shipping:
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At Toner Connect LLC, we help businesses turn their surplus, unopened OEM printer supplies into cash. If you have excess toner or ink cartridges taking up space, get a competitive quote and enjoy a simple, fast, and reliable buyback process by visiting us at https://tonerconnect.net.
