Printer ink is one of the most overpriced consumer products on the planet. A single cartridge can cost $15 to $50, and most people buy based on that sticker price alone. That is the wrong number to look at. The only metric that matters is price per page — how much each printed sheet actually costs you. A $25 cartridge that prints 500 pages is cheaper than a $15 cartridge that prints 200, even though it costs more upfront.
Once you start comparing ink by price per page, the best deals become obvious. And some of them are not what you would expect.
How to Calculate Price Per Page
The formula is simple:
Price Per Page = Cartridge Price / Page Yield
Page yield is the number of pages a cartridge can print before it runs out. Manufacturers are required to test this using the ISO/IEC 24711 standard for inkjet and ISO/IEC 19752 for toner, so the numbers are reasonably comparable across brands.
Example: An HP 67XL black cartridge costs about $25 and yields approximately 240 pages. That is $25 / 240 = $0.104 per page. A standard HP 67 costs about $15 for 120 pages, which works out to $0.125 per page. The XL cartridge costs 67% more but is 17% cheaper per page.
This math works the same way for every cartridge on the market. Always divide price by yield before comparing.
Standard vs XL: The Math Always Favors XL
Cartridge manufacturers sell standard and high-yield (XL or XXL) versions of most cartridges. The XL version costs more upfront but holds significantly more ink. The per-page math almost always favors the larger cartridge.
| Cartridge Type | Typical Price | Page Yield | Price Per Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ~$15 | 250 pages | ~$0.060/page |
| XL | ~$25 | 500 pages | ~$0.050/page |
In this example, the XL cartridge costs 67% more but delivers 100% more pages, making it 17% cheaper per page. This pattern holds across nearly every cartridge family — HP, Canon, Brother, Epson. The only exception is if you print so rarely that the ink dries out before you finish the cartridge, which can happen if you print less than once a month.
If you print at least a few times per month, always buy XL. The savings compound quickly — over a year of moderate printing, the difference adds up to $20 to $50.
OEM vs Compatible Ink
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cartridges are made by the printer company — HP ink for HP printers, Canon ink for Canon printers. Compatible cartridges are made by third-party manufacturers and designed to work in the same printers.
The price difference is substantial:
| Ink Type | Typical Price (XL Black) | Savings vs OEM |
|---|---|---|
| OEM | $25–$35 | — |
| Compatible | $10–$18 | 30–50% |
Compatible cartridges have improved dramatically over the past decade. For document printing, most users will not notice a difference. For professional photo printing, OEM cartridges still produce more accurate colors.
The biggest concern people have about compatible cartridges is warranty. This is largely a myth. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (a US federal law) prohibits manufacturers from voiding your warranty simply because you used a third-party consumable. The printer company would need to prove that the specific compatible cartridge caused the specific damage — not just that you used one. For a deeper dive, read our full OEM vs compatible breakdown.
Ink vs Toner: Which Is Actually Cheaper?
Inkjet printers are cheap to buy but expensive to run. Laser printers cost more upfront but are dramatically cheaper per page. If you print more than a few hundred pages per month, the math shifts hard toward laser.
| Inkjet | Laser | |
|---|---|---|
| Printer Cost | $50–$150 | $150–$400 |
| Black Page Cost | $0.05–$0.15 | $0.01–$0.03 |
| Color Page Cost | $0.10–$0.30 | $0.03–$0.08 |
| Best For | Photos, light use | Documents, high volume |
| Cartridge Shelf Life | Dries out if unused | Lasts indefinitely |
Toner cartridges last thousands of pages — a standard black toner cartridge might yield 2,500 to 5,000 pages, compared to 200 to 500 for an ink cartridge. The upfront cost is higher ($40 to $80 for toner vs $15 to $35 for ink), but the per-page cost is a fraction.
If you mostly print text documents, a monochrome laser printer with toner at $0.02/page will save you hundreds of dollars per year compared to an inkjet at $0.10/page.
The Best Time to Buy Ink
Ink prices do not fluctuate as dramatically as electronics, but there are predictable windows for deals:
- Amazon Prime Day (July): 15–25% off OEM cartridges, deeper discounts on compatible brands
- Black Friday / Cyber Monday (November): The best ink deals of the year, especially on multi-packs
- Back-to-School (August–September): Retailers discount printers and ink together
- Manufacturer Sales: HP, Canon, and Epson run periodic promotions on their own stores, often bundling cartridges with paper
Multi-packs are almost always cheaper per cartridge than buying singles, regardless of time of year. A twin-pack of HP 67XL typically saves 10–15% compared to buying two individual cartridges.
The Bottom Line
Stop comparing cartridge prices. Start comparing price per page. Buy XL cartridges unless you barely print. Consider compatible cartridges for document printing. And if you print a lot, switch to laser — the per-page savings are enormous.
Compare All Ink Cartridges by Price Per Page → Compare Toner by Price Per Page →