Is Canon Ink Cheaper Per Page Than HP? (2026)

The Math: 21.1 Cents vs 23.3 Cents

Canon color ink costs 21.1 cents per page, while HP color ink costs 23.3 cents per page. HP often restricts the physical volume of ink in its standard and XL cartridges compared to Canon's equivalently priced units, meaning you get fewer milliliters of ink per dollar at checkout. For anyone printing documents regularly, paying 23.3 cents per page on HP hardware burns through your budget faster than the 21.1-cent alternative.

Cumulative Savings Over Time

A 2.2-cent difference per page seems microscopic until you scale it. If you print a 200-page capacity manuscript, you save $4.40 (200 pages × $0.022). At 500 pages, the savings reach $11.00.

If your home office pushes 1,000 pages a month, choosing Canon keeps $22.00 in your pocket. Scale that to a 2,000-page workload, and you save $44.00 simply by picking the brand with the lower operating cost.

Cheapest Ink Alternatives in Our Database

OEM ink is expensive, but our live market data shows drastically cheaper alternatives. The absolute cheapest in-stock listing we track is the Faslvink Compatible Ink Refill Bottles →.

Another strong option is the E-Z Ink Compatible Tr8620a Ink Cartridge → for Canon 280. These third-party bottles crush the 21.1-cent OEM baseline. You can explore the full spectrum of high-yield options on our printer-ink rankings page.

$/mL and $/Page Comparison: Canon vs HP Tank Printers

To prove the thesis that Canon offers a better cost per page, here is a direct comparison of equivalent Canon MegaTank and HP SmartTank bottles:

Why Canon MegaTank Drives the Cost Gap Further

Canon's MegaTank printers drive the cost gap further by accepting high-yield refill bottles instead of restrictive, low-yield cartridges. While both systems offer massive savings over traditional cartridges, this higher volume of ink per bottle ensures that Canon hardware maintains a lower long-term operating cost.

If you want to understand exactly how we pull these prices and rank listings by unit cost, review our complete methodology guide.

When HP Might Be the Better Choice

HP hardware might be the better choice if you find a deeply discounted printer and rarely use it. However, for volume printing, the 23.3-cent per-page cost will overwhelm any upfront hardware savings. To see how these brands stack up against other manufacturers, read our analysis on HP vs Canon vs Epson vs Brother ink costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much cheaper is Canon ink per page compared to HP?

Canon ink is 2.2 cents cheaper per page than HP. Canon costs 21.1 cents per page, while HP costs 23.3 cents per page.

Do Canon MegaTank printers have a lower cost per page than HP Smart Tanks?

Yes, Canon MegaTank printers use high-yield refill bottles that drive costs down. Our data tracks compatible bottles which drastically undercut standard cartridge pricing.

Is it worth switching from HP to Canon to save money on ink?

If you print frequently, switching saves money.

Does Canon ink produce better text quality than HP?

We do not track subjective print quality metrics or hardware performance; our data focuses strictly on cost per page and hardware yields.