XL / High-Yield vs Standard Ink: Which Is Cheaper Per Page?
Live price-per-page comparison of 806 tracked in-stock cartridges and toners.
Across BuyPerUnit's tracked inventory, high-yield (XL) ink and toner runs a median of $0.044/page per page across 487 products, versus standard yield at $0.049/page across 319 products. High-yield is about 9% cheaper per page in aggregate, but as the brand breakdown below shows, that direction flips for some brands.
By Brand: High-Yield vs Standard $/Page
| Brand | Standard median $/page | High-yield median $/page | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP | $0.057/page (n=103) | $0.089/page (n=108) | Standard |
| Canon | $0.067/page (n=53) | $0.127/page (n=15) | Standard |
| Epson | $0.244/page (n=8) | $0.293/page (n=5) | Standard |
| Brother | $0.063/page (n=27) | $0.051/page (n=79) | High-yield |
Methodology: grouped by the structured yield_type field (standard vs high-yield) recorded on each tracked product, not by cartridge naming, since third-party listing titles inconsistently use "XL" on combo packs and non-XL variants alike.
Does the HP 67 vs 67XL Difference Matter?
BuyPerUnit does not currently have a genuine same-color HP 67 standard cartridge and HP 67XL cartridge both in stock to quote a direct head-to-head price. We won't stage a comparison across different colors (black vs tri-color) and call it an XL number.
Generically: within the same cartridge line, the XL version usually holds more ink for a similar cartridge shell and print-head cost, which tends to lower cost per page the more pages you actually print. HP's own tracked inventory shows high-yield ink at a median of $0.089/page per page versus standard at $0.057/page per page, close enough that the specific listing you buy matters more than the XL label alone. Always compare the actual $/page of the listings in front of you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is XL (high-yield) ink cheaper than standard ink per page?
Across all 806 in-stock cartridges and toners BuyPerUnit tracks, high-yield runs a median of $0.044/page per page versus $0.049/page for standard yield. High-yield is about 9% cheaper per page in aggregate. That said, this does not hold for every brand: see the brand breakdown below before assuming XL is automatically the better deal.
Does the HP 67 vs 67XL difference matter?
BuyPerUnit does not currently have a genuine same-color HP 67 standard vs 67XL pair both in stock to quote an exact head-to-head price, so we won't invent one. Generically: within the same cartridge line, a higher-yield (XL) cartridge spreads its fixed packaging and print-head cost over more printed pages, which usually lowers $/page, but as the HP-specific figures below show, that's not guaranteed. Compare the actual $/page of both listings before buying rather than assuming XL wins by default.
What does XL / high-yield mean on an ink cartridge?
XL (also called high-yield) cartridges hold more ink or toner than the standard version for the same printer model, in the same or a similar cartridge shell. They print more pages before running out. Page yield is measured at 5% page coverage per the ISO/IEC 24711 standard.
Is XL ink cheaper for every printer brand?
No. In BuyPerUnit's tracked inventory, high-yield runs cheaper per page for Brother, while standard yield runs cheaper (or about even) for HP, Canon, Epson. Check the per-brand table below rather than assuming one rule applies everywhere.