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An ink-tank printer usually costs more to buy but less to supply with ink; a cartridge printer can be the cheaper choice if you print only occasionally. The right answer depends on your local printer and ink prices, how many pages you print, and how long you plan to keep the printer. Compare total ownership cost for the exact models rather than judging by the sticker price or a manufacturer’s savings headline.
What does printer ownership really cost?
Use the same ownership period and expected print volume for each printer. A practical total includes the printer’s purchase price and the ink or toner you expect to buy during that period. Add other known costs—such as maintenance supplies, service, replacement parts, or power—when reliable figures are available. Epson’s total-cost methodology likewise includes hardware and ongoing ink or toner costs, with other operating costs relevant to a fuller estimate: Epson’s EcoTank cost methodology.
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Ownership cost over a chosen period = printer price + expected consumable cost + other known operating or maintenance costs. State what you exclude. If you cannot find dependable data for service or power, leave those costs out rather than guessing.
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Why can a cheap cartridge printer cost more later?
Cartridge printers often have a lower purchase price, but replacement cartridges can make each printed page more expensive. A tank printer asks you to pay more up front for refillable reservoirs and ink bottles, which can lower ongoing ink expense. The initial price premium only pays off if your ink savings during ownership exceed that premium and any added costs.
#1 Best Overall
- PERFECT FOR BASIC PRINTING NEEDS – Print everyday color documents like to-do lists, letters, financial documents and recipes
- KEY FEATURES – Color print, copy, scan, and a 60-sheet input tray, plus mobile and wireless printing
- OPTIMIZE PRINT FORMATTING WITH HP AI – Print web pages and emails with precision—no wasted pages or awkward layouts; HP AI easily removes unwanted content, so your prints are just the way you want
- ICON LCD – Print your basic documents with ease from the intuitive control panel
- PRINT SPEED – Up to 7.5 ppm black, 5.5 ppm color
That does not make tanks the automatic choice. If you print infrequently, the upfront savings on a cartridge model may matter more than lower per-page ink costs. HP describes its Smart Tank line as suited to higher-volume printing and cartridge models as potentially suitable for lower-volume use; treat that as manufacturer guidance, not an independent market-wide cutoff: HP’s Smart Tank and cartridge cost comparison.
How to calculate your break-even point
HP gives this formula for comparing its Smart Tank and cartridge printer options:
Break-even months = (Smart Tank price − Cartridge printer price) ÷ (Monthly cartridge cost − Monthly Smart Tank ink cost)
Rank #2
- AFFORDABLE ALL-IN-ONE FOR HOME AND HOME OFFICE: Print, copy, and scan on one compact wireless printer designed for everyday home office printing, schoolwork, documents, and reports. Produce beautiful prints for results that stand out.
- EASY TO USE WITH CLOUD APP CONNECTIONS: Print from and scan to popular Cloud apps(2), including Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, and more from the simple-to-use 1.8” color display on your printer.
- FULL-SIZE FEATURES IN A COMPACT DESIGN: This printer includes automatic duplex (2-sided) printing, a 20-sheet single-sided Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)(3), and a 150-sheet paper tray(3). Engineered to print at fast speeds of up to 16 pages per minute (ppm) in black and up to 9 ppm in color(4).
- MULTIPLE CONNECTION OPTIONS: Connect your way. Interface with your printer on your wireless network or via USB.
- MOBILE PRINTING MADE EASY: Go mobile with the Brother Mobile Connect app(5) that delivers easy onscreen menu navigation for printing, copying, scanning, and device management from your mobile device. Monitor your ink usage with Page Gauge to help ensure you don’t run out(6).
Use current prices in your region, the exact printer models, and a realistic estimate of your monthly printing. The result is meaningful only if the monthly ink-cost difference is positive and the two estimates reflect comparable pages and use. If it is zero or negative, ink savings alone do not recover the tank’s higher purchase price under those assumptions.
A practical comparison in five steps
- Choose an ownership period. Three years is a useful example, but use the length of time you expect to keep the printer.
- Record current local prices. Note each printer’s price and whether its box includes starter ink or a full set.
- Estimate pages by type. Separate black-and-white and color printing if your mix or ink use differs. Use your actual monthly habits, not the printer’s maximum capacity.
- Price the ink for each exact model. Check genuine bottle or cartridge prices and published yields, while noting the yield test method and any ink used during setup.
- Add replacements and compare totals. Estimate how many consumables you will need during the ownership period, then add the printer price and any other known costs.
If you are unsure of your monthly volume, run the calculation with low, medium, and high page-count estimates. This shows whether your choice changes with usage instead of relying on one fragile forecast.
How much should you trust published ink yields?
Page yield is an estimate under particular conditions, not a promise that every buyer will print that many pages. Epson says its quoted yields vary with the images printed, paper type, print frequency, and environmental conditions. It also notes that initial setup uses ink to fill printhead nozzles: Epson’s EcoTank calculator disclosures. HP similarly says actual yield varies and that some included ink is used at startup: HP Smart Tank product information.
Rank #3
- The OfficeJet Pro 8125e is perfect for home offices printing professional-quality color documents like business documents, reports, presentations and flyers. Print speeds up to 10 ppm color, 20 ppm black
- PERFECTLY FORMATTED PRINTS WITH HP AI – Print web pages and emails with precision—no wasted pages or awkward layouts; HP AI easily removes unwanted content, so your prints are just the way you want
- UPGRADED FEATURES – Fast color printing, scan, copy, auto 2-sided printing, auto document feeder, and a 225-sheet input tra
- WIRELESS PRINTING – Stay connected with our most reliable dual-band Wi-Fi, which automatically detects and resolves connection issues
- 3 MONTHS OF INSTANT INK WITH HP+ ACTIVATION – Subscribe to Instant Ink delivery service to get ink delivered directly to your door before you run out. After 3 months, monthly fee applies unless cancelled.
Yield figures also may use different test approaches. For example, Epson’s Europe calculator lists separate-bottle yields of 7,500 black and 6,000 color pages, but says these are extrapolated from its test-pattern methodology and are not based on ISO/IEC 24711. Those figures should not be treated as a forecast for your own documents. The same calculator’s much higher figures for two included bottle sets apply only to specified ET-3700, ET-3750, and ET-4750 models and bundles.
HP’s Store page states a maximum of up to 18,000 black pages or 8,000 color pages per ink set for its Smart Tank Plus product family. That is a manufacturer-stated maximum, not a guaranteed yield for every model or print pattern: HP Smart Tank Plus product-family page. For a fair calculation, use the yield and consumable price attached to the exact printer you are considering, and keep the relevant model, bundle, and test qualifications with the number.
What else should you compare besides ink?
A low cost per page does not help if a printer lacks a feature you need. Compare the exact models for:
Rank #4
- Affordable Versatility - A budget-friendly all-in-one printer perfect for both home users and hybrid workers, offering exceptional value
- Crisp, Vibrant Prints - Experience impressive print quality for both documents and photos, thanks to its 2-cartridge hybrid ink system that delivers sharp text and vivid colors
- Effortless Setup & Use - Get started quickly with easy setup for your smartphone or computer, so you can print, scan, and copy without delay
- Reliable Wireless Connectivity - Enjoy stable and consistent connections with dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz or 5GHz), ensuring smooth printing from anywhere in your home or office
- Scan & Copy Handling - Utilize the device’s integrated scanner for efficient scanning and copying operations
- Print-only versus all-in-one functionality, including scanning and copying.
- An automatic document feeder if you scan or copy multi-page documents.
- Automatic duplex printing, paper capacity, and supported paper types.
- Connectivity options, print speed, and print quality for your typical documents or photos.
- Maintenance needs and ink used to keep an inkjet printhead working.
Consumer Reports’ 2026 buying guide defines maintenance ink use as extra ink used by an inkjet printer to maintain its printheads. Its annual ink-cost estimates draw on its tests and members’ reported printing habits, so they are estimates rather than a cost guarantee for your household: Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2026.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are published savings figures a good estimate for you?
They can illustrate a manufacturer’s comparison, but they are not a substitute for your own inputs. Epson advertises “save up to 95% on ink costs” in its EcoTank calculator material. The claim is based on Epson’s calculations comparing average bottle yield and cost with cartridges used in 40 of Europe’s best-selling consumer A4 color inkjets, using underlying IDC shipment data from 2023 published in Q1 2024. It is a qualified manufacturer claim, not a universal saving or a current local-price comparison.
HP’s cost article gives a one-year example at 400 pages per month: it reports totals of $149 for the Smart Tank 5101 and $2,883 for the Envy 6055e, including stated annual ink costs of $62 and $2,826, respectively. Those are HP’s figures for that specific comparison, not a general result for cartridge and tank printers. The assumptions, exact models, and prices may not match your situation.
Best Value
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― High-capacity ink tanks mean no more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; Epson’s exclusive EcoFit ink bottles make filling easy and worry-free
- Impressive Print Quality ― Unique Micro Piezo Heat-Free Technology produces sharp text – plus impressive color photos and graphics – on virtually any paper type
- Zero Cartridge Waste – By using an EcoTank printer, you can help reduce the amount of cartridge waste ending up in landfills
- Built-in Scanner & Copier ― High-resolution flatbed scanner and a color display for easy document copying and navigation
Consumer Reports’ 2026 guide lists approximate prices for selected tank models, but those are guide-listed retail estimates, not live October 2026 prices or a matched tank-versus-cartridge study for every printer. Epson’s UK methodology also describes regional average-price data from IDC EMEA 2019 trackers. Neither source establishes a universal current break-even price for your location.
Which type makes sense for your printing habits?
A cartridge printer may suit occasional printing
If you print only a small number of pages and value a lower purchase price, a cartridge model can be the more sensible purchase. Estimate the cartridges you might use over your ownership period; a low monthly page count does not make their cost irrelevant, but it may keep the tank’s upfront premium from paying back.
An ink-tank printer may suit regular or higher-volume printing
If you print steadily or at higher volume, lower ink expense may outweigh the higher purchase price. Calculate the break-even point using your page mix and the exact bottles and printer price you can buy locally. A long ownership period can give recurring ink savings more time to offset the initial premium.
When the answer is close
If the totals are similar, let required features, maintenance expectations, print quality, and convenience decide. Recheck the arithmetic when printer or ink prices change; a small difference in monthly volume or consumable price can shift the break-even point.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
