There’s no point in saving a lot of money and getting the best printer with cheap ink you can find only to find out that it eats up the ink and you have to replace the ink cartridges quite often. Finding a cheap printer for home use is much better than finding a cheap printer with expensive ink.
We know the struggles of finding the right printer for your home, and that’s why we’ve gathered everything you need to know, from printing speed to ink cost and everything in between. Here’s a full list of the best printers for home use with cheap ink.
Table of Contents
List of the Top 5 Best Best Printer for Home Use With Cheap Ink
- Epson Expression ET-2750 – Best Overall Printer For Home Use
- Canon Pixma iX6820 – Runner-Up Printer
- Brother HL-L2350DW – Best Monochrome Laser Printer For Home Use
- Canon Pixma MX922 – Best High Volumes Printer for Home Use
- HP 6968 – Best Budget All-In-One Printer For Home Use
Our Top Picks for Printer With Cheapest Ink:
| Printer | Epson Expression ET-2750 | Canon Pixma iX6820 | Brother HL-L2350DW | Canon MX922 | HP 6968 |
| Functions | Print, Copy, and Scan | Print, Copy, Scan, and Fax | Print, Copy, Scan, and Fax | ||
| Auto-Duplex? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Black Printing Speed (ppm) | 10.5 | 14.5 | 32 | 15 | 18 |
The 5 Best Printers For Home Use With Cheap Ink in 2024
1. Epson Expression ET-2750 – Best Overall Printer For Home Use
Coming in the first place is the ET-2750 inkjet printer that we believe to be one of the most economical printers for home use.
Its main advantage is the EcoTank system. It is a cartridge-free printer that comes with 2 years of ink that can print up to 6,500 pages in black that is equivalent to 30 ink cartridges sets, making it the best printer for home use with cheap ink.
It is not the fastest printer with 10.5 paper-per-minute (ppm) in black and 5 ppm in color. However, it is a time saver as it is an auto-duplex printer, but it doesn’t offer an auto-feeder.
It has a decent printing resolution of 5760×1440 dpi and a maximum printing size of 8.5×14” (legal).
However, it has a low paper capacity of only 100. Lastly, you can print, copy, or scan via WiFi, USB, and SD cards.
- Universal connectivity
- Auto-duplex
- Decent printing resolution
- EcoTank system
- Low printing speed
- High initial cost
- Low paper capacity
- No auto-feeder
Final Verdict
Our top choice is the ET-2750 for its EcoTank system that doesn’t use ink cartridges to start with. You’d just need to purchase low-cost bottles of ink and fill the tanks accordingly, and you’re good to go. Even though it has a high initial cost, it comes with enough ink for 2 years of use.
2. Canon Pixma iX6820 – Runner-Up
Our runner-up is the inkjet iX6820 printer that has an outstanding printing resolution of 9600×2400 dpi.
It has 5 individual ink tank systems that provide vivid colors and a gradient of tones. In addition, it has a decent printing speed of 14.5 ppm in black and 10.4 ppm in color.
While it does provide an auto-feeder, it doesn’t offer auto-duplex printing, which can get annoying and waste a lot of time. Besides, it has an outstanding maximum printing size of 13×19”.
An additional feature that the iX6820 has is its My Image Garden software that provides a variety of filers and helps you organize your pictures. Also, you can connect to the printer via Ethernet, USB, AirPrint, Google Cloud, and wirelessly.
When it comes to the cost of ink, it uses PGI-250 black XL cartridge that has a page yield of 500 pages, and 4 CLI-251 colors XL that have a page yield of around 700 pages each.
- High printing resolution
- 13×19” of maximum printing size
- High capacity ink tanks
- My Image Garden software
- Cannot copy or scan
- Not auto-duplex
- Wireless connection glitches
Final Verdict
The Pixma iX6820 is a Canon home printer that is known for its high-quality printing without using too much ink. Its high capacity tanks are a real money-saver. Also, the printer itself is quite affordable for its quality.
3. Brother HL-L2350DW – Best Monochrome Laser Printer For Home Use
If you’re looking for a black and white printer for text documents, look no further because the Brother HL-L2350DW is the ultimate choice for you.
It can print up to legal size paper and with a printing speed of 32 ppm and a printing resolution of 2400×600 dpi. For connectivity, it offers WiFi and USB connections.
It is an auto-duplex printer; however, it does not provide an auto-feeder. Also, the printer cannot scan or copy.
The laser printer already has an advantage, which is that toner is generally cheaper than ink. In addition, it has a Toner Save Mode that can print up to 3,000 pages with its high-yield toner. Also, it supports Amazon Dash Replenishment that saves even more money.
- High maximum paper capacity of 250
- Toner Save Mode
- High printing speed
- Auto-duplex
- Low initial cost for a laser printer
- Only prints in black and white
- No auto-feeder
- Cannot scan or copy
Final Verdict
The HL-L2350DW should be your number 1 choice if you’re only looking for a black and white printer. It is affordable, comes with Toner Save Mode, and it’s a rule of thumb that toner is cheaper than ink. Not to mention, it has an unmatched printing speed of 32 ppm.
4. Canon Pixma MX922 – Best High Volumes Printer for Home Use
We believe that the Pixma MX922 is one of the most economical printers for if you’re printing in medium to high volumes.
In addition to printing, it can also copy, scan, and fax via WiFi, AirPrint, Ethernet, and USB connectivities.
Its printing resolution is the highest on the list with 9600×2400 dpi, and it comes with 5 ink cartridges for a wider tone of colors. Also, it is an auto-duplex printer, and it comes with an auto-feeder.
It can print with a speed of 15 ppm in black and 10 ppm in color with a maximum printing size of legal size.
When it comes to ink cost, the MX922 supports extra-capacity ink tanks. For black, it is compatible with PGI-255 XXL that has a high page yield of 800, and for colors, it supports CLI-251 with a page yield of 700.
- Auto-feeder
- Auto-duplex
- High printing resolution
- Universal connectivity
- Supports extra capacity ink tanks
- Low printing speed
- Short lifespan
- Wireless connectivity glitches
Final Verdict
The MX922 is the optimum choice for a home printer if you’re planning to use it in high volumes. It is compatible with high capacity ink tanks that can save you a lot of money in the long run. However, there have been multiple reviews of the printer dying in less than 2 years.
5. HP 6968 – Best Budget All-In-One Printer For Home Use
HP’s 6968 is the number five in our list of best printers for home use with cheap ink with one of the lowest ink costs on the market. You can order it with high-yield tanks that can print up to 825 rather than the standard tanks that can only print around 300.
By subscribing to HP’s Instant Ink, you could save a lot of money and effort. Also, if you’ll be printing in low volumes (less than 15 pages per month), you’ll be able to print for free, and that’s what we call a good deal.
However, there’s a downside to this printer. Its printing resolution is only 1200×600 dpi, and it only has 4 ink cartridges. Those numbers are quite standard and will easily get the job done.
Also, it is a duplex printer with auto-feeder and can print up to legal size. When it comes to printing speed, it can print 18 ppm in black and 10 ppm in color, which is the second-fastest printing speed on the list. Not to mention, it can copy, scan, and fax via Wireless and Ethernet connections.
- High-yield ink cartridges option
- Auto-duplex
- Auto-feeder
- HP’s Instant Ink
- Low printing resolution
- High initial cost
- No USB port
Final Verdict
The 6968 must be your go-to option, especially if you’re printing in low volumes. With HP’s Instant Ink, you can save a lot of money, and you can even get free ink if you’re printing 15 or fewer pages per month.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is Inkjet or Laser More Cost Efficient?
Each printing technology has its own pros and cons. However, a rule of thumb says that Inkjet printers are cheaper than Laser printers, while the Cost-Per-Page (CPP) of printing using ink is much higher than toners.
It depends on how much you’ll be printing. If you’re printing in high-volumes, it’s better to invest a little more money in a laser printer that will save you a lot of money in the long run.
On the other hand, an Inkjet printer is better for low-volume as you will not need to replace the ink cartridges often, and the CPP will not matter much.
Is It Cheaper to Print at Home?
Much like the previous question, the answer depends on how much you’ll be using your printer.
When printers are not used to extended periods, issues start to arise. The ink could dry up, or it could clog the nozzle, and you’ll have to spend a decent amount of money on maintenance. A printer is just not worth it if you don’t use it often.
However, when you are printing in high-volumes, you could easily find a good deal that makes printing at home easier and more convenient for you. Also, you wouldn’t have to pay for taxes or shipping (if you’re printing online).
Why Does Printer Ink Cost So Much?
Even though ink seems like a simple material to make, it’s not. A lot of time and money go into formulating ink, and the ingredients that go into making the ink are not cheap.
Also, you’re using a lot more ink than you think you are. Inkjet printers use some ink for maintenance to keep everything running smoothly.
Is It Cheaper to Buy a New Printer Than Ink?
Sometimes, the answer is yes. You can find inkjet printers at very low prices, and their ink could cost a fortune. While that is not a convenient way to go, it is possible. However, we strongly recommend against it. You’d produce a lot of waste when you can find other alternatives for cheaper ink deals, or switching to laser printers altogether.
Final Words
Finding a cheap printer that also has cheap ink deals is not easy. Throughout this article, we’ve discussed the 5 best printers for home use with cheap ink, and here’s a quick recap of our top 3 choices.
Our top recommended printer with cheap ink is the Epson ET-2750 for its EcoTank system that saves you a lot of ink as you wouldn’t even need to replace cartridges to start with, you’d only need to purchase refill bottles of ink.
In second place was the Canon Pixma iX6820. It offers large-capacity ink tanks that could be a real money-saver when printing in high volumes.
After that was the Brother HL-L2350DW, it is a laser printer that only prints in black and white. In addition to toner being less expensive than ink, it also offers Toner Save Mode that could also be a huge money-saver.