Cheapest Cost-Per-Page Printers and Ink Subscription Plans in 2026

Printer manufacturers make their money on ink, not hardware, which is why the cheapest printer to buy is often the most expensive one to own. This guide covers five printers and ink plans from about $90 to $300, comparing true cost per page instead of the sticker price on the box.

1. HP Instant Ink (with an HP OfficeJet Pro printer) — best subscription plan

HP’s Instant Ink subscription charges by pages printed per month rather than by cartridge, which works out far cheaper than buying HP ink retail for anyone printing regularly — plans start under $2/month for a small page allotment and unused pages typically roll over. The catch is you’re locked into HP ink and a subscription relationship, so it’s best for households that print consistently rather than in occasional bursts.

• Street price in 2026: $90–$150 for a compatible OfficeJet Pro printer, plus $1.99–$12.99/month for ink
• Why it’s a good buy: the lowest cost-per-page for consistent, moderate-volume home printing
• Where to buy: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy

2. Epson EcoTank ET-2850 — best no-subscription tank printer

EcoTank printers replace cartridges entirely with refillable ink tanks, and the ET-2850 ships with enough ink in the box to print thousands of pages before a refill bottle is needed. There’s no subscription and no proprietary ink lock-in beyond Epson’s own refill bottles, which run a few dollars each and last a long time.

• Street price in 2026: $200–$260
• Why it’s a good buy: the best cost-per-page of any printer here with zero subscription commitment
• Where to buy: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy

3. Canon PIXMA MegaTank G3270 — best budget tank printer

Canon’s MegaTank line undercuts Epson’s EcoTank on upfront price while still using the same refillable-tank model instead of cartridges, making it the pick for anyone who wants tank-printer savings but has a tighter hardware budget. Print quality for photos is a step behind Epson’s flagship models, but for everyday documents and school printing it’s more than sufficient.

• Street price in 2026: $150–$190
• Why it’s a good buy: tank-printer economics at the lowest upfront cost in the category
• Where to buy: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy

4. HP Smart Tank 6001 — best for high-volume home offices

HP’s answer to EcoTank, the Smart Tank 6001 adds an automatic document feeder and faster print speeds aimed at home offices that print and scan in higher volume than a typical household. It costs more upfront than entry-level tank printers, but the added speed and feeder pay for themselves quickly if you’re regularly printing multi-page documents.

• Street price in 2026: $220–$280
• Why it’s a good buy: tank-printer savings plus the speed and features a busier home office actually needs
• Where to buy: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy

5. Brother INKvestment Tank Printer — best for mixed home and light business use

Brother’s INKvestment line uses high-yield cartridges rather than refill bottles, landing between traditional cartridge printers and tank printers on both upfront cost and per-page economics. It’s a solid middle-ground pick for anyone who wants meaningfully cheaper ink than a standard inkjet without managing refill bottles.

• Street price in 2026: $130–$180
• Why it’s a good buy: high-yield cartridges cut cost per page well below standard inkjets without a refill routine
• Where to buy: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy

How to get the best price

• Calculate cost per page before comparing sticker prices. A $200 tank printer that never needs another cartridge is cheaper within a year than a $60 printer running on retail ink cartridges.
• Buy tank printers during back-to-school and Black Friday sales. Both EcoTank and MegaTank models regularly see $30–$60 discounts during these windows.
• Check whether your printing volume actually justifies a subscription. Instant Ink plans are a bad deal for households that print rarely, since you’re paying monthly whether you print or not.
• Watch for printer-plus-ink bundle deals at office supply retailers. Retailers occasionally bundle a starter set of tank refill bottles with the printer at a discount versus buying them separately later.

The takeaway: tank printers like the EcoTank ET-2850 and PIXMA MegaTank G3270 are the better long-term buy for most households since there’s no subscription and the ink itself costs pennies per bottle, while HP Instant Ink makes sense mainly for people who print consistently and want to avoid ever thinking about ink again. Whichever route you pick, do the cost-per-page math first — it flips which printer is actually cheapest more often than the price tags suggest.