What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Ink-tank printers usually cost more to buy, while cartridge printers tend to cost less upfront and more to keep supplied. A tank printer is worth the premium only if the ink savings on your actual print mix and volume make up the price difference during the time you expect to own it. There is no universal monthly page threshold: compare specific models and current local prices.
What to compare before choosing
Do not judge by the printer’s sticker price or a single advertised cost-per-page figure. Estimate total cost over the period you expect to use the printer: the printer purchase price plus replacement ink, and paper if you want to compare the full cost of printed sheets. Account for included starter ink separately where possible, because it affects how much replacement ink you will need early on.
- Printer price: Check the current price of the exact models in your region.
- Compatible supplies: Confirm the bottle or cartridge works with that model and compare its current price.
- Yield: Use the manufacturer’s stated black and color yields, noting the stated test basis when available.
- Your print mix: Estimate monthly black, color, and photo pages; pages with heavier coverage can use more ink than simple text pages.
- Ownership period: Compare the initial premium with ink savings over the months or years you plan to keep the printer.
Features such as scanning, speed, connectivity, paper capacity, print quality, maintenance, and service can also affect the decision, but ink-cost calculations alone do not compare those differences.
How to estimate ink cost and break-even
Calculate supply cost per page
For a rough estimate, divide the current price of a compatible ink bottle or cartridge by its stated page yield. Do this separately for black and color supplies, then apply the figures to your expected print mix. To estimate the cost of a complete printed sheet, add paper cost. HP identifies ink price, yield, paper, and color use as relevant inputs, and notes that actual output depends on what is printed and other factors (HP’s cost-per-page explanation).
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- 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
Yield figures are not a guarantee of the number of pages every household will get. The result varies with content, coverage, settings, and maintenance; some ink may also be used during setup. Compare yields only when the manufacturers’ methods and conditions are reasonably comparable.
Estimate how long the tank’s higher price takes to recover
Let T be the tank printer price, C the cartridge printer price, Itank the tank system’s expected monthly ink cost, and Icartridge the cartridge system’s expected monthly ink cost. If cartridge ink costs more per month, the approximate break-even time is:
Rank #2
- THE LAST PRINTER YOU'LL EVER NEED – Set it up once and print with confidence; no complicated maintenance, just easy, reliable printing you can count on
- FULLY LOADED WITH SAVINGS – Best for low-cost, high-volume printing—up to 3 years of HP Ink included; get up to 6,000 color or black pages right out of the box
- KEY FEATURES – Print, copy and scan, plus borderless prints, mobile and wireless printing
- MESS-FREE REFILL – Replenish ink with HP's easy-access, mess-free refill system; simply plug the ink bottles into this cartridge-free ink tank and let them drain—no squeezing, no spilling
- BEST PRINT QUALITY, PERIOD – Sharper text, richer colors, only with HP Smart Tank
(T − C) ÷ (Icartridge − Itank) = months to break even
This simplified calculation assumes the cartridge option has higher monthly ink costs. If the monthly ink-cost difference is zero or negative, the tank does not recover its initial premium through ink savings under those assumptions. It also leaves out service, replacement components, subscriptions, paper-handling differences, and the value of included starter ink. Use current prices for the exact printer models and compatible supplies you are considering.
Rank #3
- INNOVATIVE CARTRIDGE-FREE PRINTING — No more dealing with tiny, expensive ink cartridges; With this wireless printer each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges²
- LESS FREQUENT INK REPLACEMENT — Replacement ink bottles don't have to be changed nearly as often as ink cartridges¹; Color printer lets you print up to 4,500 black and white pages and 7,200 color³
- PRINT FOR LONGER — Up to 2 years of ink in the box⁴ (and with every replacement ink set) for fewer out-of-ink frustrations; This home printer keeps printing longer
- HIGH CAPACITY INK TANKS – Printer, scanner and copier utilizes Epson’s exclusive EcoFit ink bottles, making the refill process easy and worry-free
- ZERO CARTRIDGE WASTE — By using an Epson EcoTank printer you can help reduce the amount of cartridge waste ending up in landfills; Cartridge-free printer utilizes ink bottles for more convenience and less waste
Print volume changes the result
Higher print volume can make a tank printer’s lower replacement-ink cost add up faster; low or irregular volume can leave the upfront premium unrecovered for longer. HP’s comparison page illustrates the relationship with its own product and calculation assumptions: it gives an example break-even of two months at 150 pages per month and six to seven months at 50 pages per month. These are HP’s examples, not universal thresholds or independent market-wide findings (HP’s Smart Tank versus cartridge comparison).
Use your own likely volume rather than adopting a published threshold. If you print in bursts, include the months when you print little or nothing; if much of your output is color or photos, estimate that separately instead of treating every page as equivalent.
Rank #4
- STRESS-FREE PRINTING — Epson EcoTank comes with enough ink to print up to 6,600 pages black/5,500 color¹⁰ for fewer out-of-ink frustrations. Each replacement ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 cartridges¹¹
- SIMPLE INK REFILLING — Supersized ink tanks and uniquely keyed EcoFit bottles make refilling ink simple—no mess, no stress and no ink bottle mix-ups
- THE WORLD’S #1 SELLING SUPERTANK PRINTER² — Epson invented EcoTank to revolutionize the way people print; we’ve sold 100 million EcoTanks worldwide⁷ and this is our 7th generation of cartridge-free printers
- ADVANCED PRODUCTIVITY FEATURES — Fast 15 black/8 color ISO ppm print speeds with zero warmup time, built-in scanner, 100-sheet paper tray, auto duplex printing and a 1.44" color display for easy navigation
- STUNNING PRINT QUALITY — High 4800 x 1200 dpi print resolution for exceptional photos and text; enjoy amazing image quality on a wide range of media
What manufacturer examples do—and do not—show
Manufacturer comparisons can illustrate how a particular system is priced, but they are not neutral market averages. HP’s comparison page lists example MSRPs of $259.99 for the Smart Tank 5101 and approximately $169.99 for the ENVY 6055e, alongside example ink costs of 0.4 cents per black page and 1.7 cents per color page for the tank versus 15 cents black and 62 cents color for standard HP 67 cartridges. These are HP’s example values; the page does not establish them as current prices for every retailer or region, and it does not show a publication date in the retrieved material. Check the exact assumptions and current local prices before using them in your own calculation (HP’s comparison).
Epson says replacement bottles for its EcoTank ET-2760 can cost as little as one cent per color ISO page versus 20 cents with cartridges. That is Epson’s product-page comparison for that model, not a general tank-versus-cartridge benchmark (Epson’s ET-2760 page).
Recommended Free Tools
HP’s cost-per-page page says Smart Tank bottles can yield up to 6,000 black and 8,000 color pages, depending on model. Those are manufacturer-stated maximum yields, not a promise of household output; HP’s Smart Tank product page states, “Actual yield varies based on what you print and other factors.” Check the yield for the exact model and treat it as a stated figure rather than a guaranteed result (HP’s yield explanation; HP Smart Tank product information).
Choose based on your likely use
An ink tank is more compelling when
- You expect to print enough pages for lower replacement-ink costs to offset the higher purchase price within your ownership period.
- You have estimated black and color use rather than relying on one advertised per-page figure.
- The exact model’s compatible bottles, stated yields, and current local prices support the calculation.
A cartridge printer may make more sense when
- You print infrequently or unpredictably and the tank’s extra upfront cost is unlikely to be recovered soon.
- The cartridge model’s lower purchase price matters more to you than potential longer-term ink savings.
- After calculating your expected volume, the tank’s estimated ink savings are small, uncertain, or absent.
Before buying either type, verify supply compatibility and compare the features you need independently of ink economics. A low cost per page does not by itself establish which printer will suit your home or office better.
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.
