Best Printers With the Cheapest Ink Cartridges

Printer ink costs more per ounce than human blood, vintage champagne, and even rocket fuel — that's not a myth. Standard inkjet cartridges have been documented at over $13 per milliliter, which is why the supertank and ink-tank printer market has exploded in recent years. If you're tired of paying $30–$60 every few hundred pages, you're in exactly the right place. This guide covers the seven best printers with the cheapest ink cartridges available in 2026, tested and ranked so you can stop wasting money and start printing smarter.

The printers on this list all use high-capacity ink tanks or reservoirs instead of the tiny cartridges traditional inkjets rely on. That shift alone can drop your cost per page from around 10–15 cents down to less than half a cent in some cases. Whether you print occasionally at home, run a small home office, or crank out hundreds of pages a month, there's a tank printer here that matches your budget and workflow. And if you're also shopping for a specialized setup, check out our guide to the best photo printers under $200 for 2026 — many of the same brands show up there too.

Before diving into the reviews, one important framing point: ink-tank printers have a higher upfront cost than standard inkjets, but the math flips hard in your favor within months. The models below all include enough ink in the box to last up to two years of average use — often the equivalent of 80 or more traditional cartridges. You're paying for the ink supply once, not repeatedly. That's the deal. Now let's look at which printer makes that deal best for you. For more context on the broader tech articles category, including printer buying guides and comparisons, that's a good starting point too.

Our Top Picks for 2026

• #
  Preview
  Product
  Rating
• Bestseller No. 1
  
  Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer, Home Use, Print, Scan and Copy
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• Bestseller No. 2
  
  Epson EcoTank ET-2803 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with Scan, Copy and AirPrint Support
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• Bestseller No. 3
  
  Epson EcoTank ET-4850 Wireless All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank with Scanner Copier, Fax, ADF and Ethernet, The Printer Office Printer - White
  Rating:

  
  
• Bestseller No. 4
  
  Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank with Scanner Copier, ADF and Ethernet – The Perfect Printer Home Office,White
  Rating:

  
  
• Bestseller No. 5
  
  Canon PIXMA G620 Wireless MegaTank Photo All-in-One Printer [Print, Copy, Scan], Black,Works with Alexa
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• Bestseller No. 6
  
  HP Smart Tank 7301 Wireless All-in-One Ink Tank Printer, Scanner, Copier with 2 Years of Ink Included, Best-for-Home Office, Cartridge-Free Refillable, AI-Enabled (28B70A)
  Rating:

  
  
• Bestseller No. 7
  
  Canon G7020 All-in-One Printer Home Office | Wireless Supertank (Megatank) Printer | Copier | Scan, | Fax and ADF with Mobile Printing, Black, Works with Alexa
  Rating:

  
  

Our Hands-On Reviews

1. Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer — Best for Home Use

The Canon MegaTank G3270 is the easiest recommendation on this list for anyone who prints primarily documents and the occasional photo at home. Canon's MegaTank system is built around large, refillable ink reservoirs that sit visibly on the side of the printer — you can see exactly how much ink you have left without guessing. A single set of inks prints up to 6,000 black-and-white pages and 7,700 color pages, which means most households won't be buying replacement ink for the better part of two years. That's a fundamentally different relationship with your printer than you've probably had before.

The G3270 handles print, scan, and copy duties wirelessly, and setup is genuinely straightforward. It connects via Wi-Fi, works with most mobile printing apps, and the print quality for everyday documents is sharp and consistent. Color accuracy is solid for general use — don't expect professional photo output, but for web pages, school projects, and home documents, it delivers reliably. Print speed is moderate, which is the one honest caveat: you're not getting the fast throughput of a laser printer here. If speed is your primary need, the ET-4850 or ET-3850 below might suit you better. But for pure ink economy at home, the G3270 is hard to beat.

Canon includes up to two years of ink in the box based on average monthly print volumes of around 150 pages. The refill bottles are easy to use with mess-free nozzles, and Canon's pigment-based black ink produces sharp, smear-resistant text. This printer is also one of the more compact tank printers available in 2026, which matters if you're working with limited desk space.

Pros:

• Prints up to 6,000 black / 7,700 color pages per ink set
• Up to 2 years of ink included in box
• Compact design compared to other supertank printers
• Reliable wireless connectivity and mobile printing support

Cons:

• Slower print speeds than laser or higher-end inkjets
• No ADF or fax — basic all-in-one only

2. Epson EcoTank ET-2803 Wireless Color All-in-One — Best Budget Pick

If your main goal is getting into the ink-tank printer world at the lowest possible entry price, the Epson EcoTank ET-2803 is your answer. Epson's EcoTank line is the most established family of supertank printers on the market, and the ET-2803 is the accessible entry point. Each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual ink cartridges — that comparison alone tells you how different this machine's economics are. You're printing up to 4,500 pages in black and 7,500 pages in color before you need to think about ink again.

The ET-2803 includes wireless connectivity with AirPrint support, which means iPhone and iPad printing works natively without any app installation. Epson's Smart Panel app also works well here for setup and mobile printing. Print quality is competent for documents and general color output — sharp text, reasonable color reproduction. For heavier use or higher-quality output demands, you'll want to look up the lineup toward the ET-4850. But for a household that prints a few times a week without complex needs, the ET-2803 delivers the core promise of supertank printing at a price that makes the math work immediately.

One thing worth noting: like the G3270, the ET-2803 doesn't include an ADF or fax — those features are reserved for the higher models. What you do get is up to two years of ink included in the box and a dramatically lower cost per page than any cartridge-based inkjet can offer. For the budget-conscious buyer who just wants to stop paying through the nose for ink, this is the starting line.

Pros:

• Lowest entry price in the supertank category
• Up to 4,500 black / 7,500 color pages per ink set
• AirPrint support — works natively with Apple devices
• 2 years of ink included in the box

Cons:

• No ADF, fax, or Ethernet — entry-level feature set
• Slower print speed compared to higher EcoTank models

3. Epson EcoTank ET-4850 Wireless All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank — Best for Home Office

The Epson EcoTank ET-4850 is where the supertank line gets serious about productivity. This is a full-featured home office all-in-one: it prints, scans, copies, and faxes, with an automatic document feeder (ADF) that handles multi-page originals without you standing over it. Print speeds hit 15.5 pages per minute in black and 8.5 ppm in color — that's a meaningful jump over the budget ET-2803 and puts it in realistic competition with entry-level laser printers for document output. Print resolution reaches 4800 x 1200 dpi, which delivers noticeably sharper text and cleaner color than many competitors at this tier.

The ET-4850 also includes Ethernet connectivity alongside Wi-Fi, which matters if you're connecting a shared printer to a home network without relying on wireless stability. Epson's Smart Panel app, Epson Scan to Cloud, and voice assistant compatibility round out the connectivity picture. The ADF holds multiple pages for scanning or copying stacks of documents — a feature that sounds simple but saves enormous time in daily office work. You're not babysitting each page on the flatbed glass anymore.

The ink story is the same across the EcoTank line: supertank reservoirs, dramatic savings versus cartridges, and thousands of pages before a refill. What the ET-4850 adds on top is the office-ready feature set that makes it genuinely usable as a primary workstation printer. If you're working from home in 2026 and printing contracts, forms, invoices, or multi-page documents regularly, this is the model that won't slow you down. It's also worth cross-referencing with our guide to the best printers for notary signing agents — the ET-4850 comes up there for similar reasons.

Pros:

• Fast 15.5 ppm black / 8.5 ppm color print speeds
• Full feature set: print, scan, copy, fax, ADF, Ethernet
• 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution for sharp output
• Cartridge-free supertank with massive ink savings

Cons:

• Higher upfront cost than entry-level EcoTank models
• Larger footprint — needs more desk space

4. Epson EcoTank ET-3850 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank — Best Mid-Range All-in-One

The Epson EcoTank ET-3850 sits directly below the ET-4850 in Epson's lineup and hits the sweet spot for users who want most of the office features without the full-featured price jump. You still get 15.5 ppm black and 8.5 ppm color print speeds and 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution — those specs are identical to the ET-4850. The difference is in the supporting feature set: the ET-3850 includes an ADF and Ethernet, but drops the fax capability. For the majority of home office users in 2026 who never send a fax anyway, that's no loss at all.

The cartridge-free supertank system works the same way across all EcoTank models: you fill the tanks from ink bottles instead of swapping cartridges, the tanks hold a large enough supply to last months of regular printing, and the cost per page falls to a fraction of what traditional inkjets charge. The ET-3850 is also a solid ADF performer — it handles multi-page scan jobs cleanly and the wireless connection is stable across typical home network distances. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB.

If you're choosing between the ET-3850 and ET-4850, the honest answer is: skip the ET-4850 unless you actually need fax. The ET-3850 delivers the same print engine, the same resolution, the same speeds, and the same ink economy at a lower price. For most home offices and households with moderate-to-high print volumes, the ET-3850 is the rational choice in the Epson EcoTank lineup. It's powerful enough for real work, compact enough for a desk, and economical enough that the long-term ink savings make the upfront cost a clear win.

Pros:

• Same fast print speeds as the ET-4850 (15.5 / 8.5 ppm)
• ADF and Ethernet included at a lower price than ET-4850
• 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution
• Cartridge-free supertank with major ink savings

Cons:

• No fax functionality
• Larger and heavier than budget all-in-ones

5. Canon PIXMA G620 Wireless MegaTank Photo All-in-One Printer — Best for Photo Printing

Most supertank printers are built for documents. The Canon PIXMA G620 is built for photos — and it shows. Canon equips this printer with a six-color ink system that includes dedicated photo pigment black, photo gray, and dye-based colors, all in MegaTank reservoir form. The result is photo output that genuinely rivals dedicated photo printers at a fraction of the per-print cost. A full set of ink produces up to 3,800 4×6 color photos, which is an astonishing volume for a home photo printer. If you print photos regularly, the cost difference over cartridge-based photo printers is staggering.

The G620 prints, copies, and scans, with wireless connectivity and Alexa integration for smart reorder notifications. The Alexa feature is actually useful here: you can receive notifications when ink runs low and even set up smart reorders through Amazon — though with MegaTank capacity, you won't be triggering that very often. Print quality at 4800 x 1200 dpi with the six-color system produces smooth gradients, accurate skin tones, and vivid color in photos. Canon's ChromaLife100 technology helps with color longevity in prints as well.

The G620 is squarely aimed at the creative home user who wants beautiful photo output without a subscription or cartridge replacement cycle. If you're the kind of person who also looks at options in our guide to the best pigment ink printers, the G620 belongs in that conversation too — it bridges MegaTank economy with pigment-quality output. For photo printing with the lowest ongoing ink cost available in 2026, this is the pick.

Pros:

• Six-color ink system for superior photo quality
• Up to 3,800 4×6 color photos per ink set
• Alexa integration for ink monitoring and smart reorder
• ChromaLife100 for color longevity

Cons:

• Optimized for photos — document speed is modest
• No ADF or fax

6. HP Smart Tank 7301 Wireless All-in-One Ink Tank Printer — Best for Longevity

HP's Smart Tank 7301 takes a different angle on the ink-tank category: it's positioned as the printer that keeps going long after its competitors start struggling. HP's marketing claim about competing printers quitting early isn't just noise — cartridge-based printers genuinely do degrade faster when printhead maintenance is tied to cartridge replacement. The Smart Tank 7301 uses an integrated ink tank system with no complex maintenance routines, just refillable tanks and reliable output month after month. Two years of ink is included in the box, and HP uses AI-enabled features to optimize print quality over time.

The 7301 prints, scans, and copies wirelessly, with solid print quality for both documents and color output. HP's Smart app handles setup cleanly on iOS and Android, and the AI-enabled adjustments mean print quality doesn't drift as much over the printer's lifespan as you might expect from a tank-based system. The cartridge-free setup means you're not replacing printhead assemblies with every cartridge swap — a real longevity advantage that HP correctly identifies as the Smart Tank's strongest differentiator.

The HP Smart Tank 7301 is the right choice if you've been burned by printers that degraded quickly or required constant maintenance. HP's emphasis on durability and consistent output over years — not just months — is backed up by the printer's build quality and the integrated printhead design. If you want to buy once and forget about printer headaches for years, this is the model to consider. It's not the fastest on this list, but it's arguably the most worry-free over a long ownership period. According to Wikipedia's overview of inkjet printing technology, integrated printhead systems like HP's tend to produce more consistent long-term results compared to cartridge-mounted printheads.

Pros:

• Built for longevity — designed to outlast cartridge printers
• 2 years of ink included; thousands of cartridge-free pages
• AI-enabled print optimization for consistent quality over time
• No complex maintenance requirements

Cons:

• No ADF — flatbed only for scanning
• Print speed is moderate compared to the Epson ET-4850/3850

7. Canon G7020 All-in-One Printer Home Office — Best for Home Office with Fax

The Canon G7020 is Canon's answer to the full-featured home office supertank — it prints, copies, scans, and faxes, with an automatic document feeder and Alexa integration. Up to 6,000 black-and-white and 7,700 color pages per ink set puts it in the same efficiency league as the G3270, but with a substantially expanded feature set. The ADF handles multi-page documents for both scanning and copying, which makes a real difference if you're processing contracts, forms, or paperwork regularly. Fax capability is there if your workflow requires it — and for some professions, it still does.

Canon includes up to two years of ink based on average monthly print volumes of 200 pages, and the refill system is the same mess-free MegaTank design as the rest of the Canon line. Wireless connectivity, mobile printing support, and Alexa voice integration round out the feature set. Print quality is reliable across documents and general color output — the G7020 isn't a dedicated photo printer, but it handles mixed-use printing well. The ADF in particular is a solid performer, feeding multi-page originals consistently without jams.

Where the G7020 stands above everything else on this list is the combination of fax, ADF, high page yield, and MegaTank ink economy in a single machine. If you compared it directly to the Epson ET-4850 (which also has fax and ADF), the choice comes down to Canon vs. Epson preference and which ink system you want to commit to — both are excellent. The G7020 is the full-package pick for home office users who need every feature and want Canon's reliability and ink economy behind it.

Pros:

• Full feature set: print, scan, copy, fax, ADF
• Up to 6,000 black / 7,700 color pages per ink set
• Alexa integration with ink monitoring
• Up to 2 years of ink included

Cons:

• Slower print speeds than the Epson ET-4850/3850
• Larger and heavier — not a compact machine

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Printer With Cheap Ink

Cost Per Page vs. Upfront Price

This is the first calculation every buyer on this list needs to do. Ink-tank and supertank printers cost more upfront than budget cartridge inkjets — that's just true. A cheap $80 cartridge printer looks attractive until you realize the cartridges run $25–$40 and last 200–300 pages. The math inverts within 6–12 months for most households. Calculate your monthly page count honestly: if you print fewer than 30 pages a month, even an ink-tank printer may take a long time to pay off. If you print 100+ pages monthly, you'll recoup the premium in ink savings within a year and save significantly every year after.

All seven printers on this list bring your cost per page down to fractions of a cent compared to traditional inkjets. The specific math varies by model, but the principle is the same: you're front-loading the ink cost and then printing cheaply for months or years. Don't let the sticker price be your only data point.

Ink System: Tank vs. Bottle Refill

Every printer on this list uses a refillable tank system, but there are variations worth understanding. Canon's MegaTank uses color-coded ink bottles that pour directly into integrated tanks — it's visual and mess-free. Epson's EcoTank uses a similar bottle-fill approach with keyed nozzles that prevent overfilling. HP's Smart Tank uses a comparable system. None of these require cartridge swaps — that's the point. When you refill, you're adding ink to a reservoir that may hold 50–100ml or more, which is why page yields are so high.

Pay attention to whether a model uses dye-based or pigment-based black ink. Pigment black produces sharper, more smear-resistant text on plain paper — Canon's G3270 and G7020 use pigment black for document work. Dye-based inks produce more vivid colors and are often used in photo-optimized printers like the G620. For most document printing, pigment black is preferable.

Print Volume and Speed

If you print light — under 100 pages a month — any model here works. If you're running a home office with consistent daily print jobs, speed becomes a real factor. The Epson ET-4850 and ET-3850 are the fastest on this list at 15.5 ppm black and 8.5 ppm color. Canon's G3270 and G7020 are noticeably slower. The HP Smart Tank 7301 sits in the middle tier.

Don't underestimate the value of an ADF if you scan or copy multi-page documents regularly. The ET-4850, ET-3850, and Canon G7020 all include ADFs. The others use flatbed-only scanning, which means you place one page at a time. That's fine for light occasional use, but if you're processing documents regularly, an ADF will save you real time every week.

Connectivity and Features You Actually Need

All seven printers offer wireless connectivity. The higher-end Epson models (ET-4850, ET-3850) and Canon G7020 also add Ethernet — useful for shared home network printers where wireless reliability matters. AirPrint support appears on the Epson ET-2803 and above, making iPhone and iPad printing native without app installation. Alexa integration on Canon's G620 and G7020 adds ink monitoring notifications, which is a genuinely useful feature given that you won't be buying ink very often and might not notice when levels drop.

Fax is a niche feature in 2026 — most buyers won't use it. If you do need it, the Epson ET-4850 and Canon G7020 both include it. The ET-3850 skips fax but is otherwise equivalent to the ET-4850. If fax isn't in your workflow, don't pay extra for it. For related reading on printer selection for specific use cases, our guide to the best photo printers under $200 covers more of the budget end of the spectrum, and the best pigment ink printers guide goes deeper on ink quality considerations for document-heavy workflows.

Questions Answered

Stop renting your ink by the cartridge — buy a tank printer once and print for years at a fraction of the cost.