Inkjet printers are cheaper to buy. Laser printers are usually cheaper to run. Which one costs you less depends on how much you print, how much of it is in color, and how often your printer sits idle. We priced 43 printers sold new in 2026 and their ink and toner to give you real numbers, not rules of thumb.
- 3.5¢median cost per black page, mono laser with brand-name toner
- 6.4¢median cost per black page, cartridge inkjet with brand-name ink
- 0.38¢median cost per black page, ink tank printer with brand-name bottles
- $571brand-name ink over 3 years for a $54.99 inkjet (100 pages a month)
Quick answer
- For black-and-white documents, a laser printer is cheaper to run. In our data a black page costs a median of 3.5¢ with brand-name toner vs 6.4¢ with brand-name inkjet cartridges.
- For color, brand-name costs are about the same, roughly 18¢ a page on color lasers and 18¢ on cartridge inkjets. With compatible toner, color laser pages drop to about 5¢.
- Ink tank printers are the cheapest per page of all, about 0.38¢ black and 1.2¢ color with brand-name bottles. They cost more up front.
- Choose an inkjet for photos and glossy paper. Choose a laser if you print rarely, because toner doesn’t dry out and inkjet nozzles can clog.
Toner vs ink: what’s the difference?
Laser printers use toner. Inkjet printers use ink. They put an image on paper in completely different ways, and that drives most of the differences in cost and quality.
Ink (inkjet printers)
Liquid ink is sprayed through tiny nozzles and soaks into the paper. It’s great for blending colors and printing photos. Ink can dry out in the nozzles if the printer sits unused, and some inks smear when wet.
Toner (laser printers)
Toner is a fine, dry powder. A laser draws the page on a drum, the toner sticks where the laser drew, and heat melts it into the paper. It doesn’t dry out, it won’t run if it gets wet, and one cartridge prints thousands of pages.
Want to see how a laser printer works step by step? Our guide to why laser printers print lines shows the whole process.
Laser vs inkjet printer: side by side
| Feature | Laser | Cartridge inkjet | Ink tank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printer price (models we priced) | From $129 (mono), $285 (color) | From $54.99 | From $200 |
| Black page, brand-name supplies | 3.5¢ median | 6.4¢ median | 0.38¢ median |
| Black page, Swift Ink supplies | 1.3¢ median | 2.0¢ median | 0.13¢ median |
| Color page, brand-name supplies | 18¢ median (color laser) | 18¢ median | 1.2¢ median |
| Pages per cartridge | About 950 to 18,000 | About 300 to 1,100 (XL) | About 4,700 to 8,000 per bottle |
| Text quality | Very sharp | Good to very good | Good to very good |
| Photos on glossy paper | Not suited | Very good | Very good (photo models) |
| If unused for weeks | Prints right away | Nozzles can clog | Nozzles can clog |
| Water and highlighters | Doesn’t run | Some inks can smear | Some inks can smear |
| Best for | Lots of text, offices, infrequent printing | Occasional color, photos, low upfront cost | Lots of color, families, home offices |
Cost per page by printer type
These are the medians across the printers we priced, using high-yield cartridges and the makers’ ISO page yields. The Swift Ink figures use our compatible or remanufactured cartridges for the same printers.
For the full breakdown printer by printer, see our report Why is printer ink so expensive? We priced 43 printers.
What each type costs over 3 years
Cost per page only tells half the story. Here’s the printer price plus ink or toner for three years. Color printers are figured at 80% black pages and 20% color pages.
| Printer | Type | Printer price | 50 pages a month | 100 pages a month | 300 pages a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother HL-L2405W | Mono laser | $139.99 | $199 / $160 | $258 / $180 | $494 / $259 |
| HP LaserJet M209dw | Mono laser | $129.00 | $208 / $159 | $286 / $189 | $601 / $309 |
| Brother HL-L3220CDW | Color laser | $284.99 | $401 / $317 | $517 / $349 | $980 / $477 |
| Canon PIXMA TS3720 | Budget inkjet | $54.99 | $341 / $215 | $626 / $374 | $1,768 / $1,012 |
| Brother MFC-J1800DW | Inkjet | $229.99 | $415 / $288 | $601 / $345 | $1,342 / $575 |
| Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4820 | Business inkjet | $129.99 | $245 / $173 | $360 / $215 | $819 / $385 |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2900 | Ink tank | $239.99 | $249 / $244 | $259 / $248 | $297 / $263 |
| HP Smart Tank 5100 | Ink tank | $199.99 | $210 / $203 | $220 / $206 | $261 / $219 |
Each cell shows brand-name supplies / Swift Ink supplies. Mono lasers print black only. Excludes paper, drums, and maintenance parts.
Two things stand out. The $54.99 inkjet is the most expensive printer to own in every scenario, because its cartridges cost the most per page. And the gap grows with volume: at 300 pages a month, the mono laser costs less than a third as much as the budget inkjet over three years.
Laser or inkjet: which should you buy?
-
Do you print photos on glossy photo paper?
- Yes
- Get an inkjet. Laser printers aren’t made for glossy photo paper. If you print lots of color, choose an ink tank model.
- No
- Go to question 2.
-
Do you need color at all?
- No
- Get a mono laser printer. It has the lowest cost to own for black-and-white printing in our data.
- Yes
- Go to question 3.
-
Do you print at least once a week?
- No, it sits for weeks
- Get a color laser. Toner doesn’t dry out, so the printer works when you need it.
- Yes
- Go to question 4.
-
Is a lot of what you print in color?
- Yes
- Get an ink tank printer. Color pages cost about 1¢.
- Some
- A color laser or a business inkjet with high-yield cartridges both work well. Color laser pages don’t smear and cost less with compatible toner.
Ink tank printers: the third option
Ink tank printers, like the Epson EcoTank and HP Smart Tank, use refillable tanks instead of cartridges. You pour ink in from bottles that last thousands of pages. They cost more up front, but brand-name bottles bring a page down to well under 1¢, and compatible bottles cost even less.
They’re still inkjets, so they share the same weak spot: if you leave one unused for weeks, the print head can clog. If you print every week and use a lot of color, an ink tank printer is the cheapest way to print. If you mostly print black text, a mono laser is still hard to beat.
Common myths about laser and inkjet printers
“Laser printers are expensive.”
Not anymore. Mono laser printers start around $129 in our data, and a color laser starts around $285.
“Inkjets are the cheap option.”
They’re cheap to buy, not to run. The budget inkjet in our data costs $571 in brand-name ink over three years at 100 pages a month. That’s about 10 times its price.
“Toner is more expensive than ink.”
A toner cartridge costs more, but it prints far more pages, so the cost per page is usually lower. Brand-name HP 148X toner costs $281.99, but at about 9,500 pages it works out to about 3¢ a page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a laser printer cheaper than an inkjet in the long run?
For black-and-white printing, yes. In our 2026 data a mono laser costs a median of 3.5¢ per black page with brand-name toner, vs 6.4¢ for cartridge inkjets. Ink tank printers cost even less per page, but they’re still inkjets that can clog if left unused.
Does toner dry out like ink?
No. Toner is a dry powder, so it doesn’t dry out or clog. That makes laser printers a good choice if you print only now and then.
Is a laser printer good for home use?
Yes, especially for homework, forms, and shipping labels. Compact mono lasers like the Brother HL-L2405W and HP LaserJet M209dw cost less than many inkjets to own.
Can a laser printer print photos?
A color laser can print color pages and graphics well, but it can’t print on glossy inkjet photo paper. For photos, use an inkjet.
Which is cheaper, toner or ink?
Per page, toner is usually cheaper than cartridge ink, and bottled ink for ink tank printers is cheaper than both. Compatible toner and ink lower the cost further.