Are Laser Printers Cheaper to Run Than Inkjet?

On this page (8 sections)

1. Why are laser printers cheaper to run than inkjet for most home printing?
2. How much does a toner cartridge actually print?
3. What else wears out in a laser printer?
4. When is an inkjet cheaper to run than a laser printer?
5. How does electricity fit into the running cost?
6. How do you compare two printers on running cost?
7. Which laser printers keep running costs low?
8. Which should you buy for your printing habits?

Yes, for steady black and white printing, a laser printer is usually cheaper to run than inkjet, because a toner cartridge prints far more pages before it needs replacing. Inkjets can still cost less when you print rarely or need lots of color.

The answer depends less on the printer type and more on your habits. Pages per month, color needs and how long the machine sits idle decide whether laser or inkjet is the cheaper choice over a year.

Why are laser printers cheaper to run than inkjet for most home printing?

Toner goes further per cartridge, so each page costs less. That is the core reason laser running costs stay low for regular black and white jobs.

A toner cartridge is a dry powder container that prints thousands of pages. The Brother TN830XL yields up to 3,000 pages, which means fewer trips to buy supplies and a lower cost per sheet compared with standard toner.

Inkjet printers use liquid ink in cartridges that hold less. They can be cheap to buy, but the ink runs out sooner and costs more per page on average.

That gap matters most when you print documents week after week.

Laser printers also handle text sharply and don't smudge once the page leaves the fuser. For school letters, invoices and forms, the output and the cost both favor laser.

The upfront price is higher, though. A laser printer costs more to buy than a basic inkjet, so you recover the difference over time through cheaper pages.

The more you print, the faster that happens.

How much does a toner cartridge actually print?

A high-yield toner cartridge prints thousands of pages, far more than a typical ink cartridge. That rated yield is the number you need to compare machines fairly.

The Brother TN830XL is rated for up to 3,000 pages. Standard toner in the same family prints fewer pages, and Brother sells both so you can match supply to volume.

The TN830XL also comes in a multipack for heavier users.

Yield figures follow a standard test pattern. Your real page count will differ if you print dense graphics or fill more of each sheet.

Still, the comparison holds: a laser toner cartridge outlasts a typical ink cartridge by a wide margin.

To get the true cost per page, divide the cartridge price by its rated yield. Do this for toner and ink alike.

A cartridge that looks expensive can still be the cheaper option per sheet when it prints many more pages.

What else wears out in a laser printer?

A laser printer also has a drum unit, which wears out more slowly than toner. That long life is why it adds little to the running cost.

The drum unit is the part that transfers toner onto the page. In the Brother setup the DR830 drum unit yields up to 15,000 pages, so you replace it roughly once for every several toner cartridges.

Its cost spread over 15,000 pages is small.

Inkjets have their own long-life parts, such as the print head. On many models the print head is built into the cartridge, so replacing ink replaces the head too.

That keeps the design simple but pushes cost into every cartridge change.

Keep the drum in mind when you compare. A laser's supplies bill is toner plus an occasional drum, while an inkjet's is mostly ink.

Over thousands of pages, the laser total usually comes out lower.

When is an inkjet cheaper to run than a laser printer?

Inkjet wins when you print rarely, print a lot of color, or want photos. Those are the situations where laser running costs lose their edge.

Color printing

Color laser printers cost more to buy and use four toner cartridges. An inkjet with separate color cartridges is usually the cheaper way to print color pages and photos.

If most of your pages are in color, price out the inkjet first.

Low volume

If you print a few pages a month, the inkjet's cheaper upfront price matters more than cost per page. You may not print enough pages to earn back a laser's higher purchase price, so the running-cost gap never pays off.

Photo printing

Inkjet printers handle photos better than most mono lasers. A black and white laser prints text well, but photos need color and smooth tones.

For a photo-heavy household, an inkjet is the practical choice.

Idle time and ink drying

Inkjet ink can dry in the nozzles when the printer sits unused. Cleaning cycles then use ink without printing a page.

A laser has no liquid ink, so long gaps between jobs don't waste supplies the same way. Our comparison of laser printer vs LED printer looks at how laser machines put toner on the page.

How does electricity fit into the running cost?

Power is a small part of the bill next to ink or toner, so it rarely decides the choice. Still, the two types draw power differently.

A laser printer heats a fuser to melt toner onto the paper. That draws a burst of power per page and a short warm-up when it wakes.

An inkjet uses less power per page because it fires liquid ink without heat.

For a home printer doing a few dozen pages a week, the electricity difference is minor. Supplies dominate the cost per page.

Put your effort into comparing toner and ink yields instead of kilowatt hours.

If you want to save energy on a laser, use its duplex mode to cut paper use and look for an energy-rated model. Brother says the HL-L2460DW is ENERGY STAR compliant and EPEAT Silver rated.

How do you compare two printers on running cost?

Compare cost per page for supplies first, then add the purchase price over the years you'll keep the printer. That gives you a fair total.

1. Find the rated yield of each cartridge in pages.
2. Divide the cartridge price by that yield to get the cost per page.
3. Add the drum cost divided by its yield, if the printer uses a separate drum.
4. Multiply by your monthly page count and by 12 for a yearly figure.
5. Add the printer's purchase price and divide over its expected life.

Run the numbers with your own page count. A household printing 300 black and white pages a month lands on very different totals from one printing 20 color pages a week.

Look at standard versus high-yield cartridges too. High-yield toner like the TN830XL costs more per cartridge but less per page.

Standard toner suits light use where you want a lower first purchase. Read more about the printer's own supply options in our look at whether are Brother laser printers good at matching supply to use.

Which laser printers keep running costs low?

A mono laser with high-yield toner and a long-life drum is the low-cost pattern to look for. The Brother HL-L2460DW is a clear example for a home office.

It prints black and white only, at speeds up to 36 pages per minute. Automatic duplex saves paper, and a 250-sheet tray means fewer refills.

The 15.6-pound body fits on a desk.

Brother sells the printer with a toner cartridge and drum unit included. The Refresh subscription trial adds a way to get toner delivered, which can help steady users avoid emergency buys.

That service is optional, so compare its cost against buying cartridges outright.

If you want color laser, budget for four toner cartridges and a higher purchase price. Our roundup of the best HP laser printer options covers machines for different home needs.

For color, see the Canon laser printer picks from compact to color models.

Which should you buy for your printing habits?

Choose a laser if you print black and white documents regularly, and choose an inkjet if you print rarely or mostly in color. Are laser printers cheaper to run than inkjet?

For the steady document printer, the answer is yes, and the savings build with every toner cartridge.

Pick a mono laser like the Brother HL-L2460DW when most pages are text and your monthly volume is steady. Add high-yield TN830XL toner for the lowest cost per page and keep the DR830 drum in mind as a long-term supply.

Stay with an inkjet when color, photos or very light use define your printing. In those cases the inkjet's cheaper upfront price and better color output outweigh the higher cost per page.

For color laser options that still keep supplies reasonable, compare the models in our best Canon laser printer guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many pages does a laser toner cartridge print?

The Brother TN830XL yields up to 3,000 pages, and the DR830 drum unit yields up to 15,000 pages. Standard toner and other models vary.

Check the rated yield on the cartridge you plan to buy so you can compare cost per page fairly.

Is inkjet cheaper than laser for color printing?

Often yes. Color laser printers and their toner sets cost more upfront, and a four-cartridge color set adds up.

An inkjet with separate color cartridges is usually the cheaper way to print photos and mixed color pages at home.

Why do inkjet cartridges dry out?

Inkjet nozzles can clog or dry when the printer sits unused for long stretches, so you use ink on cleaning cycles rather than on pages. A laser has no liquid ink to dry, which helps when printing comes in bursts with gaps between.

Does a laser printer use more electricity than an inkjet?

A laser can draw more power while its fuser heats up, so each page uses more energy in short bursts. Inkjet printers sip less power per page.

For typical home volumes the difference is small next to the cost of toner or ink.

How do I work out cost per page?

Divide the cartridge price by its rated page yield. Do the same for the drum if your printer uses one.

Compare two machines using the same yield standard so the numbers line up, then factor in how many pages you print each month.