An ink tank printer replaces traditional cartridges with refillable reservoirs that hold enough ink for thousands of pages, slashing the per-page cost of printing for households and small offices. Every major brand now offers an ink tank line, including Epson EcoTank, Canon MegaTank, HP Smart Tank, and Brother INKvestment. The wrong ink tank printer skimps on scanner quality for multi-function work, runs only 4 ink colors and produces banded photos, or lacks duplex printing for double-sided documents. After comparing 15 current ink tank printers, these seven stood out for page yield, print speed, scanner resolution, and total ownership cost.
Picks were narrowed by included ink yield, refill bottle cost, print speed in pages per minute, duplex and ADF support, and scanner resolution for multi-function use.
Quick Comparison
| Pick | Type | Included Ink Yield | Print Speed | Approx Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | Home AIO | 4,500 B / 7,500 C | 10.5 ppm | $200-250 |
| Canon Pixma G6020 | Family AIO | 6,000 B / 7,700 C | 13 ppm | $280-330 |
| HP Smart Tank 6001 | Home AIO | 6,000 B / 8,000 C | 12 ppm | $250-300 |
| Epson WorkForce ET-3850 | Small office AIO | 7,500 B / 6,000 C | 15.5 ppm | $400-450 |
| Canon MegaTank G3270 | Home AIO | 6,000 B / 7,700 C | 11 ppm | $230-280 |
| Brother MFC-J5855DW | Office AIO | 6,000 B / 5,000 C | 28 ppm | $400-500 |
| Epson EcoTank ET-15000 | Wide format AIO | 7,500 B / 6,000 C | 17 ppm | $600-700 |
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 - Best Budget Home Pick
The ET-2800 is the lowest-priced entry into the EcoTank ecosystem and the right pick for a household that prints 50 to 200 pages a month. The included ink prints 4,500 black and 7,500 color pages straight out of the box, which is roughly 10 times the yield of a starter cartridge in a traditional inkjet. Wireless setup through the Epson Smart Panel app takes 10 minutes from unboxing to first print.
The flatbed scanner handles photos and documents at 1,200 dpi, enough for clear PDF scans and basic photo digitizing. Four ink colors deliver crisp text and acceptable color graphics for school assignments and home projects. Refill bottles cost about $13 each and print another 4,500 to 7,500 pages depending on color. Borderless printing up to 8.5 by 11 inches works for school projects and crafts.
Trade-offs: no automatic document feeder, no duplex printing, and slower print speeds at 10.5 ppm in black. Photo gradients show mild banding on dark areas because only 4 inks are used. Around $200-250.
Canon Pixma G6020 - Best Family All-in-One
The Pixma G6020 sits in the family all-in-one slot with auto-duplex printing, an automatic document feeder for 35 pages, and 5 ink colors that include a dedicated photo black. The extra ink color improves photo quality on glossy paper without the banding that hits 4-color budget models. Included ink yields are 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages.
Print speed runs 13 pages per minute in black and the dual paper trays hold 350 sheets combined, which cuts paper reloading frequency. The 1.35 inch color LCD walks through copy and scan tasks without needing a phone. Canon Print app handles wireless printing from iOS and Android, and AirPrint works for iPhone users without app installs. Scanner resolution hits 1,200 by 2,400 dpi for sharper photo digitization.
Trade-offs: refill bottles run about $20 each, slightly higher than Epson equivalents. The 35-sheet ADF is small compared to office-tier models. Around $280-330.
HP Smart Tank 6001 - Best HP Ecosystem Pick
The HP Smart Tank 6001 lands at the price-performance sweet spot for households already running HP printers, with the HP Smart app for wireless setup, scanning, and mobile printing. Included ink prints 6,000 black and 8,000 color pages, slightly more than the Canon and Epson equivalents at the same price point. Auto-duplex printing cuts paper use on long documents.
The 35-sheet automatic document feeder pairs with a flatbed scanner that hits 1,200 dpi for clear copies and scans. Wireless network setup uses dual-band Wi-Fi 5, which connects faster and stays stable on busier home networks than older Wi-Fi 4 models. HP Plus subscription adds free Instant Ink delivery, though the base printer works fine without subscribing.
Trade-offs: the front control panel is a smaller 2.4 inch touchscreen and feels cramped during multi-page copy jobs. HP refill bottles cost around $22 each, in line with Canon and slightly above Epson. Around $250-300.
Epson WorkForce ET-3850 - Best Small Office All-in-One
The WorkForce ET-3850 steps up to small office duty with 15.5 page per minute print speed, a 250 sheet paper tray, a 30-sheet ADF, and auto duplex on both printing and scanning. Pigment-based black ink resists smudging and water better than dye-based budget models, which matters for invoices and contracts that travel.
Touch screen at 2.4 inches handles setup, scan-to-email, and scan-to-cloud destinations like Google Drive and Dropbox. Ethernet port supplements Wi-Fi for stable wired connections in offices with weak wireless. Print speeds hit 8.5 ppm in color, more than enough for a 5-person team running normal document loads. Included ink covers 7,500 black and 6,000 color pages.
Trade-offs: no fax module despite the office focus, which is fine for most modern offices but inconvenient for legal or medical settings. Print speed slows noticeably during heavy duty cycles. Around $400-450.
Canon MegaTank G3270 - Best Compact Home Pick
The MegaTank G3270 is the compact pick for desks and small offices where footprint matters. The chassis is roughly 17 by 13 by 7 inches when closed, fitting on standard desk shelves where larger family AIO models do not. Included ink prints 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages with 5-color inks including a dedicated photo black.
Wireless setup through the Canon Print Inkjet app pairs with iOS and Android in 5 minutes. Borderless printing up to 8.5 by 11 inches handles photo prints on glossy paper without white edges. Flatbed scanner at 600 by 1,200 dpi covers basic document and photo scanning. Energy Star certification keeps standby power draw low when the printer sits idle.
Trade-offs: no automatic document feeder, no duplex printing, smaller 100 sheet paper tray. Best used as a personal printer rather than a shared household device. Around $230-280.
Brother MFC-J5855DW - Best Office Speed
The Brother MFC-J5855DW hits 28 pages per minute in black, the fastest in this lineup and the right pick for offices that print long documents under deadline. The 11 by 17 inch printing capacity matches ledger-sized spreadsheets and engineering drawings, which the smaller models cannot handle. Dual 250 sheet paper trays hold 500 sheets total and accept different paper sizes simultaneously.
Auto duplex printing and a 50-sheet ADF with dual-side scanning cover heavy document workflows. Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB connections, plus NFC tap-to-print from Android phones. Fax module is included along with PC-Fax. The 3.5 inch color touchscreen runs the largest menu in this lineup, useful for scan-to-cloud and copy adjustments without a computer.
Trade-offs: refill bottles cost about $25 each, the most expensive in this lineup. Included ink yield of 6,000 black and 5,000 color is lower than competitors at this price. Around $400-500.
Epson EcoTank ET-15000 - Best Wide Format Pick
The EcoTank ET-15000 prints up to 13 by 19 inches, the largest format in this lineup, which suits architects, photographers, and small businesses producing brochures and posters in-house. Print speed hits 17 ppm in black and 9 ppm in color, enough for moderate office loads. Included ink covers 7,500 black and 6,000 color pages with 4 high-yield inks.
Dual 250 sheet front trays hold 500 sheets between them, and a rear feed handles specialty paper like cardstock and photo paper without removing the main tray. Auto duplex printing covers both letter and ledger sized paper. The 4.3 inch color touchscreen runs the cleanest interface in the EcoTank lineup. Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and USB cover all networking scenarios.
Trade-offs: the chassis is large at 21 by 16 by 9 inches, requiring dedicated desk or cart space. No automatic document feeder despite the office price tier. Around $600-700.
How to Choose the Right Ink Tank Printer
Calculate Your Monthly Page Volume First
Ink tank printers pay off only past the breakeven point. Households printing under 50 pages a month save little over a cheap cartridge printer because the upfront cost takes 2 to 3 years to recoup. At 100 to 300 pages a month, ink tanks pay off inside 12 months. Heavy users over 500 pages a month save hundreds of dollars per year and should look at the office-tier models with larger paper trays and faster speeds.
Check Ink Yield and Refill Bottle Cost
Included ink yield ranges from 4,500 to 7,500 black pages across the lineup. Refill bottles cost $13 to $25 each and print another 4,000 to 7,500 pages depending on the brand and color. Epson EcoTank generally has the lowest refill cost per page, Canon MegaTank costs slightly more, and Brother sits at the top. Calculate cost per page by dividing bottle price by page yield before buying.
Pick AIO Features Based on Workflow
A multi-function unit with auto document feeder and duplex scanning beats a print-only model for households and offices that scan, copy, and email documents regularly. Single-function ink tank printers exist but make sense only if a separate scanner is already in place. Match the ADF size to your typical document length, and pick duplex scanning if double-sided invoices or contracts are common.
Match Print Speed to Your Patience Budget
Print speeds range from 10 to 28 pages per minute in this lineup, which matters most when printing 20 plus page documents. A 10 ppm printer takes 2 minutes for a 20 page document while a 28 ppm printer takes under 45 seconds. For occasional home printing, 10 to 13 ppm is fine. For offices with deadlines or shared printers, look at 20 ppm or higher.
For complementary picks, see our coverage of printer paper photo and best laminators. Black Friday and back-to-school sales historically cut ink tank prices by 15 to 25 percent. Pick the ET-2800 for budget home use, the G6020 for families, the J5855DW for office speed, and the ET-15000 for wide format work.
Frequently asked questions
Are ink tank printers really cheaper than cartridge printers?
Yes, but only past the breakeven point. Ink tank printers cost $200 to $700 upfront versus $60 to $150 for cartridge models, but the included ink prints 3,000 to 7,500 pages versus 200 to 400 from a starter cartridge. Refill bottles cost $15 to $25 and print another 4,000 to 7,000 pages. The breakeven point comes around 1,500 to 2,500 pages depending on the model. Households printing more than 100 pages a month save money inside the first year.
Do ink tank printers clog if not used often?
Inkjet print heads in any technology can dry out if unused for weeks at a time, including ink tanks. Epson EcoTank and Canon MegaTank both run automatic head cleaning cycles that consume small amounts of ink to keep nozzles clear. The maintenance ink box on Epson models tracks this consumption. Printing one page weekly is enough to prevent clogs on most models. Long absences over 4 to 6 weeks may trigger a deeper cleaning cycle on first restart, which is normal.
Are refill bottles from third parties safe to use?
Third party bottles work but void the manufacturer warranty and may not match the original ink chemistry. Epson, Canon, and HP all sell branded refill bottles at $15 to $25 each that maintain warranty coverage and color accuracy. Third party bottles save 30 to 50 percent but risk inconsistent color, faster head clogging, and reduced print archival life. For photo printing or business documents that need consistent results, stick with original ink. For casual home text printing, third party ink is usually fine.
How long does ink last in a tank when not printing?
Sealed refill bottles last 2 years on the shelf before expiration. Once poured into the tank, the ink is stable for roughly 12 months of normal use. Beyond that, water-based pigments and dyes may settle or thicken, causing color shifts and clogging. Most home users print enough to cycle through the ink before this becomes an issue. Heavy users finish a tank in 3 to 6 months, well inside the freshness window.
Do ink tank printers print photos well?
Mid-range and premium ink tank models with 5 or 6 ink colors handle photo printing at near-cartridge quality. Epson EcoTank ET-8500 and Canon MegaTank G6020 add gray, photo black, or extra cyan and magenta cartridges that improve gradient smoothness and skin tones. Budget 4-color models like the ET-2800 handle text and basic photos but show banding on dark gradients. For serious photo printing, look for 5 or 6 color systems and high resolution print heads at 5,760 by 1,440 dpi or higher.