There are many advantages to using a refillable ink printer over other types. For one, they are more cost-effective. Instead of replacing expensive cartridges every time they run out, you can refill the ink tank with low-cost ink bottles. The savings on running costs can be substantial over time.

Moreover, refillable ink tanks are more environmentally friendly than disposable plastic cartridges. In addition to the reduced plastic waste and huge cost savings, ink tank printers can produce high print quality thanks to more evenly distributed ink.

Here are the best refillable ink printers available today.

Our Favorite Refillable Ink Printers in 2023

The Canon MAXIFY MegaTank GX6021 is an all-in-one printer, copier, and scanner that will save you money in the long run without compromising performance. It's relatively compact for a desktop printer, making it ideal for small offices or home use.

It offers fast performance, with up to 24ipm for black/white and 15.5ipm for color images. Additionally, its 4-Color pigment ink system and 1,200dpi print and scan resolution combine to produce clear and incredibly sharp documents. Moreover, Canon claims you can enjoy even greater savings thanks to its excellent page yield of up to 6,000 black and 14,000 color pages per ink set.

The GX6021 features a 250-sheet bottom cassette, a 150-sheet rear tray, and a 50-sheet ADF for copying and scanning. It accommodates various paper types and sizes, including 47-inch long banners, should there be a celebration in order. With multiple connection options, including Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet, on top of Apple AirPrint and Mopria for printing directly from your smartphone, this refillable ink printer is a truly versatile choice.

The Canon PIXMA G3260 is a perfect choice if you want a compact and inexpensive all-in-one supertank printer. Despite offering moderate print speeds of 10.8ppm for black and 6ppm for color pages, the pigment-based black ink provides crisp and sharp text, while the dye-based color ink offers vibrant and accurate results.

With a high yield of up to 6,000 black/white pages and 7,700 color pages, this printer adds even more value to its already agreeable price. Long-term costs are pleasing at three cents per black and white printed page and eight cents for a color one.

The printer has a rear input tray that holds 100 sheets and a retractable output tray. It supports various paper sizes up to legal with borderless printing up to 8.5 x 11 inches. You can also print photos and documents directly from your smartphone with its support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria, among others, or you can use the Canon PRINT app.

Despite being marginally larger and a few pounds heavier than the GX6021, the Canon MAXIFY GX7021 has almost double the paper capacity and features fax capabilities and a duplex ADF. These additions make it a better choice for offices. Moreover, it boasts excellent features like a built-in copier and scanner without taking up too much room, making it a suitable option for home use as well.

The bottom cassette holds an impressive 500 sheets, while the rear tray holds an extra 100. The ADF conveniently does duplex scans on a single pass, eliminating the need for manual page turning. It's cost- and time-saving, and you can also do duplex printing in addition to scanning.

Page yield is high with up to 6,000 monochrome and 14,000 color sheets with a single set of inks, which brings the operating cost down to about two cents per page. This low amount makes it one of the best choices for a cost-effective refillable ink printer alongside its sibling, the GX6021. You can print via Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet, or smartphone.

The Smart Tank 7301 is part of HP's renowned 7000 series of printers. It's an all-in-one supertank with print, scan, and copy capabilities and offers excellent security features such as basic encryption, password protection, and defense against malware and viruses. In addition, you also get self-healing Wi-Fi that automatically detects and resolves connection issues.

Print speed is a decent 15ppm for monochrome prints and 9ppm for color. You can print wirelessly using Bluetooth LE, the easy-to-use HP app, or via Ethernet. With a print resolution of up to 4800 x 1200dpi, color graphics are vibrant and detailed, while text remains crisp. In addition, HP has generously provided enough ink for up to 6,000 black and white and 8,000 color pages.

Refilling ink is easy, thanks to an easy-access, spill-free system that requires you to simply plug in the bottle and allow it to drain with no squeezing required. The ease of use doesn't end there, as the printer is equipped with a 35-sheet ADF and an intuitive control panel with illuminated buttons to guide you through all your printing, copying, and scanning tasks seamlessly.

The Epson Ecotank ET-4850 not only prints, copies, and scans but also includes fax capabilities, giving it an edge in the office. It's fairly easy to use and doesn't take up too much desk space, thanks to its compact and lightweight profile, making it a good choice for home use.

High-capacity, refillable ink tanks ensure cost-effective printing. At just three cents for monochrome prints and nine for color, it's up there as one of the most cost-effective refillable ink printers available. Furthermore, the machine comes with a generous supply of ink that could last for up to two years with an average amount of printing.

While print speeds are relatively standard, the quality is good, with well-saturated colors and sharp black text. It supports wired and wireless printing, hands-free voice printing, and mobile printing. Additionally, its durable printhead, powered by PrecisionCore Heat-Free Technology, is more efficient and eco-friendly than traditional printheads.

The Ecotank ET-8500 is a perfect option if you want to print vibrant and color-accurate photos and graphics. It has a higher print resolution of up to 5,760 x 1,440dpi and includes Photo Black and Gray inks on top of the regular CMYK, giving the printer an expanded color range. As a result, prints are more natural, and grayscale is more detailed.

Print speeds are excellent at 16ppm for black prints and 12ppm for color. You can print wirelessly from your computer or smartphone or even go hands-free with Google Assistant, Alexa, Epson Connect, and Siri. In addition, an SD card slot means you can easily print photos from your camera or phone without the hassle of transferring them.

Running costs are excellent and comparable to other leading refillable ink printers at three cents per monochrome page and nine for color, while high-quality photos cost around four cents each. You also get borderless images up to 8.5 x 11 inches, and the cherry on top is DVD and CD printing to personalize cherished collections.

While the EcoTank ET-8500 is remarkable for printing photos, the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 takes things a step further with support for wide-format images and graphics up to 13 x 19 inches. Although it may come at a higher price, it's the perfect option if you want to print large-scale designs, engineering drawings, or even posters up to super-B size.

Elsewhere, the ET-8550 features the same 5,760 x 1,440dpi print resolution and extra ink tanks for black and gray colors, resulting in high-quality, vibrant, and true-to-life photo prints. It can print 16 monochrome pages per minute and 12 color pages per minute, which is impressive considering the high level of detail. You also get versatile controls and connectivity options, including wireless, voice-activated printing, and an SD card slot.

Considerations Before Buying a Refillable Ink Printer in 2023

A refillable ink printer is an excellent choice for anyone who does a lot of printing. The large ink tanks offer convenience and help save time, whether at home or in a busy office. Refilling the ink is usually a breeze, so downtime and messy mishaps are less likely.

However, these printers may come at a higher price than traditional ones. That's not to say that value can't be found. The Canon Pixma G3260 offers excellent value and pleasing long-term running costs while not compromising on quality. If you have more money to spend, premium options like the Canon MAXIFY GX7021 not only offer excellent print quality but also have a high sheet capacity and fast performance, which is perfect for busy offices.

However, if you want the best balance between cost and features, the Canon MAXIFY GX6021 is a good choice. It comes at an agreeable price point and offers excellent image quality, cost-effective page yield, fast printing, a 5-sheet ADF, and added touches such as the ability to print long banners. All of this is packed into a relatively compact design, making it a suitable option for any desk or tabletop.