Printer Ink Refills Price Comparison 2026
Compare 161 printer ink refill bottles from Epson, Canon, HP and more — find the best price across top UK retailers in seconds.
Ink refill bottles have quietly transformed the economics of home and office printing. Where traditional cartridges once locked you into a cycle of expensive replacements, continuous ink supply systems — Epson's EcoTank, Canon's MegaTank, HP's Smart Tank — now let you top up your printer's reservoir for a fraction of the cost. We track 161 products in this category, and the price spread tells a clear story: most bottles sit between 5 £ and 12 £, making this one of the more affordable corners of the ink cartridges market.
Epson dominates the catalogue here with 55 products at an average of around 8 £ per bottle — their 104 and 113 EcoTank lines are the most widely compared. Canon follows closely with 41 products, typically priced a touch lower, while InkLab's 39 compatible alternatives offer the most aggressive pricing for buyers willing to step outside OEM territory. HP's range is smaller but notably pricier on average, largely because their Smart Tank bottles are sold in higher-volume formats. Brother rounds things out with nine products, mostly pigment-based inks aimed at document-heavy users.
One thing worth flagging: compatibility is non-negotiable with ink bottles. Unlike some accessories, you cannot mix and match — an Epson 104 bottle will not fit a Canon PIXMA, full stop. Always cross-reference your printer's model number before buying. This is especially important with compatible or third-party inks from brands like InkLab or Armor, where the product listing may cover a range of supported models rather than a single one.
For high-volume households or small offices printing regularly, the cost-per-page argument for tank systems is compelling. A standard EcoTank bottle can yield anywhere from 1,500 to over 7,000 pages depending on coverage — compare that to a traditional cartridge and the maths quickly favours the refill route. If you're also managing a laser setup, it's worth comparing against toner cartridges, which offer different cost-per-page dynamics for monochrome document printing. And if your printer needs more than just ink, our printer kits section covers bundled maintenance supplies.
How to Choose the Right Ink Refill Bottle
Most people buy the wrong ink bottle at least once — usually because they matched the brand but not the series. With prices ranging from 5 £ to well over 18 £, the gap between a savvy purchase and a wasted one is significant. Here's what actually matters when you're comparing refill bottles.
Printer compatibility — series, not just brand
This is the single most important check. Epson, Canon, HP and Brother each produce multiple ink bottle series, and they are not interchangeable. An Epson 104 bottle is designed specifically for EcoTank ET-series printers; the 113 series fits a different set of models. Canon's GI-40, GI-51, and GI-590 lines each target distinct PIXMA G-series printers. Always locate your printer's exact model number — usually on a sticker underneath the machine — and verify compatibility before adding anything to your basket. Using an incompatible bottle risks damaging the print head and will almost certainly void your manufacturer warranty.
OEM vs compatible: the real trade-off
Original OEM bottles (Epson, Canon, HP, Brother) guarantee colour accuracy, correct viscosity, and full warranty coverage. Compatible alternatives from brands like InkLab cost noticeably less — often sitting at the lower end of the price range — but quality varies. The better compatible brands use matched dye or pigment formulations and publish page yield data; the cheaper ones don't. Our advice: for photo printing or colour-critical work, stick with OEM. For everyday document printing where you're churning through black ink, a reputable compatible brand is a reasonable gamble, provided you check reviews specific to your printer model.
Dye-based vs pigment-based formulation
Dye-based inks dissolve fully in liquid, producing vivid, saturated colours — ideal for photo printing. Pigment-based inks suspend particles in solution, giving sharper text, better water resistance, and superior fade resistance over time. Most consumer EcoTank and MegaTank systems use dye-based colour inks with a pigment black for documents. If you're printing archival photos or important documents, check whether your printer supports pigment inks and whether the bottle you're buying matches. Mixing formulations — even accidentally — can cause nozzle clogging that's expensive to fix.
Ink volume and true cost per page
The sticker price of a bottle tells you very little on its own. A 70ml bottle at 8 £ might yield 3,000 pages; a 140ml bottle at 12 £ could yield 7,500. The metric that matters is cost per page (CPP) — divide the bottle price by the stated page yield (measured at 5% coverage). OEM bottles typically publish this figure; compatible brands sometimes don't, which is itself a red flag. For high-volume users printing 200+ pages a month, even a small CPP difference compounds quickly over a year.
Bottle design and spillage risk
Epson's EcoTank bottles use a keyed nozzle system that physically prevents you from filling the wrong colour into the wrong tank — a genuinely useful design feature. Canon's GI-series uses a similar approach. HP's Smart Tank bottles are squeeze-style, which some users find less precise. If you're refilling regularly, the bottle design affects both convenience and the risk of a messy spill. Check whether your printer's refill process is tool-free and whether the bottle includes a nozzle adapter — not all compatible bottles do.
Shelf life and storage
Unopened ink bottles are typically rated for 12–24 months from manufacture. Once opened, that window shrinks to 6–12 months, and some dye-based inks can separate or thicken if stored in fluctuating temperatures. If you're buying in bulk to save money — which can make sense when prices dip during Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day — factor in whether you'll realistically use the ink before it degrades. Pigment-based inks tend to be more stable in storage than dye-based formulations.
- Budget entry point (From 5 £ to 8 £) : Mostly compatible/third-party bottles from InkLab and similar brands, plus smaller OEM volumes. Fine for occasional printing where colour accuracy isn't critical. Approach with caution for photo work — page yield data is often absent at this price point.
- The sweet spot (From 8 £ to 12 £) : Where most OEM EcoTank and MegaTank bottles land — Epson 104, Canon GI-590, HP 31 series. Reliable quality, published page yields, and full warranty compatibility. This is the range we'd recommend for most home users.
- Mid-range and higher volumes (From 12 £ to 18 £) : Larger-format OEM bottles, multi-colour packs, and some professional-grade formulations. Epson 113 and Canon GI-51 series sit here. Better CPP for regular users; worth it if you print more than 100 pages a week.
- Professional and bulk supply (Over 18 £) : High-capacity bottles, extended colour gamut sets, and specialist Armor inks for professional or industrial use. HP's higher-volume Smart Tank supplies also appear here. Only makes sense for studios, small print businesses, or very high-volume office environments.
Top products
- Epson 104 EcoTank Black ink bottle (Epson) : The most sensible starting point for EcoTank ET-2710/ET-4700 owners — reliable yield, genuine OEM quality, and consistently the most price-compared black bottle in this category. Not the cheapest per ml, but the compatibility guarantee is worth it.
- Canon GI-590 Yellow Ink Bottle (Canon) : Canon's GI-590 series sits at the budget-friendly end of OEM pricing and covers the popular PIXMA G1500/G2500 range. Yellow is the colour you'll replace least often — buy it as part of a full set rather than individually for better value.
- HP 31 70-ml Cyan Original Ink Bottle (HP) : HP's Smart Tank bottles are well-engineered and the squeeze-nozzle design minimises spillage, but HP's average pricing sits noticeably above Epson and Canon equivalents. Best for existing Smart Tank owners — hard to justify switching ecosystems for.
- Epson 113 EcoTank Original (Epson) : The 113 series targets newer EcoTank models and offers a higher page yield than the 104 — making it the better long-term value pick for anyone printing more than 150 pages a month. Pigment black variant is particularly strong for document permanence.
- Canon GI-40 Original (Canon) : The lowest-priced OEM bottle in the top 15 and a genuine bargain for PIXMA G5040/G6040 owners. The trade-off is a smaller volume than the GI-590 series — fine for light users, less economical if you print heavily.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which ink refill bottle is compatible with my printer?
Check your printer's exact model number — usually printed on a label on the base or front panel — and match it against the bottle's compatibility list. Every major brand (Epson, Canon, HP, Brother) publishes a compatibility chart on their website. For Epson EcoTank printers, the bottle series number (104, 113, 664) corresponds directly to specific ET-series models. Don't rely on brand alone: an Epson bottle won't necessarily fit every Epson printer, and using the wrong bottle risks damaging the print head or voiding your warranty.
Are compatible ink bottles (like InkLab) worth buying, or should I stick with OEM?
For everyday document printing, a reputable compatible brand is a reasonable choice — InkLab in particular has a solid track record for EcoTank-compatible formulations. For photo printing or colour-critical work, we'd stick with OEM. The risk with compatible inks isn't usually catastrophic failure; it's more subtle — slightly off colours, inconsistent page yields, or occasional nozzle clogging. If a compatible brand doesn't publish page yield data or a compatibility list, treat that as a warning sign and spend the extra few pounds on the genuine article.
What's the difference between dye-based and pigment-based ink, and does it matter for refill bottles?
Yes, it matters — and mixing them can damage your printer. Dye-based inks produce vivid, saturated colours and are standard in most consumer photo printers. Pigment-based inks offer sharper text, better water resistance, and longer-lasting prints. Most EcoTank and MegaTank systems use dye-based colour inks alongside a pigment black. Your printer's manual will specify which formulation it requires; the bottle packaging should confirm which type it contains. Never substitute one for the other, even if the bottle physically fits the tank.
How do I calculate the true cost per page for an ink refill bottle?
Divide the bottle price by its stated page yield (at 5% coverage) to get your cost per page (CPP). A bottle priced at 8 £ with a 3,000-page yield works out to well under a penny per page — significantly cheaper than most traditional cartridges. The catch is that page yield figures assume 5% coverage per page, which is roughly a text-only A4 document. Photo printing or heavy graphics coverage can reduce actual yield by 50% or more. Always check whether the brand publishes ISO-standard yield figures rather than optimistic estimates.
Can I use refill bottles with any inkjet printer, or only tank-system printers?
Refill bottles are designed specifically for tank-system printers (Epson EcoTank, Canon PIXMA G-series MegaTank, HP Smart Tank). They are not compatible with traditional cartridge-based inkjet printers. If your printer uses replaceable cartridges rather than an integrated ink reservoir, you need ink cartridges instead. Attempting to use a refill bottle with a cartridge printer will not work and could cause damage.
What are the pitfalls of buying ink refill bottles in bulk to save money?
The main risk is shelf life. Unopened bottles are typically good for 12–24 months, but once opened, dye-based inks can degrade within 6–12 months — especially if stored in a warm or fluctuating environment. Buying six bottles when you only print 50 pages a month means you may waste more than you save. Bulk buying makes sense during Black Friday or January sales if you print heavily and can realistically use the stock within a year. Also check the manufacture date, not just the expiry date, when buying from third-party sellers.
Will using a compatible ink bottle void my printer's warranty?
Technically, under UK consumer law, a manufacturer cannot void your entire warranty simply because you used a compatible consumable — but they can refuse to cover damage they can prove was caused by that consumable. In practice, if a compatible ink causes a nozzle blockage or print head failure, getting the manufacturer to cover the repair is an uphill battle. OEM inks carry no such risk. If your printer is still under warranty and you rely on it heavily, the peace of mind from sticking with genuine bottles is probably worth the modest price premium.