XL vs Standard Cartridges: Which Is Cheaper?
XL (high-yield) cartridges hold more ink or toner but use the same print head and packaging, so the price barely doubles while the page count often triples. That makes the cost per page much lower.
Example: a standard HP 67 black prints about 120 pages for ~$17 (14.2¢/page), while the 67XL prints about 240 pages for ~$30 (12.5¢/page). On bigger families like the HP 902XL the gap is far larger — 825 pages for ~$40 vs 300 pages for ~$23.
XL pays off if you print more than a few pages a week, because you replace cartridges less often and waste less ink on the start-up purge each cartridge performs. If you print rarely, a standard cartridge can dry out before you finish it, so standard may be the safer buy.
FAQ
Why is XL cheaper per page?
You pay mostly for the print head, chip and packaging — not the ink. XL adds ink cheaply, so the cost per page drops.
When should I buy standard instead?
If you print only a handful of pages a month, a standard cartridge is cheaper upfront and less likely to dry out before you use it all.
Related
Yields are ISO estimates at ~5% page coverage; actual results vary. Prices are approximate and for guidance only.