Best cheap printer ink cartridges and where to buy them

Looking for the best cheap printer ink cartridges? Our survey of thousands of printer owners has revealed that all of the highest-rated printer ink brands were cheaper third-party printer ink brands. 

Printer manufacturers would much rather you use their own-brand printer ink in their printers. However, our research shows you're better off spending less on your cartridges and opting for cheaper third-party printer ink. Provided, that is, you know which third-party brand to choose – which is why you need to read the results of our in-depth research.

As well as helping you save money on ink, we can save you money on your next printer and reduce your ink costs even more. See our expert pick of the best cheap printers to buy and run.

Printer ink brands rated – find out which cheap printer ink cartridges are best

We asked more than 9,000 Which? members to rate their printer ink cartridges – including both original-branded and third-party brands – for print quality, ease of use, value for money and overall satisfaction. You can use our results to buy cheap printer ink cartridges from a brand recommended by actual users.

Only logged-in Which? members can see the ratings for each brand. If you're not yet a member, you'll see the results, but not the brands. You can get instant access to our results and all our reviews, including our printer, battery and laptop reviews, if you join Which?.

^{Table notes: Survey conducted in April 2023 with 9,340 Which? Connect panel members. Ink cartridge sample size 6,552. We needed at least 30 responses for a brand to be included. Individual sample sizes in brackets once you log in. Print quality Based on our survey of member satisfaction (we also tested the six top-scorers against original ink cartridges to check quality). Ease of use Based on installing and using the ink. Value for money Based on how satisfied users were with their cartridges for the price they paid. Customer score Based on satisfaction and likelihood of recommending the ink brand if asked.}

If you're shopping for a new printer, see our expert pick of the best home printers to discover which models have impressed us in our test lab.

More on the third-party brands in this year's printer ink survey

Colour Direct

Unlike many other third-party brands, Colour Direct doesn't have its own website but sells only through its store on Amazon. Colour Direct mainly sells ink for older printers, and you'll need to search through the list of compatible models listed alongside each cartridge. 

First Call Inks

First Call Inks offers a wide range of remanufactured cartridges on its website Firstcallinks.co.uk. It offers a guarantee with all of is products and will fully refund unopened orders. 

Inkredible

Inkredible stocks multiple cartridges online, as well as its own brand of compatible ink, in the Inkredible online store. It offers a standard one-year guarantee against faults, defects and damage, and will offer a replacement or reward points if cartridges are deemed defective between 12 to 36 months after purchase.

Internet Ink

Internet Ink is a Nottingham-based store that also sells its compatible cartridges from the Internet Ink website. The delivery fee is included in the price of the inks and it offers a one-year guarantee on faulty products.

Refresh Cartridges

Refresh Cartridges sells a wide range of remanufactured cartridges and original cartridges. It offers free shipping and up to a three-year guarantee on ink and toner cartridges from the Refresh Cartridges website.

Stinkyink

Stinkyink stocks original and third-party inks for a wide range of printers. The Stinkyink website is easy to browse, and there’s a 12-month guarantee on all cartridges. It also promises to repair or replace your printer, if it's within warranty, in the unlikely event that its cartridges do cause irreparable damage.

Best places to buy cheap ink online

83% of Which? members in our survey buy their printer ink online, and it's usually the cheapest place to buy your ink cartridges. But some of the most popular online choices are not the highest rated in our survey by thousands of Which? members. 

We've rounded up the best online ink retailers below, including ratings for how easy the website was to navigate, whether our members felt it was value for money and how good the customer service was. 

Only logged-in Which? members can see the retailers behind the scores. If you're not yet a member, you can get instant access to our results by joining Which? – you will also get access to all of our online reviews, from printers, to phones to electric cars.

^{Table notes: In April 2023, we asked 4,463 Which? Connect members about their experiences of buying printer ink online. Individual sample sizes for each brand shown in brackets when you log in. Customer score Based on satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the retailer if asked. ' - ' means we had too few individual responses to give a rating.}

More on the brands in this year's online printer ink retailer survey

Cartridge Save 

Cartridge Save offers free next-day delivery on all products on its website Cartridgesave.co.uk. It offers a three-year warranty on its own-brand cartridges if you encounter a problem with the ink and will repair or replace your printer for free in the unlikely event that its cartridges cause any damage. 

First Call Inks

First Call Inks offers a wide range of remanufactured cartridges on its website, Firstcallinks.co.uk and it offers a guarantee with all of its products. 

Internet Ink

Internet Ink is a Nottingham-based store which also sells its compatible cartridges from the Internet Ink website. It doesn't add an additional delivery fee but includes it in the price of the ink and offers a one-year guarantee on faulty products.

Just Ink And Paper

This retailer sticks to its mission statement – it sells only ink and paper. The Just Ink And Paper website stocks ink from the 'big four' printer brands: Brother, Canon, Epson and HP. These are all original inks, so you can expect to pay a premium.

Stinkyink

Stinkyink stocks original and third-party inks for a wide range of printers. The Stinkyink website is easy to browse, and there’s a 12-month guarantee on all cartridges. It also promises to repair or replace your printer, if it's within warranty, in the unlikely event its cartridges cause irreparable damage.

Need a new printer with affordable print costs? Take a look at our Best cheap printers to buy and run.

Do cheap ink cartridges work?

We know you can make huge savings by choosing third-party inks rather than original inks. However, many people are put off by potential complications or problems with using them. Our survey revealed the most common concerns people had were third-party cartridges not working in their printer, ink leakages and poor print quality.

While it's possible that even supposedly compatible ink won’t work in your printer, major problems are rarer than you might think. In fact, of those in our survey who use third-party cartridges regularly: 

• Only 5% experienced cartridges not working in their printer.
• Only 1% had any leaks.
• Just 3% thought print quality was poorer than expected.  

If you do have problems, though, there are often things you can try to make the ink work. 

1. Cartridge not recognised This is the most common issue you’ll face when using third-party ink. The printer brands aren't keen for you to use anything but their own ink. Try reinserting the third-party cartridge, as this might solve the problem. Resetting the printer and trying again also often works.
2. Clogged print head As the consistency of third-party ink can be slightly different from original ink, it can clog up the print head. You’ll notice this as you’ll have dots or white lines in your prints or missing colours. Run the printer’s cleaning cycle, as this might clear the blockage.
3. Leaking cartridge This can be an issue with third-party cartridges, but it can be down to how the cartridge was inserted. Try to get a tight seal, but don’t press too hard when you do this as it could damage your printer.
4. Update your printer drivers If your printer isn’t printing, or has other problems, make sure you update the printer driver on your computer and on the printer itself. This can often solve any printing problems you’re having.

Join Which? Tech Support – stay on top of your tech and get unlimited expert 1-2-1 support by phone, email, remote fix and in print.

How to recycle your used ink cartridges

Every year, millions of ink cartridges are needlessly dumped into UK landfill. And while most of the big brands have freepost recycling schemes for their own cartridges, they often won’t accept third-party ones. However, some retailers like Stinkyink offer a recycling service for all the ink and toner cartridges they sell, including original and third-party cartridges.

Some larger supermarkets and office supply shops have dedicated recycling bins for printer cartridges – something to keep an eye out for when you’re out shopping. If all else fails, there’s a good chance your local recycling centre will take used cartridges. 

How we score printers factors in running costs so you can be sure you're not paying over-the-odds over time – for our top recommendations, see all our printer reviews.