HP 305 vs 305XL Ink: Which Should You Buy? 🖨️

The HP DeskJet 2720 is one of the most popular home printers sold in Australia — compact, wireless, affordable. And right behind it is the question every owner faces: standard HP 305 or the XL version?

Ollie's been sniffing out the best value (his nose is infallible when it comes to printer ink savings 🐾), and Noodle has run the numbers. Here's what you need to know.

Which Printers Use HP 305 and HP 305XL?

The HP 305 and 305XL work with these popular Australian printer models:

• HP DeskJet 2710, 2720, 2723, 2724 — the most widely sold budget home inkjets in AU
• HP DeskJet Plus 4120, 4122, 4130 — mid-range all-in-ones with scanning
• HP ENVY 6020, 6022, 6030, 6032 — slightly premium home all-in-ones

If you bought your printer at Officeworks, Harvey Norman, or JB Hi-Fi in the last two years, there's a good chance it takes HP 305 cartridges.

Page Yield: HP 305 vs HP 305XL

| Cartridge | Standard 305 | XL 305XL | |-----------|-------------|---------| | Black | ~120 pages | ~240 pages | | Tri-colour | ~100 pages | ~200 pages |

Yields based on HP's ISO standard at 5% coverage.

The XL delivers exactly double the pages in both black and colour. It's a clean 2× — which makes the maths simple.

Cost Per Page: Genuine vs Compatible

At typical Australian retail prices:

| Cartridge | Genuine Price (approx.) | Pages | Cost per Page | |-----------|------------------------|-------|--------------| | HP 305 Black (standard) | ~$16 | 120 | ~13.3¢ | | HP 305XL Black | ~$26 | 240 | ~10.8¢ | | HP 305 Tri-colour (standard) | ~$16 | 100 | ~16.0¢ | | HP 305XL Tri-colour | ~$28 | 200 | ~14.0¢ | | Compatible 305XL Black (FetchInk) | ~$8–10 | 240 | ~3.3–4.2¢ | | Compatible 305XL Tri-colour (FetchInk) | ~$8–10 | 200 | ~4.0–5.0¢ |

The genuine HP 305 is actually quite expensive per page — even at standard pricing. Compatible 305XL from FetchInk lands at roughly 3–4× lower cost per page than genuine standard cartridges.

Noodle's annual estimate for a typical household printing ~150 pages/month:

| Scenario | Annual cost (est.) | |----------|-------------------| | Genuine HP 305 standard | ~$370 | | Genuine HP 305XL | ~$285 | | Compatible 305XL (FetchInk) | ~$90–110 |

That's a saving of around $260–$280/year by switching from genuine standard to compatible XL. 🐾

When to Choose Standard HP 305 vs XL

Choose standard HP 305 if:

• You print very occasionally — less than 10 pages per week
• You need an emergency replacement and only the standard is available locally
• You're approaching end-of-life on the printer and want minimal spend

Choose HP 305XL if:

• You print regularly — school work, documents, photos, anything weekly
• You want fewer cartridge swaps (especially convenient with a home printer)
• You're buying compatible (the economics are even stronger at XL yield)

For virtually every regular household user, compatible HP 305XL is the right call.

HP Instant Ink — Worth It?

HP markets its Instant Ink subscription for 305-series printers. For very high-volume printing (500+ pages/month), it can work out cheaper. But for most Australian homes printing under 200 pages/month, the subscription pricing often ends up similar to or more expensive than compatible XL cartridges — with the added commitment of a monthly fee.

Compatible XL gives you the same economics without the lock-in.

Compatible HP 305XL and Warranty

Under Australian Consumer Law, using compatible ink cannot void your printer warranty. This applies to HP and all other manufacturers. The ACCC has specifically addressed this — your warranty rights are protected regardless of which brand of ink you use.

FetchInk's compatible HP 305XL cartridges are engineered to match HP's specifications for page yield and print quality. They're purpose-built compatibles, not remanufactured shells.

FetchInk Recommendation

For DeskJet 2710/2720/2720, DeskJet Plus 4120/4130, and ENVY 6020/6030 owners: go straight to compatible HP 305XL. Double the yield, a fraction of the cost, and your warranty is protected.

Browse compatible HP 305XL at FetchInk — flat-rate $18 shipping or free over $200.

Summary

• ✅ HP 305XL delivers exactly 2× the pages of standard 305 (black and colour)
• ✅ Genuine 305 has high cost per page — even the standard is expensive
• ✅ Compatible 305XL from FetchInk: ~3.3–5.0¢/page vs ~13–16¢ for genuine standard
• ✅ Fits DeskJet 2710/2720/2724, DeskJet Plus 4120/4130, ENVY 6020/6030/6032
• ✅ Compatible ink does not void printer warranty under Australian Consumer Law
• ✅ Annual saving vs genuine standard: ~$260–$280 at typical household print volumes