HP vs Epson Printers in Australia: Which Is Cheaper to Run? (2026)

HP and Epson are two of the most recognised printer brands in Australian homes and offices. But beyond the hardware specs and price tags, the real question is: which one costs less to keep printing?

Ollie and Noodle have done the comparison work so you don't have to. Here's the honest breakdown of HP vs Epson running costs in Australia — including how much you can save with compatible cartridges. 🐾

The Two Very Different Worlds of HP and Epson

HP's strength is its laser printer range — from the compact LaserJet Pro M404 to larger departmental machines. These use toner rather than liquid ink, which dramatically changes the cost structure.

Epson, by contrast, dominates the inkjet space, from budget inkjet all-in-ones to their landmark EcoTank refillable ink range. Epson also makes some laser printers (particularly through their WorkForce Enterprise range), but for most Australian buyers, Epson = inkjet.

So to some extent, comparing HP and Epson is comparing toner vs ink — two different technologies with very different cost profiles. Let's unpack both.

HP: Laser Dominance and Cartridge Costs

HP's LaserJet lineup is ubiquitous in Australian offices, and for document printing it's hard to fault. Fast, reliable, sharp text output — laser printers deliver.

Popular HP Printers and Their Running Costs

| Printer | Type | Compatible Cartridge | Price | Pages | Cost/Page | |---------|------|---------------------|-------|-------|-----------| | LaserJet Pro M404dn | Mono laser | HP 59X (CF259X) | ~$75 | 10,000 | 0.75¢ | | LaserJet Pro M110we | Mono laser | HP 141A (W1410A) | ~$35 | 1,500 | 2.3¢ | | Color LaserJet M454dn | Colour laser | 416X set | ~$160 | 6,000–7,500 | ~2.7¢ | | OfficeJet Pro 9120 | Inkjet | 966XL set | ~$85 | 2,500+ | ~3.4¢ | | DeskJet 2820e | Inkjet | 67XL set | ~$45 | 240+ | ~12¢ |

The gap between HP's laser and inkjet ranges is enormous. The M404dn with compatible toner is genuinely among the cheapest-per-page printers you can buy in Australia. The DeskJet 2820e, by contrast, is one of the most expensive to run — cheap to buy, costly to feed.

The HP Dynamic Security Problem

HP has implemented "Dynamic Security" on many newer printers — firmware that periodically checks cartridges and can block compatible ones after updates. This is most aggressive on their inkjet range (HP Instant Ink-eligible printers) but also affects some LaserJet models.

How to handle it:

1. Disable automatic firmware updates on your HP printer
2. Only update firmware for specific reasons, not automatically
3. Buy compatible cartridges from suppliers like FetchInk who track and update chip compatibility

For HP laser printers specifically — the M404, M501, M507, and similar — compatible cartridges generally work reliably as long as you manage firmware updates. HP's inkjet range is more problematic.

Epson: Inkjet Value and the EcoTank Revolution

Epson's range in Australia splits neatly into two categories: traditional cartridge-based inkjets (the WorkForce and Expression ranges) and their revolutionary EcoTank refillable ink printers.

Epson Cartridge Inkjets: Expensive Per Page

| Printer | Compatible Cartridge | Price | Pages | Cost/Page | |---------|---------------------|-------|-------|-----------| | WorkForce WF-2950 | 604XL set | ~$35 | 500+ | ~5¢ | | Expression XP-4200 | 604XL set | ~$35 | 500+ | ~5¢ | | WorkForce Pro WF-4820 | 812XL set | ~$75 | 1,500+ | ~3.6¢ | | WorkForce Pro WF-C5790 | 812XL set | ~$75 | 1,500+ | ~3.6¢ |

Even with compatible Epson ink, these cartridge-based inkjets run at 3–5 cents per page. That's 4–7 times more expensive than a comparable HP laser.

However — and this is important — inkjets print colour for that price. If your printing mix is 50% colour documents, the economics change.

Epson EcoTank: The Game Changer

The EcoTank range completely rewrites the economics of inkjet printing by replacing cartridges with refillable ink tanks that you fill from bottles.

| Printer | Ink Bottles | Bottle Price | Pages | Cost/Page | |---------|------------|-------------|-------|-----------| | EcoTank ET-2800 | 003 set (4 bottles) | ~$55 | 7,500 | <0.3¢ | | EcoTank ET-4800 | 003 set (4 bottles) | ~$55 | 7,500 | <0.3¢ | | EcoTank ET-5850 | 003 set (4 bottles) | ~$55 | 7,500 | <0.3¢ |

At under 0.3 cents per page, the EcoTank is the cheapest way to print colour in Australia by a considerable margin. The trade-off is a higher upfront cost:

• EcoTank ET-2800: ~$349 (basic home model)
• EcoTank ET-4800: ~$449 (ADF + fax)
• EcoTank ET-5850: ~$599 (fast, touchscreen, more paper capacity)

But here's the thing: every EcoTank comes with enough ink in the box to print thousands of pages before you need to buy more. The ET-2800 typically includes enough ink for ~4,500 pages. That alone justifies much of the price premium.

Head-to-Head: HP vs Epson by Use Case

For Mono Document Printing

Winner: HP Laser 🏆

If you print mainly documents — text, invoices, reports, letters — HP's laser printers are unbeatable on cost:

• HP M404dn + compatible 59X: 0.75¢/page
• Epson WF-2950 + compatible 604XL: ~5¢/page

HP wins by a factor of 6–7x. For a home office printing 300 pages a month, that's:

• HP laser: ~$27/year in toner
• Epson inkjet: ~$180/year in ink

However: If you're not currently printing in colour and you want the option in future, an Epson all-in-one might suit better — laser printers can't easily switch to colour later.

For Colour Document Printing

Winner: Epson EcoTank 🏆 (if volume justifies upfront cost)

For regular colour printing, the EcoTank economics are extraordinary. But you need to factor in the upfront cost:

| Scenario | HP Color Laser M454 (compatible) | Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | |----------|----------------------------------|----------------------| | Printer price | ~$649 | ~$349 | | Cost per colour page | ~2.7¢ | <0.3¢ | | 500 colour pages/month | ~$162/year toner | ~$18/year ink | | Break-even vs EcoTank | — | <2 years |

For families or small offices printing moderate colour volumes, the EcoTank wins long-term despite the higher sticker price.

For high-volume office colour printing (thousands of pages/month), HP's Color LaserJet machines are faster and better suited to the workload — even if per-page cost is higher.

For Photo Printing

Winner: Epson 🏆

This one isn't close. Epson's inkjet technology delivers far superior photo output to any HP laser printer. If photography matters to you — family prints, portfolio work, greeting cards — Epson's Expression Photo range is the answer.

HP laser printers are simply not suited to photo printing. Their output is passable for the occasional colour chart or presentation, not for photos you'd frame.

For Scanning and Copying

Draw — Both brands offer capable all-in-one options at similar price points. The Epson WF-2950 and Brother MFC-L2713DW both offer ADF, decent scan resolution, and Wi-Fi. HP's OfficeJet Pro range also competes here.

What About Using Compatible Cartridges?

Both HP and Epson inkjet printers work with compatible cartridges — but with caveats:

HP Compatible Cartridges

• Laser: Works well; manage firmware updates (disable auto-update)
• Inkjet: More risk; HP's Dynamic Security is most aggressive on their Instant Ink printers (HP+, DeskJet, OfficeJet)
• Savings: 40–60% vs genuine

Epson Compatible Cartridges

• Inkjet: Generally works reliably; Epson firmware is less aggressive than HP
• EcoTank: N/A — uses ink bottles, not cartridges
• Savings: 40–60% vs genuine

Under Australian Consumer Law, using compatible cartridges with either brand does not void your warranty. The ACCC has confirmed this position repeatedly.

Annual Cost Comparison (500 pages/month, home office)

Let's model a typical Australian home office scenario — 500 pages per month, mix of documents and occasional colour:

Mono-only printing (500 pages/month documents)

| Printer | Upfront | Cartridge | Compatible Price | Annual Running | Year 1 Total | |---------|---------|-----------|-----------------|---------------|-------------| | HP M404dn (laser) | $399 | 59X | ~$75/10k pages | ~$45 | $444 | | Epson WF-2950 (inkjet) | $129 | 604XL set | ~$35/500 pages | ~$420 | $549 | | Brother HL-L2350DW (laser) | $149 | TN-2450 | ~$25/3k pages | ~$50 | $199 |

Colour printing (300 mono + 200 colour pages/month)

| Printer | Upfront | Annual Running | Year 1 Total | Year 3 Total | |---------|---------|---------------|-------------|-------------| | HP Color Laser M454dn | $649 | ~$228 (colour est) | $877 | $1,333 | | Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | $349 | ~$30 | $379 | $439 | | Epson WF-2950 (inkjet) | $129 | ~$420 | $549 | $1,389 |

The EcoTank's economics over 3 years are compelling — especially compared to the WF-2950, which is cheap upfront but expensive to run.

Our Recommendation for Australian Buyers

Buy HP if you:

• Mainly print documents in mono (get a LaserJet, not an inkjet)
• Need high-volume, fast, reliable office printing
• Don't need colour printing at all

Buy Epson if you:

• Need colour printing regularly (get an EcoTank, not a cartridge inkjet)
• Print photos for home or creative use
• Want the lowest possible per-page cost for colour

Avoid:

• Cheap HP inkjets (DeskJet range) — low upfront cost, very high running costs
• Epson cartridge inkjets for high-volume use — the WF-2950 is fine for light use, expensive for heavy use
• Any inkjet for mono document printing — laser is always cheaper per page

The Bottom Line

HP's laser printers are the cheapest way to print documents in Australia. Epson's EcoTank is the cheapest way to print colour. Standard Epson cartridge inkjets sit in an awkward middle ground — not cheap enough per page to recommend for heavy use, but affordable upfront for light users.

No matter which brand you choose, compatible cartridges save 40–60% on running costs compared to genuine. Both HP and Epson work with compatible alternatives — HP requires a bit more attention to firmware, Epson is more straightforward.

Browse compatible cartridges for both HP and Epson at FetchInk — Australian warehoused, flat-rate shipping, quality guaranteed. Ollie and Noodle have pre-approved all of them. 🐾