Stop Buying
HP Printers.
They're expensive. They're hostile. They treat you like a subscription, not a customer. Here's everything you need to know.
Tell me why ↓The Problem
HP doesn't sell you a printer. They sell you a recurring payment device that sometimes prints things.
DRM Ink Cartridges
HP printers use chips on their cartridges to verify you bought "official" HP ink. Use a third-party cartridge? Your printer may refuse to print entirely. They call this "dynamic security" and push firmware updates that retroactively disable cartridges that used to work.
Source: Ars TechnicaSubscription Trap
HP Instant Ink and HP+ tie your printer to a monthly subscription. Cancel it? The cartridges you have stop working, even with ink still in them. They're now pushing printer rentals. Their CEO publicly stated their "long-term objective is to make printing a subscription" and called customers who don't buy HP ink "a bad investment."
Bloomberg · PC GamerForced Accounts & Internet
Many newer HP printers require an HP account and active internet connection just to finish setup. A printer. Needs the internet. To print a piece of paper. In your own home.
Source: Tom's HardwareEnvironmental Waste
HP's DRM practices create mountains of unnecessary e-waste. Cartridges with usable ink get thrown away because firmware blocked them. Printers get junked when subscriptions end. The company actively prevents refilling and third-party recycling programs. An estimated 375 million cartridges end up in landfills every year, and HP's policies make it worse.
Source: iFixitThe Math
Let's compare what you're actually paying.
HP Inkjet
- Printer: $60–$150
- Ink cartridge: $30–$65
- Pages per cartridge: ~100–200
- Cost per page: ~10–25¢
- Cartridge lifespan: Expires even if unused
- Third-party ink: Blocked by DRM
- Subscription required: Increasingly yes
- Buying cartridges: Good luck. 50+ series (HP 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 902, 910, 952...), 4-5 colors each, standard vs XL, and none are cross-compatible
Brother Laser
- Printer: ~$150
- Toner cartridge: $25–$45
- Pages per cartridge: 1,200+ (3,000 with XL)
- Cost per page: ~2–4¢
- Cartridge lifespan: Lasts for years
- Third-party toner: Works fine
- Subscription required: No. Never.
- Buying cartridges: One black toner (TN830), works across dozens of Brother models
If you print 500 pages per year:
Do You Even Need Color?
Seriously. Think about it for a second.
When was the last time you printed something in color at home?
Was it a photo? A school project? A flyer?
How long ago was that? A month? Six months? A year?
Most home printing is black and white. Things like...
You know what prints all of that perfectly? A $150 black and white laser printer that costs 2 cents per page and never clogs, never dries out, and never asks you to create an account.
But what about my photos?
Your phone takes incredible photos. You know what does a terrible job printing them? Every home printer. Photo printing services use commercial lab-grade printers with calibrated color profiles on real photo paper. Better quality, cheaper, no hassle.
Where to print photos & color documents
- CVS Photo: Upload online, pick up same day
- Walgreens Photo: Pick up within an hour, often has coupons
- Walmart Photo: 16¢ per 4x6, 1-hour pickup
- Your local library: Color printing for 10-25¢ per page
- Staples / FedEx Office: For anything bigger or fancier
What to Buy Instead
If you need a home printer, get a Brother black & white laser. That's it. That's the recommendation.
Brother HL-L2460DW
Wireless. Duplex (prints both sides). No subscription. No account required. No DRM on toner. Third-party toner cartridges work fine and cost ~$15-20 for 1,200+ pages.
It's boring. It's a gray box. It prints things when you tell it to. That's exactly what a printer should be.
- ~$150
- Wi-Fi built in
- Auto duplex
- No subscriptions
- No DRM
- Toner lasts years
Other options & supplies
More Brother printers, plus the one toner cartridge that works with all of them:
Brother HL-L2400D
Brother MFC-L2820DW
Brother TN830 Toner