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Cheap HP 305: where do you really save?

Cheap means the right cartridge at the lowest price per page that you'll actually use up — not the lowest box price.

Content updated:

  1. #1 per page · 8.3p

    HP 305XL black

    £19.86 at Cartridge Save · approx. 240 pages

  2. #2 per page · 9.1p

    HP 305XL tri-colour

    £18.19 at Cartridge Save · approx. 200 pages

  3. #3 per page · 11.7p

    HP 305 black

    £13.99 at HP Store · approx. 120 pages

  4. #4 per page · 14.0p

    HP 305 tri-colour

    £13.99 at HP Store · approx. 100 pages

Black and colour are listed separately: you always need one of each. Each line uses the top-ranked offer for that cartridge; cost per page excludes delivery.

Start with the right cartridge

The wrong product is never cheap. Check your printer model, then black or tri-colour, then standard or XL. Compare offers by the OEM codes 3YM60AE to 3YM63AE, not just product titles.

Four parts of the real price

  1. Item price for exactly the same code.
  2. Delivery — for example £3.95 at Cartridge Save under £30 and £4.95 small-item delivery at Argos; HP Store UK delivers free to UK mainland.
  3. Stated yield, to compare standard and XL fairly.
  4. Return risk — with alternatives a good returns policy is worth something.

Cost per page today

Calculated with the lowest checked product price for each cartridge (checked on 23 September 2026). Yield = HP-stated ISO/IEC 24711 yield.
Colour 305 price 305 per page 305XL price 305XL per page Lower cost
Black £13.99 HP Store · approx. 120 pages 11.7p £19.86 Cartridge Save · approx. 240 pages 8.3p XL · 29%
Tri-colour £13.99 HP Store · approx. 100 pages 14.0p £18.19 Cartridge Save · approx. 200 pages 9.1p XL · 35%

Current result

At the currently checked prices, 305XL has the lower cost per page for 2 of 2 compared colours. This is a snapshot; the result can change when retailer prices change.

Extra 305 → XL price and capacity

  • Black: +£5.87 for 120 extra stated pages
  • Tri-colour: +£4.20 for 100 extra stated pages

Cost per 100 black pages: 305 £11.66 · 305XL £8.28. The yield is HP's stated figure under ISO/IEC 24711 with continuous printing; actual yield can vary considerably.

When is standard still cheaper?

If you print very little, a lower purchase price can be more useful than capacity that sits unused for a long time. XL pays off once you actually use the extra ink.

Cheaper with an alternative?

Alternatives are often cheaper than the original, but their yield is the seller's own figure and hasn't been tested:

Original HP reference offers

Direct, checked original offers for a like-for-like check. Compatible and remanufactured products stay separate below.

Original HP

  • HP 305 Black

    3YM61AE

    £13.99

    HP Store
    View offer

  • HP 305 Tri-colour

    3YM60AE

    £13.99

    HP Store
    View offer

  • HP 305XL Black

    3YM62AE

    £19.86

    Cartridge Save
    View offer

  • HP 305XL Tri-colour

    3YM63AE

    £18.19

    Cartridge Save
    View offer
Yield = the seller's own figure (not tested by 305-ink.com). Comparison = the same composition in original HP 305XL cartridges at the lowest checked price.
Product Stated pages Price Original HP 305XL, same composition Retailer
Cartridge Save Premium 305XL Tri-colour (remanufactured) Remanufactured 1× tri-colour · remanufactured colour 375 £13.64 checked 23 September 2026 £18.19 colour 200 pages At Cartridge Save
Cartridge Save Premium 305XL Black (remanufactured) Remanufactured 1× black · remanufactured black 650 £14.89 checked 23 September 2026 £19.86 black 240 pages At Cartridge Save
TonerGiant compatible HP 305XL black Compatible 1× black · compatible black 240 £17.15 checked 27 September 2026 £19.86 black 240 pages At TonerGiant
Premium compatible HP 305XL black Compatible 1× black · compatible black 240 £19.99 checked 27 September 2026 £19.86 black 240 pages At The Cartridge Centre
Cartridge Save Premium 305XL 2-pack (black + tri-colour, remanufactured) Remanufactured 1× black + 1× tri-colour · remanufactured black 650 · colour 375 £28.39 checked 23 September 2026 £38.05 black 240 · colour 200 pages At Cartridge Save
TonerGiant compatible HP 305XL black + tri-colour multipack Compatible 1× black + 1× tri-colour · compatible black 240 · colour 200 £30.86 checked 27 September 2026 £38.05 black 240 · colour 200 pages At TonerGiant
Check more retailers (5)

Not ranked: where no exact HP 305 listing has been verified, we show a shop or range link only — never an invented price.

Questions about buying cheaply

Is the HP 305 2-pack (6ZD17AE) cheaper than two single cartridges?

The official 2-pack 6ZD17AE contains one standard black and one standard tri-colour cartridge. Whether it's cheaper than buying them separately depends on the current pack price versus the sum of the single prices — compare both before you buy. There is also an official 305XL 2-pack (6ZA94AE); UK retailers sell it, but HP Store UK's own page for it returned an error on 23 September 2026.

How do I work out the cost per page of an HP 305 cartridge?

Cost per page = cartridge price ÷ stated page yield. For HP 305 black (3YM61AE, about 120 pages) and HP 305XL black (3YM62AE, about 240 pages), divide each current price by its yield. HP's yield is an average under ISO/IEC 24711 with continuous printing; with occasional printing or lots of colour photos your real yield can differ.

Will I always get HP 305's stated page yield?

Not necessarily. HP's figure (120/100/240/200 pages) is an average measured under ISO/IEC 24711 by printing a test document continuously. Occasional printing, cleaning cycles after long idle periods and pages with heavy colour coverage all reduce the real yield compared with HP's figure.

Can firmware affect compatible cartridges?

Yes. HP states dynamic security on the product pages of the DeskJet 2820e, 4220e and ENVY 6420e, among others: these printers are intended for cartridges with new or reused HP electronic circuitry, and firmware updates can block cartridges that worked before. Whether an alternative keeps working therefore depends on its chip and on future updates.

How do I judge a compatible cartridge without test data?

Check the seller, the exact list of printer models, chip information, warranty, returns and how open they are about the contents. Don't treat a yield claim as an independently proven result.

What's the difference between compatible and remanufactured?

'Compatible' is a broad label for an alternative, often newly made. Remanufactured means a returned cartridge shell has been cleaned and refilled. Cartridge Save's 'Premium' 305XL range, for example, is described as made from recycled HP cartridges. What exactly a seller supplies should be stated on the product page.

Sources (5)

Facts from HP and standards bodies are labelled as such. Calculations (cost per page and annual cost) are estimates by the 305-ink.com editorial team. Last reconciled on .