How much does Polaroid film cost?
Eight photographs for $18.99 is the figure that catches gift buyers out. Here is every Polaroid film, its real per-shot cost, and how much a multipack actually saves.
Polaroid i-Type film costs about $2.37 a photograph — $18.99 for eight. Polaroid 600 is about $2.62, SX-70 about $2.75, and Go about $1.37 because its packs hold sixteen. All checked against polaroid.com on 13 October 2026.
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| Format | Print size | Pack | Pack price | Cost per shot | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polaroid Go | 2.6 x 2.1 in (66.6 x 53.9 mm) | 16 | $21.99 | $1.37 | Polaroid |
| Polaroid i-Type | 4.2 x 3.5 in (107 x 88 mm) | 8 | $18.99 | $2.37 | Polaroid |
| Polaroid 600 | 4.2 x 3.5 in (107 x 88 mm) | 8 | $20.99 | $2.62 | Polaroid |
| Polaroid SX-70 | 4.2 x 3.5 in (107 x 88 mm) | 8 | $21.99 | $2.75 | Polaroid |
Eight exposures is the number that catches people out
Three of Polaroid's four films come eight photographs to a pack. instax comes twenty. That single difference does more to shape the experience than the price per pack: an $18.99 pack of i-Type sounds similar to a $16.99 pack of instax mini until you notice one holds eight pictures and the other twenty.
| Film | Pack price | Photos | Per shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| instax mini | $16.99 | 20 | $0.85 |
| Polaroid Go | $21.99 | 16 | $1.37 |
| Polaroid i-Type | $18.99 | 8 | $2.37 |
| Polaroid 600 | $20.99 | 8 | $2.62 |
| Polaroid SX-70 | $21.99 | 8 | $2.75 |
What multipacks actually save
Polaroid sells its own multipacks, and the saving is real but modest. These figures come from Polaroid's own store on 13 October 2026:
| Pack | Photos | Price | Per shot | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 8 | $18.99 | $2.374 | — |
| Triple | 24 | $52.99 | $2.208 | 7% |
| Five | 40 | $84.99 | $2.125 | 11% |
Eleven percent off for buying five packs at once. Worth taking, and it does not change the ranking — Polaroid i-Type is still the most expensive mainstream instant film at any pack size, and still roughly 2.5 times instax mini at the best price.
Polaroid also sells twelve-packs and five-packs of 600, SX-70 and Go film. We have verified the i-Type ladder above because it is the film most buyers of a new Polaroid will be purchasing.
Which Polaroid film goes in which camera
| Film | Fits | Does not fit |
|---|---|---|
| i-Type | I-2, Flip, Mod, Now, Now+, OneStep 2, OneStep+, Lab printer | Vintage 600 cameras (no battery in the pack) |
| 600 | Polaroid 600 series, I-2, Flip, Now, Now+, Lab, OneStep 2, OneStep+ | Go, SX-70 |
| SX-70 | SX-70 and I-2 only | Everything else — it is ASA 160, not 640 |
| Go | Polaroid Go only | Every other camera |
- If you have a modern Polaroid, buy i-Type. It is cheaper than 600 for the same eight photographs and the same ASA 640.
- Only buy 600 film for a vintage 600-series camera. It costs $2 more per pack than i-Type for no benefit in a modern body.
- SX-70 film is ASA 160, roughly two stops slower than everything else, so it needs much more light. Only for SX-70 and I-2 cameras.
- Go film fits nothing but the Go, and the Go takes nothing but Go film. A closed format with one supplier.
What the film is
| Film | Image area | Photo size | ASA | Develop time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i-Type | 79 x 77 mm (3.1 x 3.0 in) | 107 x 88 mm (4.2 x 3.5 in) | 640 | 10-15 min |
| 600 | 79 x 77 mm | 107 x 88 mm (4.2 x 3.5 in) | 640 | 10-15 min |
| SX-70 | 79 x 77 mm | 107 x 88 mm | 160 | 10-15 min |
| Go | 47 x 46 mm | 66.6 x 53.9 mm (2.6 x 2.1 in) | 640 | 10-15 min |
Note the development time: 10 to 15 minutes, against about 90 seconds for instax. Polaroid prints also need shielding from light while they develop, which is a practical consideration at a party and part of the appeal for people who like the ritual.
How to pay less for Polaroid
- Buy the five-pack. About 11% off, which on 40 photographs is roughly $10.
- Buy i-Type, not 600, unless the camera genuinely needs 600. Same photographs, $2 less per pack.
- Consider the Go if the print size is acceptable. At $1.37 a shot it is 42% cheaper per photograph than i-Type.
- Shoot deliberately. This sounds glib and it is the real answer: at $2.37 a frame, the discipline of taking one photograph instead of three is worth more than any discount.
- Or buy an instax SQUARE camera. A SQUARE SQ40 makes a square instant print for about $1.15 a shot — under half the cost. It is not a Polaroid, and for a lot of buyers it is close enough.
What a year of Polaroid costs
| Camera or printer | 40 shots | 100 shots | 200 shots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polaroid Go Generation 3$89.99 listed at polaroid.com | $155.963 packs of Polaroid Go | $243.927 packs of Polaroid Go | $375.8613 packs of Polaroid Go |
| Polaroid Now Generation 3$119.99 MSRP at launch, March 2025 | $214.945 packs of Polaroid i-Type | $366.8613 packs of Polaroid i-Type | $594.7425 packs of Polaroid i-Type |
| Fujifilm instax SQUARE SQ40Hardware price not published — film cost only | $45.982 packs of instax SQUARE | $114.955 packs of instax SQUARE | $229.9010 packs of instax SQUARE |
| Fujifilm instax mini 12Hardware price not published — film cost only | $33.982 packs of instax mini | $84.955 packs of instax mini | $169.9010 packs of instax mini |
At 200 photographs a year, a Polaroid Now costs around $595 all in. The same 200 photographs on an instax mini 12 is about $250, and on a Kodak printer about $160. None of that makes the Polaroid a bad camera — the print is genuinely different — but it is the number to decide with rather than discover.
There is a fuller explanation of the price gap in why Polaroid film is so expensive.
Questions people ask
How much does Polaroid film cost per photo?
About $2.37 for i-Type, $2.62 for 600, $2.75 for SX-70 and $1.37 for Go. Those come from pack prices of $18.99, $20.99, $21.99 and $21.99 on polaroid.com, checked 13 October 2026 — the first three hold eight photographs and Go holds sixteen.
How many photos are in a pack of Polaroid film?
Eight for i-Type, 600 and SX-70. Sixteen for Polaroid Go. Eight is the number that catches gift buyers out, because an instax pack holds twenty — a single Polaroid pack can be gone in under an hour at a party.
Is Polaroid film cheaper in a multipack?
Slightly. Polaroid's own i-Type triple pack is $52.99 for 24 photographs (about $2.21 each, 7% off) and the five pack is $84.99 for 40 (about $2.13 each, 11% off). Worth taking, and it does not change Polaroid's position as the most expensive instant film.
What is the cheapest Polaroid film?
Polaroid Go, at about $1.37 a photograph — $21.99 for sixteen. It is cheaper per shot than i-Type because the packs hold twice as many and the print is much smaller, at 2.6 x 2.1 inches rather than 4.2 x 3.5.
Can I use 600 film in a modern Polaroid?
Yes — the Now Generation 3, Flip, I-2, Now+, Lab, OneStep 2 and OneStep+ all take both i-Type and 600 film. But there is no reason to choose 600 in a modern camera: it is $2 more per pack for the same eight photographs at the same ASA 640.
Why does Polaroid film come in packs of eight?
It is how the format has always been sold, and the pack carries the battery that powers an older camera. Practically it means the per-pack price understates the cost gap against instax: $18.99 for eight is $2.37 a photograph where $16.99 for twenty is 85 cents.
Read these next
Why Polaroid film is so expensive
Three real reasons behind the price, and whether it will change.
What instax film costs per shot
The cheaper alternative, with all three formats.
Instax vs Polaroid
The decision this page's numbers usually settle.
Best Polaroid cameras
Which Polaroid to buy, and which film it commits you to.
Every format compared on cost
Polaroid in context against everything else.
Is a Polaroid camera a good gift?
The honest answer, with this cost as the caveat.
Sources
- Polaroid — Color i-Type film — $18.99 for 8 photos, image area 79 x 77 mm, ASA 640, 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — Color 600 film — $20.99 for 8 photos, 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — Color SX-70 film — $21.99 for 8 photos, ASA 160, 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — Go film — $21.99 for 16 photos, image area 47 x 46 mm, 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — Color i-Type film triple pack — $52.99 for 24 photos, 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — Color i-Type film five pack — $84.99 for 40 photos, 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — all instant film — Current film range, 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — instax mini film, 20 exposures — $16.99 on 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — instax SQUARE film, 20 exposures — $22.99 on 13 October 2026
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