The best photo printers under $100
Under $100 the printers are close enough in price that the media cost decides everything. One of these is twice as cheap per print as another.
Under $100, the Kodak Mini 2 Retro is the best buy: bundles were $89.99 with 38 sheets included, and the media is the cheapest we verified at about 42 cents a print. An HP Sprocket 2x3 is the cheapest sticker option, and ZINK paper runs about 60 cents a print.
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| # | Product | Best for | Cost per shot | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kodak Mini 2 RetroCheapest to buy as a bundle and cheapest to run, by a clear margin. | Best value under $100 | $0.42 | Check price |
| 2 |  HP SprocketThe budget route to peel-and-stick prints, from the most widely stocked brand. | Cheapest sticker printer | $0.60 | Check price |
| 3 | Canon IVY 2 MiniPocketable ZINK printing at about 60 cents a print, when it is discounted into the bracket. | Smallest option | $0.60 | Check price |
Under $100 the hardware prices in this category are close together, so the sticker price tells you almost nothing about the cost of owning one. What decides it is the media — and the spread between cheapest and dearest here is more than double.
1. Best value under $100
Kodak Mini 2 Retro
Cheapest to buy as a bundle and cheapest to run, by a clear margin.
- Buy it for
- Anyone under $100 who wants the lowest total cost over a year.
- Skip it if
- Anyone who wants a 4 x 6 print or peel-and-stick paper.
- Listed at **$89.99 with a 38-sheet bundle** (regularly $139.99) — so you start with media included.
- About **42 cents a print** afterwards. Over 240 prints that is roughly $100 of media against $144 of ZINK.
- Dry, laminated, 291 x 300 dpi, non-sticky paper.
- Up to 20 prints per charge; 90 minutes to full.
Running cost: Kodak 4PASS 2.1 x 3.4 works out at $0.42 a shot, so a hundred photographs in the first year puts the real total at about $139.97 including the camera. See every format’s cost.
How it scores8.8/10 overall
- Total first-year cost10
- Print durability9
- Print size6
- Portability9
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
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2. Cheapest sticker printer
HP Sprocket
The budget route to peel-and-stick prints, from the most widely stocked brand.
- Buy it for
- A teenager, or anyone who wants stickers and wants to buy it locally.
- Skip it if
- Anyone who needs to know exactly which model they are getting, or who cares about color accuracy.
- ZINK means no cartridge — the color is in the paper, so there is nothing else to replace.
- 2 x 3 sticky-backed prints up to 313 x 400 dpi, over Bluetooth.
- Available almost everywhere, which matters if the gift is for next week.
Running cost: ZINK 2 x 3 works out at $0.60 a shot. See every format’s cost.
How it scores7.3/10 overall
- Total first-year cost7
- Print durability5
- Sticker use10
- Availability10
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
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3. Smallest option
Canon IVY 2 Mini
Pocketable ZINK printing at about 60 cents a print, when it is discounted into the bracket.
- Buy it for
- Someone who wants the smallest possible printer.
- Skip it if
- A firm $100 ceiling — its announcement price was $129.99, so it only lands here on offer.
- About 60 cents a print, independently confirmed by Digital Camera World's review.
- A print in about 50 seconds, 20 per charge, 45 minutes to recharge.
- A 500 mAh battery in a body the size of a stack of cards.
Running cost: ZINK 2 x 3 works out at $0.60 a shot, so a hundred photographs in the first year puts the real total at about $189.94 including the camera. See every format’s cost.
How it scores7.5/10 overall
- Total first-year cost7
- Print durability5
- Print size4
- Portability10
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
Digital Camera World, which publishes hands-on reviews, calls it “working out at around 60c per print”.
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The sum that decides this bracket
| Format | Print size | Pack | Pack price | Cost per shot | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kodak 4PASS 2.1 x 3.4 | 2.1 x 3.4 in | 60 | $24.99 | $0.42 | Kodak Photo Printer store |
| ZINK 2 x 3 | 2 x 3 in | 20 | $11.99 | $0.60 | ProCam |
| Polaroid Hi-Print 2 x 3 | 2 x 3 in | 20 | $16.99 | $0.85 | Polaroid |
| instax mini | 2.4 x 1.8 in (62 x 46 mm) | 20 | $16.99 | $0.85 | Pro Photo Supply |
| Printer | Media cost for 240 prints | Per print |
|---|---|---|
| Kodak Mini 2 Retro | About $99.96 (4 cartridges) | $0.42 |
| Canon IVY 2 Mini / HP Sprocket (ZINK) | About $143.88 (12 packs) | $0.60 |
| Polaroid Hi-Print 2x3 | About $203.88 (12 cartridges) | $0.85 |
| instax mini Link 3 | About $203.88 (12 twin packs) | $0.85 |
So a Kodak bundle at $89.99 with 38 sheets included, running at 42 cents a print, is about $104 cheaper over a year than a ZINK printer bought for the same money — which is more than the printer cost in the first place.
What you cannot get under $100
- 4 x 6 prints. The Canon SELPHY CP1500 is $179.99 and the Kodak Dock Plus Retro $109.99. Both are cheaper per print than anything here — about 39 and 40 cents — so if the budget can stretch, the economics improve.
- Wide instax prints. The instax Link WIDE 2 is well above this bracket.
- Square dye-sub prints. The Canon SELPHY QX20 is $189.00 listed.
- Real instax film from a printer under $100. The instax mini Link 3 was $116.99 when we checked.
Where the budget is better spent
If the gift is for someone who will print at home rather than carry a printer around, $110 on a Kodak Dock Plus Retro gets 4 x 6 prints at about 40 cents each — a much larger photograph for slightly less per sheet than any pocket printer. The $100 ceiling is worth breaking for that specific upgrade.
Questions people ask
What is the best photo printer under $100?
The Kodak Mini 2 Retro. It was listed at $89.99 with a 38-sheet bundle when we checked, and its media is the cheapest we verified at about 42 cents a print — around $100 cheaper over 240 prints than a ZINK printer bought at the same price.
Is a cheap photo printer worth it?
It depends entirely on the media cost, not the printer price. A $90 printer on 42-cent media costs less over a year than a $60 printer on 85-cent media. Work out roughly how many prints a year you expect and multiply before deciding.
Can you get a 4 x 6 photo printer under $100?
Not quite — the Kodak Dock Plus Retro was $109.99 and the Canon SELPHY CP1500 $179.99 when we checked. Both are worth the stretch if the printer will live at home, because 4 x 6 prints cost about 39 to 40 cents each, less than any pocket format.
Do cheap printers use expensive paper?
Often, yes, and it is the standard trap in this category. ZINK printers are cheap because the paper is where the margin is, at about 60 cents a print. Kodak's 4PASS cartridges are cheaper per print at about 42 cents despite the printer costing more.
Read these next
Best pocket photo printers
The full ranking with no price ceiling.
Kodak Mini 2 Retro review
The cheapest printer to own, in full.
ZINK vs instax
The technology choice that drives the media cost.
Are portable photo printers worth it?
Including the volume at which they stop making sense.
Gifts under $100
The same budget, as complete gifts.
Sources
- Kodak Mini 2 Retro printer — Specifications and bundle pricing, 13 October 2026
- Kodak — 4PASS cartridges — $24.99 for 60 prints (2.1x3.4 and 3x3), $31.99 for 80 prints (4x6), 13 October 2026
- Kodak Photo Printer store — Current range and listed prices, 13 October 2026
- ProCam — Canon 2x3 ZINK paper, 20 sheets — $11.99 on 13 October 2026 — the basis of the 60c-per-print figure
- Canon USA newsroom — IVY 2 Mini announcement — Specifications and $129.99 estimated retail price at announcement
- HP Sprocket specifications via reseller listing — HP's own US store and every major US retailer returned 403 to our fetches, so the specification comes from a reseller listing and we print no HP paper price
- Polaroid — Hi-Print 2x3 range — Printer $109.99, 20-sheet paper cartridge $16.99, 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — instax mini film, 20 exposures — $16.99 on 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — Canon SELPHY CP1500 — $179.99 listed, 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — Canon SELPHY KP-108IN set — $41.99 for 108 prints at 4 x 6 in, 13 October 2026
- Digital Camera World — Canon IVY 2 Mini review — Independently reports ZINK running cost of around 60c per print, matching our calculation
Found something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we will correct it with a dated note. Our picks are re-checked quarterly — see our editorial policy.