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Comparison

HP 218A vs 218X: difference, yield and cost per page

218A and 218X fit the same printers and print the same quality. The difference is how much toner is inside — and with it, the cost per page.

Content updated:

The HP 218 series comes in two capacities: 218A (standard yield) and 218X (high yield). Both fit the U.S. HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw and MFP 3301 printers and print the same quality. The practical difference is the amount of toner — and whether that is cheaper per page depends entirely on today's price divided by the stated yield.

HP's stated page yields of HP 218A and HP 218X per color
Stated page yield per color (HP, ISO). 218X gives about 2.1 to 2.5 times the pages of 218A.

The difference in one table

Capacity class
218AStandard yield218XHigh yield
Black yield (ISO/IEC 19798)
218AAbout 1,300 pages218XAbout 3,200 pages
Yield per color (ISO/IEC 19798)
218AAbout 1,200 pages218XAbout 2,500 pages
OEM codes
218AW2180A · W2181A · W2182A · W2183A218XW2180X · W2181X · W2182X · W2183X
Fits
218A3201dw · MFP 3301sdw/fdw/cdw218XSame printers
Print quality
218ASame218XSame
Cartridge swaps
218AMore often218XLess often
Cost per page
218ACurrent price ÷ yield218XCurrent price ÷ yield
Upfront price
218ACompare current offers218XCompare current offers
Practical choice
218ALower spend per purchase218XFewer swaps

Already leaning one way? See the current prices and sellers for each capacity.

See current HP 218A prices See current HP 218X prices

Difference per color (yield)

OEM codes and stated yield per color and capacity
Color218A standard yield218X high yield
BlackW2180AAbout 1,300 pagesW2180XAbout 3,200 pages
CyanW2181AAbout 1,200 pagesW2181XAbout 2,500 pages
YellowW2182AAbout 1,200 pagesW2182XAbout 2,500 pages
MagentaW2183AAbout 1,200 pagesW2183XAbout 2,500 pages

What does it cost per page right now — all four colors

Cost per page = cartridge price ÷ stated yield. Below we calculate it for black, cyan, yellow and magenta with the lowest checked price we find at U.S. retailers today — no example numbers.

Calculated with the lowest checked product price for each cartridge (checked September 23, 2026), before sales tax. Yield = HP's stated ISO figure.
Color 218A price 218A per page 218X price 218X per page Lower cost
Black $78.89 Staples · ~1,300 pages 6.1¢ $114.89 Best Buy (Staples, Inc.) · ~3,200 pages 3.6¢ 218X · 41%
Cyan $92.89 Staples · ~1,200 pages 7.7¢ $133.89 Staples · ~2,500 pages 5.4¢ 218X · 31%
Yellow $92.89 Staples · ~1,200 pages 7.7¢ $133.89 Staples · ~2,500 pages 5.4¢ 218X · 31%
Magenta $92.89 Staples · ~1,200 pages 7.7¢ $133.89 Staples · ~2,500 pages 5.4¢ 218X · 31%

Current result

At the currently checked prices, 218X has the lower cost per page for 4 of 4 colors. This is a snapshot; the result can flip when a retailer changes a price.

Extra A → X price and capacity

  • Black: +$36.00 for 1,900 extra stated pages
  • Cyan: +$41.00 for 1,300 extra stated pages
  • Yellow: +$41.00 for 1,300 extra stated pages
  • Magenta: +$41.00 for 1,300 extra stated pages

Cost per 100 black pages: 218A $6.07 · 218X $3.59. HP's yield is stated under ISO/IEC 19798 with continuous printing; actual yield can vary considerably.

Ready to compare the actual offers?

The table above uses the latest checked prices. The 218A and 218X pages list every retailer, seller and shipping line per cartridge.

See current HP 218A prices See current HP 218X prices

Calculator: what does a year of printing cost?

Prices are pre-filled with the lowest checked price of today (September 23, 2026), before tax — change them freely. The result counts whole cartridges: nobody buys 1.35 cartridges.

pages

Look at the page counter on the printer's report, or estimate.

What do you print?

Pages per year

4,800

2,880 black · 1,920 color

Per month with 218X

$52.62

Per year with 218X

$631.45

Yearly toner cost with 218A versus 218X for your volume and mix
For your volume218A218Xcheaper
Cost per 100 pages (your mix)$18.19$13.16
Per month$72.74$52.62
Per year (whole cartridges)$872.90$631.45
Black cartridges per year4×2×
Color sets (C+Y+M) per year2×1×
Black swap about every3.0 months6.0 months

Result

218X comes out cheaper for you

With these prices, 218X costs about $631 a year against $873 for 218A — a difference of about $241. You buy 2 black cartridges a year instead of 4.

See current HP 218X pricesCompare HP 218A prices too

Estimate. Based on HP's stated ISO yields and the prices shown, in whole cartridges per year. Black is also used on color pages. Real yield varies with what you print; prices exclude shipping and sales tax.

Current prices per Original HP cartridge

Original HP 218A cartridges

  • HP 218A Black

    W2180A · ~1,300 pages

    from $78.89 Staples · 6 stores priced

    Compare prices

  • HP 218A Cyan

    W2181A · ~1,200 pages

    from $92.89 Staples · 7 stores priced

    Compare prices

  • HP 218A Yellow

    W2182A · ~1,200 pages

    from $92.89 Staples · 6 stores priced

    Compare prices

  • HP 218A Magenta

    W2183A · ~1,200 pages

    from $92.89 Staples · 6 stores priced

    Compare prices

Original HP 218X cartridges

  • HP 218X Black

    W2180X · ~3,200 pages

    from $114.89 Best Buy · 7 stores priced

    Compare prices

  • HP 218X Cyan

    W2181X · ~2,500 pages

    from $133.89 Staples · 5 stores priced

    Compare prices

  • HP 218X Yellow

    W2182X · ~2,500 pages

    from $133.89 Staples · 6 stores priced

    Compare prices

  • HP 218X Magenta

    W2183X · ~2,500 pages

    from $133.89 Staples · 7 stores priced

    Compare prices

Yearly cost for a color office

Mostly text with some color? This calculator separates black-only and color pages and estimates your yearly toner use and cost.

/mo
/mo
Capacity
$
$
$
$

Black 218X per year

2×

1.4 cartridges of toner · 4,560 pages use black

Color sets (C+Y+M) 218X per year

1×

960 color pages

Toner used per year (218X)

$317.96

you buy $631.45 in whole cartridges

Same volume with 218A

$499.66

difference $181.70 a year

Estimate. Prices are pre-filled with the lowest checked price per cartridge (checked September 23, 2026), before shipping and sales tax — change them to the price you see. HP's stated yield is a standardized ISO/IEC 19798 figure with continuous printing, not a prediction of your use. Text-heavy office documents tend to come close; presentations, charts and photos use much more toner, so allow a margin. The comparison with the other capacity uses that capacity's own checked prices; see the 218A vs 218X page for the full calculation.

Can you mix 218A and 218X?

Yes. The printer checks each color slot for a valid cartridge; A or X does not matter. A common setup: 218X for black (where most toner goes) and 218A for the colors. You can switch any time without changing settings.

When is 218A the better fit?

218A costs less per purchase and makes sense for light use, or when one color empties slowly. Always check the current price and your calculated yearly spend.

When is 218X the better fit?

218X holds more toner and needs replacing less often. Whether it is also cheaper follows only from the current price, HP's yield and the number of whole cartridges you need.

Single cartridges or a multipack?

If you need all four colors at about the same time, compare the 218A 4-pack and 218X 4-pack with four singles — U.S. 4-packs are retailer bundles and are not automatically cheaper. If you mostly print black, buying black alone is usually more economical.

218A multipacks

Original HP 218A — 4-pack

Retailer bundle of four Original HP cartridges; compare with four singles

6 of 7 listings with a checked price · before sales tax

  • Lowest checked subtotal

    $353.89
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Best Buy

    Sold by Staples, Inc.

    SKU 12523492 · model W2180AQ1

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    In stock when checked

    View deal Checked yesterday ·
  • $353.99
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Quill

    Item 901-CD1W2180AQ1 · model W2180AQ1

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    In stock when checked

    View deal Checked today ·
  • $377.47
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Staples

    Item 24599315 · model W2184A4PKVB

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    Low stock when checked

    View deal Checked yesterday ·
  • $377.47
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Toner Buzz

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    View deal Checked yesterday ·
  • $399.99
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Walmart

    Sold by SN Office Sales

    Item 20031316901 · W2180AQ1

    No manufacturer warranty

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    In stock when checked

    Listing states: sold without manufacturer warranty.

    View deal Checked yesterday ·
  • $447.00
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Walmart

    Sold by eToner

    Item 20501054315

    No manufacturer warranty

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    In stock when checked

    Listing states: sold without manufacturer warranty.

    View deal Checked yesterday ·

Additional retailer · no price shown

Amazon.com

Exact Amazon product page (ASIN B0GD84L2VC). Amazon shows its current price and seller after you click; we only show Amazon prices from Amazon's own approved feed.

Check price at Amazon Paid link

Comparison of 6 retailers with a checked price. Shipping to the contiguous U.S. is known for each, so the ranking uses the subtotal before sales tax. How we compare →

Compatible 4-pack for HP 218A

Separate products with their own seller-stated yields and chip status

2 of 2 listings with a checked price · before sales tax

  • Lowest checked price

    $211.96
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping (contiguous U.S.) · before sales tax

    CompAndSave

    CompAndSave

    ZTONER-HP-218A-COMBO4

    Chip not stated

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    View deal Checked today ·
  • $216.99
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Shipping not verified · sales tax at checkout

    True Color Toner

    True Color Toner (TCT)

    HP-218A-4PK

    Chip included

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    View deal Checked yesterday ·

Comparison of 2 retailers with a checked price. Shipping is not verified for at least one retailer, so the ranking uses the product price before shipping and sales tax. How we compare →

218X multipacks

Original HP 218X — 4-pack

Retailer bundle of four Original HP cartridges; compare with four singles

3 of 4 listings with a checked price · before sales tax

  • Lowest checked price

    $511.89
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Best Buy

    Sold by Staples, Inc.

    SKU 12523446 · model W2180XQ1

    4.9/5 · 46 reviewsReviews shared across listing variants

    Get it Thu, Sep 24 (Best Buy estimate for ZIP 08817)

    In stock when checked

    View deal Checked yesterday ·
  • $511.89
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Walmart

    Sold by Staples

    Item 19934954757 · W2180XQ1

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    In stock when checked

    View deal Checked yesterday ·
  • $516.96
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Toner Buzz

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    View deal Checked yesterday ·

Additional retailer · no price shown

Amazon.com

Exact Amazon product page (ASIN B0GD87GZ6K). Amazon shows its current price and seller after you click; we only show Amazon prices from Amazon's own approved feed.

Check price at Amazon Paid link

Comparison of 3 retailers with a checked price. Shipping to the contiguous U.S. is known for each, so the ranking uses the subtotal before sales tax. How we compare →

Compatible 4-pack for HP 218X

Separate products with their own seller-stated yields and chip status

5 of 5 listings with a checked price · before sales tax

The cheapest listing has conflicting product data (yield or chip) — it is listed, but not highlighted.

  • $94.87
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Shipping not verified · sales tax at checkout

    Walmart

    Sold by Clickwise HK

    KIXUNY

    Item 14151472356

    Chip not statedConflicting listing data

    3.8/5 · 15 reviewsReviews of this exact listing

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    In stock when checked

    View deal Checked yesterday ·

  • Lowest checked price

    $105.59
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Shipping not verified · sales tax at checkout

    Walmart

    Sold by Inkfun US

    INKFUN

    Item 17396303157

    Chip included

    4.1/5 · 30 reviewsReviews of this exact listing

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    In stock when checked

    View deal Checked yesterday ·
  • $229.80
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping (contiguous U.S.) · before sales tax

    CompAndSave

    CompAndSave

    ZTONER-HP-218X-COMBO4

    Chip not stated

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    View deal Checked today ·
  • $229.99
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Free standard shipping · before sales tax

    Swift Ink

    Swift Ink

    HP218X-MP

    Chip included

    "Usually ships same day" (Swift Ink)

    In stock when checked

    24-month guarantee (Swift Ink).

    View deal Checked today ·
  • $293.99
    Not calculable Work out your own mix

    Shipping not verified · sales tax at checkout

    True Color Toner

    True Color Toner (TCT)

    HP-218X-4PK

    Chip included

    Check current delivery time at the retailer

    View deal Checked yesterday ·

Comparison of 5 retailers with a checked price. Shipping is not verified for at least one retailer, so the ranking uses the product price before shipping and sales tax. How we compare →

Frequently asked questions: 218A or 218X

Should I buy HP 218A or HP 218X?

Both fit the same printers and print the same quality; the difference is how much toner is inside. HP states about 1,300 pages for 218A black and about 3,200 for 218X black; for the colors about 1,200 versus 2,500 (ISO/IEC 19798, continuous printing).

Which one is cheaper per page follows from one division: price ÷ stated yield. That depends on today's prices, not on how much you print — our 218A vs 218X page does the math with the prices we checked.

Your volume decides something else: how many cartridges you buy per year, how much cash you tie up at once and how often you swap. Light users may prefer 218A's lower upfront price; heavy users save swaps with 218X.

Can I use 218A and 218X in the same printer at the same time?

Yes. Every color slot takes either the A or the X version of that color, so you can mix freely — for example 218X black with 218A cyan, yellow and magenta. HP lists all eight cartridges as replacements for each of the U.S. 3201/3301 models.

Mixing is often the most sensible setup for offices that print mostly black: the black cartridge empties first because it is used on color pages too.

Is an HP 218 multipack cheaper than single cartridges?

Not automatically. HP sells the cartridges individually; U.S. "4-packs" are retailer or marketplace bundles of the same four Original HP cartridges (for example model W2180AQ1 or W2180XQ1). Our checks have found a four-pack that cost more than the same four singles at the same retailer, and another that cost less.

Always compare the set price with the sum of the four single prices on the multipack pages. Some marketplace sets are sold "without manufacturer warranty" — read the listing title before you buy.

Do your prices include sales tax?

No. U.S. prices are shown before sales tax, because the tax depends on your address and is only calculated at checkout. Where the listing showed the shipping cost, we add it and label the result "before sales tax"; where shipping was not shown, we say so instead of treating it as free.

Does 218X fit everywhere 218A fits?

Yes. HP lists the A and X versions of every color for the same printers; the high-yield cartridge is the same shape and slot, it just holds more toner. You do not need a setting change when you switch.

What do codes like W2180A and W2180X mean?

They are HP's part numbers. "W218" is the HP 218 family, the next digit is the color (0 black, 1 cyan, 2 yellow, 3 magenta) and the last letter is the capacity (A standard, X high yield). So W2182X is high-yield yellow.

Retailers also add their own item numbers (Staples, Best Buy SKU, Walmart item) — the W218… code is the one to match. Four-pack model numbers such as W2180AQ1 or W2180XQ1 identify retailer bundles.

Is 218X always cheaper per page than 218A?

Usually, but not by rule. 218X holds about 2.5 times the black toner of 218A and about 2.1 times the color toner, but it also costs more. It is cheaper per page whenever its price is less than that multiple of the 218A price. Our A vs X page recalculates this from the currently checked prices.

Which color cartridge do I need?

HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201/3301 printers use four separate cartridges: black (K), cyan (C), yellow (Y) and magenta (M). The printer's control panel or the HP Smart app shows the level of each. Replace only the color that is low.

The OEM codes per color: black W2180A/W2180X, cyan W2181A/W2181X, yellow W2182A/W2182X, magenta W2183A/W2183X. A or X is a capacity choice, not a color — black in X with colors in A is fine.

Sources (4)

Facts from HP, retailers and standards bodies are labeled as such. Calculations (cost per page, yearly cost) are estimates by 218toner.com. Last reconciled on .