Best Compatible Ink for HP 61 & 61XL (2026): Remanufactured vs Genuine Compared

Last updated: November 2, 2026.

Quick answer: For a DeskJet 2540, ENVY 4500 or OfficeJet 4630, the set we would buy is our remanufactured HP 61XL black and tri-color combo pack at $35.99. It holds a high-yield black (about 430 pages) and a high-yield tri-color (about 300 pages). HP's current pair, a 61XL black at $49.99 and a standard 61 tri-color at $52.99 at Staples, costs $102.98 for about 560 pages, so the combo is 65% cheaper and prints more. That works out to roughly 4.9 cents a page against 18.4 cents for genuine. The caveat on this family is not HP+ (no HP 61 printer has it) but the fact that HP has quietly shrunk the 61XL black, and a remanufactured cartridge is now the easiest way to get the original high-yield fill.

Shop the full range: HP 61 ink cartridges (61XL black, 61XL tri-color, the combo pack and a 61XL MICR black).

We'll say the obvious thing up front: we sell these cartridges, so our recommendation is not neutral. To make up for that, the table below puts 4inkjets, LD Products, Staples, CompAndSave and a marketplace brand next to our own prices, and on this family the specialty sellers are within a few cents of us. This post covers which printers take HP 61, what every option costs per page as of November 2026, why HP's own part numbers changed, and what to do about chip and ink-level messages.

What printers use HP 61 ink?

HP 61 is the cartridge for an older generation of HP's entry-level DeskJet, ENVY and OfficeJet inkjets. None of them are HP+ models, so the Original-ink-only lock on newer HP printers does not apply.

• HP DeskJet 1000, 1010, 1050, 1051, 1056, 1510 and 1512
• HP DeskJet 2050, 2540, 2541, 2542, 3050, 3052A and 3054A, plus the 3050A, 3510 and 3512
• HP ENVY 4500, 4501, 4502, 5530 and 5535
• HP OfficeJet 4630, 4632 and 4635, and the OfficeJet 2620

Each printer takes two cartridges, a black and a tri-color, and each cartridge carries its own printhead. That matters for quality: with a remanufactured HP 61 you get a cleaned and tested original HP printhead, not a new one built by a third party. For yields and the discontinued-part question in more depth, see HP 61 vs HP 61XL.

HP 61 prices compared: OEM vs Castle Ink vs other sellers

Prices checked November 2026 at the sellers' sites; they change often.

On HP 61 the specialty sellers are bunched together. 4inkjets sells the same black and tri-color pair for $35.98, one cent less than ours, and CompAndSave is about two dollars more but claims slightly higher yields. If you want the absolute lowest price you will not find a meaningful difference between us, and we are not going to pretend there is one. What separates the options is everything around the cartridge: we ship the same day from Greenlawn, NY on orders placed by 4 PM ET Monday through Friday, give you a 1-year return window with a full refund, answer the phone in the US, and replace or refund any cartridge that arrives defective. The Staples store-brand pair costs more than twice as much and pairs the black with a standard-yield color, and the marketplace 4-pack quotes yields nearly double HP's own rating, which is a reason for caution rather than a bargain.

Our pick: remanufactured HP 61XL combo pack

The HP 61XL black and tri-color combo at $35.99 is the one we would put in any HP 61 printer. Both cartridges are rebuilt from genuine HP high-yield originals, CH563WN black and CH564WN tri-color, so they keep HP's chip and HP's printhead and carry the old high-yield fill that HP no longer sells in its current pair. At about 730 pages for the set it is under 5 cents a page. The trade-off is plain: it is a remanufactured cartridge, so you are trusting our cleaning and testing rather than HP's factory, which is why the 1-year return window matters.

The other Castle Ink HP 61 options: the 61XL black on its own at $23.95 and the 61XL tri-color at $24.95. Bought separately they come to $48.90, so the combo saves about $13 if you need both. We also stock a 61XL black MICR cartridge ($51.87) for printing checks.

HP's part-number change, chips and ink-level messages

HP has replaced the original 61XL black, CH563WN (about 430 pages), with C0PA4AN, rated at about 360 pages (Staples listing). Its current tri-color, C0PA5AN, is a standard-yield cartridge rated at about 200 pages (Staples listing), and Staples lists the old high-yield CH564WN as discontinued. In plain terms, buying genuine HP 61 today gets you less ink per cartridge than it did a few years ago. Remanufactured cartridges are built from the earlier high-yield shells, which is why our yields are higher than HP's current ones.

On the chip, HP's dynamic security firmware is aimed at cartridges with non-HP chips; HP's own policy, quoted on its support forum, says cartridges with new or reused HP chips are unaffected. Every HP 61 we sell reuses the original HP chip. What you may see with any refilled cartridge is a notice that a used or refilled cartridge has been installed, and an ink gauge that reads low or empty. Press OK or Continue to dismiss the notice; the cartridge prints normally and you judge the level by print quality instead of the gauge.

If a new cartridge is not recognized, take it out, check that the tape over the nozzles is fully removed, wipe the copper contacts with a dry lint-free cloth, reseat it and power-cycle the printer. If the error follows the cartridge, our return window covers the swap.

How to choose an HP 61 cartridge

• Buy the XL. A high-yield 61XL black holds roughly twice the pages of a standard 61 for not much more money from any third-party seller.
• Check the yield, not just the name. HP's current 61XL black (C0PA4AN) is rated at 360 pages; remanufactured CH563WN cartridges are rated at about 430.
• Buy the black and tri-color together. Our combo is $35.99 against $48.90 for the two singles.
• Be wary of marketplace listings that claim 700 or more pages from a 61XL; HP rated the same high-yield cartridge at about 430.
• Expect a used-cartridge notice and an inaccurate ink gauge with any refilled HP 61. Dismiss it and keep printing.
• Store spare cartridges sealed and upright, and use them within a year or two of purchase.

HP 61 Compatible Ink FAQs

The bottom line

For a DeskJet 2540, ENVY 4500, OfficeJet 4630 or any other HP 61 printer, the remanufactured HP 61XL combo pack at $35.99 is the set we would buy: about 65% less than HP's current genuine pair, with more pages in each cartridge and HP's own chip and printhead. 4inkjets and CompAndSave are within a couple of dollars of us, and we have shown their prices so you can decide what same-day shipping and a 1-year return window are worth to you. Shop all HP 61 ink cartridges.

Related reading: best compatible ink brands, compatible vs OEM HP ink, HP 61 vs HP 61XL, best compatible ink for HP 62, and our HP ink cartridge collection.