HP is making a… belly flop? And it might be depressingly profitable.

HP has graced us with its best take on “market disruption” by introducing the “HP All-In Plan,” the subscription to printing from a device inside your home. With the traditional hassles of purchasing printers, managing ink, and dealing with maintenance (aka buying a new printer), HP proposes a simplified solution that combines hardware, supplies, and service into a single monthly fee. But is it the cost-effective, hassle-free solution it promises to be, or does it conceal drawbacks beneath its grimy surface?

Let’s peel back the onion of HP's subscription plan, examining its value proposition. We'll explore how this plan aligns with consumer needs, its cost implications compared to traditional printer ownership, and how HP's offerings stack up against the competition.

Perspective on consumer use.

A quick Google search suggests that the average home office or small business monthly print volume may fall within the range of 25 to 100 or more pages. For those who print, the question arises: Is the convenience worth an annual cost that exceeds the traditional cost of ink, the printer itself, or both? That’s a solid maybe. How often have you had to throw away your HP printer? How often do you change your ink? How often have you left your printer sitting in the corner gathering dust, alone, for months, until you come back to print and it just… won’t?

The Subscription Value Proposition.

The subscription plan is broken into three tiers of printing capabilities; each tier has its printer. Mediocre, Okay, and Great. Specifically, the HP ENVY 6055e, HP ENVY Inspire 7258e, and HP OfficeJet Pro 9010e, respectively. Each printer targets specific user needs, from simple home printing to decent photo quality and small office demands.

• “Mediocre” HP ENVY 6055e (6.1 Family Rating, $129.99 MSRP): The HP ENVY 6055e offers mediocre performance for family use with subpar print and scan quality, high maintenance costs but decent connectivity options and a comprehensive mobile app.

  • Plans range from $6.99 for 20 pages to $10.99 for up to 100 pages per month.

  • $84 to $130 annually.

  • Maximum of 3 pages per day average.

  • It does not include a document feeder scanning.

• “Okay” HP ENVY Inspire 7258e (6.9 Family Rating, $129.99 MSRP): The HP ENVY Inspire 7255e is suitable for family use with its respectable photo printing quality, despite some inaccuracies in blue and violet hues and reasonable ink consumption for light weekly printing, offering a slight improvement over the HP ENVY 6055e's performance.

  • Plans range from $8.99 for 20 pages to $18.99 for up to 300 pages per month.

  • $107 to $227 annually.

  • Maximum of 9 pages per day average.

  • It does not include a document feeder for scanning

• “Great” HP OfficeJet Pro 9010e (8.3 Office Rating, $289.99 MSRP): The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e excels in small or home office settings with high page yields and minimal interruptions, offering better efficiency and document print quality compared to the HP ENVY 6055e and 7255e. However, its scan quality suffers from similar limitations in detail capture.

  • Plans range from $12.99 for 20 pages to $35.99 for up to 700 pages per month.

  • $156 to $431.88 annually.

  • Maximum of 23 pages per day average.

  • Does include a document feeder for scanning.

Is It Worth It?

The convenience of HP's subscription plan comes at a premium that, for many users, may not justify the cost. For individuals or small businesses with consistent yet moderate printing needs and padded IT budgets, the subscription could streamline their operations and eliminate the annoyance of ink replenishment and device upkeep as long as you are printing within the limitation of your plan. HP will send you ink refills automatically based on your average print usage. And if your printer dies or is not repairable in a remote service capacity, HP will ship you a new printer the next business day.

The subscription may not be practical for those with minimal printing requirements or significant monthly fluctuations (Hello, tax season!). The model essentially locks you into a recurring payment scheme that, over time, can significantly exceed the cost of traditional printer ownership. The subscription plan is financially imprudent for individuals or small businesses with fluctuating printing needs or those who prioritize long-term savings.

Purchasing a high-quality, multifunction printer from a competitor or HP's non-subscription lineup (like the HP OfficeJet Pro 9010e) can range from $200 to $400 at retail. This initial investment, coupled with the average cost of ink replacements and assuming a similar volume of printing, often proves to be more economical over the same two-year period considered for the subscription plan.

My Verdict

This subscription plan is a joke at best. Even more so than the racket that is the printer market itself. It’s disappointing to learn that HP is not only unwilling to improve product quality or performance or to improve repairability and function, potentially improving its reputation as well as helping the environment in the process. Instead, they are doubling down on the planned obsolescence of their printer products when printers are already in the top 5 most wasteful in the electronics industry.

In short: Buy a laser printer.