Canon 055 vs Canon 055H: What’s the Difference?

02/18/2026

Canon 055 and Canon 055H are two popular toner options used in the same Canon laser printer models. Many buyers get confused because the names look almost identical.

Choosing the right one can affect how often you replace cartridges and how much you spend over time. In this guide, we will quickly explain the difference so you can pick the best option for your needs.

What Is Canon 055?

Canon 055 is the standard yield toner cartridge option for Canon laser printers. It comes in four colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow.

The black cartridge prints around 2,300 pages, while each color cartridge prints about 2,100 pages. This toner is best for home offices and small businesses with low to moderate printing needs.

What Is Canon 055H?

Canon 055H is the high-yield version of the Canon 055 toner cartridge. It is available in Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow.

The black cartridge prints around 7,600 pages, while each color cartridge prints about 5,900 pages. This toner is best for offices and businesses that print frequently and want to replace cartridges less often.

Key Differences Between Canon 055 and 055H

Feature	Canon 055	Canon 055H
Cartridge type	Standard yield	High yield
Black page output	Around 2,300 pages	Around 7,600 pages
Color page output (C/M/Y)	Around 2,100 pages	Around 5,900 pages
Upfront cost	Lower	Higher
Cost per page	Higher over time	Lower over time
Best fit for	Moderate or occasional printing	Regular or high-volume printing

Now that we have explained both cartridges, let’s look at the main differences clearly.

Page Yield

The main difference between Canon 055 and Canon 055H is the total number of pages each cartridge can produce.

Canon 055 is the standard yield option. It prints approximately 2,300 pages in black and around 2,100 pages for each color cartridge.
Canon 055H is the high-yield version. It prints approximately 7,600 pages in black and about 5,900 pages for each color cartridge.

This is a significant increase in capacity. In black printing, 055H delivers more than three times the pages. In color printing, it provides nearly three times the output compared to the standard version.

Because of this higher capacity, Canon 055H requires fewer replacements over time.

Cost Per Page

Another important difference is the cost per page. But what does cost per page actually mean?

Cost per page refers to how much you spend on toner for each printed page. It is calculated when you divide the cartridge price with the total number of pages it can print.

This helps you understand the overall printing cost over time, not just the purchase price.

Let’s compare the black cartridge prices we offer on TonerBuzz. Canon 055 costs around $98 and prints about 2,300 pages, which comes to roughly $0.04 per page.

Canon 055H costs around $165 and prints about 7,600 pages, which comes to roughly $0.02 per page.

This means Canon 055H costs about half as much per page compared to Canon 055. While the upfront price is higher, the long-term savings can be noticeable for offices that print frequently.

Daily Use and Convenience

Canon 055 is a practical choice for users who print occasionally or in moderate amounts. It handles everyday documents like reports, forms, school work, and basic color prints without any issues.

For home offices or small teams with lighter printing needs, it provides reliable performance.

However, since it holds less toner, it will need to be replaced more often if printing volume increases. For users who start printing more frequently, this can mean more interruptions and more frequent cartridge purchases.

Canon 055H is better suited for offices or businesses that print on a regular basis. Its higher capacity allows longer print runs without stopping to change toner.

Environmental Consideration

Another factor to think about is overall material use.

Because Canon 055H lasts longer, fewer cartridges are needed over time. This means less packaging, fewer deliveries, and fewer used cartridges to recycle or dispose of during the year.

For businesses with higher printing volumes, using a high-yield cartridge can slightly reduce overall waste simply because replacements happen less often.

Which Option Is Better for You?

Both cartridges deliver the same print quality and work with the same Canon printer models. There is no difference in performance or installation.

The main difference comes down to how much you print and how often you want to replace toner.

Choose Canon 055 if:

✔ You print occasionally or in moderate amounts
✔ You prefer a lower upfront cost
✔ You do not mind replacing toner more often

Choose Canon 055H if:

✔ You print regularly or in higher volumes
✔ You want fewer cartridge changes
✔ You prefer a lower cost per page over time

Ready To Order?

Once you decide which cartridge you need, the next step is finding a trusted place to order it.

At TonerBuzz, we offer genuine Canon toner cartridges, competitive pricing, and fast shipping to help you keep your printer running without delays.

Browse our selection today and choose the cartridge that fits your office or home printing needs.