There are OEM cartridges on one hand and compatible printer ink cartridges on the other. Which is better to use? OEM cartridges are those that share the brand of your printer, and these cost a lot. What manufacturers say is essentially this – OEM cartridges bring you quality printing performance at no risk to your printer. On the other hand, compatible ink cartridges are either refilled cartridges of branded names, or are generic ones. They are cheaper. Which of these is better to use? Should you use OEM or compatible cartridges? One study shows that compatible printer ink cartridges can print more pages compared to their branded counterparts, and at much less the branded cartridge’s cost.