Most Instax Mini '100 pack' listings on Amazon are third-party bundles at $1.20 to $1.80 a shot. A twin pack costs about $0.91 a shot, and Fujifilm's own 120-shot pack about $0.81.
On a budget Instax or Polaroid camera, 100 shots of film cost more than the camera did, so the film you choose matters more than any camera deal. Below are the cost per shot of each format at regular prices and the cheapest way to buy each one. Every price is from the October 2026 check, and none is a sale price.
The short answer
Instax Mini is the cheapest instant film by a wide margin. Bought as Fujifilm’s 120-shot Value Pack at its list price, it costs about $0.81 a shot. A 20-shot twin pack costs about $0.91. Polaroid Go film is the cheapest Polaroid, at about $1.36 a shot. Full-size Polaroid i-Type runs from $2.37 a shot in single packs down to $2.08 in polaroid.com’s twelve-pack.
For most formats, the cheapest regular price we found comes from the biggest pack on sale. For Instax Mini, third-party “100 pack” bundles on Amazon are the most expensive way to buy.
Cost per shot by format
| Film | Instax Mini | Instax Square | Instax Wide | Polaroid Go | Polaroid i-Type | Polaroid 600 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Print size | 86 x 54 mm | 86 x 72 mm | 86 x 108 mm | 66.6 x 53.9 mm | 107 x 88 mm | 107 x 88 mm |
| Image size | 62 x 46 mm | 62 x 62 mm | 62 x 99 mm | 47 x 46 mm | 79 x 77 mm | 79 x 77 mm |
| Film cost per shot | about $0.91 | about $1.57 | about $1.40 | about $1.36 | about $2.37 | about $2.62 |
| Current cameras | Instax Mini 12, Instax Mini 13, Instax Mini 41, Instax Mini 99, Instax Mini Evo, Instax Mini Evo Cinema and 9 more | Diana Instant Square, Instax Square SQ1, Instax Square SQ40, Lomo'Instant Square Glass, MiNT InstantFlex TL70 Plus, MiNT InstantKon SF70 and 1 more | Instax Wide 400, Instax Wide Evo, Lomo'Instant Wide, Lomo'Instant Wide Glass, MiNT InstantKon RF70 | Polaroid Go Generation 3 | MiNT SLR670 MAX, Polaroid Flip, Polaroid I-2, Polaroid Now Generation 3, Polaroid Now+ Generation 3 | MiNT SLR670 MAX, Polaroid Flip, Polaroid I-2, Polaroid Now Generation 3, Polaroid Now+ Generation 3 |
| Current printers | Instax Mini Link 3, Instax Mini Link+ | Instax Square Link | Instax Link Wide, Instax Link Wide 2 | n/a | Polaroid Lab Instant Printer | Polaroid Lab Instant Printer |
Sizes and costs per shot from the product records; film prices checked October 15, 2026.
The table uses a common pack for each film: a twin pack for Mini and Square, a 100-shot five-pack for Wide, a Go double pack and single i-Type and 600 packs. SX-70 film is not in the table. It was $21.99 for 8 shots, about $2.75 a shot, the most of any current format.
Buying the biggest regular pack we found lowers most of those figures. Square and Wide stay the same, because the table already uses their cheapest pack:
| Film | Cheapest regular buy | Price | Per shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instax Mini | Fujifilm Value Pack, 120 shots, Amazon | $96.77 | $0.81 |
| Instax Wide | Five-pack, 100 shots, Amazon | $139.95 | $1.40 |
| Instax Square | Twin pack, 20 shots, Amazon | $31.40 | $1.57 |
| Polaroid Go | Five double packs, 80 shots, polaroid.com (out of stock at the check) | $99.99 | $1.25 |
| Polaroid i-Type | Twelve Pack, 96 shots, polaroid.com | $199.99 | $2.08 |
| Polaroid 600 | Twelve Pack, 96 shots, polaroid.com | $219.99 | $2.29 |
| Polaroid SX-70 | Five packs, 40 shots, polaroid.com | $95.00 | $2.38 |
Instax Mini: skip the “100 pack”
Search Amazon for an Instax Mini 100 pack and you land on the worst prices. Most 100-shot listings on Amazon are third-party bundles priced from $119.95 to $179.95, or $1.20 to $1.80 a shot. Five twin packs give you the same 100 shots for $90.85, at $18.17 each.
Fujifilm’s own bulk pack holds 120 shots, not 100. The Instax Mini Value Pack, sold by the Fujifilm store on Amazon, listed at $96.77 at the October 2026 check, about $0.81 a shot. Six twin packs would cost $109.02 for the same 120 shots, so the Value Pack saves about $12. Buyers rate it 4.8 from 6,532 ratings. It was 7% off on the day we checked; the figures here use the list price.
If you shoot less than that, buy twin packs. If a bundle adds an album, stickers or frames, work out the film price alone: divide what you pay by the number of shots, and compare with $0.91.
Instax Square and Wide
Square is the dearest Instax film per shot. A 20-shot twin pack was $31.40 at the October 2026 check, about $1.57 a shot.
Wide costs less per shot than Square despite the bigger print, though its figure comes from a bigger pack. A five-pack of 100 shots was $139.95, about $1.40 a shot. Our Instax Mini vs Square vs Wide comparison covers what each size gets you.
Polaroid: buy multipacks from polaroid.com
Polaroid sells standing multipacks on its own store, priced below the same number of single packs. These were the bundle prices at the October 2026 check:
| Pack | Shots | Bundle price | Same packs bought singly | Per shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i-Type, single | 8 | $18.99 | n/a | $2.37 |
| i-Type Five Pack | 40 | $84.99 | $94.95 | $2.12 |
| i-Type Twelve Pack | 96 | $199.99 | $227.88 | $2.08 |
| 600, single | 8 | $20.99 | n/a | $2.62 |
| 600 Five Pack | 40 | $92.99 | $104.95 | $2.32 |
| 600 Twelve Pack | 96 | $219.99 | $251.88 | $2.29 |
| SX-70, single | 8 | $21.99 | n/a | $2.75 |
| SX-70, five at the multi-buy price | 40 | $95.00 | $109.95 | $2.38 |
| Go double pack | 16 | $21.99 | n/a | $1.37 |
| Go double pack, five | 80 | $99.99 | $109.95 | $1.25 |
polaroid.com also discounted single i-Type packs bought in threes ($17.66 each) and fives ($17.00 each). US orders over $75 shipped free, so a five-pack ships free and three singles do not. A sign-up offer took 10% off a first order; that is a one-off, so it is not in the figures.
Amazon can be cheaper on single packs. Polaroid 600 film was $20.00 there on September 10, 2026, against $20.99 on polaroid.com in October, and Go double packs were $21.79. Amazon also runs short sales: i-Type was $15.95 on October 5, 2026, against its $18.99 list price. Buy on a sale if you see one, but don’t plan your budget around it.
Polaroid film costs more for two reasons. Polaroid says today’s sheets are thicker than the old ones, so a pack holds 8 instead of 10. And 600 and SX-70 packs each carry the battery that runs a vintage camera, which i-Type packs leave out. Go film costs less per shot and gives a smaller picture: 47 x 46 mm against 79 x 77 mm on i-Type. See Polaroid i-Type vs 600 film and Polaroid Go vs Polaroid Now.
If film cost is what decides it, Instax vs Polaroid and our best cheap instant camera guide work out camera plus film together.
What to avoid
Expired film from third-party sellers: Polaroid says to use its film within 12 months of the production date printed on the box. After that, it says the film is unlikely to meet its standards, and its warranty does not cover defects caused by expired film. Instax packs carry an expiry date, and Fujifilm says expired film may give less vibrant colours and odd streaks. A price well below the maker’s can mean old stock. Check the date in the listing, ask the seller if it is missing, and check the box when it arrives. Our page on whether instant film expires shows how to read the dates.
“100 packs” above twin-pack prices: divide by the number of shots every time.
The wrong format: Instax and Polaroid films do not swap. Neither do Instax Mini, Square and Wide. Polaroid i-Type film does not work in vintage 600 cameras, because those cameras run on the battery in a 600 pack.
Is a disposable camera cheaper per shot?
Not cheaper than Instax Mini, once you pay for developing. A Fujifilm QuickSnap Flash 400 was $19.49 on Amazon for 27 exposures, and a Kodak FunSaver $22.84, both at the October 2026 check. That looks like $0.72 and $0.85 a shot, but the price covers the camera only. The Darkroom, a mail-in lab, lists disposable developing with scans from $17 a camera.
With that added, the QuickSnap costs $36.49, about $1.35 a shot, and the FunSaver $39.84, about $1.48. That is cheaper than Polaroid i-Type at $2.37, close to Polaroid Go, and well above Instax Mini at $0.91. You also wait for the lab instead of holding the print in 90 seconds. Our disposable camera vs instant camera comparison covers the rest.
Sources
- Our product database: Instax Mini twin pack $18.17, Square twin pack $31.40 and Wide five-pack $139.95 at Amazon (checked 2026-10-05); Polaroid i-Type $18.99 list and the $15.95 sale (2026-10-05); Polaroid 600 $20.00 at Amazon (2026-09-10) and $20.99 regular on polaroid.com (2026-10-15); Go double pack $21.79 at Amazon (2026-09-10); SX-70 $21.99 (2026-09-10); Fujifilm QuickSnap Flash 400 $19.49 and Kodak FunSaver $22.84 at Amazon, and The Darkroom’s from-$17 developing price (2026-10-14).
- Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Value Pack listing on Amazon (2026-10-14): 120 photos, $96.77 list, 4.8 from 6,532 ratings. Third-party 100-shot Instax Mini bundles at $119.95 to $179.95 (same date).
- https://www.polaroid.com/en_us/products/color-itype-instant-film, color-itype-film-five-pack, color-itype-film-twelve-pack, color-600-instant-film, color-600-film-five-pack, color-600-film-twelve-pack, color-sx70-instant-film, color-go-instant-film and color-go-instant-film-five-pack (2026-10-14): pack prices, multi-buy prices, free US shipping over $75, the first-order sign-up offer, and the battery in 600 and SX-70 packs.
- https://support.polaroid.com/hc/en-us/articles/115012554988: current film is thicker, so packs hold 8.
- https://support.polaroid.com/hc/en-us/articles/115012519828: use within 12 months of production date; expired-film defects are not covered by warranty.
- https://instax.co.uk/how-to-keep-your-instax-film-fresh-and-flawless/: Instax film has an expiry date; expired film may give less vibrant colours and odd streaks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest instant film?
Instax Mini. Fujifilm's 120-shot Instax Mini Value Pack listed at $96.77 on Amazon at the October 2026 check, about $0.81 a shot, and a 20-shot twin pack was $18.17, about $0.91. The cheapest Polaroid film is Polaroid Go at about $1.36 a shot.
Is an Instax Mini 100 pack a good deal?
Usually not. Most 100-shot Instax Mini listings on Amazon are third-party bundles priced from $119.95 to $179.95, or $1.20 to $1.80 a shot. Five twin packs give you the same 100 shots for $90.85, and Fujifilm's own Value Pack gives you 120 shots for $96.77 at list price.
Why is Polaroid film so expensive?
Each pack holds only 8 photos, because Polaroid says today's sheets are thicker than the old ones, and 600 and SX-70 packs also carry the battery that powers a vintage camera. A single i-Type pack works out at about $2.37 a shot, against about $0.91 for Instax Mini.
Where is the cheapest place to buy Polaroid film?
Polaroid's own store, in multipacks. At the October 2026 check the i-Type Twelve Pack was $199.99 on polaroid.com, about $2.08 a shot, against $2.37 for a single pack. Orders over $75 shipped free in the US. Amazon sometimes puts single packs on sale.
Is expired instant film a bargain?
Rarely. Polaroid says to use its film within 12 months of the production date printed on the box, and its warranty does not cover defects from expired film. Fujifilm says expired Instax film may give less vibrant colours and odd streaks. Check the date before you buy from a third-party seller.
Can I use Instax film in a Polaroid camera?
No. Instax and Polaroid films are different sizes and the cartridges do not fit each other's cameras. Within Instax, Mini, Square and Wide do not swap either, and Polaroid i-Type film does not work in vintage 600 cameras.
Related comparisons
- Cheap Polaroid Instant Camera? 5 Best Budget Picks 2026
- Instax Mini vs Square vs Wide: Which Film Size Should You Choose? (2026)
- Polaroid i-Type vs 600 Film: What Is the Difference? (2026)
- Polaroid Go vs Polaroid Now: Which Should You Buy? (2026)
- Instax vs Polaroid: Which Instant Camera Should You Buy? (2026)