# Instax vs Polaroid: Which Instant Camera Should You Buy in 2026? > Instax or Polaroid? Most people should get the Instax Mini 12. Camera price, film cost per photo, extras and complaints next to the Polaroid Now Generation 2. Guide: https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/ · Updated 2026-10-15 · By TwelveTabs · Search it live: https://twelvetabs.com/?q=instax%20vs%20polaroid&guide=instax-vs-polaroid As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. Our picks are independently researched, written by TwelveTabs AI and never sponsored. Prices and ratings change often: see the guide for today's. ## The top picks - **Most people: a small, simple camera whose film costs far less per photo:** Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Instant Camera, Lilac Purple, automatic exposure with selfie mirror. Fujifilm's compact instant camera: automatic exposure and flash, a built-in selfie mirror, a close-up mode with parallax correction, 2 by 3 inch Instax Mini prints, 2 AA batteries and a hand strap in the box, and a 1-year limited warranty. - **Anyone who wants bigger prints, a self-timer, double exposure and a rechargeable battery:** Polaroid Now 2nd Generation I-Type Instant Film Camera, Black (9095). Polaroid's second-generation Now: dual-lens autofocus, a built-in flash, a self-timer, double exposure, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that charges over USB-C, a neck strap, and film compatibility with both i-Type and 600 film. Most people should get the **[Instax Mini 12](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/#pick-1)**. It costs about $17 less, and its film costs far less per photo. Get the **[Polaroid Now Generation 2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/#pick-2)** if you want bigger prints, a self-timer, double exposure and a battery that charges over USB-C. We compared the best-selling camera from each brand and read one film listing from each, because film is where the cost sits. Neither camera comes with film. Both have newer models, which we did not open. ## The short version - **Want the lowest running cost?** The [Instax Mini 12](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/#pick-1). Its film page shows about $0.91 a photo, against $2.37 for Polaroid's. - **Want bigger prints?** The Polaroid. Amateur Photographer lists Polaroid prints at about twice the area of Instax Mini's. - **Want a self-timer or double exposure?** The [Polaroid Now Generation 2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/#pick-2) lists both. The Instax page lists neither. - **Take selfies?** The Instax has a built-in selfie mirror. The Polaroid page lists none. - **Hate buying batteries?** The Polaroid charges over USB-C. The Instax uses 2 AA batteries, included. ## How to choose between them Amateur Photographer compared a more advanced camera from each brand. It found Instax prints small and punchy, with strong colors and bright highlights, and Polaroid prints larger, softer and more detailed. It also gave film prices: about $17 for 20 Instax Mini shots and about $18 for 8 Polaroid shots. Those cameras are not these two, so read it as a guide to the film. - **Camera price.** The [Instax Mini 12](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/#pick-1) is $82.99 and the [Polaroid Now Generation 2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/#pick-2) $99.88 today. - **Film price.** Instax Mini twin pack: $18.17 for 20 photos, with a minimum order of two. Polaroid i-Type color film: $18.99 for 8 photos. - **Print.** Instax Mini is 2 by 3 inches by the listing. The Polaroid page gives no print size. - **Power.** The Instax takes 2 AA batteries. The Polaroid has a built-in battery. - **Seller.** The Polaroid is sold by Amazon. The Instax is sold by a third-party seller, and ships from Amazon. - **Warranty.** The Instax lists one year. The Polaroid page gives none. ## Our picks in detail ### 1. Instax Mini 12: best for most people **Why it made the list** - Film that costs about $0.91 a photo on the Instax Mini twin pack page. - Automatic exposure and flash, with a close-up mode that corrects parallax. - A built-in selfie mirror, and a lens you twist to switch it on. - 2 AA batteries and a hand strap in the box, plus a 1-year limited warranty. - Prints in about five seconds and finishes developing in about 90 seconds. **Drawbacks** - Film is not included, and the film page requires at least two packs. - Amazon's summary says image quality and reliability are mixed. - One owner found the photos tiny, and one thought the manual poor. - The seller is a third party. **Skip it if** you want a self-timer, larger prints or a rechargeable battery. ### 2. Polaroid Now Generation 2: best for bigger prints and extras **Why it made the list** - Double exposure and a self-timer. - A built-in battery that charges over USB-C. - Dual-lens autofocus and a built-in flash. - Takes both i-Type and 600 film. - A neck strap and a charging cable in the box. **Drawbacks** - Film costs about $2.37 a photo. - Amazon's summary calls picture quality consistently poor. - Photos can be slow to develop, and the film page says they need up to 15 minutes. - The page gives no warranty length or selfie mirror. **Skip it if** you shoot a lot, or want the cheapest film. ## What owners complain about - **On the [Instax Mini 12](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/#pick-1):** photos that look blurry or tiny, a camera that stops taking pictures for some, film that costs more than expected, and a camera that arrived without film. - **On the [Polaroid Now Generation 2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/instax-vs-polaroid/#pick-2):** dark, pale or under-exposed prints, film that is costly and a poor result from old film, slow development, and a camera that arrived without film. - **On both:** a camera that arrives with no film in the box, and image quality that Amazon's summaries call mixed or poor. ## What we left out, and why We read four listings and 32 reviews. - **Instax Mini 13.** Amazon's newer model, at $79.95 with few ratings. We did not open it. - **Polaroid Now 3rd Generation.** The newer Polaroid, at $129.99 for the camera alone. We did not open it. - **Instax Mini 99, Polaroid Flip and Polaroid Go.** More advanced or smaller cameras. We did not open them. - **Digital instant cameras.** A different kind of product. ## Questions people ask ### Is Instax or Polaroid better? Instax suits most people because the camera and the film cost less. Polaroid suits shoppers who want bigger prints and more controls. ### Which film is cheaper, Instax or Polaroid? Instax Mini. Its twin pack page shows about $0.91 a photo, against $2.37 on the Polaroid i-Type page. ### Do these cameras come with film? No. Both listings say film is sold separately, and owners of each report buying without realizing it. ### How did TwelveTabs choose between them? We read the Amazon listings for one Instax and one Polaroid camera and one film pack from each, their spec lists, Amazon's review summaries and the reviews we could see, plus Amateur Photographer's comparison. We put the facts side by side and checked each against its listing. For more cameras, see our [best instant cameras](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-instant-cameras/). ## How we researched On October 15, 2026 we read the Amazon listing pages for the Instax Mini 12, the Polaroid Now 2nd Generation, and one film listing for each: Instax Mini film and Polaroid i-Type color film. We read each page's bullets and specs, Amazon's review summaries and the reviews we could see. We also read Amateur Photographer's Instax vs Polaroid comparison and checked Google's top results for this question. AI wrote this guide from that research. Neither camera page showed a 1 to 3 star US review among the eight we could see, except one on the Polaroid page, so most complaints come from critical lines inside 4 and 5 star reviews, Amazon's summaries and a few non-US reviews. The Polaroid page gives no print size, warranty length or selfie mirror, and the Instax page gives no self-timer. Newer models of both cameras exist and we did not open them. Amateur Photographer compared two other cameras, the Instax Mini 99 and the Polaroid Flip, so we use it for how the two film formats differ. ### Sources - [Amateur Photographer: Instax vs Polaroid](https://amateurphotographer.com/buying-advice/instax-vs-polaroid-which-instant-camera-should-you-buy/)