Benjamin Moore vs. Sherwin-Williams: Painting pros explain the differences and why both make great paint
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Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore are two of the biggest paint retailers in the US. If you're in the market for paint, you've probably started to wonder about the difference between the two. They both have dozens of products and a dizzying amount of colors.
We spoke to experts from five painting companies to get their insight on the two brands. For the most part, they all said both have several good product lines backed by massive research-and-development budgets. But there are few instances where they might prefer one over the other.
The pros also explained what paint you should use when you're doing it yourself or are hiring professionals, the best paint for cabinets, and more.
Benjamin Moore; Sherwin-Williams
Do interior designers prefer Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams?
When we asked interior designers and color experts for recommendations on paint colors for living rooms, they offered a mix of the two companies but generally suggested more choices from Benjamin Moore.
"Different brands have different strengths in terms of their colors," said color consultant Amy Wax. "If I'm going more towards earthier grays and beiges and slate blues, I'm going to look more towards Sherwin-Williams. With Benjamin Moore, sometimes they have a little bit brighter colors, a little bit more colors that are energized," she said. "So to me, it's a matter of what I'm trying to accomplish as to what paint company I'm going to use."
Does Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore offer better color matching?
"Typically, I tell people to pick any color that they want," said Travis Nolan, the founder of Old Crow Painting. Nine times out of 10, he said both companies can match it.
However, he explained that Benjamin Moore's Aura line seems a little trickier to get just right. Both Matt Kunz, president of Five Star Painting, and Michael Camper of M&M Precision Painting said Sherwin-Williams has superior color-matching software and mixer.
What brand lets me use just one coat?
Camper said regardless of a brand's claim that it only needs one coat, you should do a second and prime your walls first. "Put two coats on, and you're guaranteed to get the highest quality finish," he said.
Which brand is best for different climates?
"I've got a lot of folks that like to use either the Regal Select or Aura from Benjamin Moore, especially if they're in high-sun areas," said Kunz.
"Sherwin-Williams Duration and SuperPaint [also] do a great job in those areas," he said.
Nolan mentioned Sherwin-Williams' Resilience for Florida's climate. When the sun heats up water molecules between the paint and wood, they try to evaporate through the paint. "They'll just basically pull the paint right off, and that's why we get a lot of peeling here," he said. Resilience is quick-drying and holds up well in heat and humidity.
What paint should you use if you're hiring professionals?
Kunz and Camper both said if your painting crew is pushing for a particular brand and type of paint, it's because they know how to get the best results with it.
"What we find is like certain crews will get very used to using one of the types of paints, and they'll lean towards it because they know just without even thinking about it," said Kunz. "They know the coverage rate. They know the right nap roller to use — everything that they need for that specific type of paint."
Camper likes using certain products over and over for the same reason. "I become familiar with its characteristics, the way it flows, what the dry time is, whether it's more apt to run," he said.
Almost everyone we spoke with also suggested using higher-quality, more expensive paint. With a cheaper paint, "if you hire a professional painter, and you want a good job done, they're going to end up, generally, using more product to cover with, so it's going to cost them more in labor," Camper said.
Materials, including paint, make up about 10% of the total cost, so it makes more sense to save on labor if you can, he said.
What brand is best for DIYers?
If you're painting yourself, the price calculation will be a little different than with professionals. The biggest cost will be the product.
Though they're pricier, self-leveling paints like Benjamin Moore Aura or Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane (for trim) may be a little more forgiving of wall flaws and brushstrokes.
If you want a paint that's easy to touch up, Camper suggests Benjamin Moore. With Sherwin-Williams, "the more coats you apply, the shinier it gets," he said. While flashing (glossier spots on the wall that look like different paint finishes) tends to happen with higher-sheen paints than with matte or flat paints, Camper said Benjamin Moore's satin seems easier to touch up than the satin line of Sherwin-Williams.
What's the best paint for cabinets?
Painting your own cabinets is a laborious process. Cupboards are also subject to slamming, grease, steam, and other hazards.
Water-based alkyd paints cover and dry hard like oil-based paint but are easier to clean and less hazardous, like latex paint.
Camper suggested Sherwin-Williams ProClassic and Benjamin Moore Advance, which are both water-based alkyds.
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Sherwin-Williams versus Benjamin Moore
| Number of locations | Price | Number of colors | Website tools | Color matching | Durability | For DIYers | |
| Benjamin Moore | 7,500+ privately owned stores (some with limited product lines) | $36 to $90 per gallon | 3,500+ | Personal Color Viewer | Yes, but experts said Sherwin-Williams is a bit better. | Benjamin Moore's Aura scuffed less easily. | Regal Select or Aura |
| Sherwin-Williams | 4,700+ corporate-owned stores | $42 to $121 per gallon | 1,700+ | ColorSnap Visualizer and Snap It Button | Yes, experts said Sherwin-Williams has the edge. | Sherwin-Williams interior Emerald scuffed more but was easy to clean. | Duration and SuperPaint |
Availability: Searching 11 fairly remote zip codes from Alaska to Maine, we found Benjamin Moore at more locations. However, they often had limited options, only offering the brand's budget-friendly Ben line.
Travis Nolan, founder of Old Crow Painting, said he likes to support local businesses and prefers Benjamin Moore. But Michael Camper, owner of M&M Precision Painting, said the company's privately owned stores might have hours that aren't as consistent as Sherwin-Williams locations, which are always open on weekends, for example.
Customer service: The painting companies we spoke to were split on the customer service between Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams. It seems to depend heavily on the managers and employees at individual stores.
Colors: "I do think that Benjamin Moore offers better colors," said Camper. "And if you're going to go with something vibrant, like a dark red or royal blue or something like that, Benny Moore is probably going to be a better option."
Paul Taylor/Getty Images
With thousands of colors to choose from, picking just one (or a whole palette) can be overwhelming. Both Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore have ways to help you find the right one.
Color chips: After picking a color family or specific hue, you'll want to start comparing different shades to each other. "Color chips are the best way to help narrow down the process," Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, told Insider. It's hard to know if a color is warm or cool unless you have something side by side to compare it to.
Website tools: Laura Bruqi of Brush Rite Painting said the two companies "have awesome, friendly websites where we can have clients actually go and pick their color." Both have programs that allow you to picture what your room will look like painted with a new color, though it obviously won't be an exact match.
Benjamin Moore's Personal Color Viewer lets you upload your own photo and "paint" cupboards, walls, and trim with any color you want. The tools are easy to use, and it shows details beneath the digital layer of paint well. You do have to register with your email to use it.
The ColorSnap Visualizer from Sherwin-Williams is very similar. You can use your own photo or one from the company. The results are a little sloppier than what you'll get with Benjamin Moore, but you don't need to register.
Sherwin-Williams has another useful tool, the Snap It Button, which creates color palettes from any photo you want and matches them to the brand's paint colors. It isn't perfect, but it gives a starting point.
Sample jars: If you're stuck between a few colors, you can buy small quantities of paint from both companies and test them out. Greg Agosta, owner of Level 5 Fine Finishes, recommends painting a poster board instead of your wall. If you apply them to your walls, it can take extra prep work and coats to cover them up when you're ready to paint with your final color. Also, these samples are just meant for testing and don't have the same durability as the actual products.
Color to Go from Sherwin-Williams is around $10 for a quart (32 ounces). We've seen some stock issues with the samples.
Benjamin Moore's paint samples are $5.99 for 8 ounces. You can have them shipped or pick them up in your local store.
Peel-and-stick samples: Larger than traditional color chips, these sticky-backed samples let you put up and take down different colors and try them out in different lights and locations around your room. You can order them online, but individual stores may not always carry them or may not have the color you want.
Sherwin-Williams' 8-by-8-inch peel and stick squares are each $3.95.
Benjamin Moore's peel and stick samples are 9 by 12 inches and $5.95 each.
Color consultancy: Sherwin-Williams offers a free, virtual color consultation to homeowners. They're 30 minutes and include color recommendations and color chips. Benjamin Moore doesn't have a similar program at this time.
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Benjamin Moore has dozens of types of paint. We asked the painting experts about some of the most popular lines.
Available in both interior and exterior paint, Regal Select costs $70 to $75 per gallon.
Agosta says it's great for walls because it's self-priming.
"I stare at walls a lot," said Agosta. "And when you paint a wall that's got patches that are done over an existing finish, they'll leave spots that are not as shiny as the rest of the wall." Regal Select is more forgiving, he said, so you don't have to worry as much about imperfections in the wall if you're a DIYer.
"I would say that that is probably Benjamin Moore's number one interior paint," said Matt Kunz, president of Five Star Painting. "It has a really good color retention and spreadability." Aura comes in not just interior and exterior but Bath & Spa and Grand Entrance (for doors and trim). A gallon costs around $85 to $90.
Nolan says it takes multiple coats of other paints to achieve the density and finish of two coats of Aura. "Aura is at the top of its game," he said. "It's for good reason."
"The Aura is kind of a self-leveling, heavier body material," said Agosta. "It's a little bit trickier to apply, but it has a much better finish" and is very durable.
Advance is made for interior doors, trim, and cabinetry and costs around $65 a gallon.
"It's a waterborne oil base," said Agosta. "So it's like the unholy alliance of oil and water. They finally figured it out." It's low-VOC, so it gives off fewer harmful volatile organic compounds than other paints.
A mid-priced paint from Benjamin Moore, Scuff-X is about $58 a gallon. Nolan said it's a great product for high-traffic areas because it holds up really well and touches up nicely.
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Like Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams also has a variety of interior and exterior paints, stains, and primers. Here's what the experts had to say about some of them.
Like Benjamin Moore's Aura, Sherwin-Williams Duration is a self-priming paint, said Agosta. "It doesn't telegraph flat spots on the wall," he said. A gallon is about $76 to $89, and there are interior and exterior formulas.
Sherwin-Williams' Emerald line is available in both interior and exterior varieties for between $81.42 and $93.99.
Nolan said it's comparable in price and coverage to the Aura line from Benjamin Moore.
For interior trim and other woodwork, several people we spoke to mentioned Sherwin-Williams' Emerald Urethane. It's pricey, at about $104 a gallon, and it's available in satin, semi-gloss, and gloss finishes.
"I think that's actually probably one of the best paints that's ever been made," said Nolan, who's used it on 100-year-old houses. Agosta warns that it smells a little bit like skateboard tires but says it's really durable.
About $80 a gallon, Sherwin-Williams Resilience is an exterior paint that you can buy in flat, satin, and gloss finishes.
Nolan, who is based in Florida, likes it for its resistance to the state's muggy climate. "That one tends to dry a lot faster and just holds up better to high heat and high humidity," he said.
Cashmere from Sherwin-Williams is an interior paint that's available in five finishes, from flat to a higher-gloss Medium Lustre.
Kunz calls Cashmere "a very scrubbable paint" and says it feels almost silky. He likes it for high-traffic areas and homes with kids and pets.
Available in interior and exterior versions, SuperPaint is between about $70 and $74 a gallon. The interior paint has antimicrobial properties.
A lot of Kunz's painters like SuperPaint for hot, sunny areas.
All the experts we spoke with like both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams. There were differing opinions on issues like customer service, suggesting it varies by location. But there are some instances where you might prefer one over the other.
If you're hiring professionals, it makes sense to go with what they recommend since supplies are a fraction of the total cost. You may end up paying more in labor if the painters are working with an unfamiliar or poor-quality paint.
For DIYers, talk to the employees at your local stores and see who's most available to work with you. One tip we found browsing a Reddit page for Sherwin-Williams employees was to avoid visiting a paint store when they first open for the day. That's when pros pick up supplies, and the workers won't have time to answer detailed questions.