When comparing Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore, both brands rank among the top-tier professional-grade paints available in the United States. Choosing between them comes down to your specific project needs, budget, coverage expectations, and access to reliable contractors. Additionally, your local availability and long-term maintenance preferences play important roles in the decision.
Table of Contents
- How Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore Stack Up in the Market
- Paint Quality and Formula Differences in Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore
- Pricing: What You Actually Pay Per Gallon
- Color Selection and Matching in Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore
- Coverage, Durability, and Real-World Performance
- Interior vs Exterior: Which Brand Wins Each Category
- Where to Buy and Contractor Availability
- Customer Satisfaction Data
How Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore Stack Up in the Market
The U.S. architectural paint market is heavily concentrated at the top. According to Arizton’s 2020-2025 analysis, PPG Industries, Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, and Behr collectively account for 90% of the architectural paint market in the United States. This consolidation tells you something important. You are not choosing between a premium and a budget option when evaluating Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore. Instead, you are choosing between two industry leaders with distinct strengths.
Sherwin-Williams holds 13% of the overall paint market. The company gained 0.5 percentage points year-over-year as of June 2025, according to OpenBrand. Moreover, the company reported $23.10 billion in net sales for 2024. Coatings World named it the top global paint manufacturer for the sixth consecutive year in 2025. As of 2024, Sherwin-Williams operates 4,773 company-owned paint stores across the country, giving it an unmatched retail footprint.
Benjamin Moore operates differently. Berkshire Hathaway owns it, and the company distributes exclusively through independent retailers and specialty paint dealers rather than company-owned stores. This distribution model influences everything from pricing to the experience you get when you walk in for advice.
Paint Quality and Formula Differences in Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore
Both companies invest heavily in proprietary formulas. The differences are real, though nuanced depending on the product line you select.
Sherwin-Williams flagships to know:
- Emerald Interior: High-hide, zero-VOC formula with excellent scrubbability
- Duration Exterior: Self-priming with strong mildew resistance, rated for high-humidity climates
- SuperPaint: Mid-tier workhorse that balances price and performance well
- Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel: Hard, chip-resistant finish for doors and millwork
Benjamin Moore flagships to know:
- Aura Interior: Color-lock technology that delivers rich, consistent color payoff in a single coat on many surfaces
- Regal Select: Longtime professional favorite known for flow, leveling, and touch-up blendability
- ben Interior: Entry-level line offering decent coverage at a lower price point
- Exterior Natura: Zero-VOC exterior option with excellent adhesion characteristics
One meaningful technical distinction involves color retention over time. Benjamin Moore’s Aura line uses a color-lock pigment system. This system resists fading, which matters on south-facing walls with sustained sun exposure. In contrast, Sherwin-Williams’ Emerald with ColorAccurate technology approaches the same problem differently. It uses a proprietary tinting system designed to hit precise shade targets across any color family.
For specialty work like how to stain a deck, the product selection from each brand requires a different conversation. Deck and exterior wood staining is a distinct category from paint. Both companies offer solid products, but the application requirements differ from standard wall paint.
Pricing: What You Actually Pay Per Gallon
Price is one of the more measurable differences between these two brands at the retail level. According to OpenBrand’s March 2024 data, Sherwin-Williams has the highest average price per ticket at $126. Benjamin Moore, meanwhile, comes in at $102. That gap reflects both the product mix each brand sells and the premium positioning of their flagship lines.
Here is a general breakdown of where each brand’s major product lines fall. Note that prices vary by region and retailer:
| Product Line | Brand | Approximate Price Per Gallon |
|---|---|---|
| Emerald Interior | Sherwin-Williams | $90-$100 |
| Aura Interior | Benjamin Moore | $85-$95 |
| Duration Exterior | Sherwin-Williams | $85-$95 |
| Regal Select Interior | Benjamin Moore | $70-$80 |
| SuperPaint Interior | Sherwin-Williams | $65-$75 |
| ben Interior | Benjamin Moore | $50-$60 |
One important note: Sherwin-Williams runs frequent promotional sales. These sales typically offer 30-40% off during holiday weekends and seasonal events. As a result, top-tier products become available at prices comparable to Benjamin Moore lines. In contrast, Benjamin Moore dealers rarely discount at the same scale, though individual stores do have some flexibility.
Color Selection and Matching in Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore
Color breadth and matching accuracy are areas where Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore both invest seriously. However, they approach this differently.
Benjamin Moore’s color library is well-regarded among designers and architects. The brand cultivated a reputation in the interior design community for its nuanced neutrals and complex undertones. If you have worked with a designer who hands you a specific Benjamin Moore fan deck color, you know how precise those colors tend to be in execution.
Sherwin-Williams offers over 1,700 colors in its standard line. The company built its ColorSnap ecosystem, which includes a mobile app. This app lets you photograph surfaces and match paint colors to them. The technology integration gives it an edge in consumer-facing accessibility.
For homeowners researching the best paint options for living spaces, both brands offer color consultation tools. However, the experience differs. Talking to a knowledgeable independent Benjamin Moore dealer often differs from the higher-volume Sherwin-Williams store environment. You can find guidance on best paint colors for living room selections at either location.
Color matching across brands is possible but imperfect. Both companies can attempt to match each other’s colors. However, formula variances in tinting bases mean you may see slight differences in depth, sheen, or undertone. When consistency matters across a large project, staying within one brand is the safer choice.
Coverage, Durability, and Real-World Performance
Coverage is measured in square feet per gallon. The marketing numbers you see on a can rarely reflect real-world conditions. Surface texture, porosity, and prior paint history all affect how far a gallon actually stretches.
In practice, the premium lines from both brands perform comparably on properly prepared surfaces. Emerald and Aura are the top contenders here. Both claim approximately 350-400 square feet per gallon on smooth surfaces. Moreover, both hold up reasonably well in that range.
Where differences emerge is in touch-up performance. Benjamin Moore’s Regal Select and Aura lines receive frequent praise from professional painters. These paints offer superior touch-up blendability, which means when you spot-repair a scuff six months after the original job, the new paint blends into the existing coat without a visible halo effect. This matters significantly in high-traffic areas like hallways, kitchens, and children’s rooms.
Sherwin-Williams’ Emerald and Duration lines have strong washability scores. This translates to durability under repeated scrubbing. For families with young children or pets, that scrub resistance is a practical advantage.
On the exterior, understanding how long does exterior paint last is essential context before you invest in either brand’s top-tier products. Both Emerald and Duration exterior lines are marketed for 10-plus year lifespans under ideal conditions. However, climate, prep work quality, and sun exposure influence real-world longevity more than the brand name on the can.
Interior vs Exterior: Which Brand Wins Each Category
Interior painting: Benjamin Moore’s Aura and Regal Select lines hold a slight edge in flow and leveling. This affects brush marks, roller stipple, and overall finish quality on smooth drywall. When working on how to paint a ceiling without streaks, the leveling characteristics of the paint matter more than most homeowners realize. Benjamin Moore’s formulas tend to self-level slightly better. As a result, they reduce visible texture variation.
Exterior painting: Sherwin-Williams’ Duration and Emerald Exterior lines are well-regarded for adhesion to a wide range of substrates. Furthermore, they handle temperature extremes effectively. In New England climates where freeze-thaw cycles stress paint films repeatedly through the winter, Duration’s flexibility rating is a genuine advantage.
Trim and millwork: Sherwin-Williams’ Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel is widely considered the best brush-applied trim enamel in either brand’s lineup. It cures to an extremely hard, alkyd-like finish without the yellowing associated with traditional oil-based products.
Specialty surfaces: Both brands have serviceable products for brick, masonry, and previously stained surfaces. However, product selection here requires project-specific evaluation.
Where to Buy and Contractor Availability
Sherwin-Williams’ 4,773 company-owned stores make it highly accessible across Connecticut and throughout the country. You can walk in, ask for a contractor account, and purchase the same products your painter uses on the same day.
Benjamin Moore is only sold through authorized independent dealers. In Connecticut, those retailers include hardware stores and specialty paint shops. The independent dealer model often means more personalized advice. However, it can mean less consistent pricing and availability depending on your town.
From a contractor’s perspective, the brand they prefer often reflects what they trained on. Additionally, their supplier relationships and which product they have had the best real-world results with influence their choice. At Custom Colonial Painting, the team works exclusively with Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore products. Therefore, they carry field experience with both brands and can recommend the right product for your specific surface, climate exposure, and finish goals.
Customer Satisfaction Data
Third-party satisfaction research gives useful context on how real customers experience each brand. In the 2025 J.D. Power U.S. Paint Satisfaction Study, Sherwin-Williams Paint Store ranked highest among paint retailers. It scored 750 out of 1,000. Benjamin Moore’s independent retailer channel ranked second at 707. The study surveyed 7,119 customers from July 2024 through January 2025, according to J.D. Power’s May 2026 release.
The 2024 J.D. Power study showed a narrower gap. Sherwin-Williams scored 720, Ace Hardware scored 717, and Benjamin Moore scored 715, based on responses from 6,892 customers. Satisfaction scores reflect the overall purchase experience. They include staff knowledge, store environment, and ease of product selection, not just paint quality in isolation.
What this data suggests is clear. Sherwin-Williams has a slight but consistent edge in purchase experience. This likely stems from its dedicated store staff and the consistency of a company-owned retail model. Benjamin Moore scores remain competitive and reflect the strength of high-quality independent dealer relationships in markets where those exist.
Things to Know
- Sherwin-Williams runs promotional sales of 30-40% off several times per year. These sales make their premium lines significantly more competitive on price. Benjamin Moore dealers discount less frequently, so timing matters if budget is a factor.
- The brand printed on the can matters less than surface preparation. Neither Sherwin-Williams nor Benjamin Moore performs well over dirty, chalky, or poorly primed surfaces, regardless of the product tier you select.
- Benjamin Moore’s independent dealer distribution model means quality and availability vary by location. In some Connecticut towns, your nearest authorized dealer may be inconvenient compared to a local Sherwin-Williams store.
- Both brands offer zero-VOC options in their premium lines. This is relevant if you have children, pets, or household members with respiratory sensitivities who need to re-occupy rooms quickly after painting.
- Contractor pricing differs from walk-in retail pricing at both brands. Licensed painting contractors typically access better per-gallon rates. One reason a professional job using premium paint can cost less than you might expect when buying cans yourself.
- Touch-up blendability is a practical long-term consideration that most homeowners overlook at purchase time. Benjamin Moore’s Aura and Regal Select lines are consistently noted by professional painters for superior touch-up results months or years after the original application.
Stop Guessing and Get the Right Paint Applied Correctly the First Time
Choosing the right brand is only half the equation. The other half is having experienced hands apply it correctly to a properly prepared surface. At Custom Colonial Painting, we use only Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore products. Our painters average 15 or more years of field experience with both brands across Connecticut homes.
Contact Custom Colonial Painting today for a free, personalized estimate on your interior or exterior project. Tell us about your surfaces, your goals, and your timeline. We will recommend the right product and the right approach for your specific home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Benjamin Moore paint better quality than Sherwin-Williams?
Neither brand is objectively superior across every product category — both offer professional-grade paint that performs well when applied correctly.
Benjamin Moore’s Aura and Regal Select lines receive frequent praise from professional painters for their leveling and touch-up blendability. In contrast, Sherwin-Williams’ Emerald and Duration lines are praised for scrub resistance and adhesion on exterior substrates. The better choice depends on your specific surface, project type, and the product tier you are comparing.
Q: Which brand is more expensive, Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore?
At standard retail pricing, Sherwin-Williams averages a higher ticket price, though promotional sales can shift that comparison significantly.
According to OpenBrand’s March 2024 data, Sherwin-Williams has an average price per ticket of $126 compared to Benjamin Moore’s $102. However, Sherwin-Williams runs 30-40% off sales multiple times per year. These sales bring their premium lines below the everyday retail price of comparable Benjamin Moore products. Benjamin Moore dealers discount less predictably.
Q: Do professional painters prefer Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore?
Professional painters are split, and preference often reflects the specific product line, project type, and regional availability rather than a blanket loyalty to one brand.
Many painters favor Benjamin Moore’s Regal Select and Aura for interior work because of superior flow and touch-up performance. Others prefer Sherwin-Williams for exterior jobs and trim work. This is particularly true for the Duration Exterior and Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel lines. Contractors who work regularly with both brands, like the team at Custom Colonial Painting, can match the product to the job. Therefore, they do not default to one brand regardless of context.
Q: Can Sherwin-Williams match Benjamin Moore colors, or vice versa?
Yes, both brands can attempt to match each other’s colors using their tinting systems, but the results are not always a perfect replica.
Differences in tinting base formulas, pigment concentration, and undertone behavior mean a cross-brand match may look slightly different in depth, saturation, or warmth compared to the original. For large or high-visibility projects where color consistency is critical, staying within one brand’s ecosystem from start to finish is the more reliable approach.
Q: Which paint brand holds up better in Connecticut’s climate?
Both brands offer products rated for cold-climate performance, but Sherwin-Williams’ Duration Exterior is particularly well-regarded for handling freeze-thaw cycles common in New England winters.
Connecticut’s climate puts exterior paint through repeated stress: freezing temperatures, moisture infiltration, and temperature swings between seasons. Sherwin-Williams Duration’s flexibility rating helps the film expand and contract without cracking prematurely. Benjamin Moore’s Aura Exterior also performs well in cold climates. However, Duration has a longer track record among Connecticut painters working on older wood-framed homes with movement-prone substrates.