Sherwin-Williams vs Behr vs Benjamin Moore: Full 2026 Comparison

Walk into any home improvement discussion and someone will start a debate about paint brands. Sherwin-Williams, Behr, and Benjamin Moore are the three dominant names in residential paint, and each one has passionate supporters. But which brand actually delivers the best results for your money?

I have spent weeks researching formulations, testing coverage claims, and comparing prices across all three brands. Here is an honest, comprehensive comparison to help you choose the right paint for your next project.

Quick Comparison Overview

Before we dive into the details, here is the high-level picture:

• Benjamin Moore: Best quality and color accuracy. Highest price. Sold exclusively at independent paint stores and their own retail locations.
• Sherwin-Williams: Excellent quality with the widest pro-level product range. Mid to high price. Sold at Sherwin-Williams stores and Lowe's (select lines).
• Behr: Best value for DIYers. Good quality at lower prices. Sold exclusively at Home Depot.

Price Comparison (2026)

Price is usually the first thing homeowners consider. Here is what you will pay per gallon for each brand's most popular interior lines:

Budget Lines

• Behr Premium Plus: $30 to $35
• Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint: $55 to $65
• Benjamin Moore ben: $45 to $55

Mid-Range Lines

• Behr Marquee: $42 to $48
• Sherwin-Williams Duration: $65 to $75
• Benjamin Moore Regal Select: $65 to $75

Premium Lines

• Behr Dynasty: $48 to $55
• Sherwin-Williams Emerald: $75 to $85
• Benjamin Moore Aura: $75 to $85

The price gap is significant. Behr's most expensive paint costs about the same as Sherwin-Williams' and Benjamin Moore's mid-range options. For a typical 12x12 room needing 2 gallons, you are looking at:

• Behr Marquee: $84 to $96
• Sherwin-Williams Duration: $130 to $150
• Benjamin Moore Regal Select: $130 to $150

However, Sherwin-Williams runs frequent sales (30% to 40% off) that bring their prices closer to Behr's regular pricing. If you time your purchase right, SW Duration drops to $40 to $50 per gallon.

Coverage and Hide

"Hide" is the paint industry term for how well a paint covers the underlying surface. Better hide means fewer coats, which saves time and money.

Published Coverage Rates

• Behr Marquee: 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon
• Sherwin-Williams Emerald: 350 to 400 sq ft per gallon
• Benjamin Moore Regal Select: 400 to 450 sq ft per gallon

Real-World Coverage

Published rates are measured under ideal conditions (smooth surface, similar colors). In real-world testing, here is what professionals typically see:

• Benjamin Moore Regal Select: Excellent hide. Achieves true one-coat coverage on most light-to-medium color transitions. The Gennex colorant system provides rich, accurate color with fewer pigment particles, which improves both coverage and color consistency.
• Sherwin-Williams Emerald: Very good hide. Close to Benjamin Moore in one-coat coverage. Slightly better self-leveling, which creates a smoother final surface. Professional painters praise its workability.
• Behr Marquee: Good hide. Behr's one-coat guarantee applies to 1,000+ colors, but in practice, most color changes require two coats. The first coat goes on well, and the second coat gives complete, uniform coverage.

Winner: Benjamin Moore, followed closely by Sherwin-Williams. Behr is good but typically needs that second coat.

Color Selection and Accuracy

Number of Colors

• Sherwin-Williams: 1,700+ colors
• Benjamin Moore: 3,500+ colors
• Behr: 1,000+ colors

Color Accuracy

This is where Benjamin Moore has a clear advantage. Their proprietary Gennex colorant system uses water-based pigments that produce more accurate, consistent colors with less impact on the paint's performance properties. The color you see on the swatch is the color you get on the wall.

Sherwin-Williams also delivers excellent color accuracy with their ColorSnap system. Their in-store color matching technology is among the best in the industry.

Behr's color system is solid for most standard colors, but some painters note that very deep or saturated colors can look slightly different in the can versus on the wall. For everyday colors (whites, grays, beiges, blues), Behr's accuracy is perfectly fine.

Winner: Benjamin Moore for color range and accuracy. Sherwin-Williams is a close second.

Durability and Washability

How well does the paint hold up to daily life? Scrubbing, touching, scuffing, and cleaning all test a paint's durability.

• Benjamin Moore Aura: Industry-leading washability. Can handle aggressive cleaning without burnishing or color loss. The proprietary resin technology creates an extremely tough film.
• Sherwin-Williams Emerald: Excellent durability. Rated for scrubbing and cleaning with household cleaners. Holds up very well in high-traffic areas.
• Behr Dynasty: Behr's durability has improved significantly in recent years. Dynasty is rated as "scuff-proof" and performs well in independent scrub tests. Not quite at the level of BM Aura, but very competitive.

For high-traffic areas like hallways, kids' rooms, and kitchens, all three premium lines perform well. The differences are most noticeable in extreme conditions (aggressive scrubbing, commercial environments).

Winner: Benjamin Moore Aura by a small margin. All three premium lines are very durable for residential use.

Ease of Application

This category matters a lot for DIY painters. How easy is the paint to work with?

• Sherwin-Williams: Professional painters consistently rate SW paints as the easiest to apply. The paint has excellent flow and leveling, meaning it smooths out roller marks and brush strokes as it dries. This is Sherwin-Williams' biggest practical advantage.
• Benjamin Moore: Very good application properties. Slightly thicker than SW, which gives great coverage but requires a bit more skill to apply without leaving marks. The Aura line in particular has a unique consistency that some DIYers find challenging on the first project.
• Behr: Decent application for most products. Behr Marquee and Dynasty apply smoothly, though they do not self-level quite as well as SW or BM. Experienced painters rarely complain, but first-time DIYers may notice more roller texture compared to premium brands.

Winner: Sherwin-Williams. Their paints are the most forgiving for both pros and beginners.

Where to Buy

Availability matters. Here is where each brand is sold:

• Behr: Exclusively at Home Depot. This is actually a major convenience advantage for most homeowners, since Home Depot has over 2,300 locations in the US and offers same-day delivery in many areas.
• Sherwin-Williams: Sold through the company's paint stores, with select lines at Lowe's. A dedicated paint store can be useful when you need product-specific preparation or application guidance.
• Benjamin Moore: Only at independent paint stores and BM-authorized retailers. This means fewer locations and sometimes longer drives, but you get more personalized service and expert recommendations from dedicated paint specialists.

Best Use Cases for Each Brand

Rather than declaring one brand the "winner," here is when each makes the most sense:

Choose Behr If:

• You want the best value without sacrificing too much quality
• You are a DIY painter doing standard room repainting
• You like the convenience of shopping at Home Depot
• You are painting a rental property or rooms you will repaint in 3 to 5 years
• Budget is a primary concern

Choose Sherwin-Williams If:

• You want the easiest application experience
• You are a professional painter or want professional-quality results
• You can shop during their frequent 30% to 40% off sales
• You want access to a wide range of specialized products (primers, stains, exterior)
• You value in-store expertise from dedicated paint professionals

Choose Benjamin Moore If:

• Color accuracy and range are your top priority
• You want the absolute best coverage and durability
• You are painting high-end or showcase rooms where quality is everything
• You plan to keep the color for 7+ years
• You are willing to pay premium prices for premium results

The Professional Perspective

It is worth noting what professional painters actually use day-to-day. According to industry surveys, Sherwin-Williams commands about 40% of the professional market, followed by Benjamin Moore at 25%, and PPG at 15%. Behr has a smaller share among pros (around 5 to 10%) but dominates the DIY market.

Pros prefer SW and BM for their consistency, workability, and professional pricing programs. A painting contractor with a Sherwin-Williams pro account gets 30% to 50% off retail prices, making their premium paints competitive with Behr's retail pricing.

Bottom Line

All three brands make good paint. The "best" brand depends entirely on your priorities:

• Best value: Behr Marquee or Dynasty
• Best application: Sherwin-Williams Emerald or Duration
• Best quality: Benjamin Moore Aura or Regal Select

No matter which brand you choose, use our brand-specific paint calculators to get accurate gallon estimates based on each brand's actual coverage rates. Getting the right amount saves money and prevents those mid-project store runs.