Best Interior Paint: Sherwin Williams vs Benjamin Moore

Over the years, I’ve had the chance to live in, own, and remodel all kinds of homes. And with all that moving around, I’ve gained a ton of experience with paint! Honestly, I feel like I’ve tried just about every top brand out there. When it comes to color and convenience, Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore are definitely my go-to favorite paint brands. But when it’s time to pick the best interior paint, how do you decide between the two?

Well, during one of my home remodels, I happened to use both for the interior paint which gave me a great opportunity to see them both up close and next to each other.

entryway with small ceiling light, white walls, metal railing, and organic modern decor — Benjamin Moore: Chantilly Lace Walls and Sherwin Williams: Pure White Trim

Benjamin Moore vs. Sherwin Williams

I knew I wanted an all white interior but there were soooo many options. I was overwhelmed trying to choose the right interior paint. In the past we’d always used big box store brands but I heard great things about Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore. These two brands really emerged as some of the best latex paints with their sheen options, colors, and availability.

Ultimately, I ended up using both of these throughout my home, giving us a little side by side comparison. After painting the entire interior, wood trim, exterior, cabinets, and fireplace I think I’ve learned a thing or two about house paint.

piano with vase and benjamin moore's chantilly lace for white walls

Benjamin Moore Wall Paint

We used Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace in a matte finish for the entire interior walls of both our new remodel home and our beach cottage. It went on really smoothly, covering up darker colors like maroon and pink. This is a crisp, bright, neutral white and one of my all time favorites. We also used this low voc paint for the ceiling paint which created a clean modern look.

What I love about Benjamin Moore Paint:

Benjamin Moore offers dozens of rich, designer colors – they have many of my favorite colors like Chantilly Lace and Hale Navy
Compared with a lot of other brands, their paint goes on like butter – especially their Emerald series, it’s so smooth and thick, we often needed only one coat
They are relatively easy to find at my local Ace Hardware store
Their Paint Color App is interactive, helpful, and fun – lets you explore and keep track of colors
They offer a special matte paint for bathrooms with their Aura collection – this gives the flat look but still easy to clean and mold resistant

Downside to Benjamin Moore Paint:

Not as readily available as others: Ok, so it’s fairly easy for me to find living just outside of Portland. It’s sold at their name brand shops and a few select stores, making it difficult to find (and purchase more if needed!) but other brands are definitely easier to obtain
Cannot be color-matched – this is by design and while people try, it’s not always an exact match
More expensive than hardware store brands (but worth it!)
It doesn’t seem to be the top choice for painters—I spoke with three house painters, and they said they avoid Benjamin Moore paints because it’s not always easy to find in stores.

spraying the room with one of the best wall paints, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace — During our remodel, we used a sprayer to paint the entire interior with Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

Sherwin Williams Paint

During our home improvement remodel, we also used Sherwin Williams Pure White for our new trim work and doors. Its a beautiful neutral white with just a touch of warmth. We hired a professional painter to get the smooth durable finish on the trim. This was definitely more expensive than doing it on our own – but the end result was worth it for a nice smooth finish.

Overall, the Sherwin Williams paint went on really easily. As a side note, we also used Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black for the exterior house paint color. It held seemed to apply well and held up over the harsh winter. It’s a deep, neutral black that I’m now obsessed with.

empty room with benjamin moore painted on whole house remodel — Here’s our dining room right after our wood trim was installed and professionally painted with Sherwin William’s Pure White

What I love about Sherwin Williams Paint:

Hundreds of popular paint colors, many the top choices of designers so it’s easy to grab an idea and actually apply it in your home
Easy to locate – available at Sherwin Williams stores which, at least in my area are pretty numerous. Also, more recently it is available at Lowe’s
First choice of many professional painters in my experience. When I painted my interior walls and kitchen cabinets, Sherwin Williams was the preferred brand

Downside of Sherwin Williams Paint:

Great quality, but not as smooth or with as much coverage as Benjamin Moore—we needed extra coats. (This remains true after many different painting projects I’ve completed)
The satin finish was shinier than we expected based on the description and other satin finishes I’ve used

Best Interior Paint – Details

Both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams are fantastic, high-quality paints that I’d pick over store brands any day. I’m more drawn to Benjamin Moore’s colors, but I love how easy it is to find Sherwin-Williams. Both lines offer a fantastic matte finish that I prefer over semi-gloss that looks high end and not like primer.

This is the exact type of paint I have used (and continue to use):

Sherwin Williams – Emerald Interior Acrylic Latex Line in Matte
Benjamin Moore – Regal Select or Aura Line in Matte or Eggshell

dresser with plant and books in front of white wall — I love how Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace creates a neutral, bright backdrop

Paint Samples

Even though I think both brands are one of the best interior wall paint brands, the biggest drawback for each of them is the price and size of their samples. If it’s in my budget, I usually choose Benjamin Moore. For larger projects, I have opted for Sherwin Williams. In both cases, I’ve been super happy with the results and each brand is a good choice.

Gone are the days of those little messy paint sample jars – and good riddance! Little known fact, they are not the same formula as regular paint so they didn’t always give a good color reading and couldn’t be used for other projects. Instead, I’m a big fan of peel and stick paint sample options. Samplize has a huge assortment of both Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore samples.

Other Paint Brands

In addition to Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams, there are a few other paint brand options out there. I also really like Clare paint, a newer innovative paint company. They have a more minimal approach with fewer, more curated colors – which I actually love! A big bonus is that their paint can be purchased online and is delivered. Super simple, though it a bit spendy.

Recently, I used Fresh Kicks from Clare – a neutral white for my family room and really love it. It’s very similar to SW Pure White but maybe a little bit more crisp and bright. The paint went on smoothly and was an overall easy ordering process.

Final Thoughts

After all my years of trying different paints and working on countless home projects, I can confidently say that if you’re looking for the best interior paint for your home, you can’t go wrong with either Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams. Both are high-quality, dependable options with beautiful colors that I’ve trusted time and time again!

If you’re curious to know how these how these white interior paint colors line up, check out my post comparing Chantilly Lace vs Pure White for more details.

Best Interior Paint: Sherwin Williams vs Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore vs. Sherwin Williams