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Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore: Which Is Right for Your Home?
Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore? An honest contractor's comparison by product line, price, and use case.
We use both. Here's what 20+ years of putting the stuff on real walls has taught us about when each brand wins.
The short answer
For most Columbus interiors, Sherwin-Williams Emerald and Benjamin Moore Aura are essentially tied on durability and finish quality. The honest tiebreakers are price, color match, and which store is closer to your house.
By product line
Premium interior
- SW Emerald — best mildew resistance, slight edge in scrubbability
- BM Aura — slight edge in coverage on color changes (often two coats where Emerald needs three)
Mid-tier interior
- SW SuperPaint — excellent value, our default for most rentals and lower-traffic rooms
- BM Regal Select — buttery application, slightly better leveling
Premium exterior
- SW Emerald Exterior — best UV resistance for south-facing siding
- BM Aura Exterior — best color retention on deep, saturated colors
Cabinet & trim
- SW Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel — our default cabinet topcoat. Hard-cures in 30 days, holds up to bumps and cleaners
- BM Advance — beautiful self-leveling, slightly softer cure (handle gently for the first month)
Color accuracy
Both brands will color-match the other (mostly). But the original is always best. Benjamin Moore's color depth on dark colors (Hale Navy, Wrought Iron) is hard to beat. Sherwin-Williams's whites and off-whites (Alabaster, Pure White, Snowbound) are the industry standard for good reason.
Price
Sherwin-Williams typically runs 10–20% cheaper at retail, but Benjamin Moore independent dealers in Columbus often match SW promos. Either way, paint is rarely the budget line that matters — labor is 80% of a professional repaint.
Our recommendation by project
- Whole-home interior repaint: Either. Pick the color you love.
- Cabinet refinishing: SW Emerald Urethane (cure speed wins)
- Deep accent wall: BM Aura (coverage wins)
- Exterior in full sun: SW Emerald Exterior
- Historic home restoration: BM (deeper historical palette)
Try any color on your home first
Our AI visualizer supports both SW and BM color codes. Or book a free color consultation and we'll bring large painted samples to your home.
Related reading
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