Benjamin Moore vs Sherwin-Williams: A NJ Painter's Honest Comparison (2026)
Benjamin Moore vs Sherwin-Williams, compared by a New Jersey painter who uses both: line-by-line product matchups, data-sheet specs, September 2026 prices, colors, exterior performance in NJ weather, and how we pick for each job.
Benjamin Moore vs Sherwin-Williams has no single winner. Both companies make excellent paint, and both also make lower-priced lines that, in our experience, suit rentals and closets better than the rooms you live in. The product line you pick matters far more than the name on the can: on the job, we find Benjamin Moore Aura and Sherwin-Williams Emerald closer to each other than either one is to its own brand's entry-level paint.
We are a family-owned painting company in Morganville and have painted homes across Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Mercer, Somerset and Burlington counties for more than 20 years. We use both brands on our jobs, so this is not a sales pitch for either one. This guide lines up the comparable products side by side using the numbers from each manufacturer's technical data sheets, shows the prices and sales we found on September 24, 2026, and explains how we actually choose between them for a New Jersey house.
The Short Answer: Benjamin Moore vs Sherwin-Williams
- Quality is a tie at the top. Benjamin Moore Aura and Regal Select and Sherwin-Williams Emerald and Duration Home are all premium, low-VOC acrylic-based paints that, in our experience, go on well, hide well and wash well. We are happy to put either brand's premium line on your walls.
- Compare lines, not brands. Match Aura against Emerald, Regal Select against Duration Home or SuperPaint, and ben against the contractor lines. The tables below do exactly that.
- Buying is different. Sherwin-Williams-branded paint is sold through the company's own stores. Benjamin Moore sells through independent local paint and hardware stores. In our experience that affects price, sales and service more than it affects the paint.
- Color is where people feel the difference. Benjamin Moore lists over 3,500 colors and Sherwin-Williams over 1,700. If you have already fallen for a specific color, buy it from the brand that made it.
- Prep and application beat brand. A good paint over a dirty, unprimed or glossy surface fails. An average paint applied well over good prep usually looks fine for years.
How the Two Companies Differ
Sherwin-Williams was founded in 1866 and is based in Cleveland, Ohio. Its 2025 year-end results say Sherwin-Williams branded products "are sold exclusively through a chain of more than 5,400 Company-operated stores and branches," and its Paint Stores Group alone had 4,853 stores at the end of 2025. In practice that means the Sherwin-Williams store you walk into is run by the company itself. The same release notes that the company's other brands, such as Valspar and HGTV Home, reach customers through home centers and other retailers, which is why you see those names at big-box stores but not the Sherwin-Williams lines compared here.
Benjamin Moore is headquartered in New Jersey. It was founded in Brooklyn in 1883 and today lists its headquarters at 101 Paragon Drive in Montvale, NJ. It has been part of Berkshire Hathaway since that merger was completed on January 1, 2001. On its company history page, Benjamin Moore says it sells "through a network of more than 7,500 independent retailers across North America." So the Benjamin Moore store in your town is usually a locally owned paint or hardware store, which may carry other brands and sundries as well.
Neither model is better for the homeowner in every case. Sherwin-Williams posts its promotions on one national special-offers page. An independent Benjamin Moore dealer is a locally owned business. In our experience, the service you get from either depends mostly on the particular store and its staff.
Interior Paint: Premium Lines Head to Head
These are the lines we use for most living spaces. The figures come straight from each product's current data sheet, using the eggshell or satin version of each (the finish most people choose for walls). "Volume solids" is the share of the paint that stays on the wall after the water evaporates; more solids usually means a thicker dry film per coat, though resin quality matters as much as the number.
| Product | Volume solids | Coverage per gallon | Recoat at 77°F | VOC | Minimum application temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BM Aura Eggshell (N524) | 46% | 350–400 sq ft | 1 hour | < 50 g/L | 50°F |
| BM Regal Select Eggshell (N549) | 45% | 400–450 sq ft | 1–2 hours | < 50 g/L | 50°F |
| SW Emerald Interior Satin (K37) | 40% | 350–400 sq ft | 4 hours | < 50 g/L | 50°F |
| SW Duration Home Satin (A97) | 37% | 350–400 sq ft | 4 hours | < 50 g/L | 50°F |
| SW SuperPaint Interior Satin (A87) | 40% | 350–400 sq ft | 4 hours | < 50 g/L | 50°F |
A few things stand out. On paper the Benjamin Moore premium lines list more volume solids (45–46% against 37–40%) and shorter recoat times (1 to 2 hours against 4), although all of these sheets list about an hour to dry to the touch. Two cautions before reading too much into that: we are comparing each brand's eggshell with the other's satin, and each figure comes from the manufacturer's own test conditions. The resins also differ. Benjamin Moore lists a "Proprietary 100% Acrylic" vehicle for Aura and Regal Select, while Sherwin-Williams lists "Styrene Acrylic" for Emerald Interior and Duration Home and "Vinyl Acrylic" for SuperPaint Interior. On the job, the faster recoat cuts both ways: in our experience Aura sets up quickly, so on a hot day or a big open wall you have to keep a wet edge or you will see lap marks, and we find Emerald and Duration Home give a little more working time. In finished appearance and washability we do not see a difference we could honestly promise a customer between Aura and Emerald, or between Regal Select and Duration Home.
Each line has a job it does especially well. Sherwin-Williams describes Duration Home as having "Moisture Resistant Technology" for "quick return to service & durability in moist environments like bathrooms," which makes it a natural pick for a full bath. Aura's data sheet highlights "extreme hide across all colors" and a mildew-resistant coating, which is why we reach for it on deep, saturated colors that would otherwise need extra coats. Regal Select is the everyday workhorse on the Benjamin Moore side: its data sheet calls it a "premium quality, 100% acrylic paint and primer," and it is what we use most often in bedrooms and living areas.
One practical note that applies to both brands: fresh paint is not fully cured when it feels dry. Benjamin Moore's sheets say painted surfaces "can be washed after two weeks," and Sherwin-Williams tells you to "wait at least 14 days before washing" Duration Home. Treat new walls gently for the first two weeks, whichever brand you choose.
Sheen names do not line up between the brands, either. A Sherwin-Williams satin can be about as flat as a Benjamin Moore eggshell: the Emerald Interior Satin sheet lists 10–20 gloss units at 85°, and the Aura Eggshell sheet lists 10–22 at 85°. We cover sheen numbers in more depth in our satin vs eggshell sheen guide, so we will not repeat them here.
Mid-Grade and Contractor Lines
Below the premium tier, both companies make paints aimed at landlords, new construction and budget repaints. In our experience, a lot of the brand-versus-brand arguments you read online come from comparing across tiers: a homeowner who compares a contractor-grade wall from one brand with a premium wall from the other is not comparing like with like. Labels do not always settle the tier, either. Benjamin Moore's data sheet calls ben a "Premium Interior Acrylic Paint & Primer," but it is the lowest-priced of the Benjamin Moore lines we price below, so we group it here.
| Product | Resin (per data sheet) | Volume solids | Coverage per gallon | Recoat | VOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BM ben Eggshell (N626) | Acrylic blended latex | 39% | 400–450 sq ft | 2 hours | Zero g/L |
| BM Ultra Spec 500 Eggshell (T538) | Cross-linking acrylic | 42% | 400–450 sq ft | 2–3 hours | Zero g/L |
| SW Cashmere Low Lustre (D17) | Acrylic, paint and primer | 41% | 350–400 sq ft | 4 hours | < 50 g/L |
| SW ProMar 200 Zero VOC Eg-Shel (B20) | Vinyl acrylic | 42% | 350–400 sq ft | 4 hours | < 50 g/L |
Cashmere is a bit of an outlier: Sherwin-Williams sells it for its "ultra-smooth, rich, silky finish" and "low-stipple appearance," and we think of it as sitting between the contractor and premium tiers. ProMar 200 Zero VOC is described on its data sheet as "a durable, professional quality, interior vinyl acrylic finish," while Ultra Spec 500 is a Benjamin Moore professional line whose data sheet says it is based on "a proprietary cross-linking acrylic resin." For a rental turnover or a closet, any of these is fine. For the rooms you live in, we usually recommend moving up a tier, because in our experience the premium paints clean up better and touch up more evenly.
Exterior Paint: Aura and Regal Select vs Emerald, Duration and SuperPaint
Outside is where New Jersey weather tests paint hardest, and where both companies put their best technology. Again, the figures are from each product's data sheet (low lustre for Benjamin Moore, satin for Sherwin-Williams, which are the finishes most often used on siding), and the warranty column is what each manufacturer states.
| Product | Volume solids | Coverage per gallon | Recoat (warm weather) | Minimum temperature | Warranty (as stated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BM Aura Exterior Low Lustre (N634) | 45.5% | 250–350 sq ft | 4 hours | 35°F | Limited lifetime |
| BM Regal Select Exterior High Build Low Lustre (N401) | 43% | 250–350 sq ft | 4 hours | 35°F | Lifetime limited |
| SW Emerald Exterior Satin (K48) | 39% | 250–300 sq ft | 4 hours at 45°F+ | 35°F | Lifetime limited |
| SW Duration Exterior Satin (K33) | 38% | 250–300 sq ft | 4 hours at 45°F+ | 35°F | Lifetime limited |
| SW SuperPaint Exterior Satin (A89) | 36% | 350–400 sq ft | 4 hours at 45°F+ | 35°F | Lifetime limited |
Sherwin-Williams lists a lifetime limited warranty on its product pages for Emerald Exterior, Duration Exterior and SuperPaint Exterior; the Benjamin Moore warranties are printed on the two data sheets. Read the fine print before you lean on any of them. The Regal Select Exterior and Aura Exterior warranties, for example, are made "to the original residential consumer paint purchaser," are "non-transferable," and do not include "the cost of labor for application of paint." We did not find Sherwin-Williams' full warranty terms on the pages we checked, so ask the store for them. In general, a paint warranty replaces paint. It does not pay anyone to repaint your house, and when a contractor buys the paint, it may not transfer to you at all. Our own two-year workmanship warranty covers the labor side of our work.
Among the Sherwin-Williams products, Duration is built around what the company calls PermaLast technology, "for more durability and a thicker coat than ordinary latex paint," and Emerald Exterior uses "a patented cross-linking 100% acrylic technology." Regal Select Exterior High Build is, as the name says, a high-build formula; its data sheet also reports passing ASTM D3273 mildew resistance testing with "no growth." Aura Exterior, which its data sheet calls "super premium quality," credits Benjamin Moore's Color Lock technology for color depth and lists "excellent fade resistance and gloss retention." We have had long-lasting results with all four, and we pick among them mostly by substrate, color and budget, as described below.
Trim, Doors and Cabinets: Advance vs Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel
For trim, doors and kitchen cabinets, both companies make a waterborne enamel that behaves more like old-fashioned oil paint: it levels out brush marks and dries harder than wall paint. In our view these two products are the closest head-to-head match in either catalog, and they behave quite differently on the job.
| BM Advance Satin (792) | SW Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel Satin | |
|---|---|---|
| Resin | Waterborne alkyd | Waterbased, urethane modified alkyd |
| Use | Interior | Interior and exterior |
| Volume solids | 38.4% | 30% |
| Coverage per gallon | 400–500 sq ft | 350–400 sq ft |
| Dry to touch | 4–6 hours | 1 hour |
| Recoat | 16 hours | 4 hours |
| Gloss (satin) | 25–35 units at 60° | 35–45 units at 60° |
| VOC | 48.5 g/L | < 50 g/L |
Advance is slow. One coat a day is the rhythm, and Benjamin Moore warns that "it could take up to 30 days to reach optimum hardness and final sheen." In exchange you get a long open time and flow that levels beautifully on cabinet doors and six-panel doors. Emerald Urethane dries to the touch in an hour and can be recoated in four, which makes it easier to finish trim in a single visit and lets you use it on exterior doors too. Note the gloss row: Sherwin-Williams' "satin" here is noticeably shinier than Benjamin Moore's "satin," which is exactly the naming problem our sheen guide explains.
Primers, Briefly
Most premium paints from both brands are sold as "self-priming" on sound, previously painted surfaces, and on a straight repaint in similar colors we often skip a separate primer. Bare wood, patched drywall, stains, glossy old oil paint and big color changes still need a real primer. Benjamin Moore's data sheets point to its Fresh Start family (for example, Fresh Start High-Hiding All Purpose Primer is listed under wood for Advance), and Sherwin-Williams' sheets list primers such as its Premium Wall & Wood Primer and recommend a tinted "P-Shade" primer "to optimize hide and color development." We generally stay within one brand for primer and topcoat on a given surface, so the system matches what the manufacturer tested.
Price Comparison (September 2026)
This is where the store models matter. Benjamin Moore shows a price on its product pages. Sherwin-Williams' product pages, such as Emerald Interior, ask you to "register or sign in to confirm pricing & availability," so there is no single public list price to quote.
| Product | Price shown | Source |
|---|---|---|
| BM Aura Interior, Eggshell | $108.99 | benjaminmoore.com |
| BM Advance, Satin | $88.99 | benjaminmoore.com product page |
| BM Regal Select Interior, Eggshell | $84.99 | benjaminmoore.com product page |
| BM ben Interior, Eggshell | $60.99 | benjaminmoore.com product page |
| SW Emerald, Duration Home, SuperPaint, Cashmere | Shown after sign-in; varies by store and promotion | sherwin-williams.com |
Sherwin-Williams also runs time-limited sales. When we checked on September 24, 2026, its special offers page announced a Fall PaintPerks® Sale running Sept. 25 – Oct. 12 with "35% OFF Emerald & Cashmere" and 15% off Purdy products, "available in-store and online," with the "discount applied in cart after PaintPerks sign-in." The terms say the offer is valid for registered PaintPerks members only, on retail sales of retail products, and that "some exclusions apply." If you are buying Sherwin-Williams yourself, check that page before you buy. Benjamin Moore's Aura Exterior was listed as "non-purchasable online, contact store for availability" when we checked, so ask your local dealer for exterior prices.
For a whole house, the paint is usually a modest share of the job compared to labor, prep and repairs. See our NJ painting cost guide for what full projects run. Switching from a premium line to a budget line to save a few hundred dollars rarely makes sense if it means an extra coat of labor or an earlier repaint.
Color Selection: 3,500 vs 1,700, and Why Cross-Brand Matches Are Never Exact
Benjamin Moore invites you to explore over 3,500 paint colors, while Sherwin-Williams says that "with over 1,700 Sherwin-Williams paint colors, there's a perfect color for every mood." More is not automatically better; some of our customers find the smaller Sherwin-Williams collection easier to choose from. The bigger Benjamin Moore palette offers more close variations of whites and greiges, which can help when you are matching existing trim or stone.
Most paint stores will mix the other brand's colors, but in our experience the result is an approximation. Each company tints with its own colorant system. Benjamin Moore describes its Gennex colorants as "made specifically for Benjamin Moore paints" and available only at stores authorized to sell Benjamin Moore, while Sherwin-Williams data sheets specify tinting with its own SherColor colorants. When either brand's store mixes the other brand's color, it has to rebuild that color from different colorants in a different base, so in our experience it can read slightly warmer, cooler or greener in some lights even if it looks right under the store lights. That difference is most noticeable in whites, grays and greiges, and next to the original color on an adjacent wall.
Our practical rules:
- If you picked the color from a Benjamin Moore fan deck, buy Benjamin Moore. If you picked it from Sherwin-Williams, buy Sherwin-Williams.
- If you must cross-match, paint a large sample of the matched paint next to the original before committing, and look at it at different times of day.
- Never mix brands on the same wall or on adjoining walls in the same color, and keep a labeled leftover of each color for touch-ups.
Choosing the color is the harder part for most people. Every one of our estimates includes an in-home color consultation, so you see samples in your own light before anything is ordered.
What New Jersey Weather Means for the Choice
Rutgers' Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist describes five distinct climate regions in the state, with an average of 217 freeze-free days along the seacoast but only 179 in the central and southern interior and 163 in the northern highlands. For exterior paint that means a shorter comfortable season inland, lots of freeze-thaw cycles on siding and trim, and damp, mildew-friendly conditions on shaded north walls and near the shore.
How the two brands handle that:
- Cold-weather application. Every premium exterior line in the table above is rated down to 35°F. That helps in a New Jersey October, but read the rest of the data sheet. Sherwin-Williams lists recoat times of 24 to 48 hours at 35–45°F instead of 4 hours, and warns against painting when "air or surface temperatures may drop below 35°F (1.7°C) within 48 hours." Paint on a cold afternoon still needs the next two days and nights to stay at 35°F or warmer. The sheets also carry stricter limits for some substrates; Emerald Exterior, for example, requires 50°F air, surface and material temperatures on large expanses of metal siding.
- Mildew. Sherwin-Williams advertises a "mildew-resistant coating" for Emerald Exterior, and the Aura Exterior and Regal Select Exterior data sheets both report passing ASTM D3273 mildew testing with no growth. None of that works over mildew that is still on the wall. Surfaces have to be cleaned first; Benjamin Moore's Aura Exterior sheet tells you to wash with a hose or power washer "to remove contaminants that can interfere with proper" adhesion.
- Shore homes. Along the Monmouth and Ocean shore we wash salt film and dirt off before painting and pay extra attention to trim and railings that get direct weather. That prep step matters more than which brand's premium line goes on afterward.
- Vinyl siding. Both brands limit dark colors on vinyl because it can warp. Sherwin-Williams' exterior data sheets offer 100 "VinylSafe" color options, and Benjamin Moore's Aura Exterior data sheet points to its approved "Colors for Vinyl" palette. Stick to those lists.
Where to Buy Each Brand in Central Jersey
Across Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean and the neighboring counties, in our experience most towns are a short drive from both a Sherwin-Williams store and an independent Benjamin Moore dealer. Sherwin-Williams stores are company-run. Benjamin Moore dealers range from full paint stores with contractor counters to hardware stores with a Benjamin Moore tinting station. If you are buying for a DIY project, pick the store with the most helpful staff, because good advice on prep and primer is worth more than a small price difference.
How We Choose Between Them on a Job
We are not tied to either brand. On a typical estimate, this is how the decision goes:
- The color decides first. If you already chose a Benjamin Moore or Sherwin-Williams color, we use that brand so the color is exactly what you saw.
- Then the room or surface. For bathrooms we lean toward a moisture-rated product such as Duration Home. For deep, saturated wall colors, we find Aura's hide often saves a coat. For cabinets and interior doors where the finish has to look sprayed, we like Advance's leveling if the schedule allows its slower dry; when we need trim finished in one visit, or the door is exterior, Emerald Urethane is the easier fit.
- Then the schedule and weather. Late-season exterior work pushes us toward products with clear low-temperature guidance and toward starting early in the day.
- Then budget. On the Benjamin Moore side, Regal Select listed at $84.99 a gallon against $108.99 for Aura in September 2026, and in our experience it gives premium results. On the Sherwin-Williams side, SuperPaint and Duration Home are the lines we compare against Emerald, using the store's current pricing. We will tell you when the top line is worth it and when it is not.
If you have a preference for one brand, we are glad to use it. The specifications in the tables show why: at the same tier, both companies make paint that performs well when it is applied correctly.
What Matters More Than the Brand
When a paint job fails, in our experience the cause is almost never the brand. These are the things we see make or break a job:
- Surface prep. Washing, scraping, sanding glossy surfaces, filling and priming. Both brands' data sheets say glossy areas should be dulled and surfaces must be clean before painting.
- Two full coats. "Paint and primer in one" does not mean one coat. The coverage figures above assume a specific film thickness; stretching paint thinner to make a gallon go further shortens its life.
- The right sheen for the room. See our sheen guide.
- Weather and cure time. Following the temperature limits and giving paint two weeks before scrubbing.
- The applicator. Good brushes and rollers, a wet edge, and experience with the particular product's drying speed.
Two rules, one federal and one from New Jersey, also matter more than the brand. If your home was built before 1978, the EPA says that "anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices" under its Renovation, Repair and Painting program. And New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs, in its guide to hiring home improvement contractors, says contractors must register with the Division and that contracts for projects over $500 must be in writing and include the contractor's registration number. The same guide tells homeowners to make sure "the contract states the name brands or quality/grades of materials to be used." We go a step further and write the brand, product line and sheen for each surface into the contract, so there is no quiet substitution with a cheaper line.
When You Do Not Need a Painter
Repainting a bedroom in a similar color, with walls in good shape, is a fine DIY project with either brand. Buy a premium line, use a good roller cover, do two coats, and you will be happy. Where hiring a pro pays off is high ceilings and stairwells, big color changes, cabinets and trim enamels (which are unforgiving), exterior work on ladders, and anything involving sanding old paint in a pre-1978 home. For those, see our interior painting and exterior painting services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benjamin Moore better than Sherwin-Williams?
Not overall. At the premium level, Benjamin Moore Aura and Regal Select and Sherwin-Williams Emerald and Duration Home all perform very well in our experience. The product line, the prep and the application matter more than the brand. Pick the brand whose color you want, then choose a premium line from that brand.
Which is better for exterior paint, Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore?
Both make excellent exterior paint. Sherwin-Williams Emerald, Duration and SuperPaint Exterior and Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior and Regal Select Exterior are all rated for application down to 35°F and carry lifetime limited warranties from the manufacturer. In our experience, siding condition, prep and weather during application affect how long the job lasts far more than the brand.
How does Benjamin Moore Regal Select compare with Sherwin-Williams Duration Home or Emerald?
Regal Select sits closest to Duration Home and SuperPaint as a premium everyday wall paint, while Aura is Benjamin Moore's counterpart to Emerald. Regal Select Eggshell lists 45% volume solids and a 1 to 2 hour recoat; Duration Home Satin lists 37% solids and a 4 hour recoat. In finished appearance and washability, we find them comparable.
Can Sherwin-Williams match a Benjamin Moore color?
In our experience it can make a close approximation, but not an exact match. Each brand uses its own colorants and bases, so a cross-brand match can look slightly different in some lighting, especially in whites and grays. For a color you love, buy it from the brand that created it, and never mix the two on adjoining walls.
Is Benjamin Moore more expensive than Sherwin-Williams?
We cannot give you a fair like-for-like answer from public list prices, because Sherwin-Williams shows its prices only after you register or sign in. On September 24, 2026, Benjamin Moore listed Aura Interior Eggshell at $108.99 and Regal Select Eggshell at $84.99 per gallon. Sherwin-Williams had announced a Fall PaintPerks Sale for Sept. 25 – Oct. 12 with 35% off Emerald and Cashmere for registered PaintPerks members (some exclusions apply), so with Sherwin-Williams what you actually pay depends on timing and membership.
Which brand do professional painters prefer?
It varies by painter and region; in our experience it often comes down to which local store gives them the best service. We use both. We choose by the customer's color, the surface and the schedule rather than out of brand loyalty.
Get a Straight Recommendation for Your Home
Whichever brand you lean toward, we will tell you which line fits each room or surface and why, and write it into your estimate. NJ Painting Co. is a family-owned, licensed and fully insured painting company at 36 Church Rd, Morganville, NJ 07751, painting New Jersey homes for more than 20 years with Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams products. Every estimate is free and includes an in-home color consultation, and our work carries a two-year workmanship warranty.
See our interior painting and exterior painting services, or call (732) 239-0932 and request a free estimate.
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