I prefer BM paint and paint colors. My painter likes SW paint better. In my experience, I've had much better service and advise in my BM store. But I'm sure each location is different with a different level of expertise and service in each location. I think it is going to be unique to your area which only you or your designer can access.

Grey is very difficult to get right depending on your specific light. Get samples, do a large board and move it around in your different light and take your time and do it once the right way

I also prefer BM paint and colors and agree with all of the above

I'm not sure the paint is any better (I prefer Pratt and Lambert myself) but BM has a huge choice of colors, maybe the most of any company. Any color is possible with other companies but you have to do your own mixing. BM makes it easy for you.

I use both! They are both good quality paint and SW has some very popular gray colors. Whichever paint you do decide to use these co. will color match each other's paint colors. I think you will be fine either way!

It all depends on what you mean by better and who you ask. For issues concerning durability, scrubability, washability and fade resistance then independent consumers test report may be your best indicator. For colour selection BM definitely rules. If you ask a painter they are usually talking more about the properties of the paint as they relate to ease of application. Sherwin Williams is highly focused on the trade while BM is more focused on the consumer/spec writer. Both companies offer several grade levels and this will make a difference in performance and cost.

Graham

The Benjamin Moore dealer that I use is great - very knowledgeable & helpful!

But what I really like is that they don't always recommend BM. They have sold us on Muralo (interior) and California Paints (exterior). They are experts at mixing them in any BM color there is!

( One of the BM formula's that I would avoid at all cost is their SuperSpec.)

As with most items, the more you buy the better the price.

Discounts are offered to painting contractors from paint manufacturers based on volume. Painting contractors can purchase any paint, but a better discount puts more money in the pocket of the contractor. You can't blame them for being loyal to a brand which they buy at a good price and is response to their needs.

BM doesn't sell nearly the volume SW does, so their prices are typically higher. Both good quality paints. I find that BW offers more colors to select from.

Hmm, this seemed liked a simple straight forward question... but. If your asking this because your contractor is wanting to use SW pro mar series paint and do I think that's as good as say... BM Regal Select? Probably not. But , if you request he use SW Cashmere or Emerald then fine. .. but you will pay much more. If you want 0 voc then you want SW Harmony or BM Aura. More$$ ! Do I think any of these will do a good job? Yes.

They all have each others colors, so just choose the quality you like and they can mix your BM colors. SW seems to be preferred by the trades.

I don't think anywhere copies another's colors well. A designer recently commented that BM has all color spectrum. I don't know what that means,but I do think the colors are richer,true and full. I like SW and use them. I would guess both have quality paint, but color, not quite imho.

I can't comment on SW, but of all of the paints I have used (I've painted every room in the 3 homes we owned) and I find that BM covers the best and is the nicest to use. From a durability perspective, I think most of the good paints are equal, but the correct paint type, prep and application are more important than which of the top brands you select. Watch for sales as well.

We use SW and have been very happy with their products. We do not use any of the lower line builder grade paints from SW. We use Cashmere for walls (don't like the more expensive Emerald) and ProClassic for trim. We frequently paint existing cabinetry as part of a remodel and we tried BM waterborne trim paint once for this. We tried it because everyone on Houzz seems to love BM. It was the worst paint we have ever used. It took 4 coats to cover (sprayed on) and even then one area peeled and had to be redone. We have never had such issues with SW and we have used the same painter for over 10 years - so it wasn't an issue of who did the painting.

I agree with life4real that no company color matches another companies paint well just by using the formula. The various paint companies start with different chemical bases so the tint responds differently. We purchase a sample of the color we are trying to match. Paint multiple coats on a large sample board and take that for color matching. We work with SW and tweak it until we get the color where we want it.

Old thread from 2016, but still, Mountain Paint & Decorating, all good info to know.

Another thing that even the better paint dealers forget to tell people, regardless of which paint line, is to be aware of the humidity level in the home.

It makes a huge difference in how easily the paint goes on, levels out and dries... or not!

The durability of the BM paint I used, which was in my kids rooms no less, far outweighed the durability of the SW paint we had in the rest of our home. After 12 years the BM paint still looked brand new and the SW was anything but. Scuffed, not cleanable and dull. Sadly.

The truth is that both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams are excellent! You can't go wrong with either, and we do use both with our painting customers. I tend t prefer Sherwin Williams for grays and Benjamin Moore for blues and Whites. But both are excellent and both have the formula cards for the others' paint. Bear in mind that they each have different levels/grades so that is more likely the difference that some people see. Sherwin Williams tends to run more discounts. You may find this article about 9 ways to save money on Sherwin Williams paint

I painted my interior with BM Regal about 12 years ago. I believe Aura was the high end and Regal was the 2nd highest grade of paint. IMHO, it doesn't hold up as well as I expected from the brand and for the price. Our bedroom doesn't get much sun, etc. and it needed to be repainted after a few years. Our high traffic areas do not clean up well and have resulted in staining. I am about to repaint and going with SW this time.

just adding my experience. I painted with BM Aura 12 yrs ago. I needed to redo a wall a few months back because I removed nails from the wall. You can't tell the difference between the walls that have 12 yr old paint and the one that is a few months old. I'm very pleased with the durability of the paint.