People ask us this all the time. Usually it comes up right after they’ve priced a gallon at the Home Depot and a gallon at Sherwin-Williams and noticed the numbers don’t match.
Here’s the short version. Both brands make good paint. They’re built for different buyers, sold in different places, and they win different tests. Let’s go through it.
Where you can buy each one
Behr is sold only at The Home Depot. That’s how Behr describes it on its own site. If you shop there, Behr is what you’ll find.
Sherwin-Williams sells through its own stores. The company says it runs more than 4,300 of them across North America. It also owns Valspar, and the HGTV Home line made by Sherwin-Williams is sold at Lowe’s. So “Sherwin-Williams” can mean a few different cans on a few different shelves.
For a homeowner, the real difference is the counter. A Sherwin-Williams store is set up for people who paint for a living. Painters keep accounts there, and the staff mixes and matches color all day. Bob Vila’s comparison notes that Sherwin-Williams store staff are widely seen as more knowledgeable than box store staff. That matters when you’re stuck on a sheen or a primer.
What the independent tests say
We’ll be straight about this part. Consumer Reports tests interior paint every year, and Behr did very well in its 2026 results. Behr Dynasty came in first. Behr Ultra and Behr Marquee also made the top five. No Duration, Emerald, or SuperPaint made the top five. The Sherwin-Williams family showed up through Valspar Reserve, which Sherwin-Williams owns, and HGTV Home Infinity, which is sold at Lowe’s.
Consumer Reports ranks paint on two lab tests. One is hiding, which is how well the paint covers a dark color in a single coat. The other is stain resistance. Behr’s top lines scored at or near the top on both.
That’s real, and we don’t argue with it. If you’re painting one bedroom yourself and you want to cover a dark color without a lot of fuss, Behr Ultra or Marquee is a smart buy. Consumer Reports lists Ultra around $48 a gallon and Marquee around $58.
What the tests don’t measure
A lab test can’t tell you how a paint behaves on a wall in July in Sherman. It doesn’t test how the paint rolls, how it levels out, or how it holds a wet edge across a long wall.
Bob Vila’s comparison says Behr’s thick formula often covers in one coat but can be harder to brush or roll. It says contractors tend to prefer Sherwin-Williams because it goes on easily and dries fast. That lines up with what we hear from painters. When you’re rolling a whole house, application speed saves hours.
Hiding and stain resistance are not the whole picture of a paint job. They’re just the two things that are easy to test.
Read the “one coat” fine print
Both brands sell paint-and-primer in one. Both have limits worth knowing about.
Behr’s one-coat guarantee on Marquee applies only to colors in its One-Coat Hide collection. Other colors and untinted bases may need more than one coat. Behr’s page also says a primer coat may be needed on some surfaces.
Sherwin-Williams doesn’t promise one coat on Emerald. Its sell sheet says “fewer coats,” which is a more careful claim.
Neither promise replaces proper prep. A glossy old finish, a stain, or a big color change can still call for a separate primer, no matter whose name is on the can.
Price
Prices change with sales, so treat these as a snapshot.
Behr says Premium Plus starts at $34.98 a gallon and Marquee starts at $53.98. Both are sold at the Home Depot.
For Sherwin-Williams, one price guide lists these interior list prices from mid-2025: SuperPaint at $60.49, Duration at $69.99, and Emerald at $74.49 a gallon. Those are sticker prices. Sherwin-Williams runs sales often, and professional accounts get their own pricing, which narrows the gap.
So at full price, Behr is cheaper. After sales and contractor pricing, the two get a lot closer.
Warranty
Both brands offer a lifetime limited warranty, and both come with fine print.
Behr’s warranty covers the original residential purchaser for as long as they live in the home. It isn’t transferable. It covers replacement paint or a refund with proof of purchase, and it excludes labor. It also doesn’t apply if the surface wasn’t prepared properly.
Sherwin-Williams lists a lifetime limited warranty on SuperPaint and on Emerald Rain Refresh, among others.
Here’s the point most people miss. A paint warranty is about the paint. If a can fails, you might get another can. You won’t get the cost of putting it on the wall again. That’s why we also back our work with a two-year workmanship warranty.
So which should you choose?
If you’re doing a small DIY job and you’re shopping at the Home Depot anyway, Behr Ultra or Marquee is a good choice. The test results back it up.
If you’re hiring a pro, let the pro choose. We use Sherwin-Williams, along with PPG and Benjamin Moore, because we know how those paints go on and how they hold up. We also get contractor pricing, which changes the math.
Whichever brand you pick, the paint is only part of the result. Prep work decides how long it lasts. Cleaning, patching, sanding, and priming matter more than the label on the can.
Want a real number for your home?
We’re 360° Painting of Texoma. We paint homes and businesses in Sherman, Denison, and across Grayson County. We’ll walk your project, measure it, and give you an itemized estimate at no cost. Call (903) 206-3467 or send us a note through our contact page.
Sources: Consumer Reports 2026 interior paint ratings (reported by Quartz and Hunker); American Painting Contractor; Bob Vila, “Sherwin-Williams vs. Behr”; Behr.com product pages for Premium Plus and Marquee; Sherwin-Williams product pages and press site; Paint Strategies, “How Much Does Sherwin Williams Paint Cost?”