11 Best Paint Brands to Spruce Up Your Home
A new coat of paint has never looked so good
Be it the interior or exterior of your home, nothing says home makeover like the perfect coat of paint. But knowing which is the best paint brand for your home can be a head scratcher.
With all the available options, colors, qualities, ingredients, and more, choosing the right paint color can quickly turn into a confusing algorithm. Fortunately, we’ve got you—and your home—covered with this round-up of the best brands of paint.
1. Sherwin-Williams®
The Sherwin-Williams® brand originated over 200 years ago and is now a global paint company whose mission is to “cover the earth.” Per Sherwin-Williams®, its wide variety of interior paints are thick, durable, and versatile.
According to Sherwin-Williams®, the Sherwin-Williams® HGTV Home paint offers homeowners a variety of high-quality paints fit for any stylish interior or exterior. This paint, however, does come price, with most Sherwin-Williams paints falling in the moderate to high price range at about $50 per gallon.
2. Benjamin Moore®
Founded in 1883, Benjamin Moore® is a well-known paint brand that sells premium paint for professionals and DIYers alike. Per Benjamin Moore®, this brand offers high-quality paints from independently-managed retailers.
Benjamin Moore® paints come in various prices, colors, and finishes, but the higher quality also comes with a higher price tag of $30 to $80 per gallon. According to Benjamin Moore®, the paints are fade-resistant, quick to dry, and may require fewer paint coats than other brands.
3. PPG Paint®
Originally a glass-making company in the late 1800s, PPG Paint® expanded to produce lead-free home paints in the 1950s. In 2013, PPG Paint® acquired Glidden®—a budget-friendly paint brand that is available at many popular local home improvement stores.
According to PPG Paint®, the brand’s premium paints provide excellent coverage, only requiring one or two coats of paint in most cases, and resist stains, adhesion, and UV damage.
PPG Paint® tends to cost less than other premium paints, at about $25 per gallon. The main downfall with this paint brand is that it may be less durable than some of the pricier options.
4. BEHR®
Another popular paint brand is BEHR®, which has been producing paint options since 1947. This brand offers many paint sheen and color options, costing about $40 to $50 per gallon.
According to BEHR®, its Premium Paint & Primer combines two steps of the painting process into an all-in-one product. Keep in mind that thinner paint coverage may require using more paint, therefore increasing your material costs.
5. Rust-Oleum®
If you’re painting a non-wood surface like metal, vinyl, laminate, or glass, Rust-Oleum® may be the best paint brand for your project. As the name suggests, Rust-Oleum® paints were one of the first rust-resistant paints on the market, originating in 1921. They’re also less likely to crack and chip, fade, or reveal unsightly stains, per Rust-Oleum®.
The brand offers many color options and also comes in spray paint to make DIYing easier. However, this paint brand’s products tend to come in at the top of the price range at $100 to $120 per gallon.
6. ECOS Paints®
Per ECOS Paints®, this U.S.-based, worldwide company produces handcrafted batches of environmentally-friendly paint made to order. None of ECOS's products contain animal products, nor has the company tested its formulas on animals, according to ECOS Paints®.
These paints may be ideal for asthmatics or allergy sufferers who need paint with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as ECOS Paints® claims to contain very few VOCs and no herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides.
7. Diamond Brite®
If you’re on a tight budget, Diamond Brite® offers a range of interior and exterior paint that can help you stay on budget. This paint brand is newer to the market, having originated in 1990, but don’t let its shorter time on the market fool you. Diamond Brite® offers paint at $20 to $30 per gallon, making it one of the most affordable paint brands.
At the same time, the brand has limited color options, a long drying time, and a thinner finish compared to premium paint brands like Sherwin-Williams®, BEHR®, and ECOS Paints®.
8. Kelly-Moore®
Founded in 1946, the Kelly-Moore® brand operates out of Texas, providing homeowners and professional painters with paint at about $40 per gallon.
While Kelly-Moore® claims its paint is durable and reasonably priced, it may be harder to find than your most well-known brands. There are also fewer interior paint color options available than larger brands.
9. Kilz®
The Kilz® brand originated in 1974 and continues to offer specialty primers and interior and exterior paints at a low to moderate price. A gallon of Kilz® paint ranges from $20 to $45.
Per Kilz®, the brand’s mold-killing primer is ideal for drastic color transitions, stain coverage, smoke damage, or water damage. The brand also offers interior and exterior paints, but it’s most well-known for its high-quality primers.
10. Clare®
The Clare® paint brand is a GREENGUARD Gold-certified company, meaning its formulas pass an annual testing for more than 360 VOCs and other chemicals. Per Clare®, the paint is self-priming, high-quality, and durable. On the downside, you may have to wait on that perfect shade of paint because Clare® ships its paints—which can be a good thing if you want to avoid a trip to the hardware store.
11. Farrow & Ball®
According to Farrow & Ball®, the brand’s pigmented paints offer a richer color than your typical paint by using the finest ingredients to create low-VOC paint. However, the upgraded ingredients come with upgraded costs, at about $100 to $125 per gallon.
Farrow & Ball® also claims that its paints have little to no odor with a long-lasting finish. Plus, the brand has hundreds of color shades to choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best paint brand is subjective. Though you can peruse countless reviews and ratings to find that perfect can of paint, your ideal paint color, paint type, quality, ingredients, price, and more determine the best brand for your project.
The largest paint company in the world is Sherwin-Williams®, followed by PPG Paints®. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the only brand worth considering. If you’re unsure which paint brand is right for you, a local interior painter can give you recommendations on the best paint brand for your project.
Paint costs anywhere from $10 to $100 per gallon on average, depending on the type of paint, brand, quality, and more. Primer costs the least, while exterior paint tends to cost the most. Premium brands like Sherwin-Williams®, Benjamin Moore®, and Rust-Oleum® come in as the priciest paint brands, while Diamond Brite®, PPG-owned Glidden®, and Sherwin-Williams-owned Valspar® are some of the lowest-costing paints.
In some cases, expensive, premium paint brands are better than their budget paint brand competitors, but that isn’t always the case. BEHR® and PPG Paint® companies are moderately priced and still offer great coverage and durability. What’s more, each paint brand offers a variety of paint lines—each with its own pros and cons.