Glidden vs. Sherwin-Williams Paint: An In-Depth Comparison

Glidden and Sherwin-Williams both offer an extensive lineup of paints and finishes that range in coverage, durability, and overall quality.

So, how do you choose between Glidden and Sherwin-Williams? Which brand is better for your next painting project?

This comparison of Glidden vs. Sherwin-Williams will take you through the key features of each paint brand, including their major differences and how those differences will impact your experience.

You’ll see how Glidden and Sherwin-Williams compare in areas such as durability, versatility, price, and reputation.

Plus, you’ll learn what paint experts say about both brands.

Keep reading to learn all of this and more.

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Use the links below to navigate the comparison:

• Paint Lines
• Volume Solids
• VOCs
• Where It’s Sold
• Colors
• Price
• What Experts at The Home Depot and Sherwin-Williams Stores Say
• What Others Are Saying About Glidden and Sherwin-Williams
• Bottom Line: Which Paint Is Better, Glidden or Sherwin-Williams?

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Paint Lines

Glidden and Sherwin-Williams both offer several paint lines. This section provides a quick overview of their most popular options.

Glidden Paints

Glidden provides a range of paint options. The company makes interior and exterior paints and specialty paints for barns, doors, trim, wood, stucco, and more.

You can learn more about each option below by visiting HomeDepot.com, Amazon.com, or Walmart.com.

Glidden Diamond (Interior): This is Glidden’s most advanced interior paint with the highest volume solids percentage across the brand. It’s a zero-VOC formula that offers one-coat coverage (select colors).

Glidden Premium (Interior): This paint includes a primer and provides a scrubbable, washable finish for easy cleanup.

Glidden Premium (Exterior): Fade and damage-resistant, you can apply this paint in temperatures as low as 35°F.

Glidden Essentials (Interior): If you have a quick job or want a budget-friendly choice, this paint provides good hide and coverage and a washable finish for less than many other options.

Glidden Essentials (Exterior):This paint is versatile and provides reliable coverage on various exterior wood surfaces.

Glidden High Endurance (Interior): This low-odor, high-coverage latex paint is affordable and durable, making it ideal for large and small projects.

Glidden High Endurance Plus (Exterior): With paint and primer included, this dirt-resistant and highly adhesive paint is formulated to last without cracking, peeling, or fading.

In addition to these core products, Glidden offers specialty paints for masonry and wood surfaces. Among the specialized lines, you’ll find waterproofers, sealants, and a variety of finishes for either stone or carpentry. Check out Glidden.com for more info.

Sherwin-Williams Paints

Now let’s take a look at some of Sherwin-Williams’ most popular paints.

Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint (Interior): This easy-to-use paint includes primer and dries quickly, making it an excellent option for quick jobs and repaints.

Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint (Exterior): This paint is dirt- and mildew-resistant, highly adhesive, and durable in various climate and weather conditions.

Sherwin-Williams Duration (Interior):Perfect for high-traffic areas in your home, this resilient paint is easy to apply and a breeze to wash. It also includes antimicrobial ingredients to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

Sherwin-Williams Duration (Exterior): This acrylic paint covers with just two coats (one for repaints) and includes advanced co-polymers for added durability. It is self-priming as well as weather resistant.

Sherwin-Williams Emerald (Interior): This paint option is long-lasting and durable, with strong color saturation and a stain-resistant, washable finish.

Sherwin-Williams Emerald (Exterior): Highly durable and weather-resistant, this paint includes primer and can be applied to various outdoor surfaces.

Sherwin-Williams Cashmere (Interior): This ultra-smooth, rich paint provides an elegant satin finish for walls and other indoor surfaces. The surface is scrubbable and scratch-resistant when dry.

Sherwin-Williams Captivate (Interior): This affordable option is easy to use and includes primer.

Sherwin-Williams Resilience (Exterior): MoistureGuard technology lends this paint to humid or mold-prone climates, and it is recommended for use on “aluminum and vinyl siding, wood siding, clapboard, shakes, shingles, plywood, masonry, and metal” to temperatures of 35°F.

Sherwin-Williams also offers specialty paints, such as its concrete and masonry lines. These specialized options are perfect for waterproofing concrete or natural stone surfaces and protecting against the elements. You can also find wood stains, finishes, and sealers in Sherwin-Williams’ lineup.

Check out my guide to Sherwin-Williams paint grades for more information.

Volume Solids

Solvents in paint evaporate as the paint dries, while pigment, binder, and additives remain on the wall. A paint’s volume solids percentage refers to the material left over after paint dries.

The volume solids rating can help determine the relative coverage of paint and its overall quality, though this is not always the case.

Sometimes the percentage is more about the type of paint than its quality. For example, regular interior paint has higher volume solids than finishes and some specialty paints.

Generally, higher volume solids percentages mean better coverage and higher durability. Paints with high volume solids percentages tend to be more expensive.

You may notice this when comparing paints with higher volume solids percentages such as Sherwin-Williams Emerald or Duration with lower-percentage options such as Captivate.

I’ve put together a chart to help you compare the volume solids compositions of Glidden and Sherwin-Williams’ various interior and exterior paint lines. The volume solids percentage of different finishes varies by line.

Note: If a paint line does not offer a specific finish, you’ll see “N/A” (not applicable) in that column.

Interior Volume Solids

Paint Line	Flat	Matte	Eggshell	Satin	Semi-Gloss
Glidden Premium	39%	N/A	36%	35%	34%
Glidden Essentials	38%	N/A	31%	N/A	24%
Glidden High Endurance Plus	43%	N/A	40%	N/A	40%
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint	44%	N/A	N/A	41%	N/A
Sherwin-Williams Duration	40%	40%	N/A	38%	N/A
Sherwin-Williams Emerald	41%	N/A	N/A	40%	37%
Sherwin-Williams Cashmere	40%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Sherwin-Williams Captivate	34%	N/A	N/A	40%	N/A

Exterior Volume Solids

Paint Line	Flat	Satin	Semi-Gloss
Glidden Premium	36%	32%	31%
Glidden Essentials	34%	N/A	34%
Glidden High Endurance Plus	41%	39%	N/A
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint	37%	37%	N/A
Sherwin-Williams Duration	43%	N/A	N/A
Sherwin-Williams Emerald	42%	39%	N/A
Sherwin-Williams Resilience	39%	N/A	N/A

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

In addition to solids, paints contain solvents that evaporate into the air as the paint dries. These airborne particles are called VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Breathing VOCs can cause headaches, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and other short-term symptoms. In addition to these side effects, the EPA released statements that labeled several VOCs as suspected carcinogens.

VOCs in paint are not desirable, but you can take safety precautions to decrease the risks.

To keep everyone safe, consider wearing a protective face covering, opening windows and doors to ensure strong airflow and ventilation, and keeping kids and pets out of newly-painted rooms until the surface is completely dry.

As a rule of thumb, try to stay out of newly painted rooms for at least 48 hours, but the longer you wait, the better.

Another way to reduce the risk is to buy low- or zero-VOC paints.

Glidden offers two zero-VOC paints in its lineup –– Premium and High Endurance (both interior and exterior). Sherwin-Williams doesn’t provide a zero-VOC option, though most paints have low VOC content (under 50 g/l).

This chart summarizes the respective VOC content of each brand’s top paint products.

	Interior Paint VOCs (g/L)	Exterior Paint VOCs (g/L)
Glidden Premium	0	< 50
Glidden Essentials	< 50	< 50
Glidden High Endurance Plus	0	< 50
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint	< 50	< 50
Sherwin-Williams Duration	< 50	< 50
Sherwin-Williams Emerald	< 50	< 50
Sherwin-Williams Cashmere	< 50	N/A
Sherwin-Williams Captivate	< 50	N/A
Sherwin-Williams Resilience	N/A	< 50

Where It’s Sold

Glidden is sold through various retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, and The Home Depot. Glidden paint is also distributed through some independently authorized retailers. You can use the store locator tool to find a Glidden retailer nearby.

One thing to note is that the availability of specific Glidden paint lines varies by retailer. For example, High Endurance is only sold through Walmart, and you can only buy Glidden Premium at The Home Depot.

On the other hand, Sherwin-Williams maintains its brand as a specialty retailer. You can only purchase most of its paints through an official Sherwin-Williams store or online at SherwinWilliams.com.

There is, however, an official HGTV Sherwin-Williams paint line available through Lowe’s.

Sherwin-Williams has a reputation for excellent customer service, unlike the hit-or-miss service provided by the major retailers that Glidden sells through.

Sherwin-Williams is staffed by trained experts that offer guidance and advice throughout the decision-making process.

Colors

Sherwin-Williams and Glidden both provide an impressive array of colors, and both have easy-to-use tools to help you choose the right one.

While some of their colors may fall into the same categories –– such as “red” or “yellow” –– their versions of each will be slightly different. Therefore, choose a brand before you choose a color.

Paint chips and samples are an excellent way to compare colors between brands without committing to either, and both Glidden and Sherwin-Williams provide these wherever their paints are sold.

Glidden Color Tools

Glidden has two main color comparison tools: Match My Color and Room Visualizer. Match My Color allows you to upload a photo to see which of the brand’s colors best match the one in the picture.

The Room Visualizer lets you view a specific color as it will look on your walls and ceilings. The tools are integrated, so you can go right from the Match My Color tool into the Room Visualizer to see how a photo’s color equivalent will look in your home.

This highly personalized approach is a great way to compare and contrast your paint options, and I highly recommend testing it out. Glidden also has a dedicated page where you can view all of the colors in their palette in one place.

Sherwin-Williams Color Tools

Sherwin-Williams provides four tools to help customers pick a paint color. They are:

• Search Color by Family
• ColorSnap Visualizer
• Snap It
• ColorSnap Precision color matching service

The Search Color by Family tool allows you to explore all the hues in a given color category. You can search by reds, yellows, blues, and so on. That is especially useful if you have a general idea of what you want but aren’t sure about the exact tone or hue.

The ColorSnap Visualizer is similar to Glidden’s Room Visualizer, and it essentially provides the same function. You can use this tool to see how a specific paint color will look on your walls. You can “paint” a photo using this tool, or you can choose from the preset options provided by Sherwin-Williams.

Snap It is a Sherwin-Williams photo recognition tool. It allows you to upload any photo and receive a personalized color palette based on the picture. This can be a vacation photo, an image from nature, or anything else that sparks your interest.

Finally, the ColorSnap Precision tool is an in-store service that lets you create a unique color formula based on pictures, ideas, and the advice of certified Sherwin-Williams paint experts.

All of these tools are easy to use and make the paint selection process less stressful and more fun.

Price

The cost of Glidden and Sherwin-Williams paint varies significantly by line. Both offer budget-friendly and premium, more costly paints.

That said, Sherwin-Williams occupies the higher end of the market, while Glidden is known for being more affordable.

High Endurance and Premium are the most expensive collections within Glidden’s lineup. Essentials is its least costly option.

Sherwin-Williams Emerald and Duration paints are its most expensive, and Captivate is the most affordable. Even so, Captivate is several dollars more per gallon than Glidden’s most expensive paint. That should give you a clearer idea of how the brands compare overall.

This price chart will help you gain an even better understanding of what you can expect to pay for either Glidden or Sherwin-Williams:

Paint	View Price
Glidden Premium Interior	HomeDepot.com
Glidden Essentials	HomeDepot.com
Glidden One-Coat Interior	Walmart.com
Glidden High Endurance Interior	Walmart.com
Glidden Quick Cover Interior	Walmart.com
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Interior	Sherwin-Williams.com
Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint Interior	Sherwin-Williams.com
Sherwin-Williams Duration Interior	Sherwin-Williams.com
Sherwin-Williams Cashmere Interior	Sherwin-Williams.com
Sherwin-Williams Captivate Interior	Sherwin-Williams.com
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior	Sherwin-Williams.com
Sherwin-Williams Duration Exterior	Sherwin-Williams.com

What Experts at The Home Depot and Sherwin-Williams Stores Say

I reached out to paint experts at The Home Depot and Sherwin-Williams stores to get their opinion on Glidden vs. Sherwin-Williams.

When I spoke to each expert, I asked two questions:

• What’s the difference between Glidden and Sherwin-Williams?
• Is Sherwin-Williams worth the higher price?

First, I spoke to the paint specialist at the Sherwin-Williams store in Hingham, Massachusetts. He told me there’s a major difference in quality. He said Glidden is sold in big-box stores and is “low-end paint,” while Sherwin-Williams is high-quality paint with better coverage, durability, and washability.

If price is a concern, he mentioned that Sherwin-Williams offers 30 to 40% sales throughout the year, or you could use Sherwin-Williams’ budget-friendly line, Captivate, which provides similar performance as Glidden.

He also said people come to Sherwin-Williams for knowledge and a more personalized buying experience. Sherwin-Williams’ employees are professionally-trained and can offer expert advice, so you don’t buy the wrong paint and make an expensive mistake.

The representatives at big-box stores (The Home Depot and Lowe’s) aren’t always knowledgeable, and that lack of knowledge can sometimes lead you to the wrong product.

He ended by saying, “It’s better to spend a little more and get the outcome you want than to save money upfront on paint that requires more coats. Time is money.”

The paint specialist at The Home Depot in Natick, Massachusetts, confirmed what the Sherwin-Williams’ employee told me. She said Glidden can’t compete with Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, or even Behr.

She said Glidden is The Home Depot’s “value brand,” ideal for homeowners on a budget. It doesn’t cover nearly as well as Sherwin-Williams and won’t last as long. Even the best quality Glidden paint isn’t on par with Sherwin-Williams’ mid-tier options.

She told me Glidden Diamond is the brands’ highest-quality option, and it’s advertised as a one-coat paint, but she hasn’t received great feedback from customers. She said you’ll likely still need two coats with Glidden Diamond, as Behr Marquee and Dynasty are the only true one-coat paints sold at The Home Depot.

What Others Are Saying About Glidden and Sherwin-Williams

You’ve heard what the professionals at The Home Depot and Sherwin-Williams have to say, but what about other trusted experts?

Here’s what bloggers, influencers, DIY enthusiasts, and independent reviewers think of Glidden and Sherwin-Williams.

Consumer Reports featured Glidden’s Premium paint line in a review, labeling it “a Standout At [A] Lower Price.” They compared Glidden Premium exterior paint to more expensive options, such as Sherwin-Williams’ Duration, and found that Glidden performs just as well despite the lesser price tag.

The experts at Good Housekeeping evaluated three Glidden paints and outlined their pros, cons, and features of interest.

Glidden Duo Paint + Primer received 3.5 stars out of 5 from GH, with marks taken off for the paint’s “poor wear resistance” and “mediocre finish quality.” However, the reviewers did mention some pros, including the paint’s “better than average” stain removal, decent coverage, and low VOCs.

Glidden’s Premium interior Paint earned 3 stars. GH reviewers were impressed by this paint’s mold and mildew resistance and wrote that it is “great for high-moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms.” They also liked the paint’s “excellent dry time” and stain resistance but were not impressed by its coverage and abrasion resistance.

Glidden High Endurance was the least expensive paint in the test, and that low price came with a mediocre 2 stars from Good Housekeeping’s review team. The paint rated poorly on both coverage and finish quality, though reviewers noted its resistance to wear and zero VOC rating.

Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint earned high marks from Good Housekeeping, with the publication giving it 5 out of 5 stars. The reviewers praised the paint’s coverage, “better than average” stain removal, wear resistance, and finish quality, adding in the paint’s low VOC content as another plus. The reviewers had zero downsides to note in this paint’s review.

The New York Times’ Wirecutter awarded Sherwin-Williams Cashmere as a runner-up in its search for the best interior paint, comparing it to Benjamin Moore’s Regal Select collection in terms of quality and performance. The reviewers labeled it a “fine, top-end paint” and noted that many professional painters favor it. The professional painters interviewed by Wirecutter did not mention Glidden.

Real Simple magazine also gave Sherwin-Williams runner-up status in its ranking of “the Absolute Best Paint Brands for Interiors.” Like Good Housekeeping, Real Simple’s reviewers also gave Benjamin Moore the top slot –– but Sherwin-Williams earned high marks for quality and the broad range of colors. The reviewers also noted that Sherwin-Williams paint is easier to find and purchase than Benjamin Moore.

Respected home blog The Spruce gave Sherwin-Williams Cashmere top marks in its lineup of the “10 Best Paints for Interior Walls,” praising the paint’s “buttery smooth application” and “ultra-silky, rich finish.” They also noted its excellent coverage and praised Sherwin-Williams’ easy-to-use ColorSnap tool.

Insider.com listed Sherwin-Williams Infinity as the best paint for a makeover, and the reviewers noted its excellent coverage as a major reason for this title. They praised Infinity’s ability to “turn your dark room into a bright one,” and they also liked the paint’s streak-free application and reliably quick drying time.

Bottom Line: Which Paint Is Better, Glidden or Sherwin-Williams?

You’ve now read an in-depth comparison of Glidden and Sherwin-Williams, so it’s time to make your final choice.

But before you hit that “buy” button, let’s quickly recap:

• Glidden and Sherwin-Williams have a comparable number of paint lines, and they offer a range of options for interior, exterior, and specialty jobs.
• Volume Solids percentages vary widely between paint lines, so it’s difficult to compare them by brand. Higher percentages indicate better quality paint and usually come with a higher price tag.
• Between the two brands, Glidden is the only one that offers two zero-VOC paints (Premium and High Endurance).
• Glidden is widely available. You can purchase it from Amazon, The Home Depot, Walmart, and some independent retailers. Sherwin-Williams is almost exclusively available through Sherwin-Williams’ stores.
• Both Glidden and Sherwin-Williams offer a broad range of colors, and both provide useful on-and-offline tools for consumers to use when comparing options.
• Sherwin-Williams is more expensive than Glidden, and its cheapest paint is still more expensive than Glidden’s most costly line.
• Paint experts and independent reviewers almost universally favor Sherwin-Williams.

Overall, comparing Glidden to Sherwin-Williams in terms of overall quality and performance is like comparing apples to oranges. Glidden simply can’t compete, and it remains firmly within the “budget paint” category.

Glidden paints are significantly less expensive than Sherwin-Williams, and if keeping costs low is a priority, Glidden is probably the better choice.

The caveat is that Glidden paints will likely require more coats –– and therefore more product –– than Sherwin-Williams’ paints, so your price comparison should take that into account.

When choosing Glidden, you should stick with their higher-end lines, such as Premium, as the brand’s cheaper options require much more product and won’t last long, costing you more in the long run.

Sherwin-Williams is professional-grade paint that delivers better coverage, superior durability, and ease of use (as measured by factors like washability and smoothness of application). If you want a paint job that will last and you’re looking for a wide range of designer-favorite colors, Sherwin-Williams is the way to go.

Learn more about Glidden and Sherwin-Williams online at Glidden.com and Sherwin-Williams.com.