PPG vs. Behr: Which Paint Is Better?

Are you preparing for a paint project but need help deciding between PPG and Behr?

What’s the difference? Which paint brand is better?

In this comparison of PPG vs. Behr, you’ll learn how they differ in coverage, durability, colors, price, and more.

I also reveal what paint experts say about both brands.

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Use the links below to navigate this article:

• Paint Lines
• Volume Solids
• VOCs
• Where It Is Sold
• Colors
• Price
• What Paint Experts Say
• What Others Are Saying
• Bottom Line: Should You Use PPG or Behr Paint?

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Paint Lines

PPG and Behr offer interior and exterior paints in various formats, finishes, and specialty categories. This section will review the most popular paint lines.

PPG Paint Lines

PPG Speed Hide is a latex-based paint designed for professional use. It’s PPG’s lowest-cost paint but still provides decent coverage and hideability. Due to its low VOC content and odor, you can apply it in occupied spaces. This paint comes in both an exterior and interior formula.

PPG Break-Through is an acrylic (water-borne) paint for interior and exterior use. The formula is designed to bind to difficult surfaces, like fiberglass, laminate, and ceramic tile, making it a highly versatile paint with many applications. There’s a low-VOC version of Break-Through, designed for trim, cabinets, and doors, and a more durable (but higher-VOC) version for all other applications.

PPG UltraLast is a durable latex paint designed to repel stains, scuffs, and abrasions in heavily-used areas. This paint comes in interior and exterior formulas and has a two-hour dry-to-recoat time, making it versatile and efficient.

PPG Permanizer is an acrylic latex paint formulated for exterior use. This paint is tannin-, water-, and mildew-resistant. It’s also UV-safe and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

Behr Paint Lines

Behr Premium Plus paint is an affordable paint-and-primer that provides a durable and washable finish. It comes in exterior and interior formulas and is less expensive than other Behr paint lines.

Behr Ultra Scuff Defense is the interior version of Behr’s Ultra paint line. It’s formulated for high-traffic areas and dries to an antimicrobial and mildew-resistant finish.

Behr Ultra Stain-Blocking paint and primer is the exterior version of Behr’s Ultra paint line. It’s effective for low-temperature applications, is UV and moisture-resistant, and is one of Behr’s most durable paints.

Behr Marquee paint is one of the brand’s premium paint lines and is available in either an exterior or interior format. It’s Behr’s second most expensive paint line, but for that price, you get one-coat coverage with excellent hideability.

Behr Dynasty is an ultra-premium interior paint that represents the crown jewel of the brand’s interior paint lineup. Listed as the brand’s “most advanced paint and primer,” it is a highly durable stain-and-scuff resistant option that provides one coat coverage and a reliably efficient drying time.

Specialty Paints From PPG & Behr

I’ve covered some of the most popular paint lines from both brands, but these aren’t the only ones offered by PPG and Behr. Both have specialty paints worth looking into if you have a specific application.

You can learn about Behr Specialty Paint options on Behr.com, and you’ll find PPG Specialty Products listed here on PPGpaints.com. 

Volume Solids

The volume solids content of paint is one of the most important specs to consider. But what does this term mean, and what does it tell you about the paint?

Simply put, a paint’s volume solids content is the amount of product left behind once the paint dries. Every paint contains liquids (such as water or thinner) and solids (such as binding agents or pigments). The liquid components evaporate as the paint dries. What’s left are the solid components, or “solids.”

Since these components determine a paint’s pigmentation, coverage, finish, and ability to bind to a surface, a higher volume solids percentage usually indicates a better-quality paint.

Below are tables detailing the volume solids content of Behr and PPG paint lines.

As you can see in the tables, Behr Marquee and Dynasty have the highest volume solids percentages overall. They’re also the two paint lines that provide the best coverage (they only require one coat, in some cases).

Interior Volume Solids

Paint Line	Flat/Matte	Eggshell	Satin	Semi-Gloss
PPG Speedhide	32%	38%	32%	36%
PPG Break-Through	N/A	N/A	37%	37%
PPG UltraLast	42%	40%	N/A	38%
Behr Premium Plus	43%	41%	39%	35%
Behr Ultra Scuff Defense	44%	38%	40%	37%
Behr Marquee	46%	45%	42%	41%
Behr Dynasty	43%	42%	42%	40%

Exterior Volume Solids

Paint Line	Flat	Satin	Semi-Gloss	High-Gloss
PPG Speedhide	34%	30%	34%	N/A
PPG Permanizer	44%	41%	39%	N/A
PPG Break-Through	N/A	37%	37%	N/A
Behr Premium Plus	40%	36%	35%	33%
Behr Marquee	45%	41%	39%	N/A
Behr Ultra	45%	37%	35%	N/A

VOCs

Another term you’ll run into while paint shopping is volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These are the chemicals that turn into gasses as the paint dries.

VOCs cause short- and long-term health issues, so the lower a paint’s VOC content, the better.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, VOCs can cause headaches, respiratory problems, and nausea; some might be carcinogenic with frequent exposure. These compounds can also be harmful to the environment.

Many paint brands have become increasingly aware of VOCs’ harmful effects and now offer low and zero-VOC paint lines.

VOC content is measured in grams per liter (g/L). Paints with less than 50 g/L are considered low-VOC. Paints with less than five g/L are considered zero-VOC (since this is a trace amount that won’t have any discernible effect).

The table below shows the relative VOC content of various PPG and Behr paint lines. As you can see, both brands offer several low-VOC paints. PPG Break-Through 250 has the highest VOC levels across both brands.

Note: You will see an NA in the column if a brand doesn’t offer a specific type of paint.

Paint Line	Interior Paint VOCs (g/l)	Exterior Paint VOCs (g/l)
PPG Speedhide	<50	105
PPG Break-Through Low-VOC	<50	<50
PPG Break-Through	<250	<250
PPG UltraLast	<50	N/A
PPG Permanizer	N/A	<50
Behr Premium Plus	<50	<50
Behr Ultra Scuff Defense	<50	N/A
Behr Marquee	<50	<50
Behr Dynasty	<50	N/A
Behr Ultra	N/A	<50

Where It Is Sold

Behr paint is only sold exclusively at The Home Depot. It can be purchased in-store or online, and Home Depot’s onsite paint experts can help you decide which paint line is best for you.

PPG paint is also sold at The Home Depot, but you can also find it at PPG stores and some independent retailers. You can use the PPG paint locator to find a retailer near you.

Colors

PPG and Behr both offer extensive color catalogs for their interior and exterior paints. Behr comes in around 1400 colors, while PPG offers 1,700 different option.

While there is no shortage of choices, each brand takes a slightly different approach to help you decide.

Behr offers a suite of paint visualization tools to help you choose the right color. One of these is the Paint Your Place Visualizer, which allows you to upload a photo of the surface you’re going to paint and see how the color will look once applied.

If you don’t have a quality photo or want a more general idea of how a color will look, you can use Behr’s preset images. These are divided by room (i.e., bedroom, bathroom, entryway, etc.).

PPG offers its own tool, the Color Visualizer, that works similarly to Behr’s “Paint Your Place” tool. PPG’s visualizer scans your photo, maps the room’s contours, and considers factors like lighting to produce an accurate picture of how the space will look once it’s painted.

Price

PPG and Behr paints are comparable in price, but the exact cost varies significantly across paint lines.

Speedhide is PPG’s most affordable line, and UltraLast is the most expensive. Behr’s most affordable paint line is the Premium Plus, while Dynasty is the most costly option.

Use the chart below to compare the current prices of both brands on HomeDepot.com.

Paint	View Price
Behr Ultra Scuff Defense Interior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Ultra Stain Blocking Exterior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Premium Plus Interior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Premium Plus Exterior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Marquee Interior	HomeDepot.com
Behr Marquee Exterior	HomeDepot.com
PPG Speedhide Interior	HomeDepot.com
PPG Break-Through Interior	HomeDepot.com
PPG UltraLast Interior	HomeDepot.com
PPG Permanizer Exterior	HomeDepot.com
PPG Speedhide Exterior	HomeDepot.com

What Paint Experts Say About PPG and Behr

To get an expert opinion on this topic, I spoke with the paint specialist at The Home Depot in Norwood, Massachusetts.

When I asked about the differences between the two brands, he said, “Both are good quality paints, but the performance totally depends on which paint lines you compare.”

“Of the two brands, Behr Marquee and Dynasty and PPG UltraLast will give you the best coverage. Behr Premium Plus and PPG Speedhide are thinner paints that require at least two coats, but likely three,” he said.

He mentioned, “The one notable difference between Behr and PPG is that all Behr interior paints have built-in prime. PPG UltraLast includes primer, but Speedhide and Break-Through don’t. So you’ll need to prime the walls or apply an extra coat if you use those paints.”

When I asked which paint line across both brands he recommends the most, he said, “For the typical homeowner, I recommend Behr Ultra. It’s a mid-range price per gallon and provides excellent coverage, washability, and durability. It’s the best value across Behr and PPG, in my opinion.”

What Others Are Saying

PPG and Behr have appeared in numerous reviews and rankings by well-known publications. Both brands have their fans, and each paint line has strengths and weaknesses.

Real Simple magazine reviewed Behr in a list of the best paint brands, noting that it’s a great option for people who paint regularly. The review praises Behr’s Premium Plus line and notes that the paint is durable, low-odor, and Greenguard Gold-certified.

Bob Vila listed both Behr and PPG as examples of the best paint brands. Behr paints were noted for their resistance to cracking and mildew, and some of the most popular Behr colors were listed. The brand’s paints also earned points for being dirt- and mildew-resistant, but with the caveat that Behr is more expensive than some of the other brands on the list.

The same publication praised PPG paint for its hiding capability and coverage. They tested PPG’s Timeless Interior paint and were impressed by its ability to repel dirt and stains and its smooth and even application.

The Spruce named Behr Premium Plus the best exterior paint. It beat eight other paints and was praised for its versatility, ease of use, durability, and low VOC content.

The Spruce also listed Behr’s Premium Plus paint as one of the best interior paints. They specifically called out the Pure-White, Semi-Gloss Enamel version, praising its coverage and resistance to mildew.

Good Housekeeping published an in-depth review of PPG’s Pure Performance interior paint. The team praised Pure Performance for its quick dry time, mildew-resistant finish, strong coverage, and resistance to fading over time. They weren’t as pleased by its price point, however, and they also noticed that it doesn’t stand up to abrasions as well as they’d hoped.

Insider ranked Behr Premium Plus as number one in their list of the best interior paints. The review noted Behr Premium Plus’s versatility, stating that the paint was easy to use thanks to its built-in primer and efficient dry time. The reviewer used this paint in their kitchen, and they were pleased by its ability to resist grease splatters, food stains, and mildew.

Bottom Line: Should You Use PPG or Behr Paint?

Now that you understand the differences between PPG and Behr paint, it’s time to decide which brand is best for you.

Let’s recap the main points before you pick:

• Behr’s Marquee and Dynasty paint lines have the highest volume solids percentage across both brands.
• Both brands offer low-VOC paints.
• Behr is only available at The Home Depot, while PPG can be purchased at The Home Depot, PPG stores, and independent paint suppliers.
• Behr and PPG both provide helpful visualization tools to help you find the right colors.
• Prices vary by line, but both are less expensive than high-end brands like Benjamin Moore and Farrow & Ball.
• Each brand has earned positive reviews and rankings from well-known publications like The Spruce, Real Simple, and Insider.com.

Bottom line — if you want an affordable and versatile paint that’s earned strong reviews from the experts, Behr is the way to go. Behr is recommended more often than PPG, and the brand offers premium paints like Dynasty and Marquee, which provide one-coat coverage.

Not sure which Behr paint to buy? Check out the guides below to get side-by-side comparisons.