Alabaster vs Pure White
Alabaster (Benjamin Moore) and Pure White (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the beige-greige family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 85 vs 84 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Where Alabaster leans yellow, Pure White reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 1.5 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Alabaster vs Pure White in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Alabaster and Pure White are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Color Details
Alabaster vs Pure White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Alabaster on one side and Pure White on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Alabaster comparisons
See how Alabaster stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 85 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 58, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 27, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 85 vs 55, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 44, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 66, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (85 vs 74) makes Alabaster the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 85 vs 12, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 68, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 12, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 85 vs 45, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 57), opening up a space where Guilford Green encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 85 vs 72), opening up a space where Just Walnut encloses it.