Here are the best acrylic paints out there for painting miniatures and models in 2024 as we compare each brand to see the value and quality!
Games Workshop increased the prices of all its products a while back. Along with their plastic kits going up a ton in 2023, so did their paints, but only by roughly 30 cents. However, that was just the start of the changes to their paint range. In 2022, GW also moved their airbrush line to 24ml pots with a higher price point and moved their washes to 18ml paint pots with contrast additives for a higher price per ML.
The good news is that there are also many incredible non-Games Workshop brands of acrylic paint for miniatures that you should also be aware of before you step up to the register. Here is a full breakdown of some of the top miniature paint manufacturers updated for 2024, along with conversion charts and pricing comparisons.
Best Acrylic Paints for Miniatures & Models in 2024
If you thought GW paint was expensive or don’t like how their paints are bottled, there are still some great brands like Army Painter, Scale75, Turbodork, Pro Acryl, Reaper Paint, and Vallejo, to name a few. Please keep in mind these are only the paints we have experience working with and are by no means a complete list of all the acrylic paints for miniatures. Here at Spikey Bits, we will never give you advice on something we have not used and tested ourselves.
Comparing The Quantity/Price:
- Citadel GW Paint: 12ml pot for $4.55
- Citadel Contrast Paint: 18ml pot for $7.80
- Citadel Air (new, bigger pot) 24 ml pot for $7.80
- Vallejo Paint: 17ml dropper bottle for $3.99 ($4.99 for Xpress Paint)
- Pro Acryl: 22ml dropper bottle for $4.65 (Note: they raised the price 25 cents, but also give 5ml more per pot now).
- Turbodork (Speciality Metal Colorshift Paint) 20ml dropper bottle for $6.30
- Scale 75 Paint: 17ml dropper bottle for (about) $4.49
- Army Painter Paint: 18ml dropper bottle for $3.50
- P3 Paint (Privateer Press) 20ml pot for $4.50
- Reaper Paints 14.78ml for $3.69
What are the Most Expensive Acrylic Paints for Miniatures & Models?
The breakdown shows that GW has the most expensive paint per ML across the board. Plus, they don’t come in the dropper bottles used by all the other brands.
- Citadel GW: 38 Cents/ML
- Citadel Contrast: 43 Cents/ ML (most expensive)
- Citadel Air (new bigger pot): 33 Cents /ML
- Vallejo: 23 Cents/ML
- Pro Acryl: 21 Cents/ML (2nd least expensive)
- Turbodork: 31 Cents/ML
- Scale 75: 27 Cents/ML
- Army Painter: 18 Cents/ML (least expensive)
- P3 Paint (Privateer Press) 22 Cents/ML
- Reaper Paints 25 cents/ML
Transfer Your Citadel Paints to Dropper Bottles
While it’s not 100% necessary, decanting your paints into dropper bottles just helps prevent your paints from drying out and keeps messes down to a minimum.
So What Are the Best Acrylic Paints for Miniatures & Wargames Models?
Depending on what you are looking for, these are the best paints for miniatures & wargames models via their pros and cons.
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Citadel GW: Widely available at most local games stores and GW stores worldwide. Constant consistency across all batches.- The only bad thing is that the paint pot uses a pour method, which can cause messes and paints to dry faster. Plus, the price is basically the highest per ML.
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Vallejo: Widely available at game stores outside of the United States. High consistency across all batches and a wide variety of styles of paints. Their line of air paints is loved by many as it was the first widely available to hobbyists. However, in recent years (even pre-COVID), restocks of Vallejo paints in the states have been problematic, to say the least.
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Pro Acryl: Available now in only the best gaming stores, one of the best bottle designs out there, and now more for your hobby dollars. Plus, the quality of the paint is insanely high.
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Turbodork: Also now available in gaming stores, along with quick shipping in America. Their Turboshift colors are some of the most interesting out there.
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Scale 75: Available mostly web only, quick shipping in America. Matte paint is one of the most realistic out there.
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Army Painter: Available at more and more game stores worldwide. Constant consistency across all batches and color match primers/ paint bottle system saves hours of time hobbying. Plus, they not have an airbrushing line, as well as a speedpaint (Contrast) line as well.
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P3 Paint (Privateer Press) High consistency across all batches, rumored to have been developed by hobby guru Mike McVey of McVey studios. Previously found in most gaming stores, recent changes to how Privateer Press deals with retailers have caused many not to carry any Privater products at all.
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Reaper Paints are on the lower end for price, and Rob regularly uses the orange-brown and harvest brown for weathering and basing for his yellows.
So it looks like Army Painter has the lowest paint price per ML out of the other brands. Meanwhile, GW is topping the charts as far as price goes. At the end of the day, it just comes down to what you look for in the best paints for miniatures & wargames models!
Oh, and just for funsies, we did the math on what a gallon of GW paint would cost you.
At 3785 ML per Gallon, you would pay $1438.30 for one gallon of paint from Games Workshop – nearly double their competitors.
Maybe now is when you want to expand your painting horizons. If so, you can check out a more in-depth review of some of Army Painter’s paint bundles, including base paints and washes.
If You’re a Diehard Citadel Fan
If you like to stick to their guns, GW has plenty of painting guides to help you create the exact look for whatever color scheme you want. You can even download the Citadel paint app to have everything at your fingertips.
It might be worth it to also check out some of their online painting charts.
Best Paints for Miniatures 2024 Reference Charts
If you want to see how the other paints match up with their reference charts, check them out below or click the links for the full downloadable charts.
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl Chart
So again, at the end of the day, use whatever keeps your hobby muscles strong. Everybody has their own preferences. Some people prefer cheap, and some people prefer the more expensive thing. But remember, a higher cost doesn’t always mean it’s better.
Vortex Paint Mixer For Miniatures is a Clump Buster!
Which hobby supplies and paints do you prefer for your miniatures? Have you switched your Citadel paints to dropper bottles?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
