Best Paints for Miniatures & Warhammer 40k: Brands Ranked

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Find the best paints for miniatures and Warhammer 40k, ranked by brand: Pro Acryl, Warhammer Color, Army Painter, Vallejo, and more, with price per ml compared.

Finding the best paint for miniatures can mean the difference between showing off a gorgeous army and weeping over a streaky, clumpy mess. Good miniature paints don’t just stick; they glide, cover, and make your models look like they belong in a display case, and not a cup of paint stripper.

This guide breaks down the best miniature paints and acrylic model paints, comparing Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter, Pro Acryl, and more. Whether you’re painting Warhammer 40k armies, D&D heroes, or model kits, this guide will help you figure out which is the best paint for 40k.

Let’s get into it.

Quick Rundown of the Brands

Updated on October 5th, 2026, by Rob Baer with current bottle prices, a highest-to-lowest cost-per-ml ranking, and the upcoming Warhammer Tone Pro range.

Based on their individual pros and cons, these are the best brands for painting tabletop miniatures and wargame models, depending on your preferences.

How we judged these: coverage/pigmentation, consistency/flow, finish (matte vs satin), bottle design (dropper vs pot), availability, and value per ml.

The Big 3:

• Games Workshop Citadel Paint (Now Warhammer Color): These paints are widely available at most local games stores and GW stores worldwide. Constant consistency across all batches. The only drawback is that the paint pot uses a pour method, which can cause messes and cause the paint to dry faster. Additionally, it’s the most expensive per milliliter. Best for: easiest availability + Warhammer tutorials everywhere.
• Army Painter: Consistent consistency across all batches and a color-matching primer/paint bottle system saves hours of time while hobbying. Plus, they even have an airbrushing line and a speedpaint (Contrast) line. Best for: budget army painting + dropper convenience.
• Pro Acryl: One of the best bottle designs available. Plus, the quality of the paint is extremely high. Best for: smooth coverage + pro feel without the premium pain.

The Rest of The Pack:

• Turbodork: Also now available in most gaming stores worldwide. Their Turboshift colors are among the most distinctive on the market. Best for: color-shift metallic effects. Avoid if: you want one line to handle every everyday paint job.
• Vallejo: Widely available at game stores outside of the United States. High consistency across all batches and a wide variety of paint styles. However, in recent years, even pre-pandemic, restocks of Vallejo paints in the United States have been problematic, to say the least. Best for: all-round use with droppers and broad range support.
• Scale 75: It’s available mostly online. Their finish is matte, and it is one of the most realistic options around. Best for: ultra-matte realism.
• P3 Paint (Now SFG): Previously found in most gaming stores, recent changes to how Privateer Press dealt with retailers led many to stop carrying any Privateer products, unfortunately. Individual P3 paints are now back at retail through Steamforged. Best for: solid coverage + matte finish fans.
• Reaper Paints: Reaper is on the lower end of the price range, and we regularly use the Orange-Brown and Harvest Brown for weathering and basing, as well as for yellows. Best for: weathering/basing tones on a budget.
• Two Thin Coats: Made the old-school way for smooth blending, this line delivers solid, reliable colors. Not the easiest to find. You’ll likely need to order online, but it’s worth it if you want a straightforward, no-fuss paint that just works. Best for: layering/blending with a classic feel.

TL;DR Paint Prices:

So, it appears that Army Painter and Pro Acryl offer the lowest paint price per milliliter among the other brands. Meanwhile, GW is topping the charts in terms of price.

For the updated comparison below, Pro Acryl is the cheapest per ml, followed by Army Painter Warpaints Air. Fanatic costs more per ml than Reaper or traditional Scale Color. Tone Pro is the most expensive entry at its retailer-reported launch price.

Price isn’t the whole story: value also depends on finish, flow, and bottle design. If you want the cleanest workflow, droppers help. If you want the biggest tutorial ecosystem, Warhammer Color wins on support.

Just remember, at the end of the day, it really comes down to what you look for in the best paints for miniatures & wargames models: price, quality, or availability.

Snag your new paint goodies from our handpicked list of retailers, and give us a high-five in support! Every qualifying purchase helps Spikey Bits keep the lights on and the fun going.

What Makes a Good Paint for Miniatures?

Acrylic model paints are the go-to for miniature painters. They’re water-based, quick-drying, non-toxic, and clean up with water. For Warhammer models, acrylic paint offers smooth coats, strong pigmentation, and easy layering.

What should you look for?

These are the same criteria we’re using to judge the brands below, so if you care about one more than the others, finish vs price vs availability, you’ll know where to land.

• Consistency: You want paint that flows smoothly, clings to detail, and doesn’t drown your mini in globs. Thin layers, sharp edges, no blobs.
• Coverage & Pigmentation: Strong colors in fewer coats save you time and frustration. High-opacity paints let you work efficiently, not endlessly.
• Finish (Matte vs. Satin): Matte gives gritty realism; satin adds a touch of shine. Both have their place, depending on the vibe you want.

Acrylic model paint beats out enamel and oil for most hobbyists, thanks to its ease of use. Enamel and oil paints can create cool weathering effects, but they require solvents, additional tools, and patience.

For most painters, acrylic is the clear winner.

Best Acrylic Paint Brands for Miniatures

Let’s break down the top acrylic paint brands for miniatures and Warhammer.

Warhammer Color: (Games Workshop, Previously Citadel Color)

Citadel is practically synonymous with Warhammer paint, and now the Warhammer Color name reflects it. The range is designed for Warhammer 40k models, offering consistent colors and tons of support materials.

GW says Tone Pro will sit alongside the existing Citadel range, with those paints staying in the lineup.

Pros:

• The Citadel range is massive, especially for Warhammer armies
• High-quality pigmentation
• Tutorials and guides everywhere

Cons:

• Expensive per ml
• Flip-top pots dry out fast

Best for: Warhammer painters who want maximum compatibility with official recipes and tutorials.

Avoid if: you hate pots or want a dropper workflow by default.

Warhammer Tone Pro (Games Workshop)

Warhammer Tone Pro adds 150 paints across thirty new color families, with five numbered tones in each.

Pre-orders open October 10, 2026, with an October 24 street date. Our preview reports US orders opening around 1 p.m. EST. GW says you can already try the paints at Warhammer and independent hobby stores; demos started September 26, or October 3 in Japan, with 18-pot demo sets going to stores.

According to GW’s preview, one formula handles basecoating, layering, shading, glazing, highlighting, and drybrushing. GW claims intense colors, first-coat coverage even for white and yellow, and a self-leveling finish straight from the pot that smooths brush marks. GW Influencers, including Ninj0n and Albert Moreto Font, have tested it in preview videos.

The thirty color families: Carmine Blades, Bloodtoof Red, Chotec Orange, Ta’unar Ochre, Khemri Sands, Hawkshroud Yellow, Megaboss Yellow, Plague Toad Venom, Kruleboyz Green, Lustria Green, Kasrkin Green, Hierotek Green, Green Morkshroom, Seraphon Blue, Craventhrone Cloak, Stormwolf Blue, Scinari Blue, Blue Gorkshroom, Ultramar Blue, Shalaxi Violet, Enrapturess Dusk, Hive Fleet Purple, Magnus the Red, Eye of Terror, Carthalos Skin, Celestine Skin, Gnarlwood, Necrolith Bone, Dataslate Grey, and Blackstone Void.

Buying the range: our Tone Pro pricing report lists no starter or complete-range boxes currently. Buying all 150 individual paints at the reported US price totals $1,012.50 before discounts. Stores are getting an additional rack alongside their existing Citadel racks.

Vallejo Paints

Vallejo is the all-rounder. These acrylic model paints work for fantasy minis, historical models, and sci-fi mechs alike.

The current Game Color formulation adds a matte, self-leveling finish, high color saturation, lightfast pigments, and resistance to handling.

Pros:

• Great price per bottle
• Dropper bottles for easy dispensing
• Works well with brushes or airbrushes

Cons:

• Sometimes tricky to restock in the US
•  The 2024 strike ended after twenty-six days with agreements covering wages, workplace safety, and an anti-harassment protocol.

Best for: all-rounders who want droppers + broad range.

Avoid if: you need guaranteed local availability in the US right now.

Army Painter

If you want good paints for miniatures on a budget, Army Painter has your back. Known for speedpainting Warhammer armies, they offer acrylic model paint and airbrush-ready options.

Warpaints Fanatic has more than 200 colors and Flexible Color Triads, six paints in the same hue running from dark to light. Its resin and stabilizers are designed to keep pigment dispersed even when you thin the paint heavily.

Pros:

• Affordable per ml
• Dropper bottles = less mess
• Speedpaint and color-matching primers

Cons:

• Thick consistency; could need thinning

Best for: beginners and batch-painters, Speedpaint + primers = fast armies.

Avoid if: you want ultra-thin “straight from bottle” consistency without thinning.

Pro Acryl

Pro Acryl is beloved by serious painters. Smooth, highly pigmented, and housed in excellent dropper bottles, it’s a favorite for crisp details and smooth blends.

The standard line dries matte. Bottles use a hybrid twist-top/dropper cap and arrive sealed with a glass mixing ball inside.

Pros:

• Fantastic coverage
• Great for blending and layering
• Smart bottle design

Cons:

• Smaller color range

Best for: smooth coverage + high pigment without fighting the paint.

Avoid if: you only buy what your local GW store stocks.

Scale 75

For realism, Scale 75 leads the pack. Known for matte finishes, this brand is ideal for gritty, lifelike models. Now called Avante Art as the replacement for Scale Color, it is made in the USA with a freshness seal and a 5mm glass agitator. They also come in 20ml bottles, up from the previous 15ml for Scale Color. 

Pros:

• Ultra-matte finish
• Great for layering
• Excellent for historical and fantasy minis

Cons:

• Mostly sold online

Best for: matte realism and controlled layering.

Avoid if: you prefer a satin finish or want “effortless” coverage without learning its feel.

Turbodork

Want your miniatures to sparkle and shift colors? Turbodork’s Turboshift paints bring wild metallics and color-shifting effects to your models.

Pros:

• Unique colors and effects
• Fun for special projects

Cons:

• Not your everyday paint

Best for: special effects / color-shift metallic showpieces.

Avoid if: you want a single paint line to do everything.

P3 Paint

Individual P3 paints returned to retail in January 2026. The reformulation increases pigment loading while keeping the creamy feel and longer working time for wet blending. Old favorites sit alongside new colors and metallics; starter and Irregulars sets are also available.

Pros:

• Good pigmentation
• Solid matte finishes

Cons:

• Availability varies

Best for: painters who like solid coverage and matte finishes.

Avoid if: availability is your #1 priority.

Reaper Paints

Reaper’s acrylic model paints are budget-friendly and often used for basing and weathering. While not premium, they have their niche.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Great earthy tones

Cons:

• Lower pigmentation

Best for: basing/weathering tones and budget racks.

Avoid if: you want maximum pigmentation in one coat.

Two Thin Coats

Two Thin Coats paints were developed by the famed painter Duncan Rhodes and designed for smooth blending and ease of use. They offer a solid, reliable palette for painters who want that classic feel.

Two Thin Coats uses shade, midtone, and highlight triads, with a finish the maker describes as slightly satin-matte. Its range includes brights, glazes, metallics, and washes.

Pros:

• Good pigmentation
• Great for layering and blending

Cons:

• Availability can be hit or miss

Best for: layering and blending, classic “paint like Duncan” feel.

Avoid if: you need guaranteed availability without ordering online.

Price Comparison (Per Bottle & Per ML)

Here’s what you’re paying per bottle and per milliliter for these paints:

Price basis, checked October 5, 2026: All prices are in US dollars, using manufacturer pricing or a named retailer’s regular price/MSRP. Sales, sets, shipping, and tax are excluded from the math, and specialty paints can cost more than the examples listed here.

Tone Pro’s launch prices come from retailers; GW hasn’t verified them directly yet. For cost per ml, we divide the bottle price by how much paint you actually get, then round to four decimal places.

• Vallejo Game Color: current 18ml dropper bottle for $4.99, checked against Steel Grey.
• Vallejo Xpress Color: 18ml dropper bottle, also $4.99 regular price, checked against Greasy Black.
• Pro Acryl: 22ml dropper bottle for $5.00 (Note: They have raised the price, but also now include 5ml more per pot.)

• Turbo Dork: current 22ml bottle for $7.50, checked against Two Cents.
• Scale 75 Paint: 17ml dropper bottle for about $4.49
• P3 standard colors: 18ml dropper bottles with mixing balls, $4.99 regular price, checked against Thrall Flesh.
• Reaper Master Series Core Colors: 14.78ml for $3.89 in Reaper’s current catalog.
• Two Thin Coats: 15ml dropper bottle for $5.49 MSRP, checked against Doom Death Black. Individual retailer prices vary.
• Warhammer Tone Pro: 12ml pot for $6.75 US, retailer-reported. 
• Warhammer Color premium metallics: Retributor Armour, 12ml pot for $6.30.
• Warhammer Color Shade: Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade, 18ml pots for $8.10 each.
• Warhammer Color standard Base/Layer (previously Citadel Base/Layer): 12ml pot for $4.75, using Abaddon Black and Dawnstone as the price checks.
• Warhammer Color Contrast (previously Citadel Contrast): 18ml pot for $8.10, checked against Black Templar.
• Warhammer Color Air (previously Citadel Air): 24ml pot for $8.10, checked against Air Dawnstone.
• Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: 18ml dropper bottle for $4.85, checked against Matt Black in the manufacturer’s USD storefront.
• Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0: 18ml dropper bottle for $5.61, checked against Hardened Leather.
• Army Painter Warpaints Air: 18ml dropper bottle for $4.31, checked against Matt Black.

Price Per ML: Highest Cost to Lowest

• Warhammer Tone Pro (reported launch price): $0.5625/ml
• Warhammer Color premium metallics (Retributor Armor): $0.5250/ml
• Warhammer Color Contrast and Shade: $0.4500/ml
• Warhammer Color standard Base/Layer: $0.3958/ml
• Two Thin Coats: $0.3660/ml
• Turbo Dork: $0.3409/ml
• Warhammer Color Air: $0.3375/ml
• Army Painter Speedpaint 2.0: $0.3117/ml
• Vallejo Game Color and Xpress Color: $0.2772/ml
• P3 standard colors: $0.2772/ml
• Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic: $0.2694/ml
• Scale 75 traditional ScaleColor: $0.2641/ml
• Reaper Master Series Core Colors: $0.2632/ml
• Army Painter Warpaints Air: $0.2394/ml
• Pro Acryl standard colors: $0.2273/ml

The unchanged Pro Acryl price above is confirmed by Monument Hobbies. Traditional Scalecolor is checked against Hard Knox Games’ Boreal Green listing.

Warhammer Tone Pro leads on price, and not in a good way. Pro Acryl and Army Painter come out as the most cost-effective options, nearly 2.5x and 2x cheaper than Warhammer Tone Pro, respectively.

Best Paints for Warhammer 40k and Miniatures by Use Case

Let’s break down the best brands for different painters’ needs.

• For Beginners: Army Painter and Citadel are perfect. Army Painter is budget-friendly with color-matching primers. Citadel offers great Warhammer paints with tons of online guides.
• For Airbrushing: Vallejo Game Air and Army Painter Warpaints Air flow beautifully through an airbrush. If you want airbrush paints, you can’t go wrong with either.
• Warpaints Air extras: the range uses base, midtone, and highlight triads, and bottles include two steel mixing balls. Army Painter says it also works with a brush, though you may need an extra coat or two.
• For Metallics: Pro Acryl metallics give excellent coverage and shine. Army Painter also added metallic paints to their Speedpaint line.
• For Warhammer Models (in general): Citadel is the Warhammer paint set standard. However, Pro Acryl offers a more affordable alternative with professional results.
• For Blending / Display Painting: Pro Acryl and Two Thin Coats are the smooth operators for layering and blends.
• For choosing matched GW highlights: Tone Pro runs from tone one, the darkest, to five, the lightest. GW’s Ultramarines example works up from Ultramar Blue 1 to Ultramar Blue 5.
• For Realistic Ultra-Matte Results: Scale 75 is the go-to when you want grit and realism.
• For Special Effects: Turbodork is the pick when you want “how did you do that?” color-shifts.

One-Coat Paints: Contrast vs. Speedpaints

Need to paint armies fast? Citadel Contrast Paint and Army Painter Speedpaints let you slap on a coat and get shading, highlights, and base color in one go.

Contrast Paint gives you fine control but costs more. Speedpaints offer budget-friendly efficiency, making them great for big Warhammer 40k projects.

Monument Hobbies has a one-coat line of its own now, too: Pro Acryl 1-Step, which Monument says is formulated to give vibrant color in one layer over a bright basecoat, sold in 22ml bottles.

• Pick Contrast if you want more control on smaller details.
• Pick Speedpaints if you’re batch painting lots of models on a budget.
• Either way: use a light primer and don’t overwork the coat, one pass is the point.

The current Speedpaint 2.0 range has ninety colors and preloaded mixing balls. Army Painter does recommend a hard palette: a wet palette can let Speedpaint bleed through the sheet and stain the foam. Best of all, you can layer them over other acrylics within minutes after the paint dries.

How to Transfer Citadel Paints to Dropper Bottles

Steps to decant paint:

1. Stir the Citadel paint well.
2. Use a pipette or funnel to move paint into an empty dropper bottle.
3. Pro tip: add one drop of thinner if the paint is too thick to decant cleanly.
4. Label it so you know which shade is which.

Done! Now you’ll waste less and paint more. However, if you’d like a more in-depth look, please check out our tutorial here!

Brushes, Mixers & Additives

While this guide focuses on acrylic model paints, having the right tools for painting matters too.

Minimal starter kit: one quality size 1 brush, one cheap “beater” brush for metallics/drybrushing, and a flow improver so your paint stops fighting you.

• Good Brushes: Try Monument Hobbies Bombwick, Winsor & Newton Series 7, or Army Painter Wargamer Series.
• Vortex Mixer Guide: Mixes paint perfectly, no more shaking until your arm falls off.
• Thinners & Flow Improvers: Help control acrylic paint thickness and improve flow, especially for airbrush work.

Tone Pro Mediums and Dry Brushes

Shading Medium reduces pigment density without changing flow or finish, letting any Tone Pro color work as a shade or glaze. That opens up 150 potential wash colors. Blending Medium slows drying for wet blending, doing the job painters often use an art-store retarder for.

Reported price for either medium: $8.10 US, CA$9.75, AU$11.90, £4.90, €6.50, DKK 60, SEK 67, NOK 67, PLN 28.50, NZ$14.00, and ¥1,050. These share the retailer-reported pricing qualification used for the paints.

The four new dry brushes have curved tips and tight bristles, designed to pick out raised edges while keeping paint off surrounding areas. Reported prices: XS, $12.50 US / CA$16; Small, $13 US / CA$16.50; Medium, $15 US / CA$19; Large, $20.50 US / CA$26. Our usual benchmark is the Army Painter Masterclass drybrush set, though you probably don’t need to buy new brushes just to use these paints.

Final Thoughts on Best Paints for Miniatures

Picking the best acrylic paint for miniatures really comes down to what works for you and your painting style:

• Budget But Still Great Paints: Army Painter, Reaper
• Warhammer Fans: Citadel, Pro Acryl, Army Painter
• All-Rounders: Vallejo, Citadel
• Blending Lovers: Pro Acryl, Two Thin Coats
• Realism Chasers: Scale 75
• Speed Demons: Contrast Paints, Speedpaints

A great Warhammer 40k paint set or modeler’s paint kit doesn’t need to break the bank. Focus on good miniature paints that fit your style and projects. Whether you’re painting a single Dreadnought or a horde of Orks, there’s a perfect paint brand waiting.

If you remember nothing else: pick one “main line” you like, Pro Acryl, Army Painter, or Warhammer Color, then mix in specialists like Scale 75 for matte realism and Turbodork for effects.

The best paint brand is the one you’ll actually keep using! Happy painting.

Miniature Paint FAQ

Do I need to thin miniature paints? Yes, most paints behave best in thin coats.

Dropper bottles vs pots: which is better? Droppers waste less and keep paint fresher; pots are convenient but can dry out faster.

What’s the best white paint for miniatures? Use a hobby white that covers smoothly and builds up in thin layers. White is notoriously streaky.

Can I use craft acrylics on minis? You can, but coverage and pigment quality are usually lower than hobby paints.

Do I need primer before painting? Yes, primer helps paint stick and makes your coats more consistent.

Is Vallejo paint better than Citadel?

Neither wins outright. Vallejo is the better buy if you want dropper bottles, and its Game Color range now comes in 18ml bottles. Warhammer Color (Citadel) is the better pick if you paint from Games Workshop’s own guides, since the range is built to recreate GW’s iconic color schemes.

What is the best paint set for Warhammer 40k?

For a first army, Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000: Paints + Tools Set is the simplest start: 13 Warhammer Color paints plus a brush, a pair of clippers and a mouldline remover. If you already prefer dropper bottles, pick up a starter set from whichever brand above fits your budget instead.

Related Reads:

• The Ultimate Guide To Painting Miniatures
• GW Changes their Paint name to Warhammer Color
• Best Paint Conversion Charts for Miniatures
• Citadel Contrast Paints: How They Look on Miniatures
• How To Transfer Your Citadel Paints Into Dropper Bottles
• List of the Top Hobby Supplies for Miniatures

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