These are the best paints for miniatures & wargames models out there, along with conversion charts and paint swatch guides.
A while back, GW increased the prices on basically all of their products. Along with their plastic kits going up in 2019, so did their paints, but only by roughly 30 cents. But that was just the start of the changes to their paint range.
With Contrast fully out they also moved their airbrush line to 24ml pots with a higher price point.
But there are also a bunch of other incredible non-Games Workshop brands out there 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 out there updated for 2022, along with conversion charts and pricing comparisons.
Best Paints for Miniatures & Models
If you thought GW paint was expensive enough as it is, or just don’t like the way their paints are bottled, there are still some great brands out there like Army Painter, Scale75, Turbodork, Pro Acryl, and Vallejo to name a few.
Please keep in mind these are only the paints we have experience working with and by no means a complete list of all the acrylics out there. Here at Spikey Bits, we are never going to 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 $3.39
- Pro Acryl: 22ml dropper bottle for $4 (Note: they raised the price 25 cents, but also give 5ml more per pot now).
- Turbodork (Speciality Metal Colorshift Paint) 20ml dropper bottle for $6.00
- 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 $4.49
Breaking Down the Price Per ML
- Citadel GW: 38 Cents/ML
- Citadel Contrast: 43 Cents/ ML (most expensive)
- Citadel Air (new bigger pot): 33 Cents / ML
- Vallejo: 20 Cents/ML
- Pro Acryl: 18 Cents/ML (tied for least expensive)
- Turbodork: 30 Cents/ML
- Scale 75: 27 Cents/ML
- Army Painter: 18 Cents/ML (tied for least expensive)
- P3 Paint (Privateer Press) 22 Cents/ML
Looking at the breakdown, GW actually has the most expensive paint per ML across the board. Plus, they don’t come in the dropper bottles that all the other brands use.
Transfer Your Citadel Paints to Dropper Bottles
While it’s not 100% necessary, it just helps prevent your paints from drying out and keep messes down to a minimum.
So What Are the Best 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.
- Citadel GW: Widely available at most game 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.
- Vallejo: Widely available at game stores worldwide. 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.
- Pro Acryl: Available now in selected 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.
- Turbodork: Also now available in some stores, along with quick shipping in America. Their Turboshift colors are some of the most interesting out there.
- Scale 75: Available mostly web only, quick shipping in America. Matte paint is one of the most realistic out there.
- 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 just started a new airbrushing line, and now a speedpaint (contrast) line as well.
- P3 Paint (Privateer Press) Available at game stores worldwide. High consistency across all batches, rumored to have been developed by hobby guru Mike McVey of McVey studios.
So it looks like Army Painter has the lowest price of paint 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 really 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 the time you want to try and expand your paint horizons? If so, you can check out a more in-depth review of some of Army Painter’s paint bundles including bases and washes.
If You’re a Diehard Citadel Fan
If you are one of the people that like to stick to their guns, GW has plenty of painting guides to help you create the exact look of what you’re wanting. You can even download the Citadel paint app to have everything at your fingertips.
It might be worth your while to check out some of their online charts as well.
Other Paint 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 charts.
Monument Hobbies Pro Acryl Chart
So again, the end of the day, use whatever keeps your hobby muscles strong. Everybody has their own preferences. Some people prefer cheap, some people prefer the more expensive thing. But remember, a higher cost doesn’t always mean it’s better either.
Vortex Paint Mixer For Miniatures is a Clump Buster!
Which hobby supplies and paints do you prefer for your minaitures? Have you switched your Citadel paints to dropper bottles?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
