Dover Gray vs Software
Dover Gray (PPG) and Software (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 23 vs 23 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. A ΔE of 2.0 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.
Dover Gray vs Software in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Dover Gray and Software 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.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. 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
Dover Gray vs Software Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dover Gray on one side and Software 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 Dover Gray comparisons
See how Dover Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 23, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
Dover Gray reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 23, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (30 vs 23) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 23, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 23), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 23, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 23 vs 4, Dover Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
Dover Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 23 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 23, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 23 vs 21), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 23, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Dover Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 23 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Dover Gray reflects far more light (LRV 23 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 23, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Dover Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 23 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 23), opening up a space where Dover Gray encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (31 vs 23) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.