Quartz vs Marble Comparison

When you’re looking at countertop materials for your kitchen, you’re likely to come across both marble and quartz countertop in kitchen designs. These two countertop options might look similar, but they’re incredibly different in their origin, price, and durability.

Here we look at quartz vs marble countertops, compare their pros and cons, and tell you which one is the best value for your kitchen remodel.

Quartz is a man-made stone (an “engineered stone“) constructed from around 93% quartz (a rock-like mineral) and 7% artificial resins, polymers, pigments, and other small pieces. You can find out how it’s made here. Sometimes additives like metal and glass are used to make up the 7% if they give the quartz a certain look.

Because quartz is an engineered stone, it’s easy for stone fabricators to create various different patterns, colors, and styles of quartz depending on what you’re looking for.

If you want an all-white plain kitchen, you could easily cut a quartz countertop in that color. If you want a natural-looking stone-like countertop, quartz could be produced in this way too.

You can really customize your design!

Because of the resin used in its construction, quartz countertops are almost completely non-porous, meaning they don’t let any water, spills, or bacteria inside. This makes them incredibly stain resistant, though you can often expect them to cost a little more money than granite.

Unlike quartz, marble countertops are made from actual stone.

Marble is a natural stone made from metamorphic rock. This material was famously used in Europe to create various statues and pieces of furniture, including Michaelangelo’s David. This material is known for its natural stone beauty and opulent feel, though it’s not the most durable kitchen countertop material you can get.

• Very easy to maintain
• Much less maintenance required
• Sealing not required
• Very durable and longlasting
• Scratch resistant
• “Marble quartz” is possible

Quartz is an engineered stone (unless it’s natural quartz), so it’s been designed to be as perfect for kitchens as possible in many ways. For example, these countertops don’t require sealing like natural countertops do (including marble) and they’re much easier to maintain and clean on a daily basis.

Quartz countertops are almost 100% non-porous, so they don’t easily let in stains, water, mold, or mildew. This makes them ideal for families with pets and small children where spills and accidents are commonplace.

If you like the look of marble but want more durability, you could request “marble quartz” that’s designed to look like marble countertops. However, customizing your quartz countertops order could start to get pricey, so bear that in mind.

Regular prices are around $35 to $100 per square foot for this solid surface material, which is quite good value for money.

• Less consistent pattern
• Not a natural stone
• Lacks the timeless classic aesthetic
• Can scorch

While these countertops have a ton of advantages, it’s worth remembering that more personalized designs will cost you a lot of money to get created. If you want the beauty of natural stone countertops with distinctive veining and patterns in an earthy color palette, you can expect to pay a lot.

Also, while this countertop material is very low maintenance, it can still scorch (especially if it’s a lighter color) so it’s not the ideal surface for hot pots and pans. Go for granite if you’re after a very heat resistant kitchen surface.

• Consistent natural pattern
• Distinctive color and veining
• Every countertop is unique
• Fairly burn and stain resistant
• Popular in kitchen and bathroom countertops

There’s no doubt that marble countertops have fewer selling points than its counterparts – it’s all about the look with this surface material. Many people use marble in their kitchens and bathrooms simply because they like the timeless aesthetic associated with the Italian Renaissance.

While it’s one of the weaker stones when it comes to countertop materials, marble has heat resistance and scratch resistant properties if it’s regularly maintained.

• Regular sealing needed
• Not super durable
• Hard to repair
• Usually more expensive per square foot
• Can stain if not sealed regularly

Marble definitely isn’t a low maintenance kitchen countertop material. This surface requires regular sealing to keep its stain resistance, and it has more of a tendency to develop mold and mildew that many other surface countertops. It’s also hard to repair if it becomes damaged, so it’s not ideal for busy kitchens.

Furthermore, there is quite a price difference between marble and quartz, especially if you want the rarer, more opulent marble. This material could set you back between $50 to $150 per square foot, but if you’ve got the money to afford it, it does look gorgeous.

No, marble is not harder than quartz. Marble is actually one of the weaker surface materials you can buy for your kitchen. It’s also more prone to staining and burning than some other materials. Most people buy marble purely for the opulent aesthetic and the light color it’s known for. 

Quartz countertops are overall, the best countertop for your money. This man-made stone is durable, heat and scratch resistant, antibacterial, nearly 100% non-porous, and doesn’t require regular sealing or maintenance. It can also be made to look like various other materials, including marble. If you’re looking for a gallery of countertops materials check our page here for inspiration.