01Impact
PPF / PeelClear
Rock chips and road debris
A thick layer on the paint takes the hit. PPF does this. So does PeelClear, which we spray on instead of sticking on, and which we recommend first for most cars.
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The Comparison
PPF vs ceramic coating. Two different jobs.
PPF and PeelClear go on your paint and take the rock chips so the paint doesn't. A ceramic coating goes on top of that. It blocks sun, salt, and bird droppings and makes every wash easier. They protect against different things, so most cars that matter to their owner end up with both. Here's how to tell what yours needs.
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The Short Answer
What each one protects against.
02Chemistry
Ceramic
Sun, salt, and bird droppings
A ceramic coating blocks the slow damage that fades and etches paint. It also makes every wash faster.
03Both
The System
Both, layered
PPF or PeelClear on the paint, ceramic on top of that. Each one does its own job.
Side by Side
PPF and ceramic, side by side.
| PPF | Ceramic coating | |
|---|---|---|
| Built to stop | Rock chips, gravel, road debris. It absorbs impact. | UV fade, road salt, bird droppings, bug acid. It blocks chemistry. |
| Thickness | Thick. Measured in mils, like a flexible skin over the paint. | Thin. Measured in microns, like glass bonded to the clearcoat. |
| Scratches | Absorbs light scratches. Premium PPF re-flows light marring with heat. | Resists wash marring. Not scratch proof. |
| Washing and gloss | Protects, but edges need care and PPF can dull with age. | The whole point. Slick surface, faster washes, deeper gloss. |
| When it takes damage | A damaged panel means removing and replacing that panel's PPF. | Light damage polishes out and the panel gets recoated. |
| Aging | Adhesive ages. Cheap PPF yellows. Edges are the first thing to fail. | Beading fades gradually over years. Wash habits set the pace. |
| Removal | Professional work. Old adhesive can fight back. | Nothing to peel. It wears down or gets polished off. |
Full detail on the ceramic side lives on the ceramic coating page.
Scratch Resistance
Will either one stop scratches?
Nothing you can put on a car makes it scratch proof. What you're buying is a layer that takes the damage instead of your paint, and the two products take it differently.
PPF is thick enough to swallow light scratches whole, and premium PPF re-flows light swirls when heat hits it. Sun on the hood or a bucket of warm water, and the marring relaxes back out. That self-healing has rules, though. It needs heat, and it only works on light damage. A deep gouge means replacing that panel's PPF.
A ceramic coating is far thinner, so it can't swallow a scratch. What it does is make the surface slick and hard enough that everyday wear, like dust dragged by a wash mitt or scrubbing off bugs, leaves less of a mark. Light marring on a ceramic coated car polishes out, and the panel gets recoated.
Deep scratches get past both. No product changes that, and we'd rather tell you now than at pickup.
PPF or PeelClear
Two ways to protect against rock chips.
PeelClear is what we recommend first for most cars. We spray it on in our shop the way clearcoat goes on, it cures 8 to 12 mils thick, and it covers the whole car with no edges, seams, or adhesive. A chip in it gets sanded and buffed or spot sprayed instead of replaced. When you ever want it gone, it peels off by hand and your factory paint is underneath. It carries a 20-year manufacturer warranty.
PPF earned its reputation. It absorbs rock chips, premium PPF heals light swirls in the sun, and it has decades of history behind it. It also has the parts the brochures skip: edges that can lift, adhesive that ages, seams on curved panels, and a damaged panel means replacing that panel's PPF.
PPF is still the right call for a track car, a truck that lives on gravel, or an owner who has heard all of this and wants PPF. We install both, and we'll tell you which one fits your car before you spend a dollar.
Old PPF coming off a customer's Lucid Air in our shop. Every PPF install comes off eventually, so how it comes off matters as much as how it goes on.
Full-vehicle PPF is the most expensive option here, because wrapping a curved car in flat sheets takes days of teardown and labor. PeelClear covers the whole car for less than full-vehicle PPF, because it's sprayed on rather than cut and fitted. A ceramic coating costs a fraction of either. Not because it's lesser work, but because it guards against slower, quieter damage.
So the useful question isn't which one is cheaper. It's what you're protecting against, and for how many years. Divide any quote by the years the work lasts and the numbers get honest fast. A job that holds up for years costs less than a bargain redone every two. PPF, PeelClear, and ceramic coating pricing is published by vehicle size on our pricing page.
Tesla Owners
Shopping for a Tesla?
This question comes up most with Tesla owners, because Tesla paint marks up faster than most and the cars rack up highway miles. The short version: the ceramic coating handles the swirls and the sun, and PPF or PeelClear handles Route 422's gravel. The long version, including what we see on Model 3 and Model Y paint, is on the Tesla ceramic coating page.
Frequently asked questions.
Which is better, PPF or a ceramic coating?
Neither. They do different jobs. PPF is a thick urethane layer that absorbs rock chips and road debris. A ceramic coating is a thin glass-like layer that blocks UV, road salt, and bird droppings, and makes the car far easier to wash. Asking which is better is like asking whether a helmet is better than sunscreen. Start with the problem you're solving and the answer picks itself.
Does a ceramic coating stop rock chips or scratches?
No. A ceramic coating is measured in microns, so a rock chip goes straight through it. It resists the light wash marring that dulls paint over time, but it is not scratch proof and no honest shop will call it that. If chips are the worry, you need a thick layer over the paint that takes the hit. That's PPF, or PeelClear, which we recommend first for most cars.
Is PPF scratch resistant?
Genuinely, yes, within limits. Quality PPF absorbs light scratches and swirl marks, and premium PPF re-flows light marring when heat hits it, from the sun or warm water. What PPF doesn't do is shrug off deep gouges or a key. Real damage to a PPF panel means replacing the PPF on that panel, which is also worth knowing before you buy.
Can you put a ceramic coating over PPF or PeelClear?
Yes, and it's the best version of the whole system. PPF or PeelClear sits on the paint and takes the impacts. The ceramic coating goes on top of that and adds the water beading, easier washing, and UV resistance. We put ceramic over PeelClear and over existing PPF all the time, including PPF we didn't install.
Do you install PPF?
Yes. We install PPF and PeelClear. For most cars we point you to PeelClear first, because it covers the whole car with no edges, seams, or adhesive, and a chip in it gets repaired instead of the panel's PPF being replaced. If your car sees the track or lives on gravel, or you've heard all that and still want PPF, we install it and we do it right. If you already have PPF on the car, from us or anyone else, we inspect it, put ceramic over it, and remove it when the time comes.
What should I put on a brand new car?
Decide what you're protecting against first. If it's chips and highway debris, start with a protection layer like PeelClear while the paint is still perfect. If it's swirls, fading, and wash misery, a ceramic coating handles that. On a new daily driver, the strongest answer is usually both: PPF or PeelClear on the paint, ceramic on top. We'll walk your actual car and tell you if the simpler option is enough.