Is there anything better than a ceramic coating?
Quick answer: Graphene and diamond coatings step up on ceramic in specific ways -- graphene for durability and water repellency, diamond for hardness -- but for most cars a professional ceramic is the best all-round choice. PPF is a genuinely different product: a physical barrier that absorbs stone chips rather than a surface coating. Which is right for you depends on what you are trying to protect against.
A few alternatives can match or improve on a standard ceramic coating in specific ways, but "better" depends entirely on what you are trying to solve. Ceramic coatings are very good at what they are designed to do: chemical resistance, ease of cleaning, and cosmetic preservation on the clear coat. They are not designed to absorb impact or physically shield paint.
Diamond, graphene and titanium variants
Diamond coating is a ceramic coating with diamond nano-rods added. The rods are very hard and their shape forms strong bonds in the film. You probably will not notice a difference in shine, but diamond coatings are reputed to be stronger and more durable.
Graphene coatings use sheets of graphene instead of silica. Graphene is exceptionally tough; our testing shows it is noticeably better than ceramic for durability, staying clean and repelling water. It also has a very slight tint that deepens the colour of your paintwork.
Some coatings contain Titanium Dioxide (TiO2), which tweaks the formula for extra gloss and UV protection. Fireball, for example, rate their Titanium+Ceramic coating higher than their Graphene coating.
Where paint protection film is genuinely better
Paint protection film does something a ceramic coating cannot: it gives you a physical barrier. It absorbs stone impacts and road debris, protects against abrasion in high-contact areas, and can self-heal light marks with heat. It costs more, shows visible edges in some areas and ages eventually. It also does not give the high-gloss finish or easy maintenance you get from a ceramic coating.
For more on that trade-off see is PPF better than ceramic coatings? -- short answer is they solve different problems.
Wax, polymer sealants and non-stick sprays
Compared with traditional wax and polymer sealants, a ceramic coating is significantly more durable, more chemically resistant and easier to live with. Wax lasts weeks; polymer sealants months; a professional ceramic lasts years. See are ceramic coatings better than wax? for the side-by-side, or are ceramic coatings better than non-stick coatings? for how the "non-stick" / PTFE products in the trade compare.
Watch out for ceramic-flavoured retail products
One thing worth flagging: there are a lot of over-the-counter retail products that share the word "ceramic" with what a professional installer would apply -- but they are not the same thing. The ceramic component in them may help water bead up for a while, but they do not offer the life or the level of protection a true professional coating does. We have tried them; they are decent waxes in their own right, but they are often over-priced for what they are. Two specific claims that should be treated as red flags whenever you see them on a retail bottle: "scratch-proof" and "never wash your car again." Neither is true of any coating, professional or retail.
Why "better" depends on what you mean
If "better" means easier cleaning and chemical resistance, ceramic coatings are already near the top. If it means impact protection, a ceramic coating is the wrong tool and PPF wins. If it means zero maintenance, nothing qualifies, but coatings significantly reduce the workload compared to carnauba wax or a polymer sealant. If it means the deepest look, graphene or a correctly prepared ceramic over proper paintwork correction is hard to beat.
In practice, the best result often comes from combining products rather than picking one. PPF on high-impact areas (front bumper, leading edge of bonnet, sills); ceramic coating over the rest of the vehicle; and ceramic over the PPF itself to aid cleaning and add gloss. PPF and ceramic coatings are both expensive though, and combining them is not cost-effective for most vehicles. We believe almost every car benefits from a ceramic coating, including daily-drivers like a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf -- which is why we offer coatings at different price points. For most owners a hydrophobic ceramic is the best all-round solution.
Tom shows us this Tesla Model X back at our workshop for a maintenance wash, just over a year after we applied Fireball Silla+, a 5-year ceramic. This is what a year of regular use looks like before any top-up work has been done.
Which coating grade suits your car?
If you are choosing between ceramic, graphene and diamond for a professional application, the practical differences are smaller than the marketing suggests. Ceramic is the baseline -- proven, widely accredited, and available across a range of price points. Graphene adds a measurable step up in durability and water repellency at a higher cost. Diamond adds hardness; the difference in everyday use is more modest than the name implies.
For most cars, the right choice is the coating your installer works with daily and backs with their own warranty. Where graphene or diamond earn their premium is on high-mileage daily drivers parked outside, or where the owner wants the longest practical interval between reapplications. A garaged weekend car will outlive a ceramic warranty comfortably with good care; the step up to graphene buys less relative benefit there. For the price difference between grades, see how much does ceramic coating cost?
For more on how to wash and look after a coated car, see how to wash a car with a ceramic coating.