Paintball vs Airsoft DISCLAIMER
Now, this is a very sensitive topic if discussed with paintballers or airsofters, and thus I will try to be as fair as possible. I have had bad and good experiences with both sides of the crowd, but seeing as I'm still playing paintball, it should be quite obvious which I felt better about.
However personal experiences are subjective, and for the purposes of this FAQ, I will leave mine out. Suffice to say that there is great animosity between the two crowds.
The game overview
Airsoft and paintball, at first glance, are quite similar. Both utilise projectile equipment to eliminate opposing players by hitting them with the projectile. Both have an element of planning, tactics, teamwork and competitiveness.
Airsoft uses 'devices' and paintball uses 'markers' Both paintball and airsoft sometimes use CO2 in some of their equipment. Tournament paintball usually uses High Pressure Air, and a majority of airsoft devices only use electrical power.
Tournament paintball and airsoft
Paintball is divided into two groups, speedballers and woodsballers. (See:
What is the difference between speedball and woodsball? )
Speedballers play the tournament version of paintball, vastly different from the woodsball version. It has its own field, rules and different equipment, built more for speed and light weight rather than to look authentic (although looks still factor-one has to look agg after all
)
Due to the fact it is played on a field with no natural cover, only inflatable bunkers, speedball equipment can be, and often is, brightly coloured.
Speedballers
Speedball markers
Speedball field example
Woodsballers can be regular, everyday joes playing for fun, or more hard-core scenario/milsim woodsballers. Milsim woodsballers like to replicate the look of real-life weapons, and use tactics derived from actual warfare.
Scenario is the closest thing in paintball there is to airsoft.
Scenario markers
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/3636/full800fl3.jpg
Scenario woodsballers - Note the hoppers for paintballs, and remote lines leading to air tanks.
Airsoft devices
Airsofters
Airsoft is also mainly about milsim. While tournaments are very different from open day skirmishes, with huge emphasis on training, the main thing is that it is basically a military simulation still.
Projectiles utilised
Airsoft projectiles vary quite widely in weight, from 0.12 to 0.88g, although most commonly used are around 0.20 g. These projectiles are usually 6mm in diameter with slight variations in quality and size. Newer airsoft pellets can be biodegradeable:
While the vast majority of paintballs are .68 caliber, a new .50 caliber paint is being advertised as of the time of writing. However, as of now, paintballs weigh an average of slightly over 3g and are .68 inches or 17.2mm in diameter. Weight, quality and diameter also vary depending on brand.
Safety
Paintballs impact with much higher force than bb pellets do. For this reason, eye protection in paintball is of paramount importance, and only masks which have lenses that pass ASTM ratings for safety.
Mask
Paintball markers must also have barrel socks when not in use/masks are not being worn in the area. It is not sufficient to keep fingers of triggers, as marker triggers can be set up to be very very sensitive.
Barrel Sock
By contrast, airsoft masks can (although not all are) be much more flimsy, ranging from a pair of safety spectacles to full on masks like in paintball. This is due to the lower impact force of the airsoft pellets.
Markers are also chronoed at 300
fps maximum, and this is a worldwide standard for safety. Some fields are even more stringent about this limit, allowing only 250 and below. Reballs, or the rubber equivalent of paintballs, is played at a maximum of 250fps.
Airsoft chrono speeds vary. The most common airsoft speed limits are between 300 and 400 ft/s (91 and 120 m/s) for AEGs and 400–550 ft/s (120–170 m/s) for single shot guns (taken from Wikipedia) However, due to the much lower mass, the impact force is still significantly less.
From player perspective, the pain experienced by a player is very subjective. Clothing always decreases the sensation of being hit, in airsoft's case, to the point that players regularly do not realise they have been hit.
However, on bare skin, it has sometimes been said that airsoft pellets hurt more. This is because pellets are smaller and impart more of their force especially at close range, whereas paintballs break and dissipate most of their force over a larger area. Again, this is all dependent on range, velocity and many other factors.
Rates of fire also vary wildly in both paintball and airsoft depending on tournament, field rules, etc.
Getting Hit
In paintball, an elimination occurs when a paintball directly strikes and BREAKS on a player. In airsoft, it occurs when a pellet directly contacts the person (no rebounding of walls)
This means that airsoft is played on an honour system. Although there are marshals, if they do not see a hit, it is impossible to tell if the player has been shot. In paintball, excepting the instance of a player cheating and wiping off the hit, the mark will show that he has been eliminated.
Playing
The main differences when playing the two games are:
Propellant
Paintball requires either a CO2 or
HPA propellant to fire paintballs. Some airsoft devices use CO2, but a majority use a rechargeable, battery operated gearbox.
This means airsoft devices are zero-recoil, and exceedingly quiet. Paintball markers are much louder and have some barrel-rise (although this decreases with better quality markers, and is negligible compared to firearms)
If one is looking for milsim, as both paintballs and airsoft pellets have about the same range, paintball may be more realistic in terms of aural experience. However, the hoppers and tanks in paintball often spoil the look of true milsim for those so inclined.
Elimination
As seen before, airsoft is easier to cheat in, even unintentionally. That is not to say cheating does not occur in paintball, but it is easier to catch.
It is also easier in paintball to know if one has been hit.
However, airsoft is easier to clean up after as there are no markings to clean.
Physical pain
Paintball can hurt at times, but most people do not think it does. Airsoft is the same, but close range, some think airsoft may hurt more. Of course, this is entirely subjective
Playing experience
Airsoft is very similar to woodsball in terms of tactics, scenarios and goals. Airsoft does not, as far as I know, offer an equivalent to speedball.
There are also true 'snipers' in airsoft, as their devices shoot farther and faster. However, a new 'First Strike' round in paintball greatly increases range and accuracy of paintball 'snipers', who were previously regarded as a myth.
Why don't we get along?
There are many reasons paintball and airsoft are not friendly with each other.
Legality-wise, many governmental bodies lump airsoft together with paintball. Paintball, especially the speedball side, resent being thought of as milsimmers, as the sport of speedball is very different.
Especially in Ireland, with many airsoft attacks on the public and more and more stringent control of airsoft, paintballers are worried that they may be put in the same boat.
(DISCLAIMER: This is not to say that airsofters are more inclined to be a public nuisance. It just so happens that it is easier to obtain realistic looking airsoft devices, and easier to obtain propellant for them. Also, the paintball scene in Ireland is vastly smaller)
Also, many times paintball and airsoft simply do not like each other because of ignorance. Many players have not tried both sports, and simply follow the crowd they are with in lambasting the other.
Airsoft and Paintball players, especially speedballers, have as a general rule, different demographics. Speedball is more fast-paced, quick and contained, whereas airsoft leans more towards military simulation. Even woodsballers do not often get along with airsofters, for personality reasons or otherwise.
Conclusion
At time of writing, it does not seem like the animosity will die down anytime soon. Most players play one or the other, not both sports, and if they do play both, one is as a pastime and not taken as seriously as the other. In order to choose between them, it is recommended that one play speedball, woodsball and airsoft a few times before making a choice. It may sound expensive, but will prevent you from investing in a sport you later on decide you do not like.
FAQ: Paintball vs Airsoft, what's the difference? 
