Wall Decals vs. Peel and Stick Wallpaper: What's the Difference?
On the Décor Imprimé shop, two collections sound alike but solve very different problems: Wall Decals and Murals & Peel and Stick Wallpaper. Both go up without glue or tools and come off without leaving a mark — but the format, how each is sold, and what you'd actually use them for are not the same at all.
This guide compares the two collections exactly as they exist on the shop today, with real products and real prices, so you can pick the right option for your project.
Two Formats, Two Ways of Being Sold
The most concrete difference between the two collections is format and pricing:
- Wall decal (Wall Decals collection): a single design or a full scene — often made up of several individual pieces (characters, animals, patterns, shapes) — sold at a fixed price, no matter how much wall space it ends up covering once applied.
- Peel and stick wallpaper / mural (Murals & Wallpaper collection): a pattern printed custom to size, matching the exact dimensions of your wall, sold by the square foot. As the collection's own description puts it: we take your measurements and print to that exact size — no standard format, no pre-set roll.
In other words: a wall decal is a fixed-price decorative accent, while removable wallpaper is a full custom-fit wall covering.
Wall Decals: A Quick Accent at a Fixed Price
The Wall Decals collection (189 active products) describes itself this way: personalize your walls quickly with our decorative wall decals, easy to apply and perfect for transforming a room without any paint.
In practice, these are fixed-price designs — no square-footage math, no wall measurements needed before you order. A few real examples from the collection:
| Product | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mason Wall Decal | Trucks, cranes and tractors in line art (kids' room) | $85.00 |
| Nora Wall Decal | Pattern available in 2 shades | $83.00 |
| Mandala Wall Decal | Available in 6 shades (Blush, Silver, Bronze, Gold, Black, Sand) | $110.00 |
| Manuela Wall Decal | Available in 8 shades | $150.00 |
| Picnic Roses Wall Decal | Available in 4 shades | $243.00 |
| Odette Wall Decal | Available on its own, or as a set with 3 to 6 posters | $121.00 to $170.00 |
The wall decal installation guide confirms exactly what surfaces these are built for: wall decals are designed to quickly personalize a wall, a piece of furniture, or a decorative nook. You apply them to a clean, smooth, dry surface, peeling gradually, positioning carefully, then smoothing to push out any air bubbles.
Best for: a kids' room, an accent on a piece of furniture, a partial accent wall, a fast refresh without repainting, or any project where the price needs to stay fixed and predictable no matter the wall size.
Peel and Stick Wallpaper / Murals: Full Coverage, Priced by the Square Foot
The Murals & Wallpaper collection (692 active products) works very differently: every mural is exclusive — a pattern designed by Quebec and international artists, printed custom to the actual dimensions of your wall. Pricing is shown by the square foot, and you order the exact area you need to cover.
A few real examples with square-foot pricing (the Smooth or Textured finish slightly affects price — see our Smooth vs. Textured finish guide):
| Product | Smooth Price | Textured Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lunar Smoke Peel and Stick Mural | $8.00/sq ft | $8.50/sq ft |
| Vintage Tropical Jungle Leaf Peel and Stick Wallpaper | $7.50/sq ft | $8.00/sq ft |
| Vintage Chinese Vines Peel and Stick Wallpaper | $7.50/sq ft | $8.00/sq ft |
| Velvet Forest Peel and Stick Mural | $8.00/sq ft | $8.50/sq ft |
This format is printed to order, based on your own measurements. Our how-to-measure guide recommends measuring the full width and height of the surface, taking the measurement in more than one spot, and noting any obstacles (mouldings, outlets, switches, windows, doors, cabinets). Décor Imprimé also recommends adding 2 inches of margin to both width and height before ordering.
Best for: covering a full wall or a defined wall section, a project where the pattern needs to align across the entire surface, or an entire room (living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, or a play nook).
Quick Comparison
| Criteria | Wall Decal | Peel and Stick Wallpaper / Mural |
|---|---|---|
| Collection | /collections/autocollants | /collections/murale-papier-peint |
| Format | Fixed-size design or scene | Printed custom to size, matching your wall's exact area |
| Pricing | Fixed price per product (e.g. $83 to $243 in the examples above) | Priced by the square foot (e.g. $7.50 to $8.50/sq ft in the examples above) |
| Wall measurement needed before ordering | No | Yes |
| Smooth/Textured finish option | Not seen on the verified products | Yes, on the majority of patterns |
| Application | Peel and stick, no glue or tools | Peel and stick, no glue or tools |
| Removable, no residue | Yes | Yes |
| Typical use | Accent, kids' room, furniture piece, partial wall | Full wall coverage, whole room |
How to Choose for Your Project
- Want to cover a full wall, floor to ceiling or corner to corner? → head to the Murals & Wallpaper collection, measure your wall, and pick your Smooth or Textured finish.
- Want to add a quick accent without repainting — a kids' room, a piece of furniture, a section of wall? → the Wall Decals collection offers fixed-price designs, no measuring required.
- Not sure which one to pick? Order a sample of a mural pattern to see the real result before committing to a large area — it's the best way to check the color and texture in your own lighting.
- Not sure how to measure your wall for a mural? Check out the measuring guide before you order.
FAQ
What's the real difference between a wall decal and peel and stick wallpaper?
A wall decal is a fixed-price design, ready to apply as-is — no square-footage math involved. Peel and stick wallpaper (a mural) is printed custom to the exact area of your wall and sold by the square foot.
Do both go up the same way?
Both are peel and stick, with no glue or tools required, and both come off without leaving a mark. The wall decal installation guide and the murals and wallpaper installation guide each walk through the steps specific to their format.
Do I need to measure my wall before ordering a wall decal?
No — wall decals are sold at a fixed price for a given design, with no square-footage calculation. It's peel and stick wallpaper (murals), sold by the square foot, that requires measuring your wall before you order.
Is the Smooth or Textured finish available on wall decals?
On the products we checked in the Wall Decals collection, that finish choice doesn't come up — the options you'll see instead are color, or for some products, a bundle with posters. The Smooth/Textured choice is available on the large majority of patterns in the Murals & Wallpaper collection.
How much does each option cost?
Wall decals are sold at a fixed price per product — between $83 and $243 based on the examples verified in this guide. Peel and stick wallpaper is sold by the square foot — between $7.50 and $8.50/sq ft based on the examples verified here — so your total cost depends on the size of your wall.
The Bottom Line
Wall decals and peel and stick wallpaper share the same removable, no-mess application, but they answer two different needs: a quick, fixed-price accent on one hand, and a full custom-fit wall covering priced by the square foot on the other. Browse the Wall Decals collection for an accent piece, or the Murals & Wallpaper collection to dress up an entire wall — and order a sample first if you're still on the fence. Every design is Made in Canada.
