What’s the Difference Between Pocket Doors and Barn Doors?

When it comes to pocket doors vs. barn doors, both styles come with a sturdy set of pros and cons. Both styles are great options if you want to save space, because the doors don't swing outward. Pocket doors and barn doors are ideal for bathrooms, closets with limited access, or small areas of your home. Read on to weigh the differences, pros, and cons of each one and figure out which door is best for you.

Pocket Door vs. Barn Door: Key Differences

Opt for barn doors when you want a rustic appearance. Choose pocket doors when you want a more discreet design or to show off wall decor. Here are the main differences between the two.

What Is a Pocket Door?

A pocket door is a sliding door that disappears into a compartment in the wall. They’re often used when there isn’t enough floor space for a swinging door or for architectural effect. A pocket door travels on rollers or tracks either at the top or bottom of the door. Pocket doors are usually thin and lightweight.

Best for:

• Half baths, laundry rooms, pantries, or other small spaces that can’t afford to lose square footage with a hinged door

• Spaces where you need privacy but don’t want to lose an open floor plan, like a home office entrance

Pros of a Pocket Door

The major upside to a pocket door is the space saving benefits. Because a pocket door hides within your wall, and slides in and out to open and closer, you don’t lose any precious square footage like you would with a regular door. If you’re ever done an awkward shimmy to get around an open door in a half bath—then you know how much space a hinged door can take.

Other pros to a pocket door include its flexible look and style. You can pick about any door style and color to be a pocket door, meaning it can fit any interior design.

Cons of a Pocket Door

There are two downsides to a pocket door: cost and functionality. A pocket door costs on average $1,000 to install, but can increase depending on what’s inside your walls. If there are existing electrical wires, plumbing pipes, outlets, or switches in the wall, you’re going to pay extra to get those rerouted first before you can install the door. This can drive costs up to $3,500 or more.

“Pocket doors are a great space-saver,” says Bob Tschudi, Angi Expert Review Board member and general contractor in Raleigh, NC. “But they require extensive reconfiguration of the walls on either side of the door, which can be time-consuming and expensive.”

The second con is the functionality. In order to fit within a small wall opening, pocket doors have small locks, handles, and knobs. If you have young children or anyone with mobility issues living at home, you may find it difficult to open and close pocket doors smoothly.

What Is a Barn Door?

A barn door is typically a sliding door with a rustic or farmhouse appearance hung on a track that's above the door. Sliding along the wall, barn doors take up wall space when they're open, but not floor space. They're often used to add character or close off an adjoining room.

Best for:

• Rooms with long empty walls that don’t serve an additional purpose, like a primary bedroom

• Any room that doesn’t need a door for security or privacy, like a pantry or laundry room

Pros of a Barn Door

If you are constantly saving photos of the rustic farmhouse aesthetics, a barn door is a lower cost and easy to DIY alternative to a pocket door. You’ll get similar space saving benefits, so long as the wall it’s being installed on have existing outlets or switches that you regularly access.

Cons of a Barn Door

The barn door is not without it’s cons. The first is a barn door doesn’t provide the same level of privacy or noise reduction as a hinged door. That may not make it the best option for bathrooms or home offices (unless you are fine with some household eavesdropping).

Similar to a pocket door, a barn door can also come with functionality issues. Solid wood doors can be very heavy to slide, so if you’re concerned about overall weight opt for a hollowcore door.

Pocket Door vs. Barn Door

Pocket doors and barn doors both save space when they are not in use. They work best in areas where the door doesn't swing back and forth, like closets and bathrooms.

For space and construction, a pocket door will let you house shelves and wall decor. A barn door would get in the way.

Ease of Installation: Barn Doors

Barn doors are much easier to install than pocket doors because they run the track outside the adjacent wall. The labor cost for installation is much lower. Plus, there's no need to tear up walls or refinish after installing. Although the track is more noticeable, it's larger and even more decorative than pocket-door tracks.

Higher Cost: Pocket Doors

The cost of a barn door itself and the tracking hardware ranges from $250 to $2,500. The type of material impacts cost, as barn doors can be made of wood, metal, MDF, or vinyl. Pocket doors cost anywhere from $60 to $1,000, depending on the size, type of material, and style. You might need hardware such as connectors and fasteners, which can add $100 to $350 to your material costs. 

If you want to install pocket doors, you’ll usually have to hire a pro to do it (unless you’re an experienced DIYer with similar experience). That means you’ll have to pay labor fees. Pocket doors are also more expensive to install because they usually require construction to a home's structure. The cost of installing pocket doors for new construction ranges from $100 to $500, or $1,000 to $2,500 for an existing wall. The installation cost of a new barn door is anywhere from $100 to $300 per existing wall. 

Privacy: Tie

Barn doors and pocket doors can provide some privacy, but they are not suitable for blocking sound or light. Most pocket doors slide smoothly and fit the doorway, but a tight seal is not something you will get. “We recently installed a barn door for a bathroom in a primary suite bedroom,” Tschudi says. “While it was a dramatic look, there was enough of a gap to make the bathroom not soundproof, which doesn’t appeal to some clients.” 

Barn doors have a track on the outside, making them hang with space between the doorway wall and the door itself. But you can always buy a door that has a locking mechanism to help with privacy.

Maintenance: Barn Doors

Whether you opt for barn or pocket doors, both types require the same kind of maintenance. Lightly oiling the track after cleaning will keep it in a good state for long periods. Also, if you notice that the track is sagging, you must rehang the doors to get them back into their original position.

Another benefit of barn doors is visible racks and rollers—they require less maintenance and are easier to clean. Due to how a pocket door is hidden in a wall, it can be more challenging and time-consuming to clean.

Durability: Barn Doors

Pocket doors can get a lot of wear and tear because of how they move on a track. The more expensive the tracks, the less likely there will be the problems associated with the more affordable versions.

Both pocket doors and barn doors can start getting squeaky, become hard to move, get off their track, or hang out. Even though they have a track visible and more prominent, barn doors come with fewer problems than pocket doors. This is due to their design outside the wall, rather than the interior, which is hard to reach.

Functionality: Pocket Doors 

Pocket doors slide into the wall, and when open, are inconspicuous. The doors also slide between spaces like rooms or hallways, and they're more practical. Meaning, your guests might not be able to tell there's a door when they're open.

Barn doors cover a wall when they're open and slide on tracks. Barn doors also block electrical outlets and switches in the wall when open; for this reason, they should have dedicated walls to slide over.

Aesthetics: Pocket Doors

You can choose a sliding barn door that looks farmhouse rustic, or industrial, because they’re available in a variety of materials. It’s all about personal preference. However, the space where your barn door will go should be empty, with no aesthetic or functional elements. 

On the other hand, pocket doors require no exterior side panels, so they are easy to have in a home with little wall space when you want to decorate. Feel free to hang your most beautiful artwork on the walls.

Pocket doors are usually plain on the outside. They look amazing with an interior decor faux vinyl covering or custom-ordered with a design of your choice. You can choose any type to match your style.

Either way, a pocket door will improve your home's overall look and aesthetic. There are a few door materials to choose from, and you are not limited to a number of styles. You can pick a sleek modern one or something much more rustic. You can also find pocket doors made out of aluminum or glass.

Pocket Door and Barn Door Alternatives

Believe it or not, there are some stylish and space-saving alternatives to pocket doors and barn doors. Many of the options below are affordable and do not require you to make changes to your walls.

Bi-Fold Doors

Bi-fold doors are making a comeback as they now come in modern styles. They offer a convenient alternative when you install them in specific spaces. This type of door works well in spaces where standard swinging doors can't open. These doors help solve space problems. You won't have the door-swing clearance between separate rooms to worry about.

Accordion Door Dividers

A fresh look for a tired old standby, modern accordion doors are full of revitalizing styles and colors. They combine the practicality of accordion-style doorways with elegance if you go for a French door look without wasting space. The glass panes let light inside the house, and when opened up, they take up little space.

Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass doors are convenient for both the interior and exterior of a home, and they add an air of luxury to any room. Many times, they come in frosted options, which maintain some privacy while still expanding the space.

Mirrored Doors

One option for making a smaller room feel larger is to use mirrored doors. These types of doors reflect light around the room, giving it an illusion that it's brighter and more spacious.