The main difference between Burgundy and Maroon is a subtle hue shift within the red family — the hue angle moves 15° between them, changing the perceived undertone. Burgundy (#800020) is a deep red with a purple undertone inspired by French red wine, while Maroon (#800000) is a pure dark red with no purple shift. Burgundy leans toward wine; maroon is more straight red.
Four real design scenarios, with the recommended pick based on hue, saturation, and WCAG contrast.
Burgundy is more saturated (100% HSL vs 100%) so it reads as bolder and more memorable at logo scale, while Maroon can feel washed out when printed small.
Maroon hits a 10.95:1 WCAG contrast against white — safer for text-heavy interfaces — where Burgundy only reaches 10.83:1 and risks failing AA at small body sizes.
Burgundy is a warm tone that flatters spring/summer collections and warmer skin undertones, while Maroon leans warmer and is better suited to autumn/winter layering.
Burgundy is the more muted of the two (100% saturation) and sits more calmly on large wall surfaces, while Maroon's higher chroma can overwhelm a room when used beyond accent pieces.
Burgundy is a rich, deep red with subtle purple undertones named after the wine-producing region of eastern France. It carries connotations of luxury, sophistication, wine, and autumn fashion.
Maroon is a pure dark red (RGB 128,0,0) with no blue or purple mixed in — a CSS named color since HTML 3.2. It reads as serious, traditional, and slightly more orange-leaning than burgundy.
Text legibility depends on the contrast ratio between foreground and background. WCAG 2.1 AA requires at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Use these numbers to choose accessible combinations for your design.
Each color has a dedicated page with shades, tints, CSS name, pairings, and color psychology.