Choose sliding glass doors if the opening is wide or you don't have room for a door to swing. Choose French doors if it's a doorway-sized opening, the floor around it can stay clear, and you want the whole opening free at once.
Start with the width of the opening
Measure the opening from side to side. Sliders grow with the opening: more panels cover more width, and they can be set up as multi-panel, multi-track, bi-fold, pocket or corner doors. If the opening runs along most of the back wall, a slider is usually the practical answer.
French doors come as a pair, so they fit a doorway better than a whole wall. If your opening is on the small side, offset double doors are made for it. If it's a bit wider than the pair, optional sidelites add glass beside the doors.
If you want to change the size of the opening, say so early. It changes the work and the permit, and we'll tell you what to expect for your home.
Mark the swing on the floor
A French door needs empty floor wherever it swings. Say each door is 3 feet wide. You'd need 3 feet of clear space across the full 6 feet of the pair, plus room to stand while you open it. Ask which way the door swings for the product and opening you're looking at, then mark that arc on the floor with painter's tape. Leave the tape down for a few days and see what you trip over.
A sliding door needs no swing room at all. Its panels stay in their tracks, which is why sliders suit tight rooms, narrow patios and balconies.
Place the furniture before you pick
With a slider, furniture can sit right up to the glass in front of the panel that stays put. All you need is a clear path to the side that moves. That's a real gain in a small living room or bedroom.
With French doors, the sofa, table and chairs all have to live outside the swing, on whichever side it opens. Check curtains too, because a rod or drape can get in the way of a swinging door. On the patio side, check the grill and planters.
Pool decks
Near a pool, doors get a lot of traffic: wet feet, towels, chairs going in and out. A slider keeps everything inside its track, so nothing reaches into the deck. A French door that opens toward the deck takes up that space while it's open, and you'll want to ask how it stays open on a breezy afternoon.
The trade-off is the track. Sand and salt settle there, especially near the coast, so it needs an occasional rinse and brush to keep the door rolling. Our guide to caring for impact windows near salt air covers the upkeep.
If anyone at home uses a walker or wheelchair, ask to see the threshold on each door before you decide.
Airflow
French doors win here. Open both and the whole doorway is clear. A two-panel slider opens about half its width, because the moving panel slides past the fixed one. More panels, or a pocket or bi-fold setup, can open wider, so price those if air is the main reason for the change. If you plan to leave either door open, ask what screen options fit it.
The door you pick changes the windows around it. If the door gives a room plenty of air, the windows beside it can be fixed glass. Our guide to which impact window goes in which room picks up from there.
Locks and hardware
Both doors lock at more than one point. Our sliders have a dual point locking mechanism, with a secondary locking system available. Our French doors use a concealed 3-point lock. Sliders ride on heavy-duty tandem rollers, and French doors hang on heavy duty hinges. Ask to see how each one works, because you'll use it every day. For the bigger picture, read how impact windows and doors help with home security.
Medardo C., who had French doors installed, wrote that "The quality of the door is top notch."
What each door costs
Door pricing varies more than window pricing, so read these as wide ranges. Installed prices:
- Impact French doors, as a pair: $4,000 to $10,000
- Impact sliding glass doors: $4,000 to $15,000, depending on width and number of panels
These are typical South Florida prices as of October 2026, not a quote. Your price depends on size, product and your home, and we'll give you an exact number at the free estimate.
Both start in the same place, so neither one is automatically the cheaper door. A slider's price climbs with width and the number of panels, which is why its top end runs higher. Compare them at your width, with the options you'd really buy.
How to decide
- Go with sliding glass if the opening is wide, the floor is tight, the patio is small or the door opens onto a busy pool deck.
- Go with French doors if the opening is doorway-sized, you have clear floor on the swing side, and you want all of it open.
- If it's still a tie, stand in the doorway with your tape marks and think about a normal Tuesday. The door you won't have to work around is the right one.
Jeanne M. wrote that "Choosing the right door was so easy with their help." Before anyone visits, take one photo of the opening from inside and one from the patio, and write down the width.
Ready to protect your home?