A comparative study of the reaction kinetics involving the vapour phase isopropylation of benzene with iso-propanol over H-beta and SAPO-5 catalysts is taken up to evaluate the performance of these two potential catalysts for the industrially important cumene synthesis. Their activity is compared in the temperature range 378-513 K. A tab scale fixed bed flow reactor was used at atmospheric pressure for the experiments. Power law equation assuming pseudo first-order kinetics for iso-propanol conversion fit the data reasonably well. Kinetic parameters such as activation energy (E-a) and Arrhenius frequency factor (In A(0)) for the disappearance of iso-propanol over a series of SAPO-5 molecular sieves with varying acidity and over zeolite beta have been evaluated at 383 K. The reaction rate on beta is higher than that of the most active SAPO-5 catalyst at the same temperature. The existence of the compensation effect between Ealpha, and In A(0) has been tested over the SAPO-5 catalysts. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.