The adsorption of benzene by CuBTC and MIL101(Cr) is investigated. The differences between both materials are discussed in terms of porous volume and affinities, determined by calculating Henry's constants and by measuring the adsorption enthalpies. If MIL101(Cr) adsorbs higher quantities of benzene, CuBTC develops stronger interaction, interesting for VOC remediation. Environmental significance Volatile organic compounds are a key environmental issue as their release in the atmosphere is poorly controlled. Amongst these VOCs, benzene is classified as a known human carcinogen based on leukemia observed in epidemiological studies. Various strategies have been used for removing benzene from air and adsorption using metal organic frameworks appears very promising. This study compares two benchmark MOFs which differ by their porous structure for the adsorption of benzene. As many parameters influence the sorption properties of porous materials, we focused on the influence of the textural properties of materials having similar surface chemistry. These results may be utilized to better choose between sorption capacities and irreversibility of adsorption. In the frame of toxic chemicals, irreversibility must be favored.