The seismic performance tests of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls and BFRP bars reinforced concrete (BFRP-RC) shear walls with different horizontal reinforcement ratios (0.25% and 0.50%) were carried out to explore the similarities and differences in seismic performance between RC and BFRP-RC shear walls. And the horizontal reinforcement ratio was expanded to 0% and 1.00% in meso-scale numerical simulation. The influence of reinforced materials type on the seismic performance of shear walls was discussed, and the shear capacity, deformation capacity, energy dissipation capacity, stiffness and recovery performance of RC and BFRP-RC shear walls were compared. The test results show that the shear failure and compressive shear failure occurred respectively in the shear walls with horizontal reinforcement ratios of 0%~0.25% and 0.50%~1.00% under horizontal cyclic load. The horizontal reinforcement ratio has the same effect on the failure mode, shear capacity, deformation capacity and energy dissipation capacity of RC shear wall and BFRP-RC shear wall; that is, increasing the horizontal reinforcement ratio can enhance the seismic performance of shear walls. However, the seismic performance of RC and BFRP-RC shear walls is different. Under the two horizontal reinforcement ratios, the shear capacity of the BFRP-RC shear wall is about 74%~78% of that of the RC shear wall, the deformation capacity is about 47%~84%, and the initial stiffness is about 77%~84%. Because the BFRP bar is always in the elastic deformation stage during loading, the recoverability of the BFRP-RC shear wall is significantly stronger than that of the RC shear wall. When the horizontal reinforcement ratio is 0.25% and 0.50%, the residual deformation of BFRP-RC shear walls is 62% and 13% of that of RC shear walls, respectively. The recoverability of the BFRP-RC shear wall is more in line with the requirement of recoverable functional aseismic structure in practical engineering.