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Microsoft (MSFT) Competitors

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$499.70 0.00 (0.00%)
As of 09/4/2026 04:00 PM Eastern
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MSFT vs. AAPL, AMD, AMZN, GOOG, and GOOGL

Should you buy Microsoft stock or one of its competitors? Microsoft's main competitors and comparable companies include Apple (AAPL), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Amazon.com (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG), and Alphabet (GOOGL). Companies are selected based on similarities in market, industry, and size.

How does Microsoft compare to Apple?

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) are both large-cap technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends and media sentiment.

Microsoft has a net margin of 40.31% compared to Apple's net margin of 27.62%. Apple's return on equity of 135.46% beat Microsoft's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Apple27.62% 135.46% 34.11%
Microsoft 40.31%31.98%18.70%

Apple currently has a consensus price target of $330.61, indicating a potential upside of 3.33%. Microsoft has a consensus price target of $564.27, indicating a potential upside of 12.92%. Given Microsoft's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Microsoft is more favorable than Apple.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Apple
4 Sell rating(s)
12 Hold rating(s)
22 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.51
Microsoft
0 Sell rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
42 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.89

Apple pays an annual dividend of $1.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Microsoft pays an annual dividend of $3.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Apple pays out 12.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Microsoft pays out 20.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Apple has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years and Microsoft has increased its dividend for 23 consecutive years. Microsoft is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

67.7% of Apple shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.1% of Microsoft shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of Apple shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.0% of Microsoft shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Apple has a beta of 1.08, suggesting that its share price is 8% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Microsoft has a beta of 1.11, suggesting that its share price is 11% more volatile than the broader market.

In the previous week, Apple had 140 more articles in the media than Microsoft. MarketBeat recorded 369 mentions for Apple and 229 mentions for Microsoft. Microsoft's average media sentiment score of 0.88 beat Apple's score of 0.65 indicating that Microsoft is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Apple
173 Very Positive mention(s)
53 Positive mention(s)
83 Neutral mention(s)
39 Negative mention(s)
17 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Microsoft
134 Very Positive mention(s)
29 Positive mention(s)
41 Neutral mention(s)
16 Negative mention(s)
8 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Microsoft has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Apple. Microsoft is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Apple, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Apple$416.16B11.22$112.01B$8.7236.69
Microsoft$331.84B11.18$133.75B$17.9627.82

Summary

Microsoft beats Apple on 11 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Microsoft compare to Advanced Micro Devices?

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) are both large-cap technology companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their media sentiment, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, institutional ownership and earnings.

Microsoft has a net margin of 40.31% compared to Advanced Micro Devices' net margin of 15.58%. Microsoft's return on equity of 31.98% beat Advanced Micro Devices' return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Microsoft40.31% 31.98% 18.70%
Advanced Micro Devices 15.58%12.30%9.89%

71.1% of Microsoft shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.3% of Advanced Micro Devices shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.0% of Microsoft shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of Advanced Micro Devices shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Microsoft has a beta of 1.11, indicating that its share price is 11% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Advanced Micro Devices has a beta of 2.48, indicating that its share price is 148% more volatile than the broader market.

Microsoft presently has a consensus target price of $564.27, suggesting a potential upside of 12.92%. Advanced Micro Devices has a consensus target price of $553.72, suggesting a potential upside of 15.94%. Given Advanced Micro Devices' higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Advanced Micro Devices is more favorable than Microsoft.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Microsoft
0 Sell rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
42 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.89
Advanced Micro Devices
1 Sell rating(s)
10 Hold rating(s)
32 Buy rating(s)
3 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.80

Microsoft has higher revenue and earnings than Advanced Micro Devices. Microsoft is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Advanced Micro Devices, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Microsoft$331.84B11.18$133.75B$17.9627.82
Advanced Micro Devices$34.64B22.51$4.34B$3.89122.77

In the previous week, Microsoft had 52 more articles in the media than Advanced Micro Devices. MarketBeat recorded 229 mentions for Microsoft and 177 mentions for Advanced Micro Devices. Advanced Micro Devices' average media sentiment score of 1.24 beat Microsoft's score of 0.88 indicating that Advanced Micro Devices is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Microsoft
134 Very Positive mention(s)
29 Positive mention(s)
41 Neutral mention(s)
16 Negative mention(s)
8 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Advanced Micro Devices
133 Very Positive mention(s)
14 Positive mention(s)
16 Neutral mention(s)
12 Negative mention(s)
1 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Summary

Microsoft beats Advanced Micro Devices on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Microsoft compare to Amazon.com?

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) are related large-cap companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their media sentiment, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.

Microsoft has a beta of 1.11, indicating that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Amazon.com has a beta of 1.44, indicating that its stock price is 44% more volatile than the broader market.

Microsoft has a net margin of 40.31% compared to Amazon.com's net margin of 17.44%. Microsoft's return on equity of 31.98% beat Amazon.com's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Microsoft40.31% 31.98% 18.70%
Amazon.com 17.44%18.00%8.97%

Microsoft has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Amazon.com. Amazon.com is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Microsoft, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Microsoft$331.84B11.18$133.75B$17.9627.82
Amazon.com$716.92B3.89$77.67B$12.4320.80

71.1% of Microsoft shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 72.2% of Amazon.com shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.0% of Microsoft shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 8.9% of Amazon.com shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Microsoft presently has a consensus target price of $564.27, suggesting a potential upside of 12.92%. Amazon.com has a consensus target price of $323.26, suggesting a potential upside of 25.05%. Given Amazon.com's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Amazon.com is more favorable than Microsoft.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Microsoft
0 Sell rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
42 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.89
Amazon.com
0 Sell rating(s)
2 Hold rating(s)
56 Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.98

In the previous week, Amazon.com had 36 more articles in the media than Microsoft. MarketBeat recorded 265 mentions for Amazon.com and 229 mentions for Microsoft. Microsoft's average media sentiment score of 0.88 beat Amazon.com's score of 0.73 indicating that Microsoft is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Microsoft
134 Very Positive mention(s)
29 Positive mention(s)
41 Neutral mention(s)
16 Negative mention(s)
8 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Amazon.com
141 Very Positive mention(s)
41 Positive mention(s)
31 Neutral mention(s)
39 Negative mention(s)
12 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Summary

Amazon.com beats Microsoft on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Microsoft compare to Alphabet?

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) are related large-cap companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, media sentiment, dividends and earnings.

Microsoft has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Alphabet. Alphabet is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Microsoft, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Alphabet$402.84B10.18$132.17B$19.9116.84
Microsoft$331.84B11.18$133.75B$17.9627.82

In the previous week, Alphabet had 4 more articles in the media than Microsoft. MarketBeat recorded 233 mentions for Alphabet and 229 mentions for Microsoft. Microsoft's average media sentiment score of 0.88 beat Alphabet's score of 0.87 indicating that Microsoft is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Alphabet
147 Very Positive mention(s)
19 Positive mention(s)
35 Neutral mention(s)
22 Negative mention(s)
9 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Microsoft
134 Very Positive mention(s)
29 Positive mention(s)
41 Neutral mention(s)
16 Negative mention(s)
8 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Alphabet pays an annual dividend of $0.88 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Microsoft pays an annual dividend of $3.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Alphabet pays out 4.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Microsoft pays out 20.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Alphabet has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years and Microsoft has raised its dividend for 23 consecutive years. Microsoft is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Alphabet has a beta of 1.21, meaning that its stock price is 21% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Microsoft has a beta of 1.11, meaning that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the broader market.

27.3% of Alphabet shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.1% of Microsoft shares are owned by institutional investors. 13.0% of Alphabet shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.0% of Microsoft shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Alphabet has a net margin of 54.77% compared to Microsoft's net margin of 40.31%. Alphabet's return on equity of 51.32% beat Microsoft's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Alphabet54.77% 51.32% 35.42%
Microsoft 40.31%31.98%18.70%

Alphabet currently has a consensus target price of $415.55, indicating a potential upside of 23.93%. Microsoft has a consensus target price of $564.27, indicating a potential upside of 12.92%. Given Alphabet's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Alphabet is more favorable than Microsoft.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Alphabet
0 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
30 Buy rating(s)
6 Strong Buy rating(s)
3.05
Microsoft
0 Sell rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
42 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.89

Summary

Alphabet beats Microsoft on 12 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Microsoft compare to Alphabet?

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) are related large-cap companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, media sentiment, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Alphabet has a net margin of 54.77% compared to Microsoft's net margin of 40.31%. Alphabet's return on equity of 51.32% beat Microsoft's return on equity.

Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets
Alphabet54.77% 51.32% 35.42%
Microsoft 40.31%31.98%18.70%

Alphabet presently has a consensus target price of $420.19, suggesting a potential upside of 24.15%. Microsoft has a consensus target price of $564.27, suggesting a potential upside of 12.92%. Given Alphabet's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Alphabet is more favorable than Microsoft.

Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score
Alphabet
0 Sell rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
45 Buy rating(s)
5 Strong Buy rating(s)
3.02
Microsoft
0 Sell rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
42 Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
2.89

In the previous week, Microsoft had 39 more articles in the media than Alphabet. MarketBeat recorded 229 mentions for Microsoft and 190 mentions for Alphabet. Alphabet's average media sentiment score of 0.95 beat Microsoft's score of 0.88 indicating that Alphabet is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment
Alphabet
129 Very Positive mention(s)
5 Positive mention(s)
32 Neutral mention(s)
21 Negative mention(s)
1 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive
Microsoft
134 Very Positive mention(s)
29 Positive mention(s)
41 Neutral mention(s)
16 Negative mention(s)
8 Very Negative mention(s)
Positive

Alphabet pays an annual dividend of $0.88 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Microsoft pays an annual dividend of $3.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.7%. Alphabet pays out 4.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Microsoft pays out 20.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Alphabet has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years and Microsoft has increased its dividend for 23 consecutive years. Microsoft is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

40.0% of Alphabet shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.1% of Microsoft shares are held by institutional investors. 11.6% of Alphabet shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.0% of Microsoft shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Microsoft has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Alphabet. Alphabet is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Microsoft, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings Ratio
Alphabet$402.84B10.28$132.17B$19.9117.00
Microsoft$331.84B11.18$133.75B$17.9627.82

Alphabet has a beta of 1.22, indicating that its stock price is 22% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Microsoft has a beta of 1.11, indicating that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Alphabet beats Microsoft on 13 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding MSFT and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.
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Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NASDAQ and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.
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MSFT vs. The Competition

Export
MetricMicrosoftSoftware IndustryTechnology SectorNASDAQ Exchange
Market Cap$3.71T$15.78B$30.00B$12.89B
Dividend Yield0.73%3.42%2.73%9.13%
P/E Ratio27.82139.7276.2325.45
Price / Sales11.181,293.55594.76101.10
Price / Cash22.1843.1246.8435.62
Price / Book8.398.577.836.39
Net Income$133.75B$434.48M$704.49M$358.69M
7 Day Performance-1.50%-1.54%-0.75%0.22%
1 Month Performance-0.06%0.51%-1.42%-0.10%
1 Year Performance0.95%4.86%186.44%14.04%

Microsoft Competitors List

Export
CompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)
MSFT
Microsoft
4.8886 of 5 stars		$499.70
flat		$564.27
+12.9%		+0.9%$3.71T$331.84B27.82223,000
AAPL
Apple
4.2628 of 5 stars		$314.69
+0.4%		$330.53
+5.0%		+33.5%$4.59T$416.16B36.06166,000
AMD
Advanced Micro Devices
3.9214 of 5 stars		$472.72
-1.7%		$553.72
+17.1%		+216.0%$772.23B$34.64B121.6031,000
AMZN
Amazon.com
4.8736 of 5 stars		$256.50
-1.5%		$322.39
+25.7%		+11.3%$2.77T$775.68B20.641,576,000
GOOG
Alphabet
4.8509 of 5 stars		$338.34
-0.2%		$415.55
+22.8%		+42.6%$4.14T$402.84B16.98190,200

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This page (NASDAQ:MSFT) was last updated on 9/7/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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