Alphabet vs Microsoft (GOOG vs MSFT)
Side by side from their SEC filings: revenue, margins, growth, returns and valuation, plus short interest, insider activity and institutional ownership.
Alphabet is the larger company by revenue ($402.8B vs $281.7B) and market value ($4.3T vs $2.9T). Microsoft has grown revenue faster over the last 4 fiscal years (+67.6% cumulative vs +56.4%). Microsoft runs the higher operating margin (45.6% vs 32.0%). Microsoft trades at the lower trailing P/E (23.4x vs 27.1x).
About Alphabet
Alphabet Inc. operates as a collection of businesses, with its largest segment being Google. Google provides services including Search, YouTube, advertising platforms, Android, Chrome, and devices like the Pixel series, serving users worldwide. Alphabet also offers Google Cloud services to businesses, delivering cloud computing solutions and productivity tools.
About Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation develops, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products, services, and devices. Its main offerings include operating systems like Windows, cloud-based services, artificial intelligence solutions, and platform-based ecosystems for developers and users. Microsoft serves both business and consumer markets globally, competing in areas such as personal computing, cloud infrastructure, and AI technologies.
Head to head (GOOG FY2025 vs MSFT FY2025)
| Metric | GOOGFY2025 | MSFTFY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $402.84B | $281.72B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 15.1% | 14.9% |
| Gross margin | 59.7% | 68.8% |
| Operating margin | 32.0% | 45.6% |
| Net margin | 32.8% | 36.1% |
| Net income | $132.17B | $101.83B |
| Diluted EPS | $10.81 | $13.64 |
| FCF margin | 18.2% | 25.4% |
| ROE | 31.8% | 29.6% |
| Debt / equity | 0.1× | 0.1× |
| Market cap | $4.33T | $2.93T |
| P/E (TTM) | 27.1× | 23.4× |
Fundamentals are from each company’s SEC filings (GOOG FY2025, MSFT FY2025). P/E and market cap are derived from recent market prices and update daily.
Five-year trend (as reported)
| Revenue | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOOG | $257.64B | $282.84B | $307.39B | $350.02B | $402.84B |
| MSFT | $168.09B | $198.27B | $211.91B | $245.12B | $281.72B |
Peer standing
Where each company ranks among the 330 software companies, on the same scale. Each figure is ranked only against peers that report it. Percentiles describe position in the distribution, not a rating.
| Metric | GOOG | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 59.7%38th percentile of 261 | 68.8%52nd percentile of 261 |
| Operating margin | 32.0%95th percentile of 302 | 45.6%99th percentile of 302 |
| Net margin | 32.8%93rd percentile of 306 | 36.1%94th percentile of 306 |
| FCF margin | 18.2%58th percentile of 283 | 25.4%77th percentile of 283 |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +15.1%62nd percentile of 323 | +14.9%62nd percentile of 323 |
| ROE | 31.8%88th percentile of 283 | 29.6%87th percentile of 283 |
| P/E (TTM) | 27.1×52nd percentile of 171 | 23.4×47th percentile of 171 |
| Debt / equity | 0.11×21st percentile of 125 | 0.12×23rd percentile of 125 |
| Short interest (days to cover) | 1.99d27th percentile of 329 | 1.47d20th percentile of 329 |
Short interest
| FINRA settlement data | GOOG | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Shares sold short | 58.5M | 89.1M |
| Change vs prior settlement | +10.9% | -6.4% |
| Days to cover | 1.99 | 1.47 |
| As of settlement | 2026-06-30 | 2026-06-30 |
Source: FINRA Consolidated Short Interest. FINRA is the owner and source of the FINRA-supplied data; republishing or redistributing it is not permitted. Not presented as a percentage of float. No FINRA endorsement of this product is implied.
Insider activity (last 90 days)
| Form 4 open-market activity | GOOG | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| Buys | — | 0 |
| Sells | — | 4 ($10.5M) |
Open-market purchases and sales reported on SEC Form 4 (grants, exercises and tax withholding excluded). For context, about 16% of covered companies saw any open-market insider buy in a 90-day window.
Held by the same investors
21 tracked 13F managers hold both Alphabet and Microsoft as of their latest quarterly filings: AQR Capital Management, ARK Investment Management, Appaloosa, Bridgewater Associates, Citadel Advisors, Coatue Management, D. E. Shaw, Dodge & Cox, First Eagle Investment Management, Giverny Capital, Gotham Asset Management, Harris Associates (Oakmark) and 9 more. See which superinvestors hold your own portfolio with the smart money checker.
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Data sourced from SEC EDGAR (public domain). Figures are as-reported and may be unaudited or restated; verify against the source filings before relying on them. Comparisons are descriptive (higher or lower on a reported figure), not a rating or a recommendation. Informational only. Not investment advice.