VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Friday, January 2, 2026

Stock Comparison

Salesforce, Inc. vs Ecolab Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Salesforce, Inc.

CRM · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$243.5B
Gross margin (TTM)77.7%
Operating margin (TTM)20.5%
Net margin (TTM)17.9%
SectorTechnology
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-22
Moat score
70/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Salesforce, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CRM analysis

Ecolab Inc.

ECL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)12.5%
SectorMaterials
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Ecolab Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ECL analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Salesforce, Inc. leads (70 / 100 vs 63 / 100 for Ecolab Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Salesforce, Inc. has 3 segments (78.9% in CRM Applications Suite (Sales, Service, Platform, Marketing & Commerce)); Ecolab Inc. has 4 segments (49.5% in Global Industrial).
  • Moat breadth: Salesforce, Inc. has 6 moat types across 2 domains; Ecolab Inc. has 7 across 3.

Primary market context

Salesforce, Inc.

CRM Applications Suite (Sales, Service, Platform, Marketing & Commerce)

Market

CRM applications (sales, customer service, marketing, digital commerce) delivered as SaaS

Geography

Global

Customer

Business (SMB to enterprise)

Role

SaaS application & platform vendor

Revenue share

78.9%

Ecolab Inc.

Global Industrial

Market

Industrial water treatment & process chemistry (incl. food & beverage processing and pulp & paper process aids)

Geography

Global

Customer

B2B

Role

formulator + on-site service/optimization provider

Revenue share

49.5%

Side-by-side metrics

Salesforce, Inc.
Ecolab Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CRM - New York Stock Exchange
ECL - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$243.5B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
77.7%
44.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
20.5%
17.3%
Net margin (TTM)
17.9%
12.5%
Sector
Technology
Materials
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
CRM Applications Suite (Sales, Service, Platform, Marketing & Commerce)
Global Industrial
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
20.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
70 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2025-12-22
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Workflow LockinLong Term ContractsTraining Org Change Costs

Salesforce, Inc. strengths

Suite BundlingEcosystem ComplementsInteroperability Hub

Ecolab Inc. strengths

Service Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageInstalled Base ConsumablesBrand Trust

Segment mix

Salesforce, Inc. segments

Full profile >

CRM Applications Suite (Sales, Service, Platform, Marketing & Commerce)

Oligopoly

78.9%

Integration & Analytics (MuleSoft, Tableau, related subscriptions)

Competitive

15.2%

Professional Services & Other

Competitive

5.8%

Ecolab Inc. segments

Full profile >

Global Industrial

Oligopoly

49.5%

Global Institutional & Specialty

Oligopoly

34.1%

Global Healthcare & Life Sciences

Oligopoly

9%

Global Pest Elimination

Oligopoly

7.4%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.