VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Stock Comparison

Alphabet Inc. vs Microsoft Corporation

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

Alphabet Inc.

GOOGL · The Nasdaq Stock Market

Market cap (USD)$3.8T
Gross margin (TTM)59.7%
Operating margin (TTM)32%
Net margin (TTM)32.8%
SectorCommunication Services
IndustryInternet Content & Information
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
86/ 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 Alphabet Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View GOOGL analysis

Microsoft Corporation

MSFT · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$2.9T
Gross margin (TTM)68.6%
Operating margin (TTM)46.7%
Net margin (TTM)39%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
84/ 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 Microsoft Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSFT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Alphabet Inc. leads (86 / 100 vs 84 / 100 for Microsoft Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Alphabet Inc. has 6 segments (56.6% in Google Search & other (Advertising)); Microsoft Corporation has 3 segments (42.9% in Productivity and Business Processes).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Strong vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Alphabet Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; Microsoft Corporation has 9 across 4.

Primary market context

Alphabet Inc.

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Market

Search advertising (intent-based digital ads)

Geography

Global

Customer

Advertisers (SMB to enterprise)

Role

Ad platform / publisher

Revenue share

56.6%

Microsoft Corporation

Productivity and Business Processes

Market

Enterprise productivity & collaboration suites, business applications, and professional network platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises, SMBs, consumers, recruiters/advertisers

Role

SaaS platform + professional network

Revenue share

42.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Alphabet Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
GOOGL - The Nasdaq Stock Market
MSFT - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$3.8T
$2.9T
Gross margin (TTM)
59.7%
68.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
32%
46.7%
Net margin (TTM)
32.8%
39%
Sector
Communication Services
Technology
Industry
Internet Content & Information
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Google Search & other (Advertising)
Productivity and Business Processes
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
88%-91% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
8,115
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Strong
Moat score
86 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal, Supply
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkContent Rights CurrencyOperational ExcellenceDefault OS GatewayCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem Complements

Alphabet Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsHabit DefaultSwitching Costs GeneralIncubation & patient capital

Microsoft Corporation strengths

Suite BundlingData Workflow LockinLong Term Contracts

Segment mix

Alphabet Inc. segments

Full profile >

Google Search & other (Advertising)

Quasi-Monopoly

56.6%

YouTube (Advertising)

Oligopoly

10.3%

Google Network (Advertising)

Competitive

8.7%

Google Subscriptions, Platforms & Devices

Quasi-Monopoly

11.5%

Google Cloud

Oligopoly

12.4%

Other Bets

Competitive

0.5%

Microsoft Corporation segments

Full profile >

Productivity and Business Processes

Oligopoly

42.9%

Intelligent Cloud

Oligopoly

37.7%

More Personal Computing

Quasi-Monopoly

19.4%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.