AAPL vs META
How Apple Inc. and Meta Platforms, Inc. compare on business model, dividends and risk — the structural picture, in plain English.
| AAPL | META | |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Technology | Communication Services |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics | Internet Content & Information |
| Headquarters | Cupertino, California, USA | Menlo Park, California, USA |
| Founded | 1976 | 2004 |
| Pays a dividend | Yes | Yes |
| Volatility | Roughly market-level | Higher than the market |
What each company does
Apple Inc. (AAPL)
Apple designs and sells the iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch, and runs a fast-growing Services business — the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music and more — that wraps its hardware in recurring, high-margin revenue.
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)
Meta owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, and earns almost all of its money from advertising against that enormous user base. It also spends heavily on Reality Labs, its long-term augmented- and virtual-reality bet.
From the latest 10-K filings
| Metric | AAPLFY 2025, ended Sep 27, 202510-K filed Oct 31, 2025 | METAFY 2025, ended Dec 31, 202510-K filed Jan 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $416.2B | $201.0B |
| Net income | $112.0B | $60.5B |
| Operating cash flow | $111.5B | $115.8B |
| Source | AAPL 10-K on EDGAR ↗ | META 10-K on EDGAR ↗ |
Apple’s fiscal 2025 revenue ($416.2B) was 2.1× Meta’s fiscal 2025 revenue ($201.0B). The fiscal years differ (AAPL’s ended Sep 27, 2025, META’s ended Dec 31, 2025), so the two columns cover different periods.
As reported to the SEC for each company’s own fiscal year; not a valuation or forecast.
Dividends
Both AAPL and META pay a dividend.
AAPL: Pays a modest quarterly dividend and has raised it every year for over a decade. The yield is small — Apple returns far more cash through buybacks than dividends.
META: Meta began paying its first-ever quarterly dividend in 2024. The yield is small; the company also runs large buybacks.
Risk & volatility
Historically, AAPL has been the steadier of the two: AAPL is roughly market-level (beta band ~1.1–1.3) while META is higher than the market (beta band ~1.2–1.4). These are long-run tendencies, not live figures.
Frequently asked
Does AAPL or META pay a dividend?
Both AAPL and META pay a dividend. Yields change with price, so check current figures in the app.
Is AAPL or META more volatile?
Historically, AAPL has been the steadier of the two — AAPL is "roughly market-level" and META is "higher than the market" versus the broad market. These are long-run tendencies, not live figures.
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Comparison is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell AAPL or META. Company profiles reflect long-term, structural facts; volatility bands are approximate historical tendencies, not live data. Always do your own research.