AAPL vs TSLA
How Apple Inc. and Tesla, Inc. compare on business model, dividends and risk — the structural picture, in plain English.
| AAPL | TSLA | |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Technology | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics | Auto Manufacturers |
| Headquarters | Cupertino, California, USA | Austin, Texas, USA |
| Founded | 1976 | 2003 |
| Pays a dividend | Yes | No |
| Volatility | Roughly market-level | Much 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.
Tesla, Inc. (TSLA)
Tesla designs and builds electric vehicles — the Model 3, Y, S, X and Cybertruck — and also sells energy storage and solar products. A large part of its valuation rests on future bets: full self-driving, robotaxis and AI.
From the latest 10-K filings
| Metric | AAPLFY 2025, ended Sep 27, 202510-K filed Oct 31, 2025 | TSLAFY 2025, ended Dec 31, 202510-K filed Jan 29, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $416.2B | $94.8B |
| Net income | $112.0B | $3.8B |
| Operating cash flow | $111.5B | $14.7B |
| Source | AAPL 10-K on EDGAR ↗ | TSLA 10-K on EDGAR ↗ |
Apple’s fiscal 2025 revenue ($416.2B) was 4.4× Tesla’s fiscal 2025 revenue ($94.8B). The fiscal years differ (AAPL’s ended Sep 27, 2025, TSLA’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
AAPL pays a dividend; TSLA does not.
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.
TSLA: Tesla does not pay a dividend and reinvests all cash into growth.
Risk & volatility
Historically, AAPL has been the steadier of the two: AAPL is roughly market-level (beta band ~1.1–1.3) while TSLA is much higher than the market (beta band ~1.6+). These are long-run tendencies, not live figures.
Frequently asked
Does AAPL or TSLA pay a dividend?
AAPL pays a dividend; TSLA does not. Yields change with price, so check current figures in the app.
Is AAPL or TSLA more volatile?
Historically, AAPL has been the steadier of the two — AAPL is "roughly market-level" and TSLA is "much 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 TSLA. Company profiles reflect long-term, structural facts; volatility bands are approximate historical tendencies, not live data. Always do your own research.