Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Snap Inc. (SNAP) vs Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | META | 22.2% revenue growth vs SNAP's 10.6% |
| Value | SNAP | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | META | 30.1% net margin vs SNAP's -7.8% |
| Stability / Safety | META | Beta 1.42 vs SNAP's 1.76 |
| Dividends | META | 0.3% yield; 2-year raise streak; SNAP pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | META | -2.7% vs SNAP's -49.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | META | 16.5% ROA vs SNAP's -6.0%, ROIC 27.6% vs -10.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Snap Inc. is a social media company best known for its Snapchat app, which enables visual communication through ephemeral photos and videos. It generates nearly all its revenue from digital advertising — primarily through Snap Ads and AR advertising — with a small portion from hardware sales like Spectacles. Its competitive advantage lies in its strong engagement with younger demographics and its pioneering work in augmented reality features that competitors struggle to replicate.
Meta Platforms operates a family of social media and messaging apps — Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger — that connect billions of users globally. It generates nearly all its revenue from digital advertising across these platforms, with its Reality Labs segment — which includes VR hardware and software — currently operating at a loss. The company's massive network effects and user data advantage create a powerful moat, making it difficult for competitors to challenge its dominant position in social media.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
META leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). SNAP leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
META is the larger business by revenue, generating $201.0B annually — 33.9x SNAP's $5.9B. META is the more profitable business, keeping 30.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to SNAP's -7.8%. On growth, META holds the edge at +23.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SNAPSnap Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $5.9B | $201.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$372M | $101.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$460M | $60.5B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $437M | $46.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +55.0% | +82.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -9.0% | +41.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -7.8% | +30.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +7.4% | +22.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +10.2% | +23.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +10.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | SNAPSnap Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.2B | $222.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $830M | $270.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -18.61x | 27.59x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 21.80x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.50x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 2.65x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.20x | 1.11x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 3.93x | 7.68x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.76x | 4.82x |
Profitability & Efficiency
META delivers a 27.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $28 in annual profit, vs $-20 for SNAP. SNAP carries lower financial leverage with a 0.29x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to META's 0.39x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SNAP scores 6/9 vs META's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | SNAPSnap Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -20.2% | +27.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -6.0% | +16.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -10.6% | +27.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -8.1% | +29.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.29x | 0.39x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$377M | $48.0B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.0B | $35.9B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $653M | $83.9B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -3.70x | 61.69x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in META five years ago would be worth $24,623 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $781 for SNAP. Over the past 12 months, META leads with a -2.7% total return vs SNAP's -49.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors META at 55.1% vs SNAP's -19.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SNAPSnap Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -35.9% | -0.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -49.2% | -2.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -48.7% | +272.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -92.2% | +146.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -78.7% | +510.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -19.9% | +55.1% |
Risk & Volatility
META is the less volatile stock with a 1.42 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SNAP's 1.76 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. META currently trades 81.4% from its 52-week high vs SNAP's 50.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SNAPSnap Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.76x | 1.42x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $10.41 | $796.25 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $4.65 | $479.80 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +50.0% | +81.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 37.1 | 50.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 43.6M | 13.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SNAP as "Hold" and META as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 44.1% upside for SNAP (target: $8) vs 31.6% for META (target: $853). META is the only dividend payer here at 0.32% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | SNAPSnap Inc. | METAMeta Platforms, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $7.51 | $853.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 71 | 60 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.3% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $2.07 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +62.2% | +11.8% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snap Inc. (SNAP) | 100 | 46.28 | -53.7% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | 100 | 359.61 | +259.6% |
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) returned +146% over 5 years vs Snap Inc. (SNAP)'s -92%. A $10,000 investment in META 5 years ago would be worth $24,623 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snap Inc. (SNAP) | $404M | $5.9B | +1366.4% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | $27.6B | $201.0B | +627.1% |
Snap Inc.'s revenue grew from $404M (2016) to $5.9B (2025) — a 34.8% CAGR. Meta Platforms, Inc.'s revenue grew from $27.6B (2016) to $201.0B (2025) — a 24.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snap Inc. (SNAP) | -127.2% | -7.8% | +93.9% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | 36.9% | 30.1% | -18.4% |
Snap Inc.'s net margin went from -127% (2016) to -8% (2025). Meta Platforms, Inc.'s net margin went from 37% (2016) to 30% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | 32.7 | 28.1 | -14.1% |
Meta Platforms, Inc. has traded in a 14x–33x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~28x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snap Inc. (SNAP) | -0.44 | -0.28 | +36.4% |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | 3.49 | 23.49 | +573.1% |
Snap Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.44 (2016) to $-0.28 (2025). Meta Platforms, Inc.'s EPS grew from $3.49 (2016) to $23.49 (2025) — a 24% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Snap Inc. generated $437M FCF in 2025 (+96% vs 2021). Meta Platforms, Inc. generated $46B FCF in 2025 (+18% vs 2021).
SNAP vs META: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SNAP or META a better buy right now?
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) offers the better valuation at 27.6x trailing P/E (21.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) a "Buy" — based on 60 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — SNAP or META?
Over the past 5 years, Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) delivered a total return of +146.2%, compared to -92.2% for Snap Inc. (SNAP). A $10,000 investment in META five years ago would be worth approximately $25K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: META returned +510.1% versus SNAP's -78.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — SNAP or META?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) is the lower-risk stock at 1.42β versus Snap Inc.'s 1.76β — meaning SNAP is approximately 24% more volatile than META relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Snap Inc. (SNAP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 29% versus 39% for Meta Platforms, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — SNAP or META?
Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) is the more profitable company, earning 30.1% net margin versus -7.8% for Snap Inc. — meaning it keeps 30.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: META leads at 41.4% versus -9.0% for SNAP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — META leads at 82.0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is SNAP or META more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SNAP: 44.1% to $7.51.
06Which pays a better dividend — SNAP or META?
In this comparison, META (0.3% yield) pays a dividend. SNAP does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is SNAP or META better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (+510.1% 10Y return). Snap Inc. (SNAP) carries a higher beta of 1.76 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (META: +510.1%, SNAP: -78.7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between SNAP and META?
These companies operate in different sectors (SNAP (Communication Services) and META (Technology)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.
- Sector: Communication Services
- Market Cap > $100B
- Revenue Growth > 5%
- Gross Margin > 32%