Tesla is an automotive and energy company generating $81.5B in annual revenue primarily from electric vehicles, while Apple is a consumer technology company with $383B in annual revenue from iPhones, services, and computing devices. They operate in fundamentally different industries with distinct business models and customer bases.
Tesla vs Apple — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
American EV manufacturer focused on high-performance electric vehicles and autonomous technology
Consumer technology company creating iPhones, Macs, wearables, and digital services since 1976.
Primary Business Focus. Annual Revenue (2024). Market Capitalization (2026). Gross Profit Margin. Global Employees. R&D Spending as % of Revenue. Product Lifespan Innovation
Tesla and Apple cannot be directly compared as competitors—they serve entirely different markets and purposes. Choose Tesla if you're interested in sustainable transportation and energy solutions with growth potential in emerging EV markets. Choose Apple if you're evaluating a diversified consumer technology and services giant with premium pricing, ecosystem lock-in, and dominant market positions in smartphones and wearables. From an investment standpoint, Apple offers more stable cash flows and profitability, while Tesla offers higher growth potential but greater volatility.
Tesla, Inc.: FSD +38% (1.1M subscribers) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: $3.837B (+25% YoY) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 350k+ (facing 63% miss probability Q1) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: Model Y from ~$45k | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: Model Y: 300+ miles | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: Model Y: 5 seats | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: Model Y Performance: 3.5s | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: $13.3B | Apple Inc.: $93.7B
Tesla, Inc.: 1.81M vehicles | Apple Inc.: 231M devices
Tesla, Inc.: 1.81M units | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 28th place | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 60,000 Superchargers | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 1.99 seconds | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 358 miles (Model 3) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 2.3 seconds | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 348 miles | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: Synthetic, minimalist | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: Electric only | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: $81.5B | Apple Inc.: $391.4B
Tesla, Inc.: 1.81 million | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: Level 4 (Full Self-Driving Beta) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: $35,990 (Model 3) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 200+ Service Centers | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 5.8 seconds (Model 3 RWD) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 272 miles (Model 3 RWD) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 250 kW (V3 Supercharger) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 16 years (founded 2010) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 4.1 mi/kWh | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 1.81 million (2023) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: $43,990 (Model 3) | Apple Inc.: N/A
0-60 MPH Acceleration (Performance Model)
Tesla, Inc.: 1.99 seconds (Model S Plaid) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 150,000+ miles | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 5 gigafactories | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 3.1 sec (Model 3 RWD) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 4 (S, 3, X, Y) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 272 (Model 3 RWD) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: $3.2 billion | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 70+ countries | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: Level 2 (FSD Beta) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Supercharger/Adventure Network Locations
Tesla, Inc.: $2,780 million | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 8 years / 120,000 miles | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 5.1 sec (Model 3 RWD) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: $780 billion | Apple Inc.: $3.5T
Tesla, Inc.: $81.5B | Apple Inc.: $391.0B
EV Market Share / Product Category Dominance
Tesla, Inc.: 20.1% (global EV) | Apple Inc.: 56% (smartphone OS)
Tesla, Inc.: 358 miles | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 5.8 seconds | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 157 (2024 J.D. Power) | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 50,000+ Superchargers | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 2 hybrid models | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: 500+ service centers | Apple Inc.: N/A
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: $42 billion
Enterprise Product Innovation Review Count
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 20,232 reviews
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 186 reviews
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: Not specified
Enterprise Integration Capabilities Rating
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: Below 5.0★
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 15+ devices
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 4.4 stars
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 275 reviews
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: Emerging competitor with new features (multi-stop, cycling nav)
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: Limited to Apple ecosystem
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: End-to-end encryption enabled (iOS 26.5+)
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: Minimal collection; on-device processing prioritized
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: Privacy-preserving on-device AI processing
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: $143.76 billion
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: $2.37 billion
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: Services-focused (not specified)
Commercial Remaining Performance Obligations
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: Not disclosed as separate metric
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: $85.27 billion (+23.3% YoY)
Trailing 12-Month Revenue Growth (3-Year Period)
Ecosystem App Availability (Android/iOS equivalent)
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 1.96M apps (App Store)
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 27% (Apple Arcade subscribers: 25M)
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: $84.3B (22% of total)
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 9.5/10 (fully vertical)
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 8% (emerging with Vision Pro)
iPhone 16 Pro / Galaxy S25 Ultra Display
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 120Hz Super Retina XDR
Tesla, Inc.: N/A | Apple Inc.: 7 major categories
How to choose between Tesla, Inc. and Apple Inc.
Tesla vs Apple — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Tesla vs Apple. Contains 127 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Tesla vs Apple — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Tesla vs Apple.
Can Tesla and Apple be compared directly as competitors?
No—Tesla and Apple operate in fundamentally different industries. Tesla is primarily an automotive and energy company, while Apple is a consumer electronics and services company. They compete indirectly only in emerging areas like in-vehicle computing and AI/machine learning development. A direct comparison is more useful for investment purposes rather than product evaluation.
Why does Apple have much higher revenue than Tesla despite both being major tech companies?
Apple's $383B revenue (2024) vastly exceeds Tesla's $81.5B for several reasons: (1) Apple sells 231 million devices annually across iPhones, Mac, iPad, and wearables versus Tesla's 1.81 million vehicles; (2) Apple's Services segment generates $85.2B annually with recurring revenue; (3) much higher gross margins (46.3% vs 25.2%) due to software/services and premium pricing; and (4) longer market presence in established smartphone market versus Tesla's newer EV dominance.
Which company is a better investment—Tesla or Apple?
Tesla offers higher growth potential (EV market expanding 35-40% annually) but with significantly higher volatility and execution risk. Apple offers more predictable, stable cash flows ($110B+ annual free cash flow), dominant market positions, and lower risk. Tesla is better for growth-focused investors willing to tolerate volatility; Apple suits value/income investors seeking stability and dividends ($16B annual shareholder returns).
What are the geographic risks for each company?
Tesla derives ~25% of revenue from China and faces risks from tariffs, competition from BYD, and geopolitical tensions. Apple manufactures 20% of products in China and sources components globally, creating supply chain vulnerability. Both face US-China trade tensions, but Apple's diversified product portfolio and service revenue reduce single-region dependence more effectively than Tesla's vehicle-centric model.
How do their innovation strategies differ?
Apple spends 7.8% of revenue on R&D ($30B annually) focused on incremental hardware improvements, AI integration, and Services expansion—with 12-24 month product cycles. Tesla spends 2.1% on R&D ($1.7B) but invests heavily in manufacturing efficiency and autonomous driving algorithms, with 5-8 year vehicle platform lifecycles. Apple's strategy emphasizes polish and ecosystem; Tesla's emphasizes technological breakthroughs in mobility.
How to Choose Between Tesla, Inc. and Apple Inc.
Primary Business Focus: Tesla, Inc. has Electric vehicles & energy storage, while Apple Inc. has Consumer electronics & software services.
Annual Revenue (2024): Tesla, Inc. has $81.5 billion, while Apple Inc. has $383 billion.
Market Capitalization (2026): Tesla, Inc. has $1.2 trillion, while Apple Inc. has $3.4 trillion.
Gross Profit Margin: Tesla, Inc. has 25.2%, while Apple Inc. has 46.3%.
Global Employees: Tesla, Inc. has 128,000, while Apple Inc. has 161,000.
R&D Spending as % of Revenue: Tesla, Inc. has 2.1%, while Apple Inc. has 7.8%.
Product Lifespan Innovation: Tesla, Inc. has Vehicle platform life: 5-8 years, while Apple Inc. has Device refresh cycle: 12-24 months.