Alibaba vs Uber: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Alibaba reported ~$142.3B of revenue in FY2026 and ~$14.4B of net income. Uber reported $52B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.1B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Alibaba
Revenue rose from ~$22 billion (RMB158.3 billion) in FY2017 to ~$142 billion (RMB1.024 trillion) in FY2026. Net income was ~$14.4 billion (RMB103.6 billion) in FY2026, down from ~$17.5 billion (RMB126.0 billion) in FY2025. Alibaba reports on a March 31 fiscal year and invests heavily in commerce, cloud and AI infrastructure.
Uber
Uber moved from years of heavy losses to steady profitability. Revenue grew from $37.3 billion in FY2023 to $44.0 billion in FY2024 and $52.0 billion in FY2025, while net income attributable to Uber was $10.053 billion in FY2025 (FY2024's $9.856 billion included a large tax valuation allowance release). Growth continued into 2026: Q2 2026 gross bookings rose 24% year over year to $58.0 billion and revenue rose about 12% to roughly $14.2 billion, and trailing twelve-month free cash flow passed $10 billion. The pending Delivery Hero deal, valued at $14.8 billion in equity, would be Uber's largest acquisition.
Revenue and profit by year
Alibaba
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | ~$142.3B | ~$14.4B | 10.1% | +2.7% | Source |
| FY2025 | ~$138.5B | ~$17.5B | 12.6% | +5.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$130.8B | ~$9.9B | 7.6% | +8.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$120.7B | ~$9.1B | 7.5% | +1.8% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$118.6B | ~$6.5B | 5.5% | +18.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$99.7B | ~$19.9B | 20.0% | +40.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$70.8B | ~$19.5B | 27.5% | +35.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$52.4B | ~$11.2B | 21.3% | +50.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$34.8B | ~$8.5B | 24.5% | +58.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$22B | ~$6.1B | 27.6% | — | Source |
Uber
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $52B | $10.1B | 19.3% | +18.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $44B | $9.9B | 22.4% | +18.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $37.3B | $1.9B | 5.1% | +17.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | $31.9B | -$9.1B | -28.7% | +82.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $17.5B | -$496M | -2.8% | +56.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $11.1B | -$6.8B | -60.8% | -14.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $13B | -$8.5B | -65.4% | +24.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | $10.4B | $997M | 9.6% | +31.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $7.9B | -$4B | -50.8% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Alibaba
- China commerce
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through China commerce.
- international digital commerce
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through international digital commerce.
- cloud intelligence
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through cloud intelligence.
- logistics services
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through logistics services.
- local services and digital media
Not formally reported
Alibaba earns revenue through local services and digital media.
Uber
- Mobility
~52% (Q2 2026)
Fees from ride-hailing trips, including UberX, Uber Black, taxis and autonomous rides on partner vehicles. About $7.36B of Q2 2026 revenue.
- Delivery
~37% (Q2 2026)
Fees from Uber Eats restaurant, grocery and retail orders, plus delivery advertising. About $5.25B of Q2 2026 revenue.
- Freight
~11% (Q2 2026)
Uber Freight brokerage and managed transportation services for shippers.
Business model and strategy
Alibaba
How it makes money
Alibaba earns revenue from customer-management services and commissions on its China commerce marketplaces, direct sales and logistics services in international commerce, cloud products and services, Cainiao logistics, local services, and digital media. Taobao and Tmall primarily connect merchants with consumers rather than operating only as first-party retailers.
Growth strategy
Facing intense regulatory scrutiny and fierce domestic competition, Alibaba's growth strategy recently underwent a large structural overhaul. They announced a plan to split the empire into six separate, independent business groups (like Cloud, E-commerce, and Logistics), allowing each to operate faster and potentially seek their own IPOs.
Competitive advantage
Alibaba's primary moat was its large network effect within China; virtually every merchant had to be on Taobao because that's where all the consumers were, and vice versa. their proprietary logistics network (Cainiao) and deep integration with Alipay created a frictionless ecosystem for Chinese consumers.
Uber
How it makes money
Uber does not own most of the cars, restaurants or trucks on its platform. It matches riders with independent drivers (Mobility), consumers with restaurants, grocers and couriers (Delivery), and shippers with carriers (Freight), and keeps a share of each transaction as revenue.
Growth strategy
Uber's growth strategy centers on cross-platform engagement between Mobility and Delivery, Uber One membership, advertising, autonomous-vehicle partnerships, and international delivery scale. The €41.50-per-share Delivery Hero tender, launched September 18, 2026 after Delivery Hero's boards recommended it on September 2, would extend delivery density; Uber expects closing in the second half of 2027.
Competitive advantage
Uber's advantage comes from local marketplace liquidity, brand recognition, routing data, payments, driver and courier networks, merchant relationships, subscriptions, and cross-sell between Mobility and Delivery.
Questions about Alibaba vs Uber
Which company has higher revenue — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited reported ~$142.3B (FY2026), while Uber Technologies, Inc. reported $52.0B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Alibaba Group Holding Limited is the larger business, with Uber Technologies, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base. Note: these are from different fiscal years and are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
What is the market cap of Alibaba Group Holding Limited vs Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited's market capitalisation stands at $266.6B, while Uber Technologies, Inc.'s is $142.0B. Alibaba Group Holding Limited carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Uber Technologies, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Uber Technologies, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited generates $1.08M / employee in revenue per employee, while Uber Technologies, Inc. generates $1.53M / employee. Uber Technologies, Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Uber Technologies, Inc. make money?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Uber Technologies, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Alibaba Group Holding Limited: Alibaba earns revenue from customer-management services and commissions on its China commerce marketplaces, direct sales and logistics services in international commerce, cloud products and services, Cainiao logistics, local services, and digital media. Uber Technologies, Inc.: Uber does not own most of the cars, restaurants or trucks on its platform.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Uber Technologies, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Alibaba Group Holding Limited trades at 1.9x P/S and Uber Technologies, Inc. at 2.7x P/S. Uber Technologies, Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Alibaba Group Holding Limited. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Alibaba Group Holding Limited bigger than Uber Technologies, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (~$142.3B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to Uber Technologies, Inc. ($52.0B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Alibaba vs Uber overview