Block vs PayPal: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Block reported $24.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $1.3B of net income. PayPal reported $33.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $5.2B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Block
Revenue was nearly flat in 2025, $24.19 billion against $24.12 billion, because bitcoin sales fell from $10.36 billion to $8.50 billion. Gross profit, which strips out the cost of the bitcoin Block resells, rose 17% to $10.36 billion and adjusted operating income rose 30% to about $2.3 billion. Net income attributable to common stockholders was $1.31 billion, down from $2.90 billion in 2024, a year lifted by a large fourth-quarter tax benefit. 2026 opened with a $308.7 million first-quarter net loss as layoff costs landed (about $495 million of restructuring charges across the first half), then second-quarter gross profit grew 25% to $3.17 billion with a record 27% adjusted operating margin. Block now guides to $12.51 billion of 2026 gross profit and $3.47 billion of adjusted operating income. It bought back $2.3 billion of stock in 2025, had $4.6 billion of repurchase authorization left at June 30, 2026, and pays no dividend.
PayPal
PayPal is large and profitable, but growth has slowed. Revenue climbed from $21.45 billion in 2020 to $33.17 billion in 2025, yet annual growth fell from about 21% to about 4%. Net income reached $5.23 billion in 2025, up from $4.15 billion in 2024. In Q2 2026 revenue rose 5% to $8.68 billion (3% currency-neutral), total payment volume rose 10% to $486.4 billion, transaction margin dollars rose 1% to about $3.9 billion, and non-GAAP EPS was $1.38. Management then raised full-year 2026 non-GAAP EPS guidance to about $5.38 and guided to at least $6 billion of adjusted free cash flow, most of which goes to buybacks. The stock still trades at roughly 10 times earnings, which shows how skeptical investors are about long-term branded checkout growth.
Revenue and profit by year
Block
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $24.2B | $1.3B | 5.4% | +0.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $24.1B | $2.9B | 12.0% | +10.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | $21.9B | $9.8M | 0.0% | +25.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | $17.5B | -$541M | -3.1% | -0.7% | Source |
| FY2021 | $17.7B | $166M | 0.9% | +85.9% | Source |
| FY2020 | $9.5B | $213M | 2.2% | +101.5% | Source |
| FY2019 | $4.7B | $375M | 8.0% | +42.9% | Source |
| FY2018 | $3.3B | -$38M | -1.2% | +49.0% | Source |
| FY2017 | $2.2B | -$63M | -2.8% | +29.5% | Source |
| FY2016 | $1.7B | -$172M | -10.1% | — | Source |
PayPal
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $33.2B | $5.2B | 15.8% | +4.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $31.8B | $4.1B | 13.0% | +6.8% | Source |
| FY2023 | $29.8B | $4.2B | 14.3% | +8.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | $27.5B | $2.4B | 8.8% | +8.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | $25.4B | $4.2B | 16.4% | +18.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $21.5B | $4.2B | 19.6% | +20.7% | Source |
| FY2019 | $17.8B | $2.5B | 13.8% | +15.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | $15.5B | $2.1B | 13.3% | +18.0% | Source |
| FY2017 | $13.1B | $1.8B | 13.7% | +20.8% | Source |
| FY2016 | $10.8B | $1.4B | 12.9% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Block
- Commerce enablement revenue47.6%
$11.51 billion in 2025: Square payment processing, software and hardware for sellers, plus Afterpay.
- Financial solutions revenue17.3%
$4.18 billion in 2025: Cash App Card interchange, instant transfer fees, Borrow and Square Loans, and banking products. It is the fastest-growing line and carries high margins.
- Bitcoin ecosystem revenue35.1%
$8.50 billion in 2025, down from $10.36 billion in 2024. Bitcoin sold to Cash App customers is booked at full value, so gross profit is small: $72 million in the second quarter of 2026.
PayPal
- Transaction RevenueDominant
Merchant fees and payment-related revenue from branded and unbranded volume.
- Value-Added ServicesMaterial
Interest, credit products, fraud tools, merchant services, and other payments-adjacent products.
- Venmo and Consumer Financial ServicesGrowing
Consumer payment and commerce monetization around Venmo and wallet products.
Business model and strategy
Block
How it makes money
Block runs a two-sided network. On the seller side, Square charges a fee on each card payment (in the U.S. on its free plan, 2.6% plus 15 cents in person and 3.3% plus 30 cents online) and adds paid software, hardware, payroll, banking and Square Loans. On the consumer side, basic Cash App transfers are free;
Growth strategy
Block's 2026 plan has four parts. Square is selling to larger and international sellers through a field sales team and independent sales organization partners; international GPV grew 28% in the second quarter of 2026. Cash App wants to be the main bank account for people with several income sources, using direct deposit and Cash App Green rewards status;
Competitive advantage
Block's advantage is owning both ends of many small transactions. Cash App's peer-to-peer network spreads by itself, since receiving money means downloading the app, and every added product (the Cash App Card, direct deposit, Borrow, Afterpay) raises revenue per customer without new acquisition cost.
PayPal
How it makes money
PayPal makes most of its money from transaction revenue: fees merchants pay when customers check out with the PayPal or Venmo button (branded checkout), fees on unbranded card processing through Braintree, and consumer fees such as instant transfers, cross-border and currency conversion charges. Branded checkout carries the highest margin because PayPal controls the customer relationship;
Growth strategy
Under Enrique Lores, PayPal's 2026 plan has three parts. First, restore growth in branded checkout, which rose only about 2% in Q2 2026, by improving conversion, Fastlane guest checkout and agentic or AI-assisted commerce. Second, make Venmo and Braintree pull more weight: Venmo is being pushed into merchant payments and debit cards, while Braintree is priced for profit rather than volume.
Competitive advantage
PayPal's edge is a two-sided network: about 439 million active accounts at the end of 2025 on one side and millions of merchants on the other. Shoppers who already store cards and bank accounts in PayPal can pay without typing details, and merchants add the button because it can lift conversion with those shoppers. Processors such as Stripe and Adyen serve merchants but do not own a consumer wallet of that size.
Questions about Block vs PayPal
Which company has higher revenue — Block Inc or PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
Block Inc reported $24.2B (FY2025), while PayPal Holdings, Inc. reported $33.2B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, PayPal Holdings, Inc. is the larger business, with Block Inc reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Block Inc vs PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
Block Inc's market capitalisation stands at $44.5B, while PayPal Holdings, Inc.'s is $47.0B. PayPal Holdings, Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Block Inc.
Which is more financially efficient — Block Inc or PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
Block Inc generates $2.37M / employee in revenue per employee, while PayPal Holdings, Inc. generates $1.39M / employee. Block 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 Block Inc and PayPal Holdings, Inc. make money?
Block Inc and PayPal Holdings, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Block Inc: Block runs a two-sided network. PayPal Holdings, Inc.: PayPal makes most of its money from transaction revenue: fees merchants pay when customers check out with the PayPal or Venmo button (branded checkout), fees on unbranded card processing through Braintree, and consumer fees such as instant transfers, cross-border and currency conversion charges.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Block Inc or PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Block Inc trades at 1.8x P/S and PayPal Holdings, Inc. at 1.4x P/S. Block Inc commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to PayPal Holdings, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Block Inc bigger than PayPal Holdings, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, PayPal Holdings, Inc. ($33.2B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Block Inc ($24.2B (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 Block vs PayPal overview