Hilton vs Microsoft: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Hilton reported $12B of revenue in FY2025 and $1.5B of net income. Microsoft reported $331.8B of revenue in FY2026 and $133.7B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Hilton
Hilton's results reflect its shift from owning hotels to collecting fees. Revenue rose from $4.31 billion in pandemic-hit 2020 to $12.04 billion in 2025, while net income reached $1.46 billion in 2025 against $1.54 billion in 2024 (which included a tax benefit). Adjusted EBITDA grew about 9% to $3.73 billion in 2025, and Hilton returned $3.3 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends that year. In Q2 2026 revenue was about $3.34 billion, net income was $482 million, and adjusted EBITDA was $1.05 billion. Hilton raised its full-year 2026 guidance to 3.0% to 3.5% RevPAR growth and $4.04 billion to $4.08 billion of adjusted EBITDA, with about $3.5 billion of planned capital return.
Microsoft
Microsoft's FY2026 revenue rose 17.8% to $331.8 billion, operating income rose 21% to $155.2 billion, and GAAP net income rose 31% to $133.7 billion. Fourth-quarter revenue was $90.0 billion (up 18%) with net income of $35.8 billion, helped by a $3.2 billion gain on its Anthropic investment. Microsoft Cloud revenue reached $59.3 billion in Q4, up 27%. The main pressure point is capital intensity: AI data center spending has pushed free cash flow growth well below earnings growth.
Revenue and profit by year
Hilton
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $12B | $1.5B | 12.1% | +7.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $11.2B | $1.5B | 13.7% | +9.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | $10.2B | $1.1B | 11.1% | +16.7% | Source |
| FY2022 | $8.8B | $1.3B | 14.3% | +51.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $5.8B | $410M | 7.1% | +34.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | $4.3B | -$715M | -16.6% | -54.4% | Source |
| FY2019 | $9.5B | $881M | 9.3% | +6.1% | Source |
| FY2018 | $8.9B | $764M | 8.6% | +9.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $8.1B | $1.1B | 13.3% | +23.6% | Source |
| FY2016 | $6.6B | $338M | 5.1% | — | Source |
Microsoft
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | $331.8B | $133.7B | 40.3% | +17.8% | Source |
| FY2025 | $281.7B | $101.8B | 36.1% | +14.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | $245.1B | $88.1B | 36.0% | +15.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | $211.9B | $72.4B | 34.1% | +6.9% | Source |
| FY2022 | $198.3B | $72.7B | 36.7% | +18.0% | Source |
| FY2021 | $168.1B | $61.3B | 36.5% | +17.5% | Source |
| FY2020 | $143B | $44.3B | 31.0% | +13.6% | Source |
| FY2019 | $125.8B | $39.2B | 31.2% | +14.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | $110.4B | $16.6B | 15.0% | +14.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | $96.6B | $25.5B | 26.4% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Hilton
- Franchise and Licensing Fees
Largest fee stream
Royalties from owners of franchised Hilton hotels, typically a percentage of room revenue, plus licensing fees such as those from co-branded Hilton Honors credit cards and Hilton Grand Vacations.
- Base and Incentive Management Fees
Second fee stream
Fees for operating hotels on behalf of owners: a base fee tied to hotel revenue and an incentive fee tied to hotel profitability.
- Cost Reimbursement Revenues
Majority of reported revenue
Reimbursements from managed and franchised hotels for payroll and system costs Hilton pays on their behalf; largely offset by matching expenses.
- Owned and Leased Hotels
Small share
Room, food and beverage revenue from the limited number of hotels Hilton still owns or leases.
- Other Revenues
Small share
Purchasing, timeshare and other ancillary revenue tied to Hilton's platform.
Microsoft
- Productivity And Business ProcessesMajor
Office, Microsoft 365, LinkedIn, Dynamics, and related cloud services.
- Intelligent CloudMajor
Azure, server products, enterprise services, and cloud infrastructure.
- More Personal ComputingMajor
Windows, devices, gaming, search, and advertising.
- AI Services And CopilotsGrowth
AI features and model-powered services embedded across Azure, Microsoft 365, GitHub, security, and developer tools.
Business model and strategy
Hilton
How it makes money
Hilton runs an asset-light, fee-based model. Third-party owners pay to build and own hotels; Hilton supplies the brand, design standards, central reservations, revenue management tools, procurement, and access to Hilton Honors, which had 243 million members at the end of 2025. In return Hilton collects franchise fees, typically a percentage of room revenue, plus management fees on hotels it operates.
Growth strategy
Hilton grows by adding rooms rather than buying buildings. Its main levers are new brands aimed at gaps in the market (Spark by Hilton in premium economy, LivSmart Studios in extended stay, Tempo and Motto in lifestyle, Outset Collection for independent hotels, Apartment Collection and Undergraduate by Hilton in 2026), conversions of independent hotels into Hilton brands, and expansion into new countries.
Competitive advantage
Hilton's advantage is scale on both sides of its network. Guests join Hilton Honors because it covers more than 9,000 hotels, and owners sign Hilton franchise agreements because Honors members and Hilton's booking channels deliver demand. That loop is hard to copy: a new brand would need thousands of owners to risk capital before it had the loyalty base to justify it.
Microsoft
How it makes money
Microsoft reports three segments. Intelligent Cloud covers Azure, SQL Server, Windows Server, GitHub, Nuance, and enterprise services; server products and cloud services alone brought in $129.4 billion in FY2026, and Azure passed $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time.
Growth strategy
Microsoft's growth plan centers on AI capacity and AI subscriptions. It is spending heavily on data centers and chips to meet Azure demand that management says remains capacity constrained, and it is selling Microsoft 365 Copilot as a paid add-on, which passed 30 million paid seats by the end of FY2026.
Competitive advantage
Microsoft's main advantage is distribution inside enterprises. Identity (Entra), email and documents (Microsoft 365), collaboration (Teams), developer tools (GitHub, Visual Studio), and cloud infrastructure (Azure) are often bought together, which raises switching costs and lets Microsoft attach new products such as Copilot to existing contracts.
Questions about Hilton vs Microsoft
Which company has higher revenue — Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. or Microsoft Corporation?
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. reported $12.0B (FY2025), while Microsoft Corporation reported $331.8B (FY2026). By last reported revenue, Microsoft Corporation is the larger business, with Hilton Worldwide Holdings 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 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. vs Microsoft Corporation?
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $70.7B, while Microsoft Corporation's is $3.83T. Microsoft Corporation carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. or Microsoft Corporation?
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. generates $66k / employee in revenue per employee, while Microsoft Corporation generates $1.49M / employee. Microsoft Corporation 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 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Microsoft Corporation make money?
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Microsoft Corporation generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.: Hilton runs an asset-light, fee-based model. Microsoft Corporation: Microsoft reports three segments.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. or Microsoft Corporation?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. trades at 5.9x P/S and Microsoft Corporation at 11.5x P/S. Microsoft Corporation commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. bigger than Microsoft Corporation?
By last reported revenue, Microsoft Corporation ($331.8B (FY2026)) is the larger company compared to Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. ($12.0B (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 Hilton vs Microsoft overview