Google vs Meta: performance comparison
Over the 12 months to Oct 2, 2026, Google returned +37.2% and Meta +1.7%. This page puts the two side by side on the same dates — current prices, performance charts rebased to 100, returns from one month to five years, volatility, the deepest falls and how closely the two move together — recalculated daily from closing prices.
Performance, rebased to 100
Both lines start at 100 on the first shared date: a value of 150 means +50% since then.
- Google+37.2%
- Meta+1.7%
- Google+147.9%
- Meta+124.8%
Returns
| Period | Meta | Better | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.9% | +22.8% | Meta |
| 3 months | -4.6% | +24.9% | Meta |
| 6 months | +16.1% | +26.7% | Meta |
| Year to date | +9.7% | +10.3% | Meta |
| 1 year | +37.2% | +1.7% | |
| 3 years | +151.8% | +135.2% | |
| 5 years | +147.9% | +124.8% |
Price returns between closing prices on the same dates for both assets; dividends and interest are not included. All prices are in US dollars. Data to Oct 2, 2026.
Risk
| Measure | Meta | |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility, 1 year (annualized) | 31.7% | 41.9% |
| Volatility, 5 years (annualized, weekly) | 32.2% | 43.2% |
| Deepest fall, 5 years | -41.9%Nov 2021 – Oct 2022 | -73.7%Nov 2021 – Oct 2022 |
| Correlation, 1 year (daily returns) | 0.29 | |
| Correlation, 5 years (weekly returns) | 0.41 | |
Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of returns — higher means bigger swings. The deepest fall is the largest drop from a previous high. Correlation runs from −1 (opposite moves) through 0 (unrelated) to +1 (in lockstep).
What the numbers say
Over five years (Oct 2021 to Oct 2026), Google returned +147.9% and Meta +124.8%. Google came out ahead over both one and five years.
Annualized volatility over the past year: Google 31.7%, Meta 41.9% — Meta was about 1.3× as volatile. Deepest fall over the period: Google -41.9% (Nov 2021 – Oct 2022), Meta -73.7% (Nov 2021 – Oct 2022).
The correlation of their daily returns over the past year was 0.29. That is a weak positive link. Over five years of weekly returns it was 0.41.
Past performance does not predict future returns.
Key differences
- Both earn most of their revenue from digital advertising and compete for the same ad budgets.
- Diversification: Alphabet also has Google Cloud, YouTube subscriptions, Android and the self-driving unit Waymo; Meta is concentrated in its social apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) and spends heavily on AI and Reality Labs.
- Regulation: both face scrutiny — Alphabet over its search and advertising-technology businesses in the US and EU, Meta over privacy and competition.
The two assets
Alphabet, Google's parent company, earns most of its revenue from search and YouTube advertising, with Google Cloud a fast-growing second business. Ad spending, cloud growth and competition from AI assistants in search drive the stock (ticker GOOGL, class A shares).
Google chart and analysis →Meta
Meta Platforms owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger and earns almost all of its revenue from advertising. Advertiser demand and its heavy spending on AI and Reality Labs (virtual and augmented reality) drive the stock.
Meta chart and analysis →Frequently asked questions
Which performed better over the past year, Google or Meta?
Google. In the 12 months to Oct 2, 2026, Google returned +37.2% and Meta +1.7%, a difference of 35.4 percentage points. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which performed better over the past five years, Google or Meta?
Google. From Oct 2021 to Oct 2026, Google returned +147.9% and Meta +124.8%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is more volatile, Google or Meta?
Meta — about 1.3 times as volatile as Google. Annualized volatility over the past year: Google 31.7%, Meta 41.9%. Deepest fall over five years: Google -41.9%, Meta -73.7%.
Do Google and Meta move together?
A weak positive link. The correlation of their daily returns over the past year was 0.29, on a scale from −1 (opposite moves) to +1 (moving in lockstep). Over five years of weekly returns it was 0.41.
How we calculate
Both series are aligned on the trading days (or weeks) they share, so every return covers the same dates for both assets. Periods up to one year use daily closes; three and five years use weekly closes. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of log returns, the deepest fall is measured on weekly closes, and correlation is the Pearson coefficient of returns over identical intervals. Data: Yahoo Finance and OKX, refreshed daily. All prices are in US dollars.