Which was the better investment since 2005, Apple or Microsoft?

Apple was the better investment. $1,000 invested in Apple in 2005 would be worth $252,553 today, compared to $23,610 for Microsoft.

What would $1,000 in Apple vs Microsoft be worth today?

$1,000 invested in Apple in 2005 would be worth $252,553 today (+25155.3%). The same $1,000 in Microsoft would be worth $23,610 (+2261.0%).

How do Apple and Microsoft compare to the S&P 500 since 2005?

The same $1,000 invested in the S&P 500 in 2005 would be worth $9,202 today (+820.2%). Apple returned $252,553 and Microsoft returned $23,610 over the same period.

Apple vs Microsoft: $1,000 invested since 2005

AAPL vs MSFT · Data through 2026-05-01

Investment amount

$1,000 invested in 2005 would be worth

AppleWinner

$253,009

+25200.9%

Microsoft

$23,613

+2261.3%

The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $9,202(+820.2%)

Growth of $1,000

Apple vs. Microsoft vs. S&P 500, 2005 to present

Year-by-year comparison

Apple vs. Microsoft, 2005 to present

Year	Apple	Return	Microsoft	Return	S&P 500
2005	$1,000	-	$1,000	-	$1,000
2006	$1,964	+96.4%	$1,084	+8.4%	$1,098
2007	$2,230	+13.5%	$1,206	+11.2%	$1,261
2008	$3,520	+57.9%	$1,291	+7.1%	$1,227
2009	$2,344	-33.4%	$690	-46.6%	$758
2010	$4,995	+113.1%	$1,163	+68.7%	$1,005
2011	$8,825	+76.7%	$1,169	+0.5%	$1,228
2012	$11,872	+34.5%	$1,277	+9.3%	$1,280
2013	$11,952	+0.7%	$1,221	-4.4%	$1,491
2014	$13,465	+12.7%	$1,734	+42.0%	$1,811
2015	$22,524	+67.3%	$1,902	+9.7%	$2,066
2016	$19,032	-15.5%	$2,665	+40.1%	$2,048
2017	$24,255	+27.4%	$3,213	+20.6%	$2,458
2018	$34,003	+40.2%	$4,827	+50.2%	$3,104
2019	$34,309	+0.9%	$5,397	+11.8%	$3,029
2020	$64,760	+88.8%	$8,928	+65.4%	$3,678
2021	$111,396	+72.0%	$12,295	+37.7%	$4,310
2022	$148,453	+33.3%	$16,621	+35.2%	$5,309
2023	$123,267	-17.0%	$13,369	-19.6%	$4,875
2024	$158,413	+28.5%	$21,639	+61.9%	$5,879
2025	$203,734	+28.6%	$22,759	+5.2%	$7,421
2026	$225,017	+10.4%	$23,768	+4.4%	$8,633

Other start years

Apple vs Microsoft from a different starting point

Since 2000 Since 2010 Since 2015 Since 2020 Since 2023

Individual stock pages

Apple since 2005+25,155%Microsoft since 2005+2261.0%

Compare any two stocks

Pick any two companies, any start date, any amount. See the winner instantly.

Numbers worth sharing

Occasional data drops when something interesting surfaces. No schedule, just signal.

For informational and educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All calculations are based on split-adjusted closing prices from Yahoo Finance and do not account for dividends, taxes, or trading fees. See our methodology and full disclaimer.