META vs. GOOGL: Can Facebook’s Owner Surpass Alphabet’s Ad Dominance?

Meta Platforms (META) is at an inflection point, as new estimates claim the social media and AI company could surpass Alphabet (GOOGL) in the advertising space. According to the latest estimates from research firm Emarketer, Meta Platforms is likely to post ad revenue of $243.46 billion in 2026. This would see it overtake Google’s estimated $239.54 billion in 2026 ad revenue.

There are a few reasons why Meta Platforms is expected to surpass Google in ad revenue this year, including:

• Increased ad revenue from short-form video content via Reels.
• Reels viewership has also increased thanks to Meta Platforms’ AI recommendations.
• The introduction of AI tools on Facebook and Instagram to better manage ad campaigns.
• Deep user insight from platforms, WhatsApp and Threads, to capitalize on ad profiles.

All of these factors have come together to help Meta Platforms grow its advertising platform. In fact, Emarketer expects the company’s ad revenue growth in 2026 to be 24.1%, compared to 22.1% in 2025. To put that in perspective, the firm expects Google’s ad revenue for the year to increase 11.9%, which was the same level of growth experienced in the prior year.

META and GOOGL Stock Movement Today

Meta stock was down slightly in pre-market trading on Monday, which continued a 4.5% drop year-to-date. Even so, the shares were still up 18.51% over the past 12 months.

Alphabet stock was also down slightly in pre-market trading this morning. Despite the drop, shares of GOOGL were up 1.43% year-to-date and 99.54% over the past 12 months.

META vs. GOOGL: Which Stock Do Analysts Favor?

Turning to the TipRanks stock comparison tool, traders can see which of these two stocks analysts prefer. Both stocks have consensus Strong Buy ratings, showing strong analyst confidence. They also both have strong upside potential, though META is higher at 34.59% compared to 20.44% for GOOGL.