Apple Inc. stands as one of the most influential and profitable tech giants, with a market capitalization that frequently exceeds $2.9 trillion and annual revenue of over $395 billion.
In 2024, the company surpassed 1 billion paid subscriptions across its services and announced a record $110 billion stock buyback initiative. Yet, despite its vast ecosystem and loyal global user base of more than 2.35 billion active devices, Apple is far from uncontested. [1]
Take the smartphone market, for example. Apple faces relentless competition from Samsung and Chinese brands like Xiaomi and OPPO. In the tablet arena, the iPad still dominates with a 32% global market share, but rivals like Samsung and Amazon are steadily chipping away.
Despite having an industry-leading profit margin (over 46% gross margin in 2024), the road ahead is competitive. From AI innovation to emerging hardware like AR/VR headsets (Vision Pro), Apple’s every move is met with fierce responses by competitors eager to disrupt its stronghold. This article explores the top competitors taking on Apple across various sectors.
Did you know?In 2024, Apple shipped 225.9 million iPhones worldwide and invested $31.3 billion in R&D. Between 2025 and 2029, the company will invest $500 billion in the United States, focusing on areas like AI, silicon engineering, and workforce development. [2]
Table of Contents
Consumer Electronics, Cloud & AI
1. Samsung Electronics
Founded: 1969Revenue: $219.1 billion
Core Rivalry: iPhone vs Galaxy, Apple Silicon vs Exynos
Samsung Electronics, a South Korean company, is Apple’s most direct and wide-reaching competitor, challenging it across nearly all major verticals — from smartphones and wearables to semiconductors and ecosystem design.
In the smartphone space, Samsung has been a long-standing and fierce competitor to Apple. Its flagship Galaxy S Ultra series and Galaxy Fold/Flip series go toe-to-toe with Apple’s iPhone Pro and Pro Max models, especially in markets like Europe, the US, and South Korea. The company’s aggressive push in foldable phones, a category Apple has yet to enter, gives it a first-mover advantage in form factor innovation.
In tablets, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S series competes closely with the iPad Pro, especially in areas like multitasking, display quality, and stylus support. Globally, the Galaxy Tab series holds around 23% of the market, while Apple’s iPad leads with about 35%. In wearables, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch captures roughly 9% of the global market share, compared to the Apple Watch’s 22% lead.
It is also a leading global supplier of the very components Apple relies on. It manufactures OLED panels, DRAM, NAND flash memory, and processors, some of which power various iPhone and MacBook models. Samsung’s semiconductor business alone brought in $66.52 billion in revenue in 2024, compared to 40.94 billion in the previous year.
In essence, Samsung competes with Apple on the consumer front while enabling Apple’s supply chain behind the scenes — a rare dual dynamic in global tech. Its market cap sits at ~$365 billion, and it has pledged more than $230 billion through 2042 in semiconductor infrastructure and innovation. [3]
2. Microsoft
Founded: 1975Revenue: $245.1 billion
Core Rivalry: macOS vs Windows, iCloud vs OneDrive
Microsoft’s transformation under CEO Satya Nadella has been nothing short of phenomenal — shifting from a PC-centric to a cloud-first, AI-powered enterprise, giving it the scale and agility to compete with Apple across several verticals.
Microsoft’s presence in consumer devices may not be as dominant as Apple’s, but it is highly strategic. Surface laptops and tablets compete directly with MacBook and iPad laptops. Although Surface doesn’t rival Apple in volume, it offers an alternative ecosystem tightly integrated with Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and OneDrive.
In the productivity software domain, Microsoft still holds the edge. Office 365 is used by over 400 million users, compared to Apple’s relatively limited iWork and iCloud productivity suite.
The battle has intensified further in cloud services and ecosystems. Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, with a 20% global market share, competes with Apple’s iCloud in storage, backend services, and developer tools. It has also introduced its own Azure Maia and Cobalt chips to reduce dependence on Nvidia and Intel, competing with Apple’s Silicon strategy.
Plus, Microsoft’s strategic investments in AI, such as a partnership with OpenAI, involving a $13 billion investment, have enabled the integration of advanced AI capabilities into its products and services. [4]
With a market cap of over 2.7 trillion, Microsoft occasionally trades the #1 spot with Apple. Their competition is no longer just about software of devices — it’s about platform dominance, ecosystem control, and leadership in the post-AI era.
3. Huawei
Revenue: $118.2 billion
Core Rivalry: iPhone vs Mate/Pro series, Apple Watch vs Huawei Watch
Huawei has grown into a tech superpower, despite enduring US sanctions and supply chain restrictions. Its consumer business, especially the smartphone segment, has historically posed a direct challenge to Apple in China and parts of Europe and Asia.
The company reached its peak in the smartphone business in 2019, briefly surpassing both Apple and Samsung to become the world’s largest smartphone maker. At that time, it shipped over 240 million smartphones, outpacing Apple’s shipments of ~196 million.
In 2023–2024, the company made a massive comeback in China by launching the Mate 60 Pro, powered by its own 7nm Kirin chip and the HarmonyOS operating system — defying expectations despite ongoing sanctions. In 2024, its revenue surged by 22.4% to $118.2 billion. It shipped 46 million smartphones, capturing a 16% market share in China, surpassing Apple’s 42.9 million units and 15% share. [5][6]
Beyond smartphones, Huawei is investing heavily in PCs, wearables, smart homes, automotive (Huawei Inside), and cloud services. Currently, it is the second-largest cloud provider in China, only behind Alibaba Cloud.
4. Amazon
Revenue: $637.9 billion
Core Rivalry: Apple TV vs Prime Video, Siri vs Alexa
Over the years, Amazon has evolved into a technology giant with a diversified portfolio that competes with Apple on multiple fronts: AI, digital services, cloud computing, entertainment, and hardware.
It’s digital assistant Alexa, Prime Video, Kindle e-readers, Fire Tablets, Fire TV, and the Echo hardware family compete directly or indirectly with Apple’s offerings like Siri, Apple TV, iPads, and iTunes. In fact, Amazon’s Echo is the global leader in smart speaker shipments, holding over 25% market share, whereas Apple’s HomePod lags behind with about 7%.
Amazon Prime is another Apple-challenging ecosystem. With over 200 million members worldwide, it competes with Apple TV+ through original content, exclusive rights, and global subscriber growth. Meanwhile, Amazon Music (boasting 80 million+ users) challenges Apple Music with competitive pricing and a growing user base.
Amazon’s competitive edge is further enhanced by AWS, its cloud computing arm, which plays a major role in both revenue and infrastructure. As the world’s largest cloud provider, AWS serves as Amazon’s profit engine — funding innovation, supporting core services, and helping offset losses in other areas of the business. [7]
5. Alphabet
Revenue: $350 billion+
Core Rivalry: iOS vs Android, Pixel vs iPhone, Safari vs Chrome
Alphabet operates a multi-faceted business model centered around digital advertising, cloud computing, and innovation through its “Other Bets” segment.
The most prominent head-to-head competition is between Android and iOS — the two dominant global mobile operating systems. Android holds a commanding 71.9% global market share, while iOS has about 27.6% (but dominates in high-income markets like the US, where iOS accounts for nearly 57.3% of smartphones).
Alphabet challenges Apple in smartphones and wearables through its Pixel line, Nest devices, and the Fitbit brand. While Apple holds the lead in global smartwatch shipments with a 22% market share, Fitbit and WearOS-powered devices form the Android ecosystem’s response.
Google Pixel smartphones, though a niche player, directly compete with iPhones in terms of software quality, advanced photography features, and AI integration.
In digital services, Alphabet is far ahead in cloud AI (via Google Cloud), mapping (Google Maps), online productivity (Google Workspace), search, and advertising. While Apple earned a modest $5 billion from advertising in 2023, Google remains the dominant force with $264.5 billion in ad revenue in 2024, capturing over 26% of the global digital advertising market. [8]
6. Xiaomi
Founded: 2010Revenue: $50.6 billion
Core Rivalry: iPhone vs Xiaomi/Redmi, HomeKit vs Mi Smart Home
Xiaomi is one of the most aggressive and fastest-growing competitors to Apple, especially in the global smartphone space. Founded in 2010, it has quickly risen to become the third-largest smartphone vendor globally by shipment volume, trailing only Samsung and Apple.
In 2024, the company shipped about 168.5 million smartphones, capturing nearly 13% of the global smartphone market. In Asia alone, its market share stood at around 14.44%. [9]
Unlike Apple’s premium-only strategy, Xiaomi thrives by offering high-performance devices at accessible price points, appealing to price-sensitive consumers in emerging markets like India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Besides smartphones, it also produces laptops, wearables, smart TVs, smart home devices, electric vehicles, and IoT appliances. As of 2024, Xiaomi had an estimated 904.6 million smart devices connected to its AIoT platform.
That same year, Xiaomi reported total revenue of $50.6 billion, up 35% from the previous year. Although its revenue per device is lower, the company focuses on high volume and razor-thin hardware margins, monetizing through services and internet offerings.
Xiaomi is now expanding its premium lineup, aiming to challenge Apple directly in the flagship tier with the Xiaomi Ultra series, which is powered by Leica cameras and Snapdragon silicon.
7. Oppo
Founded: 2004Revenue: $37 billion+
Core Rivalry: iPhone vs OnePlus, Oppo, and realme phones
Oppo rose to prominence by offering feature-rich Android smartphones at competitive price points. The company focuses heavily on camera technology, fast charging, sleek design, and localized software optimization, gaining immense popularity in China, India, Southeast Asia, and parts of Europe.
What sets Oppo apart is its strong focus on R&D to drive innovation and build core technologies. This includes advancements in imaging through its partnership with Hasselblad, in-house chip development like the MariSilicon X, and cutting-edge charging solutions such as the 240W SuperVOOC.
The company has ventured into premium smartphones with its Find X series and foldable phones (Find N series) — technologies Apple has not yet adopted. Plus, it has invested in software development, creating its customized Android-based operating system, ColorOS.
Its subsidiaries, including OnePlus, are improving the ecosystem with Oppo’s shared infrastructure. This includes products like earbuds, smartwatches, and tablets such as the OnePlus Pad, along with seamless cross-device features enabled by the integration of ColorOS and OxygenOS.
8. Meta
Founded: 2004 as TheFacebookRevenue: $164.5 billion
Core Rivalry: iPhone vs Galaxy, Apple Silicon vs Exynos
Meta competes with Apple in areas where hardware, software, and services intersect, like augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), advertising, and the metaverse.
Meta’s reach is massive: over 3.35 billion daily active users across its core apps — Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Facebook holds nearly 69.71% share of the global social media market, with Instagram capturing 9.24%.
Unlike Apple, Meta offers free platforms monetized through data-driven advertising, earning over 97% of its revenue from ads. However, the two companies increasingly clash in areas like privacy, platform control, digital advertising, and spatial computing.
The rivalry escalated after Apple’s 2021 App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy severely disrupted Meta’s advertising business — costing it an estimated $10 billion in revenue. In response, Meta doubled down on building its own hardware-software stack with Meta Quest VR headsets and smart glasses (with Ray-Ban). [10]
The companies are now rivals in spatial computing, developer ecosystems, and AI-driven hardware, and both aim to define the next computing platform after the smartphone.
9.Dell Technologies
Founded: 1984Revenue: $95.5 billion
Core Rivalry: Mac vs XPS/Inspiron
Dell is the third-largest PC vendor globally (after Lenovo and HP), and consistently competes with Apple in high-performance computing for professionals, creatives, developers, and business customers.
While Apple leans toward premium consumer devices with macOS and tight ecosystem integration, Dell dominates with scalable, customizable systems running Windows and Linux, catering to both individual buyers and enterprise IT departments.
Dell’s XPS and Alienware series compete with Apple’s MacBook Pro and iMac lines in terms of performance, innovation, and price. In 2024, the company shipped 39.45 million PCs. It has a much deeper presence in B2B, government, and education markets.
The company reports its revenue by two primary segments: Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Client Solutions Group (CSG). ISG, which includes servers, networking, and storage products, contributes around 42% of the company’s total revenue. CSG, covering commercial and consumer devices like laptops and desktops, makes up the remaining 58%.
In 2024, Dell announced a major initiative to launch AI-ready laptops and workstations with integrated neural processing units (NPUs), designed to compete with Apple’s M-series chips. They also launched the AI Factory, encompassing AI-optimized servers and PCs, in collaboration with partners like NVIDIA and Intel. [11]
10. Lenovo
Revenue: $56.8 billion
Core Rivalry: Mac vs ThinkPad/Legion, iPad vs Lenovo Tab
Lenovo is the largest PC manufacturer in the world by unit sales. It holds a global PC market share of ~25.5%, consistently outpacing Apple in terms of shipment volume.
Lenovo’s strength lies in its hardware versatility, wide pricing range, and global manufacturing footprint. It has a highly diversified lineup: from budget Chromebooks and student laptops to high-end ThinkPad workstations, Legion gaming systems, and cutting-edge Yoga 2-in-1s.
Beyond consumer computing, Dell also offers servers, storage, AI workstations, and edge computing solutions via its Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG). This dual role — as a consumer device leader and enterprise tech provider — allows Lenovo to compete with Apple both on personal hardware and institutional IT deployments.
In 2024, Lenovo introduced the 6th generation Neptune liquid cooling solution, reducing energy consumption by up to 40%, aligning with global sustainability goals. The company has also set a goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. [12]
11. HP Inc.
Revenue: $53.8 billion
Core Rivalry: MacBook vs HP Envy/Spectre, iMac vs HP All-in-One
HP is one of the world’s oldest and largest personal computing and printing companies. In 2024, its Personal Systems segment generated around $36.2 billion, while the Printing segment contributed nearly $17 billion, bringing total revenue to just under $54 billion.
The company competes with Apple on both price and performance diversity, with a portfolio ranging from affordable Chromebooks to high-end ZBook and Spectre x360 laptops.
While Apple focuses heavily on direct-to-consumer sales and tight ecosystem control, HP’s business model revolves around volume, distribution, customization, and service integration, allowing it to serve a broader base — especially in commercial sectors where Windows remains dominant.
HP also plays a major role in education, government contracts, and enterprise deployments, segments where Apple’s penetration is more limited due to pricing and software compatibility concerns.
12. ASUS
Founded: 1989Revenue: $18.24 billion
Core Rivalry: MacBook Pro vs ROG/ZenBook
ASUS, headquartered in Taiwan, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of PCs, motherboards, graphics cards, and gaming hardware. HP holds about 7.1% of the global PC market share, slightly behind Apple, which has a 9.2% share.
The company targets a broad audience, from budget-conscious users to hardcore gamers and creative professionals. Its brand portfolio includes ZenBook (premium ultrabooks), VivoBook (midrange laptops), ROG and TUF (high-performance gaming laptops), ProArt (workstation-grade laptops for creators), and ExpertBook (business laptops).
ASUS benefits from its strong integration with the Windows ecosystem, advanced hardware design, and a loyal user base — particularly in gaming and high-performance computing. This gives it a competitive edge in areas where Apple isn’t as active, like eSports, DIY PC building, and extreme overclocking.
Apple may lead in elegance and ecosystem control, but ASUS excels in hardware experimentation, configuration freedom, and price-performance leadership.
13. Garmin
Founded: 2010Revenue: $6.29 billion
Core Rivalry: Apple Watch vs Garmin Fenix/Venu
Garmin specializes in GPS technology and wearable devices. Started as a GPS solutions provider for aviation and maritime industries, Garmin has evolved into a key player in consumer electronics, especially in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and outdoor navigation devices.
Its Fitness and Outdoor divisions offer products like Fenix, Forerunner, Venu, and Instinct smartwatches, which compete with Apple in the wearables market.
What distinguishes Garmin is its engineering-first approach, sensor accuracy, battery longevity (up to weeks vs Apple’s 18–36 hours), and environmental toughness (many watches meet MIL-STD-810G military standards and are water-resistant up to 100 meters or more). It also embeds multi-band GPS, topographic maps, pulse oximeters, VO2 max analysis, and even aviation tools like flight tracking in high-end watches.
Because of these features, Garmin appeals to endurance athletes, adventurers, pilots, and serious outdoor professionals, where advanced metrics and battery life matter more than notifications or app support.
In 2024, Garmin experienced impressive growth, with revenue rising to $6.29 billion, a 20.44% increase compared to 2023. [13]
Streaming & Digital Media
14. Spotify
Founded: 2006Revenue: $16.9 billion
Core Rivalry: Apple Music vs Spotify
With over 675 million monthly active users, including 263 million premium subscribers, Spotify is Apple Music’s most formidable global rival. It is available on all major operating systems, smart speakers, game consoles, and even cars.
Spotify has built its success on offering personalized music discovery, including innovations like Discover Weekly, Daily Mixes, and algorithm-driven playlists that have kept users deeply engaged. Its recommendation engine, fueled by machine learning, has become a defining edge, influencing how users discover new artists more effectively than on Apple Music.
The company has also heavily invested in podcasting, acquiring studios like Gimlet Media, Parcast, and The Ringer, as well as exclusive rights to major podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience. Today, it offers a vast library of over 100 million tracks and 6 million podcast titles — directly competing with Apple’s legacy in iTunes, Apple Music, and Apple Podcasts.
In 2024, Spotify generated $18.29 billion in revenue, marking an 18.29% increase from 2023. Its gross profit rose to $5.1 billion, up 39.04% compared to the previous year. [14]
Despite operating at thinner margins than Apple, Spotify’s strength lies in its global reach (available in over 180 countries) and its user-first platform flexibility. Plus, its freemium model gives users access to ad-supported streaming, a key driver in developing markets.
15. Netflix
Founded: 1997Revenue: $39 billion
Core Rivalry: Apple TV+ vs Netflix
As Apple continues expanding its digital services through Apple TV+, Netflix stands out as a primary competitor, particularly in the high-stakes battle for original content, screen time, and global viewership.
Apple TV+ focuses on high-quality, award-winning content within a carefully curated ecosystem. In contrast, Netflix stands out for its massive scale, producing a wide range of localized content and releasing thousands of hours of TV shows, movies, documentaries, and unscripted series each year. It has surpassed 300 million paid subscribers, generating over $39 billion in annual revenue.
The company invested over $16.2 billion in content in 2024, far outpacing Apple TV+. Plus, its ability to surface personalized recommendations and dominate in binge-worthy programming gives it a powerful lock-in effect on consumer attention—something Apple is still building. [15]
16. Disney+
Revenue: $10.2 billion
Core Rivalry: Apple TV+ vs Disney+
Disney+ competes head-to-head with Apple TV+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other major platforms in the global streaming war. It is often bundled with Hulu and ESPN+ in the US, creating a diversified entertainment package spanning kids content, live sports, and adult dramas/comedy — a range far beyond what Apple currently offers.
Unlike Apple, which builds its content platform from the ground up, Disney+ benefits from owning one of the world’s most powerful media libraries. Its catalogue includes legacy IP from Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, 20th Century Studios, and National Geographic.
They have also tested live content streaming and introduced more regionalized originals (especially in India and Southeast Asia), where Apple has very limited presence.
In 2024, Disney+ generated $10.2 billion in revenue, marking a 21.4% year-over-year increase. In 2025, the platform reported 200 million users, including Disney+ Hotstar users in India.
17. Sony
Founded: 1946Revenue: $89.84 billion
Core Rivalry: Apple Arcade/TV+ vs PlayStation ecosystem
Sony has carved out a multi-pillar strategy rooted in premium entertainment hardware, interactive media, and massive content IP. In consumer hardware, it is best known for its PlayStation brand, which dominates the global console market and is central to the company’s strategy of building a “community of players.”
As of early 2024, Sony had sold over 158 million PlayStation consoles worldwide, making it a major force in interactive entertainment—a segment Apple has yet to penetrate meaningfully.
Its Xperia smartphone line continues to target high-end photography and videography users with professional-grade features, rivalling the iPhone Pro series.
Sony is also a major content provider through Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment, making it a strong competitor in the streaming and media space. Unlike Apple, which keeps its content exclusive to Apple TV+, Sony licenses its movies, TV shows, and music to various platforms, reaching a wider audience.
Chips & Semiconductors
18. Nvidia
Founded: 1993Revenue: $130.5 billion
Core Rivalry: Apple Silicon vs NVIDIA
Nvidia is at the heart of the global AI and machine learning boom, with its data center GPUs (H100, A100) powering everything from ChatGPT to Tesla’s autonomous driving simulations.
It’s a silent yet powerful competitor, shaping the infrastructure and software tools that developers depend on. The company effectively controls much of the backend of modern computing, where Apple leads the consumer experience.
Nvidia also holds over 80% market share in discrete GPUs. Its Quadro and RTX A-series GPUs are standards in professional rendering, engineering, and media production, competing with Apple’s M-series Macs in the creative professional space.
Its CUDA platform, proprietary software stack, and AI frameworks have created a loyal ecosystem that rivals Apple’s own integration of hardware and software across devices. Apple’s Neural Engine is powerful but dwarfed by Nvidia’s H100 in enterprise-grade applications.
In FY 2025, Nvidia reported record revenue of $130.5 billion, a 114% increase compared to the previous year. Its data center segment grew by 142%, reflecting the rising demand for AI and cloud computing solutions. [16]
19. Intel
Founded: 1968Revenue: $53.1 billion
Core Rivalry: Apple Silicon vs Intel processors
Apple and Intel were once strategic partners, with Macs using Intel CPUs from 2006 until the early 2020s. However, the relationship shifted as Apple began replacing Intel chips with its own Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) starting in 2020, turning the two into direct competitors in chip innovation.
Despite losing ground in mobile and energy-efficient computing — areas where Apple’s in-house M-series and A-series chips now excel — Intel remains a key player in high-performance computing and advanced fabrication technologies.
Intel is investing heavily in expanding its chip foundry capacity, developing AI chips, and launching next-gen architectures like Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake. Its goal is to match Apple’s chip performance and emerge as a major chip foundry competitor to TSMC, the manufacturer behind Apple Silicon. [17]
20. Qualcomm
Revenue: $38.9 billion
Core Rivalry: A-series chips vs Snapdragon, modem patents battle
Qualcomm develops system-on-chip (SoC), modems, and advanced 5G technology. Its Snapdragon chipsets power billions of Android smartphones. Although Apple designs its own chips like the A18 Pro and M4, it still depends on Qualcomm for 5G modems. This complex mix of supplier-customer and competitor dynamics makes Qualcomm a strategically important rival..
Qualcomm provided modem chips for Apple’s iPhones for many years, but legal disputes over licensing fees and patent royalties led to a global settlement in 2019, which included a six-year license deal and a multiyear chipset supply agreement. Recently, Apple has started developing its own in-house modems, signaling a clear effort to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm’s technology.
Qualcomm earns a large share of its profits by licensing its extensive patent portfolio, especially in mobile and cellular technologies. In 2024, the company invested $9 billion in R&D, continuing its strong focus on innovation.
Software & Tools
21. Adobe
Founded: 1982Revenue: $21.5 billion
Core Rivalry: Final Cut Pro/Photos app vs Adobe Suite
Adobe pioneered creative tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Lightroom, InDesign, and the PDF format. Over the past two decades, it has shifted from boxed software to a cloud-first subscription model, now generating most of its revenue from Adobe Creative Cloud, Document Cloud, and Experience Cloud.
Adobe primarily challenges Apple in the creative software ecosystem, especially on Mac and iPad platforms. Although Apple provides some built-in creative tools like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and iMovie, it still heavily relies on Adobe’s professional software to attract creative professionals to the macOS and iPadOS platforms.
In 2023, Adobe released Firefly, a generative AI suite that creates images, text effects, and video elements. This new tool directly challenges Apple’s own AI initiatives for creatives.
Even though the two companies often complement each other, Adobe’s scale, innovation, and multi-platform strategy make it a subtle but serious competitor within Apple’s ecosystem.
22. Canva
Launched: 2013Revenue: $2.6 billion+
Core Rivalry: Apple iWork vs Canva
Canva allows users (from amateurs to marketing professionals) to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, videos, and more through a simple drag-and-drop interface. Its success stems from its focus on accessibility, ease of use, and cloud collaboration.
Although Canva doesn’t compete on hardware or operating systems, it challenges Apple in the creative tools ecosystem, particularly targeting users of iPads and Macs who need quick, intuitive content creation solutions.
The platform has emerged as a dominant force among non-designers, small businesses, educators, and content creators — segments that Apple targets heavily with its iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and productivity ecosystem.
It offers real-time collaboration, AI-powered features like Magic Design, Magic Write, and Magic Edit, along with access to over 100 million design assets through Canva Pro. With more than 220 million monthly users, Canva has become an indirect threat to Apple’s position in the creative professional market. [18]
23. Dropbox
Founded: 2007Revenue: $2.5 billion
Core Rivalry: iCloud vs Dropbox
Originally developed to simplify file synchronization and backup across devices, Dropbox has evolved into a comprehensive workspace with tools that support file sharing, document collaboration, and project management.
The platform has over 700 million registered users across 180 countries, including more than 18.2 million paying customers.
It challenges Apple’s iCloud ecosystem by offering a cross-platform, device-independent alternative to Apple’s tightly integrated services. While Apple provides seamless storage and syncing within its hardware ecosystem (macOS, iOS, iPadOS), Dropbox ensures a flexible and consistent experience across Windows, Android, Linux, and Apple devices.
In recent years, Dropbox has integrated AI-based search, auto-organization, and content recommendations, bringing it into closer competition with Apple’s Files app, iCloud Drive, Notes, and collaboration tools like Pages and Numbers.
24. DaVinci Resolve
Launched: 2004Core Rivalry: Final Cut Pro vs DaVinci Resolve.
DaVinci Resolve is a full-fledged non-linear editing (NLE) suite that includes modules for editing, color grading, audio post (Fairlight), visual effects (Fusion), and media management — all within a single interface.
It stands as a direct rival to Apple’s Final Cut Pro, especially in the high-performance and professional video editing space. While Final Cut Pro is optimized for Apple Silicon and macOS, Resolve is cross-platform, available on Windows, Linux, macOS, and even runs on the iPad.
Blackmagic, the company behind DaVinci Resolve, has deeply integrated its software with its own professional-grade cameras, positioning Resolve at the center of Apple’s growing content creation and prosumer target market. With over 5.4 million users across more than 5,500 companies worldwide, it has become a favorite among professional editors, colorists, VFX artists, and YouTubers.
Read More
Sources Cited and Additional References- Juli Clover, Apple now has more than 2.35 billion active devices worldwide, MacRumors
- Newsroom, Apple will spend more than $500 billion in the US over the next four years, Apple
- Heekyong Yang, Samsung to invest $230 bn through 2042 in South Korea chipmaking base, Reuters
- Trevor Jennewine, Microsoft’s $13 billion investment in OpenAI, Fool
- Arjun Kharpal, Huawei 2024 revenue surges to near-record high, CNBC
- Canalys Report, Vivo and Huawei beat Apple and lead China’s smartphone market, GSMArena
- Vanessa Page, What is AWS, and why is it so successful?, Investopedia
- Online Search, Advertising revenue of Google, Statista
- Annual Performance, Xiaomi reports RMB 365.9 billion in annual revenue, MI
- World News, Apple iOS privacy changes cost Meta $10 billion in 2022, Business Standard
- AI Factory with Nvidia, AI use cases unlock data insights and improve productivity, Dell
- Server Storage, New 6th-gen Lenovo Neptune Liquid Cooling powers the era of AI, Lenovo
- Annual Earnings, Garmin delivered another year of remarkable growth, Garmin
- Earnings, Celebrating our first full year of profitability, Spotify
- News, Netflix content spending, set to hit $18 billion in 2025, Variety
- Press Release, Nvidia announces financial results for Q4 and fiscal 2025, Nvidia
- CHIPS Act, Intel is investing over $100 billion to increase domestic chip manufacturing capacity, Intel
- A Global Vision, 220 million+ people use Canva every month in 100+ languages, Canva
