Snowflake vs Microsoft: Which Data Platform Stock is a Better Buy?

Core Insights - Snowflake (SNOW) and Microsoft (MSFT) are significant players in the growing cloud data platform market, with Snowflake offering a scalable data warehouse and Microsoft providing a suite of data services on Azure [1][2] Market Overview - The global cloud data platform market was valued at $22.78 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $104.50 billion by 2033, reflecting a CAGR of 24.3% [2] Microsoft (MSFT) Analysis - Microsoft Cloud revenue reached $42.4 billion in Q3 of fiscal 2025, up 20% year over year, with Azure and other cloud services growing 33% year over year [3] - Nearly 60% of Fortune 500 companies use PostgreSQL on Azure, and Cosmos DB showed steady growth supported by major customers [5] - Microsoft’s Fabric, a unified analytics solution, served over 21,000 paid customers, up 80% year over year, with OneLake seeing data volumes increase more than six times compared to the prior year [6][10] - Microsoft is well-positioned to lead in cloud data infrastructure due to strong enterprise demand and an integrated platform [7] Snowflake (SNOW) Analysis - In Q1 of fiscal 2026, Snowflake's product revenues rose 26% year over year to $996.8 million, with a net revenue retention rate of 124% [8] - Snowflake's platform supports a unified data experience across storage, processing, governance, and AI, with offerings like Snowpark and the Native App Framework [9][11] - Snowflake is enhancing its platform for modern analytics and AI workloads, with partnerships and features that improve cost efficiency and performance [10][11] Price Performance and Valuation - Year-to-date, SNOW shares have increased by 43.5%, while MSFT shares have appreciated by 18.3% [12] - Snowflake trades at 14.94X forward 12-month Price/Sales, compared to Microsoft's 11.7X, indicating a higher valuation for Snowflake [15] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SNOW's fiscal 2026 earnings is $1.06 per share, indicating a 27.71% increase year over year [18] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MSFT's 2025 earnings is $13.36 per share, indicating a 13.22% increase year over year [19] Investment Outlook - Microsoft is viewed as a more attractive investment due to its broader product ecosystem and strong growth driven by Azure, while Snowflake faces near-term valuation concerns and competition [20][21]