BABA vs MELI: Alibaba Group Holding and MercadoLibre compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Alibaba Group Holding is the larger company, worth $245.1B, about 2.5 times MercadoLibre.
- MercadoLibre grew revenue faster over the last year (+49.8% vs +2.7%).
- MercadoLibre keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (8.3% vs 4.9%).
- On earnings, Alibaba Group Holding is the cheaper stock (15.8x vs 50.8x).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | BABA | MELI |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $245.1B | $97.8B |
| Share price | $111.37 | $1,889.85 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $1.02T | $28.9B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | — | $10.8B |
| Revenue growth, last year | +2.7% | +49.8% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | +4.7% | +42.2% |
| Operating margin | 4.9% | 8.3% |
| Net margin | 10.1% | 5.3% |
| Return on equity | 9.8% | 23.8% |
| P/E (trailing) | 15.8x | 50.8x |
| Price / free cash flow | 3.14x | 9.09x |
| EV / EBITDA | 17.3x | 28.5x |
| FCF growth the price implies | — | -5.5% |
| Dividend yield | 1.0% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.74x | 5.56x |
| Fundamental grade | C | C |
| Superinvestors holding it | 12 | 10 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 0 | 10 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
Alibaba Group Holding
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $853.1B | — | 8.2% |
| 2023 | $868.7B | — | 11.6% |
| 2024 | $941.2B | — | 12.0% |
| 2025 | $996.3B | — | 14.1% |
| 2026 | $1.02T | — | 4.9% |
MercadoLibre
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $7.1B | $392M | 6.2% |
| 2022 | $10.5B | $2.5B | 10.1% |
| 2023 | $15.1B | $4.6B | 14.6% |
| 2024 | $20.8B | $7.1B | 12.7% |
| 2025 | $28.9B | $10.8B | 11.1% |
Where the revenue comes from
Alibaba Group Holding · by segments, 2026
Alibaba China E-commerce Group$554.2B50%
All others$254.4B23%
Cloud intelligence group$158.1B14%
Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group$144.2B13%
MercadoLibre · by segments, 2025
Brazil$15.2B53%
Mexico$6.5B22%
Argentina$6.0B21%
Other countries$1.3B4%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open BABA in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, Alibaba Group Holding or MercadoLibre?
Alibaba Group Holding (BABA), at $245.1B against $97.8B.
Is BABA or MELI cheaper?
By trailing P/E, Alibaba Group Holding (15.8x) is cheaper than MercadoLibre (50.8x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.
Which grows faster, BABA or MELI?
MercadoLibre: revenue grew +49.8% over the last year, against +2.7%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.