Uber vs Lyft, side by side
Both run smartphone apps that connect riders with drivers, but they differ hugely in size and scope. Uber is far larger and operates around the world, and beyond ride-hailing it runs a big food-delivery business (Uber Eats) and a freight arm. Lyft is smaller and focused only on ride-hailing in the United States and Canada, without the delivery or international side.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and value, and weakest on income.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and growth, and weakest on income.
The numbers, side by side
| Measure |  Uber Technologies, Inc. |  Lyft, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $70.36 | $15.86 |
| Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'. | $143.22B | $6.02B |
| P/E: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth. | 17.5 | 2.3 |
| Div yield: Dividend yield: the yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn just from dividends. | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Revenue growth | 14.5% | 13.8% |
| 1Y: How much the share price has moved over the past year. | -20% | +13% |
More measures
| Forward P/E: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth. | 15.9 | 7.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 15.9% | 43.8% |
| ROE | 35.3% | 147.8% |
| Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. | 1.11 | 1.80 |
The bolder figure is simply the larger of the two - higher is not automatically good (a higher P/E means more expectation in the price; a higher beta means bigger swings).
How they differ
Uber Technologies, Inc. is roughly 24x the size of Lyft, Inc. by market value. On our factor screen Lyft, Inc. currently screens higher on value and growth. Uber Technologies, Inc. trades on the higher P/E (17.5 vs 2.3), so more expectation is already built into its price. Over the past year the share prices moved -20% (Uber Technologies, Inc.) vs +13% (Lyft, Inc.).
Descriptive only - how the two compare on today's data, never a verdict on either.
Uber Technologies, Inc., in one line
Uber is a global technology platform that connects people needing a ride or a meal delivery with independent drivers and couriers.
Read the full Uber Technologies, Inc. explainer →Lyft, Inc., in one line
Lyft is a digital platform that connects people needing a lift with local drivers, primarily operating across the United States and Canada.
Read the full Lyft, Inc. explainer →What to weigh
If sharp swings bother you, the betas differ (1.11 vs 1.80). These are facts to understand, not a verdict - read each full explainer before deciding anything.
Common questions
What is the main difference between Uber and Lyft?
Scale and spread. Uber is much larger, operates globally, and runs food delivery and freight alongside ride-hailing, so its business has several legs. Lyft is smaller and sticks to ride-hailing in the United States and Canada only. That makes Lyft simpler to understand but more exposed to a single market and service.
Why are Uber and Lyft compared so often?
They are the two main ride-hailing apps in the United States and compete directly for the same riders and drivers, so their prices, incentives and driver supply constantly bump against each other. Because they share that core market, news about ride-hailing demand or regulation tends to affect both companies.