Salesforce vs. Palantir Technologies: What Revenue Trends Reveal to Investors About These Tech Giants
Key Points
Looking at the sales totals across the past two years, Salesforce generates a substantially higher amount of revenue, although Palantir Technologies is actively expanding its top-line footprint at a noticeably faster pace.
Both companies demonstrated consistent year-over-year revenue growth, with Salesforce showing steady incremental progress and Palantir recording steeper sequential gains.
In upcoming financial reporting periods, investors should monitor whether the two companies can successfully maintain these upward trajectories or if the massive gap between their revenue levels begins to narrow.
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Salesforce: Maintaining Steady Revenue Growth
Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) primarily generates revenue by offering a comprehensive, cloud-based suite of customer relationship management (CRM) software alongside interconnected enterprise data platforms specifically designed to help large organizations manage their sales pipelines and operations globally.
It recently finalized the strategic acquisition of a specialized customer agent platform formerly known as Intercom, and it concurrently expanded a multiyear automated fan support partnership with entertainment giant Live Nation during the third quarter.
Palantir Technologies: Experiencing Rapid Revenue Acceleration
Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) primarily generates its revenue by engineering and deploying highly advanced data integration and analytical software platforms utilized by government intelligence agencies, global defense departments, and complex large-scale commercial enterprise organizations.
It recently secured a major prime agreement with the U.S. Army Contracting Command to produce and deliver specialized tactical ground stations, while simultaneously announcing an expanded strategic commercial alliance with global consulting firm PwC to scale operations.
Why Revenue Matters for Investors
Revenue functions as a direct measurement of incoming capital that helps market participants evaluate a given business's ability to attract sustained customer demand over long periods. This metric reveals whether an organization is successfully growing its overall business volume over time.
Quarterly Revenue for Salesforce and Palantir Technologies
| Calendar quarter | Salesforce Revenue | Palantir Technologies Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2024 | $9.4 billion (quarter ended Oct. 31, 2024) | $725.5 million (quarter ended Sept. 30, 2024) |
| Q4 2024 | $10.0 billion (quarter ended Jan. 31, 2025) | $827.5 million (quarter ended Dec. 31, 2024) |
| Q1 2025 | $9.8 billion (quarter ended April 30, 2025) | $883.9 million (quarter ended March 31, 2025) |
| Q2 2025 | $10.2 billion (quarter ended July 31, 2025) | $1.0 billion (quarter ended June 30, 2025) |
| Q3 2025 | $10.3 billion (quarter ended Oct. 31, 2025) | $1.2 billion (quarter ended Sept. 30, 2025) |
| Q4 2025 | $11.2 billion (quarter ended Jan. 31, 2026) | $1.4 billion (quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025) |
| Q1 2026 | $11.1 billion (quarter ended April 30, 2026) | $1.6 billion (quarter ended March 31, 2026) |
| Q2 2026 | $11.3 billion (quarter ended July 31, 2026) | $1.9 billion (quarter ended June 30, 2026) |
Data source: Financial Modeling Prep. Data as of Sept. 25, 2026.
Foolish Take
The revenue trends between Salesforce and Palantir Technologies reveals the former's focus on the CRM industry has produced far greater sales. However, that could change over time as Palantir's commercial business continues to ramp up. Historically, Palantir has been heavily dependent on the federal government for income, given its roots as an analytics platform for intelligence agencies.
Palantir's reliance on government contracts changed after the company released its artificial intelligence platform (AIP) a few years ago. With the artificial intelligence boom, Palantir's sales have soared. Its $1.9 billion in the second quarter represents a whopping 93% year-over-year increase, thanks to its commercial revenue rising 149% to $764 million. This demonstrates AIP's appeal to organizations as a result of the company's proprietary ontology.
In contrast, the larger Salesforce experienced 11% year-over-year growth in its fiscal Q2, ended July 31. While that revenue increase is solid, it's nowhere close to the rapid growth Palantir is enjoying. This is a sign that Salesforce's business is approaching a mature stage, which is one of the factors contributing to its decision to begin offering a dividend.
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Robert Izquierdo has positions in Palantir Technologies and Salesforce. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies and Salesforce. The Motley Fool recommends Live Nation Entertainment. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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