In close-quarters combat, Gandalf easily has an upper hand because of the weapon he wields. Glamdring, the Elven blade he uses, would put Dumbledore in a spot of trouble. He'd need to maintain his distance at almost all times during this battle, while Gandalf would be comfortable fighting at both short and long ranges.
While Dumbledore is a powerful wizard, Gandalf's innate magical abilities and experience in leadership and diplomacy give him an edge in a battle between the two. While the outcome of a battle between the two would depend on the circumstances, Gandalf would win more often than not.
Dumbledore is more efficient with his magic, using spells quickly and powerfully to destroy and dismantle his opponents. Gandalf's magic is more general, using it only in the most dire of circumstances to influence the tide of a fight.
Dumbledore may have been a legendary wizard, but he can't be compared to, well, Merlin, a wizard so legendary even Muggles know of his exploits. Merlin was the world's most famous wizard, and, arguably, the world's most powerful.
Gandalf without a doubt. As mentioned in Silmarillion Gandalf is wisest of the Maia.
Without a doubt, the most powerful wizard in Middle-earth is Gandalf the White. While Gandalf was always a reasonably powerful wizard in his own right, facing off against the Balrog in the Mines of Moria, a battle that took ten days and resulted in the mutual demise of Gandalf and the Balrog.
Dumbledore could not have beaten Sauron in combat for the same reason: He lived in a world of humans, not immortal beings of immense spiritual power. His spells were not the right sort. However, he did have one ace in the hole that would have made the whole enterprise far easier: the Fidelius Charm.
Additionally, Snape is more skilled in potions than Dumbledore, making him a powerful contender for Albus's spot on the list. Albus, however, edges out Snape thanks to the former's greater base power, and deeper understanding of the complexities of “old” magic.
Gandalf is an immortal Maiar, of a caliber so immensely powerful that only Sauron can outmatch him. Allow me to reiterate: Voldemort is mortal and nowhere near even close to on par with the likes of Sauron or Gandalf. So then, even with Horcruxes, but especially without them, Gandalf would definitely win.
Rowling said in an interview that Dumbledore was about 150 years old. However, on her website, she states that Dumbledore was born in 1881, making him either 115 or 116 at the time of his death.
Sauron is more powerful because none of the Maiar are of equal strength, some are greater in power than others, Sauron in particular was described as being “of a higher order” amongst the Maiar, meaning his power was always superior to others of his kind save for a few others whom rivalled him.
Although both the Balrog and Smaug are creatures of fire, and Gandalf is able to match them thanks to the power of his fire ring, defeating the Balrog takes far more spiritual prowess, which is why Gandalf is able to essentially 'level up' and comes back as Gandalf the White, whereas defeating such an immense physical ...
The Balrog of Moria used a flaming sword ("From out of the shadow a red sword leapt flaming") and a many-thonged whip that "whined and cracked" in its battle with Gandalf. In The Silmarillion, they also used black axes and maces.
In fact, Gandalf is pretty much an ageless being in Middle Earth, having entered that world as already an old man. So while Dumbledore's been around for a while especially as Headmaster, he can't compare to a guy who started his physical life in his sixties, then stuck around for a few centuries.
1. Albus Dumbledore. Image via Warner Bros.
His exceptional magical abilities, immense knowledge of various branches of magic, and strategic thinking make him a formidable wizard. Dumbledore served as the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was a highly skilled duelist, and possessed incredible wisdom and intuition.
No ,Harry was not powerful than Dumbledore. Dumbledore had single-handedly defeated Grindelwald,the dark Lord of their days, while Grindelwald had the Elder wand. This shows that Dumbledore is powerful.
House-elves could perform magic beyond that of a wizard
Dobby frequently demonstrated himself to be immensely powerful, causing Lucius Malfoy himself to back down with just a point of his finger.
Albus Dumbledore is the most obvious person who can defeat Voldemort, outside of the Salazar Slytherin vs Voldemort debate, and the Dark Lord seemed to realize it. Rowling herself has explicitly stated in the books that Dumbledore is the only person Voldemort fears and recognizes as a genuine threat to his own power.
Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore has studied nearly every branch of magic in intimate detail, including obscure and unusual spells, and he could beat Harry with just one or two spells if they fought. If Dumbledore can take down Gellert Grindelwald and scare Voldemort, it's obvious Harry stands zero chance against him.
As far as we knew, Dumbledore and Grindelwald didn't meet until 1945, when Dumbledore famously defeated Grindelwald in a duel and took the Elder Wand.
However, the mere fact that the Valar didn't prioritize perusing Sauron proved he was a much lesser threat than Morgoth. It made perfect sense because Morgoth was a Valar, and Sauron was only a Maia. So, while Sauron was evil, Morgoth was clearly much worse.