Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. GRND scored 90.4, PAYX scored 78.2 — GRND leads.
Compare another set
GRND
Grindr Inc.
Software - Application · Quality-Growth
90.4
$15.03 · $2.6B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
12.2
GRND leads
PAYX
Paychex, Inc.
Software - Application · Quality-Growth
78.2
$103.98 · $37.0B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestPAYX20.6x
Fastest growthGRND+32.4%
Highest qualityGRND94 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueGRND-27%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
GRND
stronger →← stronger
PAYX
94
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
89
96
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
75
82
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
71
GRND is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
GRND
PAYX
$154mC
FCF
$2.0bB
+32.4%A
Rev
+14.0%B+
Negative equity
D/E
1.25C
32.0xB
P/E
20.6xB+
1.13B+
PEG
1.94C+
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
GRND
PAYX
27% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
5% below
~7%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~6%/yr
+5%
1-yr DCF upside
-3%
+37%
5-yr DCF upside
+5%
+102%
10-yr DCF upside
+18%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
GRND
Why this score
Buying back stock
Durable high returns
PAYX
Why this score
Raising its dividend
Durable high returns
The companies
GRNDGrindr Inc.
Software - Application · $15.03 · beta 0.19
Why now
Software - Application · market cap $2.6b. 19% off the 52-week high of $18.50. Revenue growing +32% — in hypergrowth territory. 5 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $20.80 (implying +38% upside).
Moat
Net margin 19% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. FCF converts 161% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash. Software economics — recurring revenue, embedded customer workflows, and high gross margin all compound the moat once a base account is won. Switching costs are the lever.
Risk
Trailing P/E 32x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates. Software — competitive moat is durable until it isn't; watch net revenue retention, gross margin trends, and any new market entrant with a fundamentally lower price point.
PAYXPaychex, Inc.
Software - Application · $103.98 · beta 0.85
Why now
Software - Application · market cap $37.0b. 20% off the 52-week high of $129.24. Revenue growing +14%, comfortably above the S&P median. 14 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $113.93 (implying +10% upside).
Moat
Net margin 27% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 49% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 112% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
Dividend payout 90% of earnings on a 4.6% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut. Software — competitive moat is durable until it isn't; watch net revenue retention, gross margin trends, and any new market entrant with a fundamentally lower price point.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where GRND and PAYX diverge
On the headline score the gap is 12.2 points in favor of GRND. The widest single difference is Growth, where GRND leads by 21.0 points.
GrowthGRND 96.3 · PAYX 75.3GRND +21.0
ValueGRND 81.9 · PAYX 70.8GRND +11.1
QualityGRND 93.7 · PAYX 89.5GRND +4.2
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is GRND or PAYX the better stock?
GRND scores higher: GRND 90.4, PAYX 78.2 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do GRND and PAYX differ most?
The widest gap is growth, where GRND leads by 21 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. GRND leads all three pillars, so the gap is broad rather than a single-measure difference.
How are GRND and PAYX scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.