COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
OKTA vs QLYS
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. OKTA scored 54.1, QLYS scored 71.0 — QLYS leads.
Compare another set
OKTA
Okta, Inc.
54.1
$130.31 · $22.6B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
16.9
QLYS leads
QLYS
Qualys, Inc.
71
$181.98 · $6.3B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestQLYS31.5x
- Fastest growthOKTA+11.7%
- Strongest balance sheetOKTA0.06
- Highest qualityQLYS95 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueQLYS-19%
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)
OKTA
stronger →← stronger
QLYS
48
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
95
79
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
83
41
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
45
QLYS is stronger on 3 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
OKTA
QLYS
$911mC+
FCF
$314mC
+11.7%B
Rev
+10.4%B
0.06A-
D/E
0.09B+
94.4xD
P/E
31.5xB
1.34B
PEG
3.64D
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
OKTA
QLYS
14% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
19% below
~11%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~1%/yr
-21%
1-yr DCF upside
+15%
-12%
5-yr DCF upside
+23%
+4%
10-yr DCF upside
+36%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
OKTA
Why this score
- Diluting shareholders
QLYS
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
The companies
OKTAOkta, Inc.
Why now
Software - Infrastructure · market cap $22.6b. 17% off the 52-week high of $157.00. Revenue growing +12%, comfortably above the S&P median. 43 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $143.55 (implying +10% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong. 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 94.4x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. ROE 4% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate. AI-native re-pricing — GPT-class models are compressing the cost of features that took years to build; the moat thesis depends on owning the workflow, not just the feature set.
QLYSQualys, Inc.
Why now
Software - Infrastructure · market cap $6.3b. 10% off the 52-week high of $201.54. Revenue growing +10%, comfortably above the S&P median. 18 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $171.74 (implying -6% upside).
Moat
Net margin 29% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. ROE 37% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 152% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
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.
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 OKTA and QLYS diverge
On the headline score the gap is 16.9 points in favor of QLYS. The widest single difference is Quality, where QLYS leads by 46.9 points.
- QualityOKTA 48.5 · QLYS 95.4QLYS +46.9
- GrowthOKTA 79.0 · QLYS 82.9QLYS +3.9
- ValueOKTA 41.4 · QLYS 45.3QLYS +3.9
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a 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.