Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Oblong, Inc. (OBLG) vs Upland Software, Inc. (UPLD) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | UPLD | -7.7% revenue growth vs OBLG's -37.6% |
| Quality / Margins | UPLD | -18.4% net margin vs OBLG's -187.2% |
| Stability / Safety | UPLD | Beta 1.43 vs OBLG's 2.12 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | OBLG | -69.8% vs UPLD's -72.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | UPLD | -10.6% ROA vs OBLG's -40.9% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Oblong provides multi-stream visual collaboration technologies and managed services for video conferencing and network applications. It generates revenue from collaboration products like its Mezzanine platform and managed services for video environments — including network connectivity and support services. The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary multi-screen, multi-device collaboration technology that enables seamless visual communication across distributed teams.
Upland Software is a cloud-based enterprise work management software provider offering applications for marketing, sales, contact center, project management, and other business functions. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its software-as-a-service products—supplemented by professional services like implementation and training—with the majority coming from recurring subscriptions. The company's competitive advantage lies in its integrated family of applications that address multiple enterprise needs through a unified platform, creating cross-selling opportunities and reducing customer churn.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
UPLD leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
UPLD is the larger business by revenue, generating $236M annually — 99.1x OBLG's $2M. UPLD is the more profitable business, keeping -18.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to OBLG's -187.2%. On growth, OBLG holds the edge at +4.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | OBLGOblong, Inc. | UPLDUpland Software, … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2M | $236M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$5M | $33M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$4M | -$43M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$3M | $26M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +36.0% | +73.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -130.5% | -2.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -187.2% | -18.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -129.4% | +11.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.0% | -24.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +93.4% | +18.2% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | OBLGOblong, Inc. | UPLDUpland Software, … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1M | $26M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | -$4M | $261M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.07x | -0.21x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.53x | 0.09x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.23x | 0.23x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 1.09x |
Profitability & Efficiency
OBLG delivers a -45.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-45 in annual profit, vs $-65 for UPLD. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), UPLD scores 7/9 vs OBLG's 2/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | OBLGOblong, Inc. | UPLDUpland Software, … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -45.3% | -64.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -40.9% | -10.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | -18.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -88.2% | -17.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 2.78x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$5M | $236M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $5M | $56M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $0 | $292M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | -2.94x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in UPLD five years ago would be worth $175 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4 for OBLG. Over the past 12 months, OBLG leads with a -69.8% total return vs UPLD's -72.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors UPLD at -46.6% vs OBLG's -76.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | OBLGOblong, Inc. | UPLDUpland Software, … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -44.2% | -41.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -69.8% | -72.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.7% | -84.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -100.0% | -98.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -100.0% | -85.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -76.6% | -46.6% |
Risk & Volatility
UPLD is the less volatile stock with a 1.43 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than OBLG's 2.12 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | OBLGOblong, Inc. | UPLDUpland Software, … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 2.12x | 1.43x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $5.50 | $3.91 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.96 | $0.88 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +20.0% | +22.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 26.1 | 22.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 36K | 146K |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | OBLGOblong, Inc. | UPLDUpland Software, … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +43.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oblong, Inc. (OBLG) | 100 | 0.18 | -99.8% |
| Upland Software, In… (UPLD) | 100 | 3.38 | -96.6% |
Upland Software, In… (UPLD) returned -98% over 5 years vs Oblong, Inc. (OBLG)'s -100%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oblong, Inc. (OBLG) | $26M | $2M | -90.7% |
| Upland Software, In… (UPLD) | $70M | $275M | +293.1% |
Oblong, Inc.'s revenue grew from $26M (2015) to $2M (2024) — a -23.2% CAGR. Upland Software, Inc.'s revenue grew from $70M (2015) to $275M (2024) — a 16.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oblong, Inc. (OBLG) | -8.4% | -170.0% | -1926.3% |
| Upland Software, In… (UPLD) | -19.5% | -41.0% | -109.9% |
Oblong, Inc.'s net margin went from -8% (2015) to -170% (2024). Upland Software, Inc.'s net margin went from -20% (2015) to -41% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oblong, Inc. (OBLG) | -362.79 | -15.71 | +95.7% |
| Upland Software, In… (UPLD) | -0.91 | -4.26 | -368.1% |
Oblong, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-362.79 (2015) to $-15.71 (2024). Upland Software, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.91 (2015) to $-4.26 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Oblong, Inc. generated $-3M FCF in 2024 (+56% vs 2021). Upland Software, Inc. generated $23M FCF in 2024 (-43% vs 2021).
OBLG vs UPLD: Frequently Asked Questions
6 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Which is the better long-term investment — OBLG or UPLD?
Over the past 5 years, Upland Software, Inc. (UPLD) delivered a total return of -98.3%, compared to -100.0% for Oblong, Inc. (OBLG). A $10,000 investment in UPLD five years ago would be worth approximately $175 today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UPLD returned -85.8% versus OBLG's -100.0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
02Which is safer — OBLG or UPLD?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Upland Software, Inc. (UPLD) is the lower-risk stock at 1.43β versus Oblong, Inc.'s 2.12β — meaning OBLG is approximately 48% more volatile than UPLD relative to the S&P 500.
03Which has better profit margins — OBLG or UPLD?
Upland Software, Inc. (UPLD) is the more profitable company, earning -41.0% net margin versus -170.0% for Oblong, Inc. — meaning it keeps -41.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: UPLD leads at -37.2% versus -176.7% for OBLG. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UPLD leads at 70.5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
04Which pays a better dividend — OBLG or UPLD?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
05Is OBLG or UPLD better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Upland Software, Inc. (UPLD) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding. Oblong, Inc. (OBLG) carries a higher beta of 2.12 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (UPLD: -85.8%, OBLG: -100.0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
06What are the main differences between OBLG and UPLD?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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