Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Rapid7, Inc. (RPD) vs Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) vs CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (CRWD) vs Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) vs Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | CRWD | 29.4% revenue growth vs RPD's 8.5% |
| Value | RPD | Lower P/E (4.0x vs 36.8x) |
| Quality / Margins | FTNT | 27.3% net margin vs CRWD's -6.9% |
| Stability / Safety | PANW | Beta 1.16 vs CRWD's 1.49, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CRWD | -4.5% vs RPD's -78.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | FTNT | 17.8% ROA vs CRWD's -3.2% |
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
Rapid7 is a cybersecurity company that provides a cloud-native platform for detecting, investigating, and responding to security threats across IT environments. It generates revenue primarily through subscription-based access to its Insight platform — including vulnerability management, cloud security, and incident detection solutions — with recurring subscriptions accounting for the vast majority of its income. The company's competitive advantage lies in its integrated platform approach that combines multiple security functions into a unified workflow, reducing complexity for security teams.
Palo Alto Networks is a cybersecurity company that provides a comprehensive platform of security products and services to protect organizations from cyber threats. It generates revenue primarily through subscription services — which account for over 80% of total revenue — along with product sales and support contracts. The company's key advantage is its integrated security platform approach, which creates switching costs and network effects as customers adopt more of its ecosystem.
CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company that provides cloud-native endpoint protection and threat intelligence through its Falcon platform. It generates revenue primarily from subscription fees for its security software modules — with cloud security, identity protection, and threat intelligence being key offerings — and managed security services. The company's competitive advantage lies in its AI-powered threat graph that analyzes trillions of security events weekly, creating a powerful network effect where each customer improves protection for all others.
Fortinet is a cybersecurity company that provides integrated network security solutions through hardware appliances, software, and cloud services. It generates revenue primarily from selling security hardware like firewalls (~60% of product revenue) and software subscriptions/services (~40% of total revenue) including support, cloud security, and software-as-a-service offerings. The company's key advantage is its Security Fabric architecture—a unified platform approach that integrates various security functions across networks, endpoints, and clouds, creating switching costs and operational efficiencies for customers.
Zscaler is a cloud-native security platform that provides secure internet and private application access without traditional network hardware. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its Zero Trust Exchange platform — with its core Zscaler Internet Access and Zscaler Private Access solutions driving most of its business. The company's key advantage is its massive, globally distributed cloud architecture that processes over 300 billion daily transactions, creating significant scale and data advantages that competitors cannot easily replicate.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 5 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
FTNT leads in 1 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics). RPD leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
RPD is the larger business by revenue, generating $218.0B annually — 72.6x ZS's $3.0B. FTNT is the more profitable business, keeping 27.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to CRWD's -6.9%. On growth, RPD holds the edge at +1004.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | RPDRapid7, Inc. | PANWPalo Alto Network… | CRWDCrowdStrike Holdi… | FTNTFortinet, Inc. | ZSZscaler, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $218.0B | $9.9B | $4.6B | $6.8B | $3.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $2.3B | $1.9B | -$150M | $2.2B | -$52M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $3.1B | $1.3B | -$314M | $1.9B | -$68M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $36.5B | $4.1B | $1.2B | $2.2B | $944M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +68.9% | +73.5% | +74.3% | +80.8% | +76.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +5.3% | +14.4% | -7.9% | +30.6% | -4.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +1.4% | +13.0% | -6.9% | +27.3% | -2.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +16.8% | +41.1% | +25.3% | +32.7% | +31.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +1004.2% | +14.9% | +22.2% | +14.8% | +25.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +66.7% | +57.9% | -100.0% | 0.0% | -3.2% |
Valuation Metrics
At 15.6x trailing earnings, RPD trades at a 83% valuation discount to PANW's 93.1x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, RPD's 13.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than CRWD's 964.8x.
| Metric | RPDRapid7, Inc. | PANWPalo Alto Network… | CRWDCrowdStrike Holdi… | FTNTFortinet, Inc. | ZSZscaler, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $395M | $104.7B | $93.8B | $58.8B | $23.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.1B | $102.8B | $90.2B | $57.3B | $23.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 15.55x | 93.08x | -4726.56x | 32.52x | -544.41x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 4.00x | 40.06x | 100.16x | 26.56x | 36.83x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — | — | 0.98x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 13.49x | 64.78x | 964.80x | 25.64x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.47x | 11.35x | 23.72x | 8.64x | 8.83x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 22.19x | 13.50x | 27.43x | 47.77x | 12.61x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.35x | 30.17x | 87.81x | 26.40x | 32.48x |
Profitability & Efficiency
FTNT delivers a 149.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $150 in annual profit, vs $-8 for CRWD. PANW carries lower financial leverage with a 0.04x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to RPD's 57.49x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), RPD scores 7/9 vs CRWD's 3/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | RPDRapid7, Inc. | PANWPalo Alto Network… | CRWDCrowdStrike Holdi… | FTNTFortinet, Inc. | ZSZscaler, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +2.0% | +13.6% | -7.7% | +149.8% | -3.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +0.2% | +5.1% | -3.2% | +17.8% | -1.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +3.8% | +17.1% | — | — | -8.4% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +3.6% | +8.9% | -2.6% | +37.7% | -4.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 57.49x | 0.04x | 0.24x | 0.81x | 1.00x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $683M | -$1.9B | -$3.5B | -$1.5B | -$592M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $335M | $2.3B | $4.3B | $2.5B | $2.4B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.0B | $338M | $789M | $996M | $1.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 3.20x | 1559.00x | -7.52x | 112.99x | 8.97x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PANW five years ago would be worth $24,321 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $765 for RPD. Over the past 12 months, CRWD leads with a -4.5% total return vs RPD's -78.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CRWD at 45.5% vs RPD's -49.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | RPDRapid7, Inc. | PANWPalo Alto Network… | CRWDCrowdStrike Holdi… | FTNTFortinet, Inc. | ZSZscaler, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -56.4% | -17.0% | -18.0% | +1.5% | -33.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -78.6% | -21.8% | -4.5% | -26.8% | -25.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -86.8% | +58.1% | +208.2% | +33.0% | +12.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -92.4% | +143.2% | +66.5% | +128.1% | -30.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -53.2% | +517.2% | +541.3% | +1291.4% | +345.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -49.1% | +16.5% | +45.5% | +10.0% | +3.9% |
Risk & Volatility
PANW is the less volatile stock with a 1.16 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CRWD's 1.49 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. FTNT currently trades 71.4% from its 52-week high vs RPD's 20.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | RPDRapid7, Inc. | PANWPalo Alto Network… | CRWDCrowdStrike Holdi… | FTNTFortinet, Inc. | ZSZscaler, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.20x | 1.16x | 1.49x | 1.23x | 1.27x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $30.95 | $223.61 | $566.90 | $110.67 | $336.99 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $5.93 | $139.57 | $298.00 | $70.12 | $140.56 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +20.1% | +66.6% | +65.6% | +71.4% | +43.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 19.6 | 35.4 | 40.2 | 47.1 | 41.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.1M | 7.9M | 2.3M | 5.6M | 1.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Analyst consensus: RPD as "Hold", PANW as "Buy", CRWD as "Buy", FTNT as "Hold", ZS as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 96.5% upside for ZS (target: $289) vs 8.5% for FTNT (target: $86).
| Metric | RPDRapid7, Inc. | PANWPalo Alto Network… | CRWDCrowdStrike Holdi… | FTNTFortinet, Inc. | ZSZscaler, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy | Buy | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $10.25 | $211.29 | $531.69 | $85.71 | $288.85 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 37 | 85 | 63 | 67 | 52 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | +3.9% | 0.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid7, Inc. (RPD) | 100 | 25.39 | -74.6% |
| Palo Alto Networks,… (PANW) | 100 | 556.01 | +456.0% |
| CrowdStrike Holding… (CRWD) | 100 | 742.18 | +642.2% |
| Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) | 100 | 369.16 | +269.2% |
| Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) | 100 | 380.09 | +280.1% |
Palo Alto Networks,… (PANW) returned +143% over 5 years vs Rapid7, Inc. (RPD)'s -92%. A $10,000 investment in PANW 5 years ago would be worth $24,321 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid7, Inc. (RPD) | $157M | $844M | +436.1% |
| Palo Alto Networks,… (PANW) | $1.4B | $9.2B | +569.0% |
| CrowdStrike Holding… (CRWD) | $53M | $4.0B | +7395.7% |
| Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) | $1.3B | $6.8B | +433.1% |
| Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) | $80M | $2.7B | +3227.9% |
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.'s revenue grew from $1.4B (2016) to $9.2B (2025) — a 23.5% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid7, Inc. (RPD) | -31.1% | 3.0% | +109.7% |
| Palo Alto Networks,… (PANW) | -16.4% | 12.3% | +175.0% |
| CrowdStrike Holding… (CRWD) | -173.2% | -0.5% | +99.7% |
| Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) | 2.5% | 27.3% | +979.6% |
| Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) | -34.2% | -1.6% | +95.5% |
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.'s net margin went from -16% (2016) to 12% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Networks,… (PANW) | 230.4 | 115.1 | -50.0% |
| Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) | 242.8 | 32.7 | -86.5% |
Palo Alto Networks, Inc. has traded in a 50x–230x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~93x. Fortinet, Inc. has traded in a 33x–243x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~33x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid7, Inc. (RPD) | -1.19 | 0.4 | +133.6% |
| Palo Alto Networks,… (PANW) | -0.43 | 1.6 | +472.1% |
| CrowdStrike Holding… (CRWD) | -0.53 | -0.08 | +85.2% |
| Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) | 0.04 | 2.43 | +6650.0% |
| Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) | -0.98 | -0.27 | +72.4% |
Palo Alto Networks, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.43 (2016) to $1.60 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Rapid7, Inc. generated $168M FCF in 2024 (+275% vs 2021). Palo Alto Networks, Inc. generated $3B FCF in 2025 (+150% vs 2021).
RPD vs PANW vs CRWD vs FTNT vs ZS: Key Questions Answered
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is RPD or PANW or CRWD or FTNT or ZS a better buy right now?
Rapid7, Inc. (RPD) offers the better valuation at 15.6x trailing P/E (4.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) a "Buy" — based on 85 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — RPD or PANW or CRWD or FTNT or ZS?
On trailing P/E, Rapid7, Inc. (RPD) is the cheapest at 15.6x versus Palo Alto Networks, Inc. at 93.1x. On forward P/E, Rapid7, Inc. is actually cheaper at 4.0x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — RPD or PANW or CRWD or FTNT or ZS?
Over the past 5 years, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) delivered a total return of +143.2%, compared to -92.4% for Rapid7, Inc. (RPD). A $10,000 investment in PANW five years ago would be worth approximately $24K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: FTNT returned +1291% versus RPD's -53.2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — RPD or PANW or CRWD or FTNT or ZS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) is the lower-risk stock at 1.16β versus CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.'s 1.49β — meaning CRWD is approximately 28% more volatile than PANW relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (PANW) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 4% versus 57% for Rapid7, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — RPD or PANW or CRWD or FTNT or ZS?
Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) is the more profitable company, earning 27.3% net margin versus -1.6% for Zscaler, Inc. — meaning it keeps 27.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: FTNT leads at 30.6% versus -4.8% for ZS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — FTNT leads at 80.8%, 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.
06Is RPD or PANW or CRWD or FTNT or ZS more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Rapid7, Inc. (RPD) trades at 4.0x forward P/E versus 100.2x for CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. — 96.2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ZS: 96.5% to $288.85.
07Which pays a better dividend — RPD or PANW or CRWD or FTNT or ZS?
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.
08Is RPD or PANW or CRWD or FTNT or ZS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Fortinet, Inc. (FTNT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.23), +1291% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (FTNT: +1291%, RPD: -53.2%), 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.
09What are the main differences between RPD and PANW and CRWD and FTNT and ZS?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: RPD is a small-cap deep-value stock; PANW is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; CRWD is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; FTNT is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; ZS is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.