Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) vs CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR) 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 | CYBR | 36.0% revenue growth vs ZS's 23.3% |
| Value | ZS | Lower P/E (36.8x vs 81.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | ZS | -2.3% net margin vs CYBR's -10.8% |
| Stability / Safety | CYBR | Beta 1.05 vs ZS's 1.27, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CYBR | +12.4% vs ZS's -25.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ZS | -1.0% ROA vs CYBR's -3.0%, ROIC -8.4% vs -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
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.
CyberArk is a cybersecurity company specializing in privileged access management — protecting organizations' most critical accounts and credentials from cyberattacks. It generates revenue primarily through software license sales and subscription services — including SaaS offerings — with maintenance and professional services contributing additional recurring income. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep specialization in the privileged access security niche, where it has established market leadership and a comprehensive platform that's difficult for competitors to replicate.
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
ZS leads in 2 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). CYBR leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ZS is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.0B annually — 2.2x CYBR's $1.4B. ZS is the more profitable business, keeping -2.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to CYBR's -10.8%. On growth, ZS holds the edge at +25.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ZSZscaler, Inc. | CYBRCyberArk Software… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $3.0B | $1.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$52M | $23M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$68M | -$147M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $944M | $259M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +76.6% | +74.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -4.8% | -7.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -2.3% | -10.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +31.4% | +19.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +25.9% | +18.5% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -3.2% | +83.2% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ZSZscaler, Inc. | CYBRCyberArk Software… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $23.6B | $20.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $23.0B | $21.2B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -544.41x | -139.54x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 36.83x | 81.87x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 908.21x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 8.83x | 15.16x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 12.61x | 8.54x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 32.48x | 79.60x |
Profitability & Efficiency
ZS delivers a -3.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-3 in annual profit, vs $-6 for CYBR. CYBR carries lower financial leverage with a 0.51x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ZS's 1.00x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ZS scores 4/9 vs CYBR's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | ZSZscaler, Inc. | CYBRCyberArk Software… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.1% | -6.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.0% | -3.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -8.4% | -3.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -4.6% | -3.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.00x | 0.51x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$592M | $599M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.4B | $623M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.8B | $1.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 8.97x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CYBR five years ago would be worth $26,916 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,994 for ZS. Over the past 12 months, CYBR leads with a +12.4% total return vs ZS's -25.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CYBR at 41.3% vs ZS's 3.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ZSZscaler, Inc. | CYBRCyberArk Software… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -33.4% | -6.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -25.1% | +12.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +12.1% | +182.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -30.1% | +169.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +345.4% | +991.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +3.9% | +41.3% |
Risk & Volatility
CYBR is the less volatile stock with a 1.05 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ZS's 1.27 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CYBR currently trades 77.7% from its 52-week high vs ZS's 43.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ZSZscaler, Inc. | CYBRCyberArk Software… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.27x | 1.05x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $336.99 | $526.19 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $140.56 | $288.63 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +43.6% | +77.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 41.7 | 38.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.7M | 810K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ZS as "Buy" and CYBR as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 96.5% upside for ZS (target: $289) vs 14.0% for CYBR (target: $466).
| Metric | ZSZscaler, Inc. | CYBRCyberArk Software… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $288.85 | $466.17 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 52 | 49 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) | 100 | 380.09 | +280.1% |
| CyberArk Software L… (CYBR) | 100 | 399.88 | +299.9% |
CyberArk Software L… (CYBR) returned +169% over 5 years vs Zscaler, Inc. (ZS)'s -30%. A $10,000 investment in CYBR 5 years ago would be worth $26,916 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) | $80M | $2.7B | +3227.9% |
| CyberArk Software L… (CYBR) | $217M | $1.4B | +528.4% |
Zscaler, Inc.'s revenue grew from $80M (2016) to $2.7B (2025) — a 47.6% CAGR. CyberArk Software Ltd.'s revenue grew from $217M (2016) to $1.4B (2025) — a 22.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) | -34.2% | -1.6% | +95.5% |
| CyberArk Software L… (CYBR) | 13.0% | -10.8% | -183.1% |
Zscaler, Inc.'s net margin went from -34% (2016) to -2% (2025). CyberArk Software Ltd.'s net margin went from 13% (2016) to -11% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2019 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CyberArk Software L… (CYBR) | 94.1 | 72 | -23.5% |
CyberArk Software Ltd. has traded in a 58x–94x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-140x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) | -0.98 | -0.27 | +72.4% |
| CyberArk Software L… (CYBR) | 0.78 | -2.93 | -475.6% |
Zscaler, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.98 (2016) to $-0.27 (2025). CyberArk Software Ltd.'s EPS grew from $0.78 (2016) to $-2.93 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Zscaler, Inc. generated $727M FCF in 2025 (+406% vs 2021). CyberArk Software Ltd. generated $259M FCF in 2025 (+294% vs 2021).
ZS vs CYBR: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ZS or CYBR a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) a "Buy" — based on 52 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 is the better long-term investment — ZS or CYBR?
Over the past 5 years, CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR) delivered a total return of +169.2%, compared to -30.1% for Zscaler, Inc. (ZS). A $10,000 investment in CYBR five years ago would be worth approximately $27K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CYBR returned +991.1% versus ZS's +345.4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — ZS or CYBR?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR) is the lower-risk stock at 1.05β versus Zscaler, Inc.'s 1.27β — meaning ZS is approximately 21% more volatile than CYBR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 51% versus 100% for Zscaler, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — ZS or CYBR?
Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) is the more profitable company, earning -1.6% net margin versus -10.8% for CyberArk Software Ltd. — meaning it keeps -1.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ZS leads at -4.8% versus -7.7% for CYBR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ZS leads at 76.9%, 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.
05Is ZS or CYBR more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Zscaler, Inc. (ZS) trades at 36.8x forward P/E versus 81.9x for CyberArk Software Ltd. — 45.0x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ZS: 96.5% to $288.85.
06Which pays a better dividend — ZS or CYBR?
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.
07Is ZS or CYBR better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, CyberArk Software Ltd. (CYBR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.05), +991.1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CYBR: +991.1%, ZS: +345.4%), 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.
08What are the main differences between ZS and CYBR?
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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