Paycom Software Inc vs Upwork Inc — how do they compare? Paycom Software Inc trades at $214.7 (market cap $9.88B), while Upwork Inc trades at $8.31 (market cap $1.04B). The key difference: Paycom Software Inc is far larger — about 9.5× Upwork Inc's market cap, and Paycom Software Inc pays a 0.68% dividend while Upwork Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| PAYC | UPWK | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $9.88B | $1.04B |
Sector | Technology | Industrials |
52-Week High | $240.52 | $22.11 |
52-Week Low | $113.59 | $7.84 |
Enterprise Value | $10.66B | $802.40M |
Dividend Yield | 0.68% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Paycom Software (PAYC) trades at $219.16, down 5.4% today but maintains strong fundamentals with consistent earnings beats and robust profitability. The stock shows a bullish technical signal despite recent weakness, supported by positive analyst sentiment and institutional accumulation. Recent Q2 2026 results exceeded expectations with EPS of $2.78 beating estimates of $2.38, driving management's raised full-year guidance.
Outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $231.70 offering 5.7% upside potential. Key opportunities include sustained revenue growth and expanding margins, while risks involve competitive pressures and market volatility. The company's strong cash flow generation and shareholder returns through dividends and buybacks support long-term value creation.
Upwork (UPWK) is trading at $8.32, down 5.35% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and recent earnings volatility. The company maintains strong profitability metrics including a 77.21% gross margin and 12.93% net income margin, though Q2 2026 earnings beat was overshadowed by weak guidance. Recent news highlights multiple securities fraud investigations alongside AI integration developments.
The stock presents a mixed outlook with attractive valuation multiples (P/E 10.67, P/S 1.44) but faces headwinds from AI disruption and legal scrutiny. Analyst consensus leans bullish with a $9.00 price target, though technical indicators suggest near-term pressure with support at $8.00.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Paycom is a fast-growing provider of payroll and human capital management, or HCM, software primarily targeting clients with 50-10,000 employees in the United States. Paycom was established in 1998 and services about 18,000 clients as of 2021, based on parent company grouping. Alongside its core payroll software, Paycom offers various HCM add-on modules, including time and attendance, talent management, and benefits administration.
Read more on PAYC →Upwork Inc is a United States-based company that operates an online marketplace that enables businesses to find and work with highly-skilled independent professionals. The develops platform for hiring and freelancing purposes. Its products offering include Upwork Basic, Upwork Plus, Upwork Business, Upwork Enterprise, and Upwork Payroll. The business generates revenue from Talent and Clients across the USA, India, the Philippines and the rest of the world. Substantial income is derived from providing services to Clients.
Read more on UPWK →