Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Competitors

$242.83 +4.62 (+1.94%)

Closing price 05/15/2026 04:00 PM Eastern

Extended Trading

$241.25 -1.58 (-0.65%)

As of 05/15/2026 08:00 PM Eastern

PANW vs. CRWD, FTNT, GOOG, GOOGL, and META

Should you buy Palo Alto Networks stock or one of its competitors? MarketBeat compares Palo Alto Networks with other companies and stocks that may be similar based on industry, sector, market capitalization, business model, investor interest, or shared news coverage. Companies and stocks commonly compared with Palo Alto Networks include CrowdStrike (CRWD), Fortinet (FTNT), Alphabet (GOOG), Alphabet (GOOGL), and Meta Platforms (META). These companies are all part of the "computer and technology" sector.

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to CrowdStrike?

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) and CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, media sentiment, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation and dividends.

Palo Alto Networks has a net margin of 12.96% compared to CrowdStrike's net margin of -3.81%. Palo Alto Networks' return on equity of 17.60% beat CrowdStrike's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Palo Alto Networks	12.96%	17.60%	6.19%
CrowdStrike	-3.81%	-0.14%	-0.06%

Palo Alto Networks presently has a consensus price target of $214.98, indicating a potential downside of 11.47%. CrowdStrike has a consensus price target of $511.35, indicating a potential downside of 13.93%. Given Palo Alto Networks' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Palo Alto Networks is more favorable than CrowdStrike.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Palo Alto Networks	0 Sell rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	36 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.87
CrowdStrike	1 Sell rating(s)	13 Hold rating(s)	37 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.71

79.8% of Palo Alto Networks shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.2% of CrowdStrike shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of Palo Alto Networks shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.7% of CrowdStrike shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Palo Alto Networks has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its share price is 23% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, CrowdStrike has a beta of 1.06, indicating that its share price is 6% more volatile than the broader market.

Palo Alto Networks has higher revenue and earnings than CrowdStrike. CrowdStrike is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Palo Alto Networks, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Palo Alto Networks	$9.22B	21.49	$1.13B	$1.81	134.16
CrowdStrike	$4.81B	31.31	-$162.50M	-$0.74	N/A

In the previous week, Palo Alto Networks had 6 more articles in the media than CrowdStrike. MarketBeat recorded 40 mentions for Palo Alto Networks and 34 mentions for CrowdStrike. Palo Alto Networks' average media sentiment score of 0.98 beat CrowdStrike's score of -0.23 indicating that Palo Alto Networks is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Palo Alto Networks	23 Very Positive mention(s)	6 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
CrowdStrike	8 Very Positive mention(s)	4 Positive mention(s)	5 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Summary

Palo Alto Networks beats CrowdStrike on 13 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Fortinet?

Fortinet (NASDAQ:FTNT) and Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, dividends, media sentiment, analyst recommendations, valuation, risk and institutional ownership.

Fortinet presently has a consensus price target of $100.45, indicating a potential downside of 18.19%. Palo Alto Networks has a consensus price target of $214.98, indicating a potential downside of 11.47%. Given Palo Alto Networks' stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Palo Alto Networks is more favorable than Fortinet.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Fortinet	4 Sell rating(s)	23 Hold rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.17
Palo Alto Networks	0 Sell rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	36 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.87

In the previous week, Fortinet had 1 more articles in the media than Palo Alto Networks. MarketBeat recorded 41 mentions for Fortinet and 40 mentions for Palo Alto Networks. Fortinet's average media sentiment score of 1.05 beat Palo Alto Networks' score of 0.98 indicating that Fortinet is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Fortinet	23 Very Positive mention(s)	9 Positive mention(s)	5 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Palo Alto Networks	23 Very Positive mention(s)	6 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Fortinet has a beta of 0.92, indicating that its share price is 8% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Palo Alto Networks has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its share price is 23% less volatile than the broader market.

Fortinet has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Palo Alto Networks. Fortinet is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Palo Alto Networks, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Fortinet	$6.80B	13.23	$1.85B	$2.59	47.41
Palo Alto Networks	$9.22B	21.49	$1.13B	$1.81	134.16

Fortinet has a net margin of 27.49% compared to Palo Alto Networks' net margin of 12.96%. Fortinet's return on equity of 160.08% beat Palo Alto Networks' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Fortinet	27.49%	160.08%	19.96%
Palo Alto Networks	12.96%	17.60%	6.19%

83.7% of Fortinet shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.8% of Palo Alto Networks shares are owned by institutional investors. 17.6% of Fortinet shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.4% of Palo Alto Networks shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Fortinet beats Palo Alto Networks on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Alphabet?

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, media sentiment, profitability, institutional ownership and dividends.

Alphabet has higher revenue and earnings than Palo Alto Networks. Alphabet is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Palo Alto Networks, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Alphabet	$402.84B	11.83	$132.17B	$13.11	30.00
Palo Alto Networks	$9.22B	21.49	$1.13B	$1.81	134.16

In the previous week, Alphabet had 230 more articles in the media than Palo Alto Networks. MarketBeat recorded 270 mentions for Alphabet and 40 mentions for Palo Alto Networks. Palo Alto Networks' average media sentiment score of 0.98 beat Alphabet's score of 0.82 indicating that Palo Alto Networks is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Alphabet	160 Very Positive mention(s)	35 Positive mention(s)	39 Neutral mention(s)	27 Negative mention(s)	5 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Palo Alto Networks	23 Very Positive mention(s)	6 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Alphabet currently has a consensus price target of $363.40, indicating a potential downside of 7.61%. Palo Alto Networks has a consensus price target of $214.98, indicating a potential downside of 11.47%. Given Alphabet's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Alphabet is more favorable than Palo Alto Networks.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Alphabet	0 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	28 Buy rating(s)	6 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.05
Palo Alto Networks	0 Sell rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	36 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.87

Alphabet has a beta of 1.25, indicating that its stock price is 25% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Palo Alto Networks has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its stock price is 23% less volatile than the broader market.

27.3% of Alphabet shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.8% of Palo Alto Networks shares are held by institutional investors. 13.0% of Alphabet shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.4% of Palo Alto Networks shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Alphabet has a net margin of 37.92% compared to Palo Alto Networks' net margin of 12.96%. Alphabet's return on equity of 38.99% beat Palo Alto Networks' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Alphabet	37.92%	38.99%	27.41%
Palo Alto Networks	12.96%	17.60%	6.19%

Summary

Alphabet beats Palo Alto Networks on 12 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Alphabet?

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, media sentiment, earnings, risk, institutional ownership and valuation.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Palo Alto Networks	$9.22B	21.49	$1.13B	$1.81	134.16
Alphabet	$402.84B	11.93	$132.17B	$13.11	30.27

In the previous week, Alphabet had 161 more articles in the media than Palo Alto Networks. MarketBeat recorded 201 mentions for Alphabet and 40 mentions for Palo Alto Networks. Alphabet's average media sentiment score of 1.01 beat Palo Alto Networks' score of 0.98 indicating that Alphabet is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Palo Alto Networks	23 Very Positive mention(s)	6 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Alphabet	135 Very Positive mention(s)	10 Positive mention(s)	34 Neutral mention(s)	17 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Palo Alto Networks has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its share price is 23% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Alphabet has a beta of 1.26, indicating that its share price is 26% more volatile than the broader market.

Palo Alto Networks currently has a consensus price target of $214.98, indicating a potential downside of 11.47%. Alphabet has a consensus price target of $410.84, indicating a potential upside of 3.54%. Given Alphabet's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Alphabet is more favorable than Palo Alto Networks.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Palo Alto Networks	0 Sell rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	36 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.87
Alphabet	0 Sell rating(s)	5 Hold rating(s)	47 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.94

79.8% of Palo Alto Networks shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 40.0% of Alphabet shares are held by institutional investors. 1.4% of Palo Alto Networks shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 11.6% of Alphabet shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Alphabet has a net margin of 37.92% compared to Palo Alto Networks' net margin of 12.96%. Alphabet's return on equity of 38.99% beat Palo Alto Networks' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Palo Alto Networks	12.96%	17.60%	6.19%
Alphabet	37.92%	38.99%	27.41%

Summary

Alphabet beats Palo Alto Networks on 13 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Meta Platforms?

Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, media sentiment, earnings and institutional ownership.

Meta Platforms has higher revenue and earnings than Palo Alto Networks. Meta Platforms is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Palo Alto Networks, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Palo Alto Networks	$9.22B	21.49	$1.13B	$1.81	134.16
Meta Platforms	$200.97B	7.73	$60.46B	$27.51	22.33

In the previous week, Meta Platforms had 129 more articles in the media than Palo Alto Networks. MarketBeat recorded 169 mentions for Meta Platforms and 40 mentions for Palo Alto Networks. Palo Alto Networks' average media sentiment score of 0.98 beat Meta Platforms' score of 0.86 indicating that Palo Alto Networks is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Palo Alto Networks	23 Very Positive mention(s)	6 Positive mention(s)	7 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Meta Platforms	110 Very Positive mention(s)	14 Positive mention(s)	18 Neutral mention(s)	16 Negative mention(s)	8 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Palo Alto Networks has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its stock price is 23% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Meta Platforms has a beta of 1.25, indicating that its stock price is 25% more volatile than the broader market.

Palo Alto Networks currently has a consensus price target of $214.98, indicating a potential downside of 11.47%. Meta Platforms has a consensus price target of $840.31, indicating a potential upside of 36.81%. Given Meta Platforms' stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Meta Platforms is more favorable than Palo Alto Networks.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Palo Alto Networks	0 Sell rating(s)	8 Hold rating(s)	36 Buy rating(s)	2 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.87
Meta Platforms	0 Sell rating(s)	9 Hold rating(s)	34 Buy rating(s)	4 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.89

79.8% of Palo Alto Networks shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.9% of Meta Platforms shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of Palo Alto Networks shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 13.6% of Meta Platforms shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Meta Platforms has a net margin of 32.84% compared to Palo Alto Networks' net margin of 12.96%. Meta Platforms' return on equity of 36.93% beat Palo Alto Networks' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Palo Alto Networks	12.96%	17.60%	6.19%
Meta Platforms	32.84%	36.93%	23.09%

Summary

Meta Platforms beats Palo Alto Networks on 13 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

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New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding PANW and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.

Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of NASDAQ and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.

PANW vs. The Competition

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Metric	Palo Alto Networks	Security Industry	Computer Sector	NASDAQ Exchange
Market Cap	$198.15B	$56.06B	$39.03B	$12.30B
Dividend Yield	N/A	N/A	3.22%	5.27%
P/E Ratio	134.16	54.73	77.03	25.27
Price / Sales	21.49	11.24	630.73	75.59
Price / Cash	81.07	67.18	47.73	54.86
Price / Book	20.75	20.33	10.25	6.90
Net Income	$1.13B	$410.39M	$1.03B	$334.66M
7 Day Performance	16.81%	5.05%	-1.51%	0.12%
1 Month Performance	44.67%	22.75%	4.17%	-0.18%
1 Year Performance	25.83%	-13.96%	161.58%	30.62%

Palo Alto Networks Competitors List

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Company	MarketRank	Share Price	Analysts' Price Target	1Y Price Performance	Market Cap	Revenue	P/E Ratio	Employee Count	Indicator(s)
PANW Palo Alto Networks	2.7532 of 5 stars	$242.83 +1.9%	$214.98 -11.5%	+25.8%	$198.15B	$9.22B	134.16	16,068	Trending News Upcoming Earnings Analyst Forecast
CRWD CrowdStrike	2.4068 of 5 stars	$542.33 +2.8%	$506.82 -6.5%	+35.2%	$137.54B	$4.81B	N/A	10,698	Trending News Analyst Forecast Insider Trade
FTNT Fortinet	3.2981 of 5 stars	$115.34 +1.1%	$100.45 -12.9%	+17.4%	$84.44B	$6.80B	44.53	15,109	Trending News Analyst Upgrade Analyst Revision
GOOG Alphabet	4.1137 of 5 stars	$386.65 -2.6%	$362.73 -6.2%	+134.9%	$4.68T	$422.50B	29.49	190,200	Trending News Analyst Forecast Analyst Revision
GOOGL Alphabet	4.0988 of 5 stars	$388.88 -3.0%	$407.86 +4.9%	+138.8%	$4.70T	$422.50B	29.66	190,820	Trending News Analyst Forecast Analyst Revision

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This page (NASDAQ:PANW) was last updated on 5/17/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.

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Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Competitors

PANW vs. CRWD, FTNT, GOOG, GOOGL, and META

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to CrowdStrike?

Summary

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Fortinet?

Summary

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Alphabet?

Summary

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Alphabet?

Summary

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Meta Platforms?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

PANW vs. The Competition

Palo Alto Networks Competitors List

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Stock Ideas and Recommendations

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Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Competitors

PANW vs. CRWD, FTNT, GOOG, GOOGL, and META

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to CrowdStrike?

Is PANW or CRWD more profitable?

Do analysts prefer PANW or CRWD?

Do institutionals and insiders believe in PANW or CRWD?

Which has more risk & volatility, PANW or CRWD?

Which has preferable valuation & earnings, PANW or CRWD?

Does the media prefer PANW or CRWD?

Summary

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Fortinet?

Do analysts rate FTNT or PANW?

Does the media favor FTNT or PANW?

Which has more risk and volatility, FTNT or PANW?

Which has stronger valuation & earnings, FTNT or PANW?

Is FTNT or PANW more profitable?

Do institutionals & insiders believe in FTNT or PANW?

Summary

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Alphabet?

Which has preferable earnings and valuation, GOOG or PANW?

Does the media refer more to GOOG or PANW?

Do analysts prefer GOOG or PANW?

Which has more risk and volatility, GOOG or PANW?

Do insiders and institutionals have more ownership in GOOG or PANW?

Is GOOG or PANW more profitable?

Summary

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Alphabet?

Which has better earnings & valuation, PANW or GOOGL?

Does the media refer more to PANW or GOOGL?

Which has more volatility & risk, PANW or GOOGL?

Do analysts prefer PANW or GOOGL?

Do institutionals and insiders have more ownership in PANW or GOOGL?

Is PANW or GOOGL more profitable?

Summary

How does Palo Alto Networks compare to Meta Platforms?

Which has stronger earnings and valuation, PANW or META?

Does the media prefer PANW or META?

Which has more risk & volatility, PANW or META?

Do analysts rate PANW or META?

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in PANW or META?

Is PANW or META more profitable?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

PANW vs. The Competition

Palo Alto Networks Competitors List

Related Companies and Tools

MarketBeat All Access Features

Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring

Stock Ideas and Recommendations

Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools