Elastic N.V. (ESTC) vs Paylocity (PCTY)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 21, 2026.
Summary
Elastic N.V. (ESTC) has outperformed Paylocity (PCTY) over the past year, gaining 14.0% versus a gain of 9.3%. Over five years, PCTY leads with a -44.5% price change compared with -44.9% for ESTC. Elastic N.V. is the larger company by market cap ($10.37 billion vs $9.38 billion), about 1.1 times the size.
On valuation, Paylocity trades at a lower forward P/E (17.5x vs 25.0x for Elastic N.V.). Elastic N.V. converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 21.1% versus 15.2%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | ESTC | PCTY |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $98.81 | $169.33 |
| Market cap | $10.37B | $9.38B |
| 1-day change | +3.33% | -0.43% |
| YTD return | +30.98% | +11.04% |
| 1-year return | +13.97% | +9.33% |
| 5-year return | -44.89% | -44.51% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 27.30 | 34.56 |
| Forward P/E | 24.98 | 17.49 |
| EPS (TTM) | $3.62 | $4.90 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $1.74B | $1.77B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +17.26% | +11.04% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $367.77M | $269.74M |
| Gross margin | 76.07% | 69.19% |
| Operating margin | -1.92% | 21.79% |
| Net margin | 21.14% | 15.23% |
| 52-week high | $108.00 | $171.81 |
| 52-week low | $42.05 | $92.99 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -8.51% | -1.44% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +12.86% | +1.93% |
| Average volume | 2.30M | 685.34K |
| Shares outstanding | 104.99M | 55.37M |
| Employees | 3,834 | 6,900 |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | Computer Software: Prepackaged Software | Computer Software: Prepackaged Software |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Paylocity trades at a higher earnings multiple (34.6x vs 27.3x trailing P/E).
- Elastic N.V. is more profitable, keeping 21.1 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus 15.2 cents for Paylocity.
- Elastic N.V. grew revenue faster in its latest fiscal year (+17.26% vs +11.04%).
About Elastic N.V.
ESTC stock →Elastic N.V., a search artificial intelligence (AI) company, provides software platforms to run in hybrid, public or private clouds, and multi-cloud environments in the United States and internationally. It primarily offers Elasticsearch Platform, a set of software products that ingest and store data from various sources and formats, as well as performs search, analysis, and visualization on that data.
Technology · Computer Software: Prepackaged Software · 3,834 employees
About Paylocity
PCTY stock →Paylocity Holding Corporation provides cloud-based human capital management, finance, and IT software solutions in the United States. The company offers payroll solutions comprising payroll and tax services, global payroll, on-demand payment, garnishments, and elevate payroll; human resources (HR) solutions consisting of human resources, employee self-service, workflows and documents, HR compliance dashboard, and elevate HR and HR edge; time and labor solutions, including time and attendance, scheduling, and time collection; and talent solutions, such as recruiting, onboarding, learning, performance, compensation, and market pay.
Technology · Computer Software: Prepackaged Software · 6,900 employees
ESTC vs PCTY FAQ
Which is bigger, Elastic N.V. or Paylocity?
Elastic N.V. (ESTC) is larger, with a market capitalization of $10.37B compared with $9.38B for Paylocity (PCTY).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, ESTC or PCTY?
ESTC returned +13.97% over the past 12 months, compared with +9.33% for PCTY (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, ESTC or PCTY?
ESTC has the lower trailing P/E at 27.3, versus 34.6 for PCTY. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Are Elastic N.V. and Paylocity in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Computer Software: Prepackaged Software industry within the Technology sector.