Sifting through countless of stocks in the Professional Services industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Paycom Software, Inc. or Upwork Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc.

Paycom Software, Inc. provides cloud-based human capital management (HCM) solution delivered as software-as-a-service for small to mid-sized companies in the United States. The company offers functionality and data analytics that businesses need to manage the employment life cycle from recruitment to retirement. The company’s HCM solution offers payroll applications comprising better employee transaction interface, payroll and payroll tax management, payroll card, Everyday, Paycom pay, Client Action Center, expense management, garnishment administration, and GL concierge applications; talent acquisition, including applicant tracking, background checks, on-boarding, e-verify, and tax credit services; and talent management applications that include employee self-service, compensation budgeting, performance management, position management, Paycom learning, certification management. The company also offers time and labor management, such as time and attendance, scheduling, time-off requests, and labor allocation solutions. Its HCM solution provides manager on-the-go that gives supervisors and managers the ability to perform a variety of tasks, such as approving time-off requests and expense reimbursements; direct data exchange; ask here, a tool for direct line of communication to ask work-related questions; document and checklist; government and compliance; benefits administration; COBRA administration; personnel action and performance discussion forms; Paycom surveys; retirement reporting; report center; and affordable care act applications, as well as Clue, which securely collects, tracks, and manages the vaccination and testing data of the workforce; and MyCom is a communications tool that provides organizations with a central place to share information with employees. Paycom Software, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Upwork Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides platforms and workforce solutions that connect businesses with freelance, agency, fractional, and payrolled talent in the United States, the Philippines, India, Pakistan, and internationally. The company offers Upwork Marketplace, a human and AI-powered work marketplace that connects businesses with on-demand access to independent talent across a range of categories, including AI-related projects, administrative support, sales and marketing, design and creative, and customer service, as well as web, mobile, and software development. Its marketplace also streamlines workflows, such as talent sourcing, outreach, contracting, and engagement management, as well as provides infrastructure for remote collaboration, including communication and collaboration tools, consolidated invoicing, and payment protection; and Upwork Payroll services. It also offers enterprise solutions that provide access to platform capabilities that support contingent workforce solutions, including sourcing, onboarding, classification, compliance and contract management, payments, and reporting. In addition, the company offers managed services that provide a service-led program management and end-to-end project delivery solution that enables enterprise clients to outsource defined functions or projects; Uma, an AI assistant; and escrow services. The company was formerly known as Elance-oDesk, Inc. and changed its name to Upwork Inc. in May 2015. Upwork Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

Latest Professional Services and Paycom Software, Inc., Upwork Inc. Stock News

As of September 2, 2026, Paycom Software, Inc. had a $10.5 billion market capitalization, compared to the Professional Services median of $1.1 million. Paycom Software, Inc.’s stock is up 52.6% in 2026, up 2.6% in the previous five trading days and up 7.39% in the past year.

Currently, Paycom Software, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 25.3. Paycom Software, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $2.1 billion with a 22.8% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 9.8%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $12.094 per share for the current fiscal year. Paycom Software, Inc. currently has a 0.6% dividend yield.

As of September 2, 2026, Upwork Inc. had a $1.1 billion market cap, putting it in the 46th percentile of all stocks. Upwork Inc.’s stock is down 53.6% in 2026, up 3.2% in the previous five trading days and down 43.39% in the past year.

Currently, Upwork Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 11.8. Upwork Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $787.3 million with a 12.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -1.6%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.390 per share for the current fiscal year. Upwork Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
Paycom Software, Inc.	PAYC	B
Upwork Inc.	UPWK	A

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Paycom Software, Inc. has a Growth Score of 69, which is Strong. Upwork Inc. has a Growth Score of 89, which is Very Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: Upwork Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Growth Grade breakdown above, Upwork Inc. has a more attractive growth grade than Paycom Software, Inc.. For investors who focus solely on how a company is growing relative to other companies in the same industry, Upwork Inc. could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Paycom Software, Inc.	PAYC	A
Upwork Inc.	UPWK	D

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Paycom Software, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 90, which is Very Strong. Upwork Inc. has a Momentum Score of 21, which is Weak.

The Momentum Grade Winner: Paycom Software, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, Paycom Software, Inc. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to Upwork Inc.. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, Paycom Software, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Paycom Software, Inc.	PAYC	B
Upwork Inc.	UPWK	C

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Paycom Software, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 71, which is Positive. Upwork Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 51, which is Neutral.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Paycom Software, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Paycom Software, Inc. has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than Upwork Inc.. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Paycom Software, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc. Grades

In addition to Growth, Momentum and Estimate Revisions, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Paycom Software, Inc. or Upwork Inc. Stock?

Overall, Paycom Software, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 69, Momentum Score of 90 and Estimate Revisions Score of 71.

Upwork Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 89, Momentum Score of 21 and Estimate Revisions Score of 51.

Comparing Paycom Software, Inc. and Upwork Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.