Is APP or CDNS cheaper?

On trailing earnings, APP is cheaper: APP trades at a 40.33 P/E and CDNS at 90.69.

Which has grown faster, APP or CDNS?

Over the past five years, APP grew revenue faster — APP at a 27.99% CAGR versus CDNS at 14.78%.

Is APP or CDNS more profitable?

APP runs the higher net margin — APP at 64.29% versus CDNS at 21.18%.

Which has been the better investment, APP or CDNS?

Over the past 5-year, APP delivered the higher annualized total return — APP at 42.36% versus CDNS at 31.97%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

AppLovin Corporation (APP) vs Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS)

APP leads on 13 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of AppLovin Corporation and Cadence Design Systems, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 23, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

$107.30B

$389.04Technology

Total return — APP vs CDNS

growth of $100 · last 5y

APP +619.9%CDNS +163.6%APP compounded faster

APP CDNS

APP vs CDNS: by the numbers

•APP is the larger company ($157.69B vs $107.30B market cap).
•APP trades at the lower earnings multiple (40.33 vs 90.69 P/E).
•APP converts more revenue to profit (64.29% vs 21.18% net margin).
•APP grew revenue faster over the past five years (27.99% vs 14.78% CAGR).

Which is better, APP or CDNS?

Metric tally: APP 13 · CDNS 2

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueAPP(lower P/E)

GrowthAPP(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityAPP(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	APP	CDNS
P/E ratio	40.33●	90.69
Forward P/E	21.92●	41.50
P/S ratio	25.79	19.26●
P/B ratio	67.27	16.23●
PEG ratio	0.62●	14.86
EV / EBITDA	32.32●	54.62
FCF yield	2.77%●	1.34%

Profitability

Metric	APP	CDNS
Gross margin	88.37%	88.85%
Operating margin	77.09%●	31.11%
Net margin	64.29%●	21.18%
ROE	167.67%●	17.85%
ROIC	60.71%●	14.11%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	APP	CDNS
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	27.99%●	14.78%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	73.54%●	13.62%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	79.57%●	11.44%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	42.36%●	23.76%

Frequently asked

Which is better, APP or CDNS?: It depends on your goal. value: APP (lower P/E); growth: APP (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: APP (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, APP leads 13 to 2.
Is APP or CDNS cheaper?: On trailing earnings, APP is cheaper: APP trades at a 40.33 P/E and CDNS at 90.69.
Which has grown faster, APP or CDNS?: Over the past five years, APP grew revenue faster — APP at a 27.99% CAGR versus CDNS at 14.78%.
Is APP or CDNS more profitable?: APP runs the higher net margin — APP at 64.29% versus CDNS at 21.18%.
Which has been the better investment, APP or CDNS?: Over the past 5-year, APP delivered the higher annualized total return — APP at 42.36% versus CDNS at 31.97%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full APP analysis Full CDNS analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

AppLovin P/E ratio Cadence Design Systems P/E ratio AppLovin dividend yield Cadence Design Systems dividend yield AppLovin ROE Cadence Design Systems ROE AppLovin operating margin Cadence Design Systems operating margin AppLovin revenue growth Cadence Design Systems revenue growth AppLovin free cash flow Cadence Design Systems free cash flow

AppLovin & Cadence Design Systems appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 23, 2026.