Is CDNS or NOW cheaper?

On trailing earnings, NOW is cheaper: CDNS trades at a 89.73 P/E and NOW at 60.80.

Which has grown faster, CDNS or NOW?

Over the past five years, NOW grew revenue faster — CDNS at a 14.78% CAGR versus NOW at 23.64%.

Is CDNS or NOW more profitable?

CDNS runs the higher net margin — CDNS at 21.18% versus NOW at 12.59%.

Which has been the better investment, CDNS or NOW?

Over the past 10-year, CDNS delivered the higher annualized total return — CDNS at 31.59% versus NOW at 21.29%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS) vs ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW)

NOW leads on 10 of 16 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. and ServiceNow, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

CDNS

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

Total return — CDNS vs NOW

growth of $100 · last 14y

CDNS +3402.8%NOW +1976.2%CDNS compounded faster

CDNS NOW

CDNS vs NOW: by the numbers

•CDNS is the larger company ($106.18B vs $105.35B market cap).
•NOW trades at the lower earnings multiple (60.80 vs 89.73 P/E).
•CDNS converts more revenue to profit (21.18% vs 12.59% net margin).
•NOW grew revenue faster over the past five years (23.64% vs 14.78% CAGR).

Which is better, CDNS or NOW?

Metric tally: CDNS 6 · NOW 10

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueNOW(lower P/E)

GrowthNOW(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityCDNS(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	CDNS	NOW
P/E ratio	89.73	60.80●
Forward P/E	41.13	20.19●
P/S ratio	19.06	7.61●
P/B ratio	16.06	9.06●
PEG ratio	14.88	4.05●
EV / EBITDA	56.46	32.83●
FCF yield	1.36%	4.36%●

Profitability

Metric	CDNS	NOW
Gross margin	88.85%●	76.56%
Operating margin	31.11%●	13.44%
Net margin	21.18%●	12.59%
ROE	17.85%●	14.98%
ROIC	14.11%●	8.98%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CDNS	NOW
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	14.78%	23.64%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	13.62%	69.74%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	11.44%	24.23%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	24.38%●	0.51%

Frequently asked

Which is better, CDNS or NOW?: It depends on your goal. value: NOW (lower P/E); growth: NOW (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: CDNS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, NOW leads 10 to 6.
Is CDNS or NOW cheaper?: On trailing earnings, NOW is cheaper: CDNS trades at a 89.73 P/E and NOW at 60.80.
Which has grown faster, CDNS or NOW?: Over the past five years, NOW grew revenue faster — CDNS at a 14.78% CAGR versus NOW at 23.64%.
Is CDNS or NOW more profitable?: CDNS runs the higher net margin — CDNS at 21.18% versus NOW at 12.59%.
Which has been the better investment, CDNS or NOW?: Over the past 10-year, CDNS delivered the higher annualized total return — CDNS at 31.59% versus NOW at 21.29%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CDNS analysis Full NOW analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

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

Cadence Design Systems & ServiceNow appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Best 10-Year Total Return 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 13, 2026.