ADSK vs SSYS: How Autodesk and Stratasys Compare (2026)

Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: ADSK is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. ADSK and SSYS share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined ADSK and SSYS exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Autodesk is a large-cap software company whose tools are the default in several design and engineering fields. Its best-known products are AutoCAD (2D and 3D drafting), Revit (building information modeling for architecture, engineering and construction), Fusion (cloud product design and manufacturing), and Maya and 3ds Max (media and entertainment). It serves roughly four end markets: architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), product design and manufacturing, media and entertainment, and a broad base of individual and small-business users.

Full ADSK guide

Stratasys designs and sells industrial 3D printers and the materials that run on them, focused on polymer additive manufacturing for prototyping, tooling and end-use parts.

Full SSYS guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• ADSK drivers: Recurring revenue and high retention; Margins and free cash flow.
• SSYS drivers: Shift from prototyping toward production parts; Recurring materials revenue.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The most-cited risk is valuation: as a high-quality, profitable software name, Autodesk often trades at a premium multiple, so growth that merely meets expectations can still disappoint the stock. For SSYS, the additive manufacturing industry has repeatedly grown more slowly than forecast, and Stratasys has faced years of flat or declining revenue as a result.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick ADSK if you believe its drivers more; SSYS if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the ADSK and SSYS guides.

ADSK. Figures are approximate, tied to the asOf date, and use Autodesk's fiscal calendar (its year ends in late January), so verify live numbers before acting. Autodesk's transition to subscriptions and past changes to its billing model can distort year-over-year comparisons, so free cash flow and remaining performance obligations are often more useful than a single quarter's headline revenue. As a profitable compounder, its multiple prices in continued growth, which raises the bar for the stock even when the business executes well.

SSYS. Stratasys is best understood as a company whose addressable market is real but has arrived far more slowly than the sector's early enthusiasm implied. Verify current revenue, margin and cash position before drawing conclusions.

Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): ADSK shows revenue (fiscal 2026) About $7.2 billion, up roughly 18% year over year, almost all subscription, recurring revenue mix Around 97% of revenue is recurring subscription and maintenance, profitability Solidly profitable; record operating income near $1.6 billion in fiscal 2026, free cash flow Strong, roughly $2.4 billion in fiscal 2026, up sharply as billing patterns normalized; SSYS shows business model Industrial 3D printers plus recurring proprietary materials, primary markets Aerospace, medical, dental, automotive prototyping and tooling, revenue trend Broadly flat to declining in recent years; verify current figures, profitability Has operated around or below breakeven; verify the latest quarter.

ADSK and SSYS are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined ADSK and SSYS exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.