CLBT vs PLTR: How Cellebrite DI and Palantir Technologies Compare (2026)

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 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: CLBT 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. CLBT and PLTR 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 CLBT and PLTR 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.

Cellebrite DI Ltd. sells the digital-intelligence toolchain used in criminal investigations. Its access products (the Inseyets line, successor to the UFED hardware kits) unlock and extract data from mobile devices, Guardian handles cloud-based evidence review and sharing across agencies, Pathfinder and the newer AI products correlate evidence across seized devices, and Endpoint Inspector covers computers and corporate endpoints. Customers are police forces, national security agencies, prosecutors and, increasingly, corporate investigations and incident-response teams. The company is headquartered in Petah Tikva, Israel, listed on Nasdaq after a 2021 SPAC merger, and files as a foreign private issuer on Form 20-F. In late 2025 it closed the ~$170 million acquisition of Corellium, whose virtualized ARM device platform is used for mobile app security research, and paired that deal with a restructuring.

Full CLBT guide

Palantir Technologies provides data integration, analytics, and AI software to government and commercial customers. The company organizes around three main platforms. Gotham is the original government-focused platform used for intelligence, defense, and law enforcement analytics. Foundry is the commercial counterpart used for enterprise data integration and analytics. Apollo is the deployment platform that ships the above to customers' environments (cloud or on-premises). The newer Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) layers generative AI workflows on top of Gotham and Foundry data, allowing customers to build AI agents on their own proprietary data.

Full PLTR guide

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

• CLBT drivers: ARR compounding on the subscription shift; AI products and the Corellium platform.
• PLTR drivers: AIP-driven commercial expansion; US government and defense.

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: Revenue depends on government budgets, so procurement freezes, continuing resolutions and election-cycle delays can push deals across quarters with no change in demand. For PLTR, the valuation reflects extraordinary expectations for AIP-driven growth and is among the highest in software.

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 CLBT if you believe its drivers more; PLTR 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 CLBT and PLTR guides.

CLBT. Q1 2026, reported May 14, met or beat the high end of guidance on both ARR and revenue, and full-year guidance was reaffirmed rather than raised. GAAP net income was ~$30.6 million (~$0.12 diluted), though GAAP figures move with warrant and stock-compensation accounting, so the company steers on ARR and adjusted EBITDA. Second-quarter 2026 results are scheduled for August 13, 2026, and the number under the most scrutiny is net new ARR, which the guidance implies grows about ~50% sequentially at the midpoint.

PLTR. Palantir trades at one of the highest valuations in software by virtually any metric. The premium reflects the AIP-driven growth story, the durable government revenue base, and the rule-of-40 financials. The multiple is sensitive to any growth deceleration; downside risk is substantial if AIP momentum slows.

Headline figures (approximate, August 2026): CLBT shows revenue (ttm) ~$496 million, arr (q1 2026) ~$493 million, up ~21% year over year, q1 2026 revenue and adjusted ebitda ~$128 million revenue, ~$31 million adjusted EBITDA, ~86% gross margin, fy2026 revenue guidance ~$565 million to ~$571 million; PLTR shows revenue (ttm) ~$3.5 billion, operating margin ~25% (non-GAAP); GAAP is lower, net income (ttm) ~$700 million (GAAP), eps (ttm) ~$0.30.

CLBT and PLTR 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 CLBT and PLTR exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.