SSYS vs XMTR: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of October 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: SSYS 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. SSYS and XMTR 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 SSYS and XMTR 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.

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. It is listed on Nasdaq, employs about 1,760 people, and sells into aerospace, defense, automotive, healthcare and dental customers.

Full SSYS guide

Xometry operates an online marketplace for custom manufacturing, matching buyers who upload a CAD file with a network of independent machine shops and fabricators, and using its own pricing engine to quote instantly. Buyers get CNC machining, sheet metal, injection molding and 3D printing through a single interface, and suppliers get a flow of jobs without running their own sales effort.

Full XMTR guide

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

• SSYS drivers: Shift from prototyping toward production parts; Recurring materials revenue.
• XMTR drivers: Marketplace economics; Data advantage compounds.

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 additive manufacturing industry has repeatedly grown more slowly than forecast, and Stratasys has faced years of flat or declining revenue as a result, from about $651 million in 2022 to about $551 million in 2025. For XMTR, marketplace gross margins are structurally lower than a manufacturer's because Xometry pays the supplier for the work.

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 SSYS if you believe its drivers more; XMTR 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 SSYS and XMTR guides.

SSYS. At about $7 a share in October 2026 Stratasys is valued near 1.1 times sales and below book value, with roughly a third of the market cap covered by net cash. No trailing P/E exists because GAAP earnings are negative, and the forward multiple near 38 rests on a thin adjusted EPS estimate of about $0.19 for 2027. Q3 2026 results on November 12 will show whether the expected return to revenue growth is arriving; the mean target of three covering analysts is about $12.

XMTR. As of October 16, 2026 XMTR traded near $94 for a market cap around $5.2 billion, roughly 6.4 times trailing revenue and about 73 times forward earnings estimates, a premium that reflects growth above 40% and a narrowing loss rather than current profits. Xometry is a marketplace rather than a manufacturer, so judge it on take rate, supplier retention and the trajectory toward profitability rather than on factory utilisation. Next results are expected around November 3, 2026, with consensus near $236 million of revenue and adjusted EPS of $0.19. Verify current figures.

Headline figures (approximate, October 2026): SSYS shows revenue (ttm) ~$547 million, revenue growth (q2 2026, yoy) ~flat (-0.3%), gross / operating margin ~42% / ~-9%, net income (ttm) ~-$115 million; XMTR shows revenue (ttm) ~$808M, revenue growth (q2 2026, yoy) ~41%, gross / operating margin ~39% / ~-2%, net income (ttm) ~-$31M (loss).

SSYS and XMTR 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 SSYS and XMTR exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.