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Side-by-side financial comparison of Paylocity Holding Corp (PCTY) and StepStone Group Inc. (STEP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

StepStone Group Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($586.5M vs $387.0M, roughly 1.5× Paylocity Holding Corp). Paylocity Holding Corp runs the higher net margin — 13.0% vs -21.0%, a 34.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, StepStone Group Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (73.0% vs 11.3%). Paylocity Holding Corp produced more free cash flow last quarter ($113.6M vs $26.7M). Over the past eight quarters, StepStone Group Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (28.2% CAGR vs 2.7%).

Paylocity Holding Corporation is an American provider of cloud-based payroll, , spend management, and human capital management (HCM) software.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is an American education technology software company that develops language, literacy and brain-fitness software. Best known for its language-learning products, in 2013, the company expanded beyond language into education-technology with its acquisitions of Livemocha, Lexia Learning, Fit Brains, and Tell Me More. In 2021, it became a subsidiary of IXL Learning.

PCTY vs STEP — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
STEP
STEP
1.5× larger
STEP
$586.5M
$387.0M
PCTY
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STEP
STEP
+61.7% gap
STEP
73.0%
11.3%
PCTY
Higher net margin
PCTY
PCTY
34.0% more per $
PCTY
13.0%
-21.0%
STEP
More free cash flow
PCTY
PCTY
$86.9M more FCF
PCTY
$113.6M
$26.7M
STEP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEP
STEP
Annualised
STEP
28.2%
2.7%
PCTY

Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Revenue
$387.0M
$586.5M
Net Profit
$50.2M
$-123.5M
Gross Margin
72.9%
Operating Margin
18.2%
-33.2%
Net Margin
13.0%
-21.0%
Revenue YoY
11.3%
73.0%
Net Profit YoY
34.0%
35.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.92
$-1.55

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$387.0M
$586.5M
Q3 25
$378.9M
$454.2M
Q2 25
$369.9M
$364.3M
Q1 25
$421.1M
$377.7M
Q4 24
$347.7M
$339.0M
Q3 24
$333.1M
$271.7M
Q2 24
$324.7M
$186.4M
Q1 24
$366.8M
$356.8M
Net Profit
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$50.2M
$-123.5M
Q3 25
$48.0M
$-366.1M
Q2 25
$48.6M
$-38.4M
Q1 25
$91.5M
$-18.5M
Q4 24
$37.5M
$-192.0M
Q3 24
$49.6M
$17.6M
Q2 24
$48.8M
$13.3M
Q1 24
$85.3M
$30.8M
Gross Margin
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
72.9%
Q3 25
73.9%
Q2 25
73.5%
Q1 25
77.1%
Q4 24
72.6%
Q3 24
74.4%
Q2 24
74.0%
Q1 24
77.8%
Operating Margin
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
18.2%
-33.2%
Q3 25
19.6%
-148.8%
Q2 25
17.9%
-5.6%
Q1 25
30.2%
2.6%
Q4 24
13.4%
-101.7%
Q3 24
19.3%
21.3%
Q2 24
19.4%
29.4%
Q1 24
29.0%
26.5%
Net Margin
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
13.0%
-21.0%
Q3 25
12.7%
-80.6%
Q2 25
13.1%
-10.5%
Q1 25
21.7%
-4.9%
Q4 24
10.8%
-56.6%
Q3 24
14.9%
6.5%
Q2 24
15.0%
7.2%
Q1 24
23.3%
8.6%
EPS (diluted)
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$0.92
$-1.55
Q3 25
$0.86
$-4.66
Q2 25
$0.87
$-0.49
Q1 25
$1.61
$-0.37
Q4 24
$0.66
$-2.61
Q3 24
$0.88
$0.26
Q2 24
$0.85
$0.20
Q1 24
$1.50
$0.47

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$162.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$81.3M
$270.2M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.1B
$-378.8M
Total Assets
$7.0B
$5.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.07×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$162.5M
Q3 25
$165.2M
Q2 25
$398.1M
Q1 25
$477.8M
Q4 24
$482.4M
Q3 24
$778.5M
Q2 24
$401.8M
Q1 24
$492.7M
Total Debt
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$81.3M
$270.2M
Q3 25
$81.3M
$269.9M
Q2 25
$162.5M
$269.6M
Q1 25
$243.8M
$269.3M
Q4 24
$325.0M
$168.9M
Q3 24
$325.0M
$172.3M
Q2 24
$0
$172.1M
Q1 24
$148.8M
Stockholders' Equity
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$1.1B
$-378.8M
Q3 25
$1.1B
$-233.5M
Q2 25
$1.2B
$153.9M
Q1 25
$1.2B
$179.4M
Q4 24
$1.2B
$209.8M
Q3 24
$1.1B
$397.5M
Q2 24
$1.0B
$366.9M
Q1 24
$1.1B
$324.5M
Total Assets
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$7.0B
$5.2B
Q3 25
$4.2B
$5.3B
Q2 25
$4.4B
$4.8B
Q1 25
$5.2B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$5.3B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$4.0B
$4.0B
Q2 24
$4.2B
$3.8B
Q1 24
$5.0B
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
0.07×
Q3 25
0.07×
Q2 25
0.13×
1.75×
Q1 25
0.20×
1.50×
Q4 24
0.28×
0.81×
Q3 24
0.29×
0.43×
Q2 24
0.00×
0.47×
Q1 24
0.46×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$117.0M
$27.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$113.6M
$26.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
29.4%
4.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.9%
0.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.33×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$461.1M
$18.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$117.0M
$27.2M
Q3 25
$86.5M
$16.2M
Q2 25
$86.6M
$46.3M
Q1 25
$186.0M
$-66.5M
Q4 24
$54.2M
$27.6M
Q3 24
$91.5M
$53.7M
Q2 24
$79.9M
$50.2M
Q1 24
$167.5M
$7.6M
Free Cash Flow
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$113.6M
$26.7M
Q3 25
$82.7M
$15.9M
Q2 25
$81.1M
$45.2M
Q1 25
$183.7M
$-69.2M
Q4 24
$51.2M
$27.0M
Q3 24
$89.1M
$52.4M
Q2 24
$73.6M
$49.6M
Q1 24
$162.0M
$6.7M
FCF Margin
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
29.4%
4.6%
Q3 25
21.8%
3.5%
Q2 25
21.9%
12.4%
Q1 25
43.6%
-18.3%
Q4 24
14.7%
8.0%
Q3 24
26.8%
19.3%
Q2 24
22.7%
26.6%
Q1 24
44.2%
1.9%
Capex Intensity
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
0.9%
0.1%
Q3 25
1.0%
0.1%
Q2 25
1.5%
0.3%
Q1 25
0.5%
0.7%
Q4 24
0.9%
0.2%
Q3 24
0.7%
0.5%
Q2 24
1.9%
0.3%
Q1 24
1.5%
0.3%
Cash Conversion
PCTY
PCTY
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
2.33×
Q3 25
1.80×
Q2 25
1.78×
Q1 25
2.03×
Q4 24
1.45×
Q3 24
1.84×
3.05×
Q2 24
1.64×
3.76×
Q1 24
1.96×
0.25×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

PCTY
PCTY

Recurring Fees$370.1M96%
Implementation Services And Other$16.9M4%

STEP
STEP

Other$210.1M36%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Focused Commingled Funds$143.3M24%
Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$85.1M15%
Carried Interest Allocation Separately Managed Accounts$63.6M11%
Carried Interest Allocation Realized$46.7M8%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Advisory And Other Services$18.3M3%
Legacy Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$10.3M2%
Income Based Incentive Fees$6.0M1%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Fund Reimbursement Revenues$3.1M1%

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