IONQ vs QBTS: IonQ and D-Wave Quantum as AI Stocks
IonQ (IONQ) and D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) are both tracked in the Supercycle AI universe. IONQ is the larger company at $17.23B versus $6.38B, and QBTS carries the higher AI Exposure Score (55 vs 30, Strategic tier), meaning its business depends more directly on AI demand.
Market data as of the close on . Prices are end of day, not live.
Side by side
| Metric | IONQ | QBTS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $42.54 | $16.81 |
| Market cap | $17.23B | $6.38B |
| 24h change | +4.42% | -4.27% |
| 7d change | +15.47% | +3.32% |
| 1y change | -42.40% | -39.36% |
| P/E ratio | - | - |
| AI Exposure Score | 30 (Growing) | 55 (Strategic) |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Buildout layers | Quantum Computing | Quantum Computing |
IONQ's role in the buildout
IonQ sits in the Quantum Computing layer of the AI buildout as a long-horizon bet. Its trapped-ion quantum computers are pitched partly at future AI and optimization workloads that classical machines handle poorly. Today it earns revenue from cloud access and research contracts while the technology matures. The exposure is speculative optionality: useful quantum advantage for AI remains years away, so the AI connection is about where quantum could plug in, not current demand.
QBTS's role in the buildout
D-Wave sits in the Quantum Computing layer as a frontier compute bet adjacent to the AI buildout. Its annealing systems and Leap cloud service target optimization and hybrid quantum-classical machine learning, workloads that overlap with where AI is headed. The exposure hinges on quantum computing proving useful for commercial AI-scale problems, which remains an open question. Supercycle scores its AI exposure at 55 out of 100.
Both stocks sit in Quantum Computing, so they compete for the same slice of AI spending.
Frequently asked questions
Is IONQ or QBTS the bigger company?
IonQ is bigger: $17.23B versus $6.38B by market cap, as of the latest end-of-day data.
Which has more AI exposure, IONQ or QBTS?
D-Wave Quantum does: its AI Exposure Score is 55 (Strategic tier) versus 30 (Growing). The score measures how much of the business depends on AI, not which stock is the better investment.
Related comparisons
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