Rigetti vs. IonQ: Is IONQ Stock a Better Buy in Quantum Computing Race? - TipRanks

IonQ and Rigetti are leading competitors in the quantum computing sector, with IonQ’s trapped-ion approach gaining investor attention for its potential scalability and error correction advantages. IonQ stock outperformed Rigetti in 2025 due to stronger partnerships, including cloud deals with Microsoft Azure and AWS, while Rigetti faced delays in its superconducting qubit roadmap. Analysts highlight IonQ’s 32-qubit system as a near-term milestone, though both firms lag behind IBM and Google in qubit counts, focusing instead on niche applications like optimization and chemistry simulations. Rigetti’s financial struggles and leadership changes contrast with IonQ’s $64M Q3 revenue, though neither company is profitable, reflecting the sector’s high R&D costs and long commercialization timelines. The article suggests IonQ may be the safer bet for long-term investors, citing its technological edge and corporate backing, but warns quantum computing remains a high-risk, speculative market.