Here's Why I Wouldn't Touch Rigetti Computing With a 10-Foot Pole

Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) was one of the hottest quantum computing stocks in 2025, with its shares climbing more than 45%, and they are already up more than 10% in 2026, as of this writing. However, I wouldn't touch the stock with a 10-foot pole.

Can speed top accuracy?

In the world of quantum computing, Rigetti is perhaps best known for the speed of its quantum computing systems, which have been estimated to be more than 1,000 times faster than those from competitor IonQ (NYSE: IONQ). However, where the company trails is in accuracy.

One of the biggest problems facing quantum computing today is that the systems are very error-prone. Because quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, instead of traditional computing bits, the systems are much less stable. Traditional computing bits are in a fixed state of being a 0 or a 1, but qubits are in what is called a state of superposition, which means they have the potential to be either until acted upon. This is analogous to a spinning coin that can be either heads or tails. However, this state also leaves qubits vulnerable to failure due to outside forces like vibrations and temperature changes.

Rigetti has struggled on the accuracy front, having achieved two-qubit gate fidelity (a measure of accuracy) of just 99.5%, compared to 99.99% for IonQ. While that sounds like it isn't far behind, it is below the 99.9% that is generally recommended by data scientists to even begin other forms of error correction through software.

Meanwhile, the company was not one of the 11 selected to advance to Stage B of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This program, funded by the Pentagon, is a way for the government to help identify the best quantum computing technologies, so not making the cut after Stage A is a big blow and speaks to the level of Rigetti's technology. In addition, the company recently had to delay its new 108-qubit Cepheus-1-108Q system to improve its error rate.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Now, the stock does have its fans, and it has recently gotten a few positive mentions from sell-side analysts. Rossenblatt Securities started the stock with a "buy" rating, saying it likes its "modular approach to qubit scaling," while B. Riley upgraded the stock to "buy" after the company received an $8.4 million order from India's Centre for Development of Advanced Computing. Wedbush also upped its price target after this order.

That said, Rigetti looks to be far behind in the quantum computing race, and a handful of small orders isn't going to change that. This is a stock to avoid.

Geoffrey Seiler has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends IonQ. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.