Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) vs Grindr Inc. (GRND) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | DUOL | 38.7% revenue growth vs GRND's 32.7% |
| Value | GRND | Lower P/E (19.9x vs 23.4x) |
| Quality / Margins | DUOL | 39.9% net margin vs GRND's -12.0% |
| Stability / Safety | GRND | Beta 0.72 vs DUOL's 1.52 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | GRND | -38.0% vs DUOL's -67.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | DUOL | 20.8% ROA vs GRND's -11.2%, ROIC 40.8% vs 34.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Duolingo operates a freemium language-learning platform that makes acquiring new languages accessible through gamified lessons. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its premium Duolingo Super service — which removes ads and offers additional features — along with advertising and its English proficiency testing product. The company's key advantage is its massive user base and data-driven approach to optimizing engagement, creating network effects that make its platform increasingly effective for learners.
Grindr operates a social networking and dating app specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for premium features — which account for the vast majority of its income — supplemented by advertising on its free tier. Its key advantage is its dominant first-mover position and network effects within the niche gay dating market, creating a self-reinforcing user base.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
GRND leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). DUOL leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
DUOL is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.0B annually — 2.5x GRND's $412M. DUOL is the more profitable business, keeping 39.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to GRND's -12.0%. On growth, DUOL holds the edge at +35.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. | GRNDGrindr Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.0B | $412M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $146M | $124M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $414M | -$49M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $377M | $140M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +72.2% | +74.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +13.1% | +28.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +39.9% | -12.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +36.3% | +34.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +35.0% | +29.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -100.0% | +14.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, GRND's 22.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than DUOL's 27.8x.
| Metric | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. | GRNDGrindr Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $4.7B | $2.1B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $3.8B | $2.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 13.32x | -15.38x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 23.41x | 19.88x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 27.79x | 22.04x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 4.54x | 6.09x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 3.50x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 12.14x | 22.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
DUOL delivers a 30.7% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $31 in annual profit, vs $-70 for GRND. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), GRND scores 6/9 vs DUOL's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. | GRNDGrindr Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +30.7% | -69.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +20.8% | -11.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +40.8% | +34.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +8.0% | +23.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.07x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$943M | $235M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $1.0B | $59M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $94M | $294M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 7.24x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in GRND five years ago would be worth $10,645 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $7,266 for DUOL. Over the past 12 months, GRND leads with a -38.0% total return vs DUOL's -67.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors GRND at 20.8% vs DUOL's 3.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. | GRNDGrindr Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -42.8% | -14.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -67.6% | -38.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +11.2% | +76.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -27.3% | +6.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -27.3% | +6.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +3.6% | +20.8% |
Risk & Volatility
GRND is the less volatile stock with a 0.72 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than DUOL's 1.52 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. GRND currently trades 45.3% from its 52-week high vs DUOL's 18.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. | GRNDGrindr Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.52x | 0.72x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $544.93 | $25.13 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $91.99 | $9.73 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +18.5% | +45.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 40.8 | 57.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.9M | 1.2M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates DUOL as "Hold" and GRND as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 132.7% upside for DUOL (target: $235) vs 23.0% for GRND (target: $14).
| Metric | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. | GRNDGrindr Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $235.00 | $14.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 21 | 6 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jul 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) | 100 | 94.91 | -5.1% |
| Grindr Inc. (GRND) | 100 | 109.34 | +9.3% |
Grindr Inc. (GRND) returned +6% over 5 years vs Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL)'s -27%. A $10,000 investment in GRND 5 years ago would be worth $10,645 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) | $71M | $1.0B | +1366.3% |
| Grindr Inc. (GRND) | $104M | $345M | +229.9% |
Duolingo, Inc.'s revenue grew from $71M (2019) to $1.0B (2025) — a 56.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) | -19.2% | 39.9% | +308.3% |
| Grindr Inc. (GRND) | -12.5% | -38.0% | -203.7% |
Duolingo, Inc.'s net margin went from -19% (2019) to 40% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) | -0.41 | 7.58 | +1948.8% |
| Grindr Inc. (GRND) | -0.6 | -0.74 | -23.3% |
Duolingo, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.41 (2019) to $7.58 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Duolingo, Inc. generated $388M FCF in 2025 (+12984% vs 2021). Grindr Inc. generated $94M FCF in 2024 (+207% vs 2021).
DUOL vs GRND: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is DUOL or GRND a better buy right now?
Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) offers the better valuation at 13.3x trailing P/E (23.4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Grindr Inc. (GRND) a "Buy" — based on 6 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — DUOL or GRND?
On forward P/E, Grindr Inc. is actually cheaper at 19.9x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — DUOL or GRND?
Over the past 5 years, Grindr Inc. (GRND) delivered a total return of +6.5%, compared to -27.3% for Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL). A $10,000 investment in GRND five years ago would be worth approximately $11K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GRND returned +6.7% versus DUOL's -27.3%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — DUOL or GRND?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Grindr Inc. (GRND) is the lower-risk stock at 0.72β versus Duolingo, Inc.'s 1.52β — meaning DUOL is approximately 112% more volatile than GRND relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — DUOL or GRND?
Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) is the more profitable company, earning 39.9% net margin versus -38.0% for Grindr Inc. — meaning it keeps 39.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GRND leads at 26.9% versus 13.1% for DUOL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GRND leads at 74.6%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is DUOL or GRND more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Grindr Inc. (GRND) trades at 19.9x forward P/E versus 23.4x for Duolingo, Inc. — 3.5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for DUOL: 132.7% to $235.00.
07Which pays a better dividend — DUOL or GRND?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is DUOL or GRND better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Grindr Inc. (GRND) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.72)). Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) carries a higher beta of 1.52 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (GRND: +6.7%, DUOL: -27.3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between DUOL and GRND?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: DUOL is a small-cap deep-value stock; GRND is a small-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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