Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Grindr Inc. (GRND) vs Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) 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
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.
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.
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 | GRNDGrindr Inc. | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $412M | $1.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $124M | $146M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$49M | $414M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $140M | $377M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +74.5% | +72.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +28.0% | +13.1% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -12.0% | +39.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +34.0% | +36.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +29.6% | +35.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +14.3% | -100.0% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, GRND's 22.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than DUOL's 27.8x.
| Metric | GRNDGrindr Inc. | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.1B | $4.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.3B | $3.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -15.38x | 13.32x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 19.88x | 23.41x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 22.04x | 27.79x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 6.09x | 4.54x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 3.50x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 22.33x | 12.14x |
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 | GRNDGrindr Inc. | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -69.6% | +30.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -11.2% | +20.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +34.6% | +40.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +23.3% | +8.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.07x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $235M | -$943M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $59M | $1.0B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $294M | $94M |
| 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 | GRNDGrindr Inc. | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -14.5% | -42.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -38.0% | -67.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +76.4% | +11.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.5% | -27.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.7% | -27.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +20.8% | +3.6% |
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 | GRNDGrindr Inc. | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.72x | 1.52x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $25.13 | $544.93 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $9.73 | $91.99 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +45.3% | +18.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 57.6 | 40.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.2M | 1.9M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates GRND as "Buy" and DUOL as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 132.7% upside for DUOL (target: $235) vs 23.0% for GRND (target: $14).
| Metric | GRNDGrindr Inc. | DUOLDuolingo, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $14.00 | $235.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 6 | 21 |
| 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 | Aug 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grindr Inc. (GRND) | 100 | 109.34 | +9.3% |
| Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) | 103.45 | 94.91 | -8.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grindr Inc. (GRND) | $104M | $345M | +229.9% |
| Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) | $71M | $1.0B | +1366.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grindr Inc. (GRND) | -12.5% | -38.0% | -203.7% |
| Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) | -19.2% | 39.9% | +308.3% |
Duolingo, Inc.'s net margin went from -19% (2019) to 40% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2019 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grindr Inc. (GRND) | -0.6 | -0.74 | -23.3% |
| Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) | -0.41 | 7.58 | +1948.8% |
Duolingo, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.41 (2019) to $7.58 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Grindr Inc. generated $94M FCF in 2024 (+207% vs 2021). Duolingo, Inc. generated $388M FCF in 2025 (+12984% vs 2021).
GRND vs DUOL: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is GRND or DUOL 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 — GRND or DUOL?
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 — GRND or DUOL?
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 — GRND or DUOL?
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 — GRND or DUOL?
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 GRND or DUOL 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 — GRND or DUOL?
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 GRND or DUOL 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 GRND and DUOL?
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: GRND is a small-cap quality compounder stock; DUOL is a small-cap deep-value 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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