LZ vs RELY vs AFRM vs FLYW

For growth investors, Affirm Holdings, Inc.

(AFRM) is the stronger pick with 38. 8% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 10. 9% for LegalZoom. com, Inc. (LZ). Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) offers the better valuation at 73. 5x trailing P/E (39. 7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate LegalZoom. com, Inc. (LZ) a "Buy" — based on 12 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.

On trailing P/E, Remitly Global, Inc.

(RELY) is the cheapest at 73. 5x versus Affirm Holdings, Inc. at 449. 1x. On forward P/E, LegalZoom. com, Inc. is actually cheaper at 8. 4x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Affirm Holdings, Inc.

(AFRM) delivered a total return of +24. 7%, compared to -84. 0% for LegalZoom. com, Inc. (LZ). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AFRM returned -34. 2% versus LZ's -83. 8%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Remitly Global, Inc.

(RELY) is the lower-risk stock at 1. 13β versus Affirm Holdings, Inc. 's 2. 61β — meaning AFRM is approximately 130% more volatile than RELY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, LegalZoom. com, Inc. (LZ) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 14% versus 3% for Affirm Holdings, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Affirm Holdings, Inc.

(AFRM) is pulling ahead at 38. 8% versus 10. 9% for LegalZoom. com, Inc. (LZ). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Flywire Corporation grew EPS 391. 1% year-over-year, compared to -50. 0% for LegalZoom. com, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, RELY leads at 35. 8% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Remitly Global, Inc.

(RELY) is the more profitable company, earning 4. 2% net margin versus 1. 6% for Affirm Holdings, Inc. — meaning it keeps 4. 2% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: RELY leads at 5. 0% versus -2. 7% for AFRM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AFRM leads at 67. 5%, 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.

On forward earnings alone, LegalZoom.

com, Inc. (LZ) trades at 8. 4x forward P/E versus 56. 4x for Affirm Holdings, Inc. — 48. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for LZ: 34. 6% to $8. 17.

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.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Remitly Global, Inc.

(RELY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1. 13)). Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) carries a higher beta of 2. 61 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (RELY: -50. 4%, AFRM: -34. 2%), 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (LZ (Industrials) and RELY (Technology) and AFRM (Technology) and FLYW (Technology)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: LZ is a small-cap quality compounder stock; RELY is a small-cap high-growth stock; AFRM is a mid-cap high-growth stock; FLYW is a small-cap high-growth 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.