Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) vs Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AFRM | 38.8% revenue growth vs RELY's 29.4% |
| Value | RELY | Lower P/E (14.5x vs 43.6x) |
| Quality / Margins | AFRM | 9.7% net margin vs RELY's 1.4% |
| Stability / Safety | RELY | Beta 0.95 vs AFRM's 2.41, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AFRM | -26.8% vs RELY's -30.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AFRM | 2.2% ROA vs RELY's 1.7%, ROIC -0.7% vs 14.0% |
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
Remitly operates a digital financial services platform focused on cross-border money transfers for immigrants and their families. It generates revenue primarily from transaction fees on remittances — earning a spread on foreign exchange rates — with additional income from its banking products like Passbook. The company's competitive advantage lies in its mobile-first digital platform that offers faster, cheaper, and more transparent transfers than traditional remittance channels, combined with deep understanding of immigrant financial needs.
Affirm operates a buy-now-pay-later platform that enables consumers to split purchases into installment payments at online and physical retailers. It generates revenue primarily from merchant fees — typically 3-6% of transaction value — and interest income from longer-term loans to consumers. Its key advantage is a transparent, fee-free model that builds consumer trust and a growing merchant network that creates a two-sided marketplace effect.
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
RELY leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). AFRM leads in 2 (Financial Metrics, Total Returns).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AFRM is the larger business by revenue, generating $2.9B annually — 1.9x RELY's $1.5B. AFRM is the more profitable business, keeping 9.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to RELY's 1.4%. On growth, RELY holds the edge at +24.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | RELYRemitly Global, I… | AFRMAffirm Holdings, … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.5B | $2.9B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $63M | $420M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $21M | $282M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $193M | $619M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +59.5% | +59.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.3% | +7.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +1.4% | +9.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +12.5% | +21.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +24.7% | -62.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | — | +60.9% |
Valuation Metrics
At 53.9x trailing earnings, RELY trades at a 83% valuation discount to AFRM's 313.2x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, RELY's 30.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AFRM's 158.0x.
| Metric | RELYRemitly Global, I… | AFRMAffirm Holdings, … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.5B | $15.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $3.1B | $21.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 53.87x | 313.20x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 14.52x | 43.63x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 30.69x | 158.00x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.14x | 4.74x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 4.18x | 5.22x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 11.82x | 25.38x |
Profitability & Efficiency
AFRM delivers a 8.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $8 in annual profit, vs $3 for RELY. RELY carries lower financial leverage with a 0.22x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AFRM's 2.56x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AFRM scores 6/9 vs RELY's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | RELYRemitly Global, I… | AFRMAffirm Holdings, … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +2.6% | +8.0% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.7% | +2.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +14.0% | -0.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +8.9% | -0.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.22x | 2.56x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$350M | $6.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $542M | $1.4B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $192M | $7.9B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 6.03x | 1.49x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AFRM five years ago would be worth $5,138 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,447 for RELY. Over the past 12 months, AFRM leads with a -26.8% total return vs RELY's -30.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AFRM at 51.1% vs RELY's 4.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | RELYRemitly Global, I… | AFRMAffirm Holdings, … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +26.3% | -36.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -30.4% | -26.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +14.1% | +244.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -65.5% | -48.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -65.5% | -51.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +4.5% | +51.1% |
Risk & Volatility
RELY is the less volatile stock with a 0.95 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AFRM's 2.41 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. RELY currently trades 67.6% from its 52-week high vs AFRM's 47.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | RELYRemitly Global, I… | AFRMAffirm Holdings, … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.95x | 2.41x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $24.71 | $100.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $12.08 | $30.90 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +67.6% | +47.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 69.1 | 34.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 3.0M | 5.3M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates RELY as "Buy" and AFRM as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 79.7% upside for AFRM (target: $84) vs 22.8% for RELY (target: $21).
| Metric | RELYRemitly Global, I… | AFRMAffirm Holdings, … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $20.50 | $84.40 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 13 | 32 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.7% | +1.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Sep 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) | 100 | 27.51 | -72.5% |
| Affirm Holdings, In… (AFRM) | 100 | 52.6 | -47.4% |
Affirm Holdings, In… (AFRM) returned -49% over 5 years vs Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY)'s -66%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) | $1.1B | $1.6B | +42.7% |
| Affirm Holdings, In… (AFRM) | $264M | $3.2B | +1119.7% |
Remitly Global, Inc.'s revenue grew from $1.1B (2015) to $1.6B (2025) — a 3.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) | -2.8% | 4.2% | +250.1% |
| Affirm Holdings, In… (AFRM) | -45.6% | 1.6% | +103.6% |
Remitly Global, Inc.'s net margin went from -3% (2015) to 4% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) | -1.09 | 0.31 | +128.4% |
| Affirm Holdings, In… (AFRM) | -0.47 | 0.15 | +131.9% |
Remitly Global, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-1.09 (2015) to $0.31 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Remitly Global, Inc. generated $296M FCF in 2025 (+1390% vs 2021). Affirm Holdings, Inc. generated $602M FCF in 2025 (+382% vs 2021).
RELY vs AFRM: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is RELY or AFRM a better buy right now?
Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) offers the better valuation at 53.9x trailing P/E (14.5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) a "Buy" — based on 13 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 — RELY or AFRM?
On trailing P/E, Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) is the cheapest at 53.9x versus Affirm Holdings, Inc. at 313.2x. On forward P/E, Remitly Global, Inc. is actually cheaper at 14.5x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — RELY or AFRM?
Over the past 5 years, Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) delivered a total return of -48.6%, compared to -65.5% for Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY). A $10,000 investment in AFRM five years ago would be worth approximately $5K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AFRM returned -51.7% versus RELY's -65.5%. 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 — RELY or AFRM?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.95β versus Affirm Holdings, Inc.'s 2.41β — meaning AFRM is approximately 154% more volatile than RELY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 22% versus 3% for Affirm Holdings, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — RELY or AFRM?
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 4.7% 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.
06Is RELY or AFRM more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Remitly Global, Inc. (RELY) trades at 14.5x forward P/E versus 43.6x for Affirm Holdings, Inc. — 29.1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AFRM: 79.7% to $84.40.
07Which pays a better dividend — RELY or AFRM?
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 RELY or AFRM better for a retirement portfolio?
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 0.95)). Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) carries a higher beta of 2.41 — 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: -65.5%, AFRM: -51.7%), 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 RELY and AFRM?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.