Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) vs Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA) 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 | TTD | 18.5% revenue growth vs IBTA's -6.8% |
| Value | TTD | Lower P/E (21.1x vs 208.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | TTD | 15.3% net margin vs IBTA's 4.7% |
| Stability / Safety | IBTA | Beta 0.88 vs TTD's 1.67, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | IBTA | -25.2% vs TTD's -66.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | TTD | 7.2% ROA vs IBTA's 3.1%, ROIC 21.3% vs -0.5% |
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
The Trade Desk operates a cloud-based platform that enables advertisers to programmatically buy and manage digital ad campaigns across channels like connected TV, display, and video. It generates revenue primarily from platform fees—typically a percentage of media spend—with nearly all income coming from its core self-service advertising platform. Its key advantage is its independent, transparent position in the ad tech ecosystem—unlike walled gardens—which attracts major agencies and brands seeking unbiased campaign optimization.
Ibotta operates a digital promotions platform that connects consumer packaged goods brands with shoppers through cash-back offers. It makes money primarily from performance-based marketing fees paid by brands—typically a percentage of sales driven through its network—with additional revenue from data analytics services. The company's moat lies in its extensive network of retail partners and proprietary shopper data, creating a two-sided marketplace that's difficult for competitors to replicate.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
TTD leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). IBTA leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
TTD is the larger business by revenue, generating $2.9B annually — 8.5x IBTA's $342M. TTD is the more profitable business, keeping 15.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to IBTA's 4.7%. On growth, TTD holds the edge at +14.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | TTDThe Trade Desk, I… | IBTAIbotta, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.9B | $342M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $673M | $3M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $443M | $16M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $787M | $72M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +78.6% | +79.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +20.3% | -0.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +15.3% | +4.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +27.2% | +20.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +14.3% | -10.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +11.1% | -101.3% |
Valuation Metrics
At 26.2x trailing earnings, TTD trades at a 87% valuation discount to IBTA's 208.1x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, TTD's 21.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than IBTA's 210.5x.
| Metric | TTDThe Trade Desk, I… | IBTAIbotta, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $11.5B | $808M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $11.3B | $647M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 26.18x | 208.08x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 21.13x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 1.99x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 21.02x | 210.47x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.99x | 2.36x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 4.63x | 2.61x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 14.51x | 10.77x |
Profitability & Efficiency
TTD delivers a 17.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $18 in annual profit, vs $6 for IBTA. IBTA carries lower financial leverage with a 0.09x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to TTD's 0.18x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), TTD scores 6/9 vs IBTA's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | TTDThe Trade Desk, I… | IBTAIbotta, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +17.8% | +5.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +21.3% | -0.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +19.2% | -0.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.18x | 0.09x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$222M | -$161M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $658M | $187M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $436M | $26M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 985.25x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in TTD five years ago would be worth $2,862 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,419 for IBTA. Over the past 12 months, IBTA leads with a -25.2% total return vs TTD's -66.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors TTD at -24.8% vs IBTA's -37.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | TTDThe Trade Desk, I… | IBTAIbotta, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -36.8% | +9.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -66.1% | -25.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -57.4% | -75.8% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -71.4% | -75.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +691.4% | -75.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -24.8% | -37.7% |
Risk & Volatility
IBTA is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than TTD's 1.67 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. IBTA currently trades 39.8% from its 52-week high vs TTD's 26.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | TTDThe Trade Desk, I… | IBTAIbotta, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.67x | 0.88x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $91.45 | $62.74 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $21.08 | $19.10 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +26.0% | +39.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 25.4 | 68.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 10.7M | 236K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates TTD as "Buy" and IBTA as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 95.8% upside for TTD (target: $47) vs 4.1% for IBTA (target: $26).
| Metric | TTDThe Trade Desk, I… | IBTAIbotta, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $46.65 | $26.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 46 | 9 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +12.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | May 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) | 100 | 34.83 | -65.2% |
| Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA) | 96.37 | 20.63 | -78.6% |
The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) returned -71% over 5 years vs Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA)'s -76%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) | $203M | $2.9B | +1327.3% |
| Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA) | $211M | $342M | +62.5% |
The Trade Desk, Inc.'s revenue grew from $203M (2016) to $2.9B (2025) — a 34.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) | 10.1% | 15.3% | +51.6% |
| Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA) | -26.0% | 4.7% | +118.1% |
The Trade Desk, Inc.'s net margin went from 10% (2016) to 15% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) | 38.1 | 41.7 | +9.4% |
The Trade Desk, Inc. has traded in a 38x–408x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~26x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) | 0.05 | 0.91 | +1705.6% |
| Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA) | -1.81 | 0.12 | +106.6% |
The Trade Desk, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.05 (2016) to $0.91 (2025) — a 38% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
The Trade Desk, Inc. generated $796M FCF in 2025 (+150% vs 2021). Ibotta, Inc. generated $75M FCF in 2025 (+216% vs 2022).
TTD vs IBTA: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is TTD or IBTA a better buy right now?
The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) offers the better valuation at 26.2x trailing P/E (21.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) a "Buy" — based on 46 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 — TTD or IBTA?
On trailing P/E, The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) is the cheapest at 26.2x versus Ibotta, Inc. at 208.1x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — TTD or IBTA?
Over the past 5 years, The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) delivered a total return of -71.4%, compared to -75.8% for Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA). A $10,000 investment in TTD five years ago would be worth approximately $3K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: TTD returned +691.4% versus IBTA's -75.7%. 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 — TTD or IBTA?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus The Trade Desk, Inc.'s 1.67β — meaning TTD is approximately 91% more volatile than IBTA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 9% versus 18% for The Trade Desk, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — TTD or IBTA?
The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) is the more profitable company, earning 15.3% net margin versus 4.7% for Ibotta, Inc. — meaning it keeps 15.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: TTD leads at 20.3% versus -0.2% for IBTA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — IBTA leads at 79.2%, 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 TTD or IBTA more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for TTD: 95.8% to $46.65.
07Which pays a better dividend — TTD or IBTA?
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 TTD or IBTA better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Ibotta, Inc. (IBTA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.88)). The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) carries a higher beta of 1.67 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (IBTA: -75.7%, TTD: +691.4%), 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 TTD and IBTA?
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.
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