DUOL Nasdaq Education Services Financials FY2020βFY2025
Duolingo makes a phone app for learning languages through short, game-like lessons. It offers over 250 language courses, plus courses in math, music and chess. Anyone can use the app for free; free users see ads after lessons, while paying subscribers get no ads and extra features, some of them powered by AI. It also runs the Duolingo English Test, an online English exam that over 6,100 education programs accept for international student admissions.
Hi! I read Duolingoβs latest annual report (fiscal 2025). Here is what stands out:
Good So-so Weak
Are sales growing?
+38.7%
Yes. Sales grew 38.7% last year.
Does it make a profit?
39.9%
Yes. It keeps 39.9% of every sale as profit.
Does profit turn into cash?
35.6%
Yes. 35.6% of sales ends up as free cash.
Is debt under control?
Net cash
Yes. It has more cash than debt.
How healthy are the accounts?
4 / 9
Mixed. It passes 4 of 9 health tests.
How is the share priced?
16.9x
One share costs 16.9 times its yearly profit per share. Typical for its sector: 17.9x.
Rules of thumb on reported numbers. A starting point, not a recommendation.
About these figures. Duolingo reports no borrowings, so debt is counted as zero.
Is it selling more, and how much does it keep?
KIRA Β· Duolingo had $1.0B of revenue in fiscal 2025, up 38.7% on the year before. Over five years, revenue changed +45.0% a year on average. Its operating margin was 13.1%, up 4.7Β pts: of every 100 in sales, about 13 is left after running the business.
In plain words: Revenue is all the money customers paid. The margins show how many cents of each dollar of sales are left over at each step: after making the product (gross), after running the business (operating) and after everything, tax included (net).
Revenue
Revenue
Margins, % of revenue
Margins, % of revenue
KIRA Β· Duolingo made $414M of net profit in fiscal 2025.
Loss periods are shown in red.
In plain words: Net income is the profit left after every cost and tax. Earnings per share (EPS) splits that profit across every share, so it shows what one share earned.
Net income
Net income
Diluted EPS
Diluted EPS
How much cash comes in, and where does it go?
KIRA Β· Free cash flow was $370M in fiscal 2025, 35.6% of revenue.
Cash from operations minus capital spending.
In plain words: Profit on paper is not the same as cash in the bank. Free cash flow is the cash left after paying to run and maintain the business: the money it can hand back to shareholders, save or invest.
Free cash flow
Free cash flow
Cash from operations vs capital spending
Cash from operations vs capital spending
KIRA Β· Duolingo returned $0.0M to shareholders in fiscal 2025, 0% of free cash flow. The diluted share count rose 2.6%.
In plain words: Companies hand cash back in two ways: dividends (cash paid to shareholders) and buybacks (buying back their own shares, so each remaining share owns a bigger slice).
Dividends and buybacks
Dividends and buybacks
Diluted shares outstanding (annual)
KIRA Β· In the last 12 months, insiders bought $0.5M and sold $47.5M of shares on the open market.
Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from Form 4 filings. βPlanβ marks trades under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.
In plain words: Insiders are the people who run or own a big part of the company. Buying with their own money can signal confidence; selling often has personal reasons, like taxes or diversifying.
Bought, 12 months
$0.5M
1 insider
Sold, 12 months
$47.5M
7 insiders
Of sales under plans
98%
$46.6M
| Date | Insider | Trade | Shares | Price | Value | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2026 | Luis von AhnPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 110,046 | $151.70 | $16.7M | Form 4 |
| Sep 24, 2026 | Luis von AhnPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 46,682 | $150.63 | $7.0M | Form 4 |
| Sep 22, 2026 | Luis von AhnPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 3,614 | $151.91 | $0.5M | Form 4 |
| Sep 21, 2026 | Luis von AhnPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 37,366 | $150.53 | $5.6M | Form 4 |
| Sep 16, 2026 | Luis von AhnPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 28,292 | $150.22 | $4.3M | Form 4 |
| Sep 14, 2026 | Stephen C. ChenGeneral Counsel | Sold plan | 8,072 | $149.33 | $1.2M | Form 4 |
| Sep 8, 2026 | William B GordonDirector | Sold plan | 10,000 | $145.67 | $1.5M | Form 4 |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 1,539 | $137.81 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Stephen C. ChenGeneral Counsel | Sold | 1,024 | $129.13 | $0.1M | Form 4 |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Robert MeeseChief Business Officer | Sold | 1,354 | $129.13 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| Aug 17, 2026 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 2,751 | $129.13 | $0.4M | Form 4 |
| May 18, 2026 | Stephen C. ChenGeneral Counsel | Sold plan | 1,977 | $113.61 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| May 18, 2026 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 3,360 | $113.59 | $0.4M | Form 4 |
| May 15, 2026 | Stephen C. ChenGeneral Counsel | Sold plan | 820 | $112.16 | $0.1M | Form 4 |
| May 15, 2026 | Robert MeeseChief Business Officer | Sold | 1,420 | $112.16 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| May 15, 2026 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 1,929 | $112.16 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| Mar 3, 2026 | James H SheltonDirector | Bought | 5,000 | $99.76 | $0.5M | Form 4 |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Matthew SkaruppaChief Financial Officer | Sold plan | 3,986 | $113.52 | $0.5M | Form 4 |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Stephen C. ChenGeneral Counsel | Sold plan | 1,901 | $113.26 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 3,545 | $113.52 | $0.4M | Form 4 |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 1,741 | $110.06 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Matthew SkaruppaChief Financial Officer | Sold plan | 1,870 | $110.06 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Robert MeeseChief Business Officer | Sold | 1,000 | $110.06 | $0.1M | Form 4 |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Stephen C. ChenGeneral Counsel | Sold plan | 896 | $110.06 | $0.1M | Form 4 |
| Nov 19, 2025 | Severin HackerChief Tech Officer, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 10,000 | $172.75 | $1.7M | Form 4 |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Stephen C. ChenGeneral Counsel | Sold plan | 1,514 | $175.87 | $0.3M | Form 4 |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 2,471 | $175.79 | $0.4M | Form 4 |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Matthew SkaruppaChief Financial Officer | Sold plan | 3,059 | $175.76 | $0.5M | Form 4 |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Stephen C. ChenGeneral Counsel | Sold plan | 1,282 | $177.95 | $0.2M | Form 4 |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 2,534 | $177.95 | $0.5M | Form 4 |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Robert MeeseChief Business Officer | Sold | 1,444 | $177.95 | $0.3M | Form 4 |
| Nov 17, 2025 | Matthew SkaruppaChief Financial Officer | Sold plan | 2,799 | $177.95 | $0.5M | Form 4 |
| Nov 4, 2025 | Severin HackerChief Tech Officer, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 10,000 | $263.13 | $2.6M | Form 4 |
| Oct 20, 2025 | Severin HackerChief Tech Officer, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 10,000 | $314.72 | $3.1M | Form 4 |
| Oct 6, 2025 | Severin HackerChief Tech Officer, Co-Founder, Director, 10% owner | Sold plan | 10,000 | $321.63 | $3.2M | Form 4 |
| Oct 1, 2025 | Natalie GlanceChief Engineering Officer | Sold plan | 3,283 | $312.30 | $1.0M | Form 4 |
Can it carry its debts, and how well does it use its money?
KIRA Β· Duolingo has $1.0B more cash than debt.
Cash, debt and the ratios that show how comfortably Duolingo can carry it.
In plain words: What the company owns and what it owes. More cash than debt is a cushion for bad times; a lot of debt leaves less room when business slows down.
Cash vs debt (incl. leases)
| Fiscal year end | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and short-term investments | $554M | $608M | $748M | $786M | $1.0B |
| Debt incl. finance leases | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M |
| Net debt / EBITDA | β | β | β | β10.7x | β6.9x |
| Debt / equity | 0.0x | 0.0x | 0.0x | 0.0x | 0.0x |
| Current ratio | 5.2x | 3.8x | 3.2x | 2.6x | 2.6x |
| Quick ratio | 5.2x | 3.8x | 3.2x | 2.6x | 2.6x |
| Total assets | $661M | $747M | $954M | $1.3B | $2.0B |
| Total liabilities | $148M | $205M | $299M | $477M | $645M |
| Shareholders' equity | $513M | $542M | $656M | $825M | $1.3B |
| Net debt (β = net cash) | β$554M | β$608M | β$748M | β$786M | β$1.0B |
KIRA Β· Its return on capital was 77.6%: every 100 invested in the business earned about 78 in a year.
After-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash.
In plain words: How much profit the business makes on the money put into it. A higher percentage means each dollar invested works harder.
Return on capital, equity and assets (annual)
KIRA Β· Duolingo passes 4 of 9 financial health tests (Piotroski F-score).
Nine pass/fail tests of profitability, funding and efficiency. 8β9 is strong, 0β2 weak.
In plain words: Nine yes/no tests of financial health, one point each. A green tick is a pass: 7 to 9 points is solid, 0 to 3 is weak.
| Test | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net income is positive | β | β | β |
| Cash from operations is positive | β | β | β |
| Return on assets rose | β | β | β |
| Cash from operations exceeds net income | β | β | β |
| Debt fell relative to assets | β | β | β |
| Current ratio rose | β | β | β |
| Share count didn't rise | β | β | β |
| Gross margin rose | β | β | β |
| Revenue rose relative to assets | β | β | β |
| F-score | 6 / 9 | 5 / 9 | 4 / 9 |
| Accruals ratio | β16.2% | β17.5% | 1.6% |
| Altman Z'' | 5.75 | 5.25 | 6.04 |
What does the share cost, and how does it compare?
KIRA Β· At $143.04 a share, the company is worth $7.2B: 16.9 times its earnings of the last four quarters.
Change the assumptions and see what they imply per share. These are models, not forecasts or price targets β the answer depends entirely on what you put in.
In plain words: Move the sliders to try your own guesses about growth. The result is what one share would be worth if those guesses came true. Different guesses give very different answers.
Value per share
β
Adds net cash of $1.0B and divides by 48.3M diluted shares. Ten years of cash flows plus a terminal value, discounted to today.
Value per share
β
Reference multiples: today 16.9x Β· peers 16.7x Β· sector 17.9x.
KIRA Β· Duolingo grew sales faster than 4 of its 4 similar companies. Its P/E is higher than 2 of 4.
Each companyβs latest fiscal year. Fiscal years end in different months, so periods donβt line up exactly.
In plain words: The same numbers for similar companies, so you can tell whether a figure is high or low for this kind of business.
| Company | Market cap | Growth | Op. margin | FCF margin | ROIC | P/E | F-score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo DUOL | $7.2B | 38.7% | 13.1% | 35.6% | 77.6% | 16.9x | 4 | |
| Grand Canyon Education LOPE | $4.3B | 7.1% | 24.0% | 21.6% | 45.3% | 19.8x | 4 | Compare β |
| Strategic Education STRA | $1.8B | 4.0% | 13.7% | 12.1% | 8.4% | 13.6x | 6 | Compare β |
| Perdoceo Education PRDO | $2.2B | 24.2% | 23.2% | 25.6% | β | 12.3x | β | Compare β |
| Universal Technical Institute UTI | $1.2B | 14.1% | 10.0% | 6.6% | 24.0% | 35.8x | 6 | Compare β |
Every number, year by year.
Amounts in USD. Hover a ratioβs name for its definition.
In plain words: Every number we have, year by year. Download it as a spreadsheet if you want to dig deeper.
| Fiscal year | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income statement | ||||||
| Revenue | $162M | $251M | $370M | $531M | $748M | $1.0B |
| Gross profit | $116M | $182M | $270M | $389M | $544M | $750M |
| Research and development | $53.0M | $104M | $150M | $194M | $235M | $306M |
| Operating income | β$16.0M | β$60.0M | β$65.2M | β$13.3M | $62.6M | $136M |
| Interest expense | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | β | β |
| Pretax income | β$15.7M | β$60.0M | β$58.6M | $17.8M | $102M | $182M |
| Income tax | $0.1M | $0.2M | $0.9M | $1.7M | $13.7M | β$232M |
| Net income | β$15.8M | β$60.1M | β$59.6M | $16.1M | $88.6M | $414M |
| Diluted EPS | β$1.24 | β$2.57 | β$1.51 | $0.35 | $1.88 | $8.57 |
| Diluted shares | 0.01B | 0.02B | 0.04B | 0.05B | 0.05B | 0.05B |
| Cash flow | ||||||
| Cash from operations | $17.7M | $9.2M | $53.7M | $154M | $286M | $388M |
| Capital expenditure | $3.4M | $3.6M | $5.6M | $3.2M | $12.1M | $18.1M |
| Free cash flow | $14.3M | $5.6M | $48.1M | $150M | $273M | $370M |
| Depreciation and amortization | $2.3M | $2.7M | $4.9M | $7.1M | $10.9M | $14.4M |
| Stock-based compensation | $17.0M | $40.8M | $73.8M | $95.2M | $111M | $137M |
| Acquisitions | $0.0M | $0.0M | $4.0M | $0.0M | $6.6M | $33.1M |
| Share buybacks | $0.0M | $0.9M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M |
| Dividends paid | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M |
| Dividends and buybacks | $0.0M | $0.9M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M |
| Balance sheet | ||||||
| Cash and short-term investments | $121M | $554M | $608M | $748M | $786M | $1.0B |
| Total debt | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M |
| Finance lease liabilities | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M |
| Current assets | $158M | $619M | $697M | $898M | $1.1B | $1.4B |
| Current liabilities | $65.7M | $119M | $182M | $277M | $422M | $551M |
| Inventory | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M | $0.0M |
| Property and equipment, net | $6.4M | $8.2M | $13.0M | $11.8M | $18.9M | $36.3M |
| Total assets | $176M | $661M | $747M | $954M | $1.3B | $2.0B |
| Total liabilities | $73.8M | $148M | $205M | $299M | $477M | $645M |
| Shareholders' equity | β$80.7M | $513M | $542M | $656M | $825M | $1.3B |
| Margins | ||||||
| Gross margin | 71.6% | 72.4% | 73.1% | 73.2% | 72.8% | 72.2% |
| Operating margin | β9.9% | β23.9% | β17.6% | β2.5% | 8.4% | 13.1% |
| EBITDA margin | β8.5% | β22.8% | β16.3% | β1.2% | 9.8% | 14.5% |
| Net margin | β9.8% | β24.0% | β16.1% | 3.0% | 11.8% | 39.9% |
| FCF margin | 8.9% | 2.2% | 13.0% | 28.3% | 36.6% | 35.6% |
| Returns | ||||||
| Return on capital | β | β | β | β | β | 77.6% |
| Return on capital employed | β | β18.4% | β11.8% | β2.1% | 8.1% | 11.7% |
| Return on equity | β | β27.8% | β11.3% | 2.7% | 12.0% | 38.1% |
| Return on assets | β | β14.4% | β8.5% | 1.9% | 7.9% | 25.1% |
| Growth | ||||||
| Revenue growth | β | 55.1% | 47.3% | 43.7% | 40.8% | 38.7% |
| Net income growth | β | β | β | β | 451.3% | 367.5% |
| EPS growth | β | β | β | β | 437.1% | 355.9% |
| FCF growth | β | β61.0% | 761.3% | 212.8% | 81.8% | 35.2% |
| Share count change | β | 84.0% | 68.4% | 17.9% | 1.2% | 2.6% |
| Financial health | ||||||
| Net debt / EBITDA | β | β | β | β | β10.7x | β6.9x |
| Debt / equity | β | 0.0x | 0.0x | 0.0x | 0.0x | 0.0x |
| Current ratio | 2.4x | 5.2x | 3.8x | 3.2x | 2.6x | 2.6x |
| Quick ratio | 2.4x | 5.2x | 3.8x | 3.2x | 2.6x | 2.6x |
| Capital allocation | ||||||
| Capex / revenue | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 0.6% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
| Stock comp / revenue | 10.5% | 16.3% | 20.0% | 17.9% | 14.8% | 13.3% |
| Payouts / FCF | 0.0% | 15.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Quality scores | ||||||
| Piotroski F-score | β | β | 4.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Altman Z'' | β0.4 | 7.1 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 6.0 |
| Accruals ratio | β | β16.6% | β16.1% | β16.2% | β17.5% | 1.6% |
Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL filings (CIK 0001562088). Data updated October 9, 2026. Quarterly fourth quarters are the full year minus the first nine months. For information only β not investment advice. Check the original filings before relying on any figure.
