VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Duolingo, Inc. vs MSCI Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Duolingo, Inc.

DUOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$8.6B
Gross margin (TTM)72%
Operating margin (TTM)11%
Net margin (TTM)40%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
68/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Duolingo, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View DUOL analysis

MSCI Inc.

MSCI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$44.7B
Gross margin (TTM)82.4%
Operating margin (TTM)54.2%
Net margin (TTM)40%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
76/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into MSCI Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSCI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: MSCI Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for Duolingo, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Duolingo, Inc. has 2 segments (93.9% in Duolingo App); MSCI Inc. has 4 segments (55.9% in Index).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Duolingo, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; MSCI Inc. has 4 across 3.

Primary market context

Duolingo, Inc.

Duolingo App

Market

Mobile-first, freemium language learning and adjacent subjects (math, music)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers (end-users); advertisers

Role

Digital learning platform / content & software publisher

Revenue share

93.9%

MSCI Inc.

Index

Market

Investment indexes and index licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Institutional investors and asset managers

Role

Index provider / benchmark administrator

Revenue share

55.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Duolingo, Inc.
MSCI Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
DUOL - NASDAQ
MSCI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$8.6B
$44.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
72%
82.4%
Operating margin (TTM)
11%
54.2%
Net margin (TTM)
40%
40%
Sector
Technology
Financials
Industry
Software - Application
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Duolingo App
Index
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
23%-27% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
68 / 100
76 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply
Network, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Duolingo, Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsHabit DefaultBrand TrustScope EconomiesDesign In QualificationOperational Excellence

MSCI Inc. strengths

De Facto StandardSwitching Costs GeneralCompliance AdvantageData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Duolingo, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Duolingo App

Competitive

93.9%

Duolingo English Test

Oligopoly

6.1%

MSCI Inc. segments

Full profile >

Index

Oligopoly

55.9%

Analytics

Oligopoly

23.6%

Sustainability and Climate

Competitive

11.4%

Private Assets

Competitive

9%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.