VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Stock Comparison

Duolingo, Inc. vs Microsoft Corporation

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

Microsoft Corporation

MSFT · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$3.5T
Gross margin (TTM)68.8%
Operating margin (TTM)46.3%
Net margin (TTM)35.7%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Infrastructure
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
84/ 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 Microsoft Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MSFT analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Microsoft Corporation leads (84 / 100 vs 68 / 100 for Duolingo, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Duolingo, Inc. has 2 segments (93.9% in Duolingo App); Microsoft Corporation has 3 segments (42.9% in Productivity and Business Processes).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Duolingo, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Microsoft Corporation has 9 across 4.

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%

Microsoft Corporation

Productivity and Business Processes

Market

Enterprise productivity & collaboration suites, business applications, and professional network platforms

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises, SMBs, consumers, recruiters/advertisers

Role

SaaS platform + professional network

Revenue share

42.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Duolingo, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
Ticker / Exchange
DUOL - NASDAQ
MSFT - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$8.6B
$3.5T
Gross margin (TTM)
72%
68.8%
Operating margin (TTM)
11%
46.3%
Net margin (TTM)
40%
35.7%
Sector
Technology
Technology
Industry
Software - Application
Software - Infrastructure
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Duolingo App
Productivity and Business Processes
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Strong
Moat score
68 / 100
84 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Operational Excellence

Duolingo, Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsHabit DefaultBrand TrustScope EconomiesDesign In Qualification

Microsoft Corporation strengths

Suite BundlingData Workflow LockinLong Term ContractsTwo Sided NetworkCapex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsDefault OS GatewayContent Rights Currency

Segment mix

Duolingo, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Duolingo App

Competitive

93.9%

Duolingo English Test

Oligopoly

6.1%

Microsoft Corporation segments

Full profile >

Productivity and Business Processes

Oligopoly

42.9%

Intelligent Cloud

Oligopoly

37.7%

More Personal Computing

Quasi-Monopoly

19.4%

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.

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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.