VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Stock Comparison

Duolingo, Inc. vs PDD Holdings 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

PDD Holdings Inc.

PDD · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$166.7B
Gross margin (TTM)56.7%
Operating margin (TTM)22.1%
Net margin (TTM)24.4%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryKY
Data as of2025-12-29
Moat score
44/ 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 PDD Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View PDD analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Duolingo, Inc. leads (68 / 100 vs 44 / 100 for PDD Holdings Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Duolingo, Inc. has 2 segments (93.9% in Duolingo App); PDD Holdings Inc. has 2 segments.
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Duolingo, Inc. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; PDD Holdings Inc. has 4 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%

PDD Holdings Inc.

Pinduoduo China marketplace

Market

China online retail marketplace (value-for-money focus)

Geography

China

Customer

Consumers & third-party merchants

Role

Online marketplace platform

Side-by-side metrics

Duolingo, Inc.
PDD Holdings Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
DUOL - NASDAQ
PDD - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$8.6B
$166.7B
Gross margin (TTM)
72%
56.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
11%
22.1%
Net margin (TTM)
40%
24.4%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
Software - Application
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
KY
Primary segment
Duolingo App
Pinduoduo China marketplace
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
44 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply
Network, Supply, Financial, Legal
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-29

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Duolingo, Inc. strengths

Data Network EffectsHabit DefaultBrand TrustScope EconomiesDesign In QualificationOperational Excellence

PDD Holdings Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkScale Economies Unit CostFloat PrepaymentCompliance Advantage

Segment mix

Duolingo, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Duolingo App

Competitive

93.9%

Duolingo English Test

Oligopoly

6.1%

PDD Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Pinduoduo China marketplace

Oligopoly

n/a

Temu international marketplace

Competitive

n/a

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.