Mirror Review
February 27, 2026
Duolingo, the world’s most popular language-learning app, is seeing strong financial momentum as its revenue crossed the $1 billion mark in 2025.
Luis von Ahn, CEO and co-founder, confirmed that Duolingo revenue reached $1,037.6 million in FY 2025, up 39% year over year, driven by higher user engagement, rising paid subscriptions, and deeper use of AI-powered learning features.
At a time when more people are learning new skills online, Duolingo’s revenue growth shows how education apps are turning daily habits into long-term businesses.
User Growth Continues to Fuel Duolingo Revenue
A major driver behind Duolingo’s revenue is user activity. The app is not just adding users. It is keeping them active.
Key user metrics from Duolingo earnings Q4 2025 include:
- Daily active users: 52.7 million, up 30% YoY
- Monthly active users: 133.1 million, up 14% YoY
- Paid subscribers: 12.2 million, up 28% YoY
More learners are using the app daily, and a growing share of them are willing to pay for premium features.
Subscription Model Leads Duolingo Revenue Growth
Subscriptions remain the backbone of Duolingo revenue. In 2025:
- Subscription bookings reached $996.3 million, up 36% YoY
- Total bookings reached $1,158.4 million, up 33% YoY
The company also earns from ads, in-app purchases, and tests like the Duolingo English Test. Still, subscriptions contribute the largest and most predictable share of revenue.
This mix helps Duolingo balance free access with paid upgrades.
Profitability Strengthens Alongside Revenue
Unlike many consumer apps, Duolingo is growing while staying profitable.
Financial highlights for Duolingo Earnings 2025 include:
- Net income: $414.1 million
- Adjusted EBITDA: $305.9 million
- Adjusted EBITDA margin: 29.5%
- Free cash flow: $360.4 million
(EBITDA is a measure of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization that shows the health of the core business)
The company ended the year with over $1.04 billion in cash and equivalents, giving it flexibility to invest in growth without debt.
AI and New Subjects Shape the Growth Strategy
Duolingo’s leadership believes AI will reshape how people learn. Speaking to shareholders, Luis von Ahn said the company plans to lean into this shift by expanding AI-driven features such as video-based conversations and speaking practice.
Beyond languages, Duolingo is also investing in:
- Chess, now used by over 7 million daily active users
- Math, targeting K-12 learners worldwide
- Music, with a redesigned, game-like learning experience
The goal is to reach 100 million daily active users by 2028, even if it means slower short-term profit growth.
Duolingo 2026 Outlook: Slower Growth, Bigger Vision
Duolingo is taking a longer-term approach in 2026, focusing on bringing more people onto its platform rather than chasing rapid short-term profits.
The company expects revenue to grow by 15% to 18% and overall bookings to increase by 10% to 12%.
Profitability is also a priority, with Duolingo targeting an EBITDA margin of around 25%.
Yet, following this outlook, Duolingo stock fell 22%, as the bookings growth came in below analyst expectations.
Why Duolingo Revenue Growth Matters
The growth in Duolingo Earnings 2025 is more than a financial milestone. It shows how digital education can scale globally without losing user trust.
By combining habit-based learning, smart subscriptions, and AI features, Duolingo has turned a free app into a billion-dollar platform.
As learning shifts online and lifelong education becomes essential, Duolingo revenue trends suggest the company is well-positioned to lead that change.
As Duolingo’s CEO stated, “The accelerating advances in AI will fundamentally change the way people learn. This creates an enormous opportunity for us, and we intend to lead this shift.”
Maria Isabel Rodrigues
