How Does Free Duolingo Make Money? Users, Payers and the Year Its Business Turned a Profit

Duolingo is free for almost everyone, yet it averaged about 58.7 million daily active users in the second quarter of 2026, and 140.6 million monthly active users. Only 12.7 million accounts paid for a subscription, about 9% of monthly users. In 2025, subscriptions brought in $873.4 million of its $1,037.6 million revenue (about 84%), up every year from about 72% in 2021; ads were approximately 7.7% and the Duolingo English Test approximately 4.0%. Its first full-year net profit as a public company came in 2023 ($16.1 million), but that year its operations still lost $13.3 million, and interest income of $31.1 million made the difference. In 2024 its operations made a full-year profit for the first time since its founding in 2011: $62.6 million, rising to $135.6 million in 2025.

User figures are Duolingo's reported daily and monthly active users (quarterly averages) and paid subscribers (at quarter end, one per account; free trials and non-paying family plan members excluded), for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. Revenue shares are computed from Duolingo's 10-K filings. Profit is operating income (loss) unless it says net income. 2025 net income of $414.1 million included a one-time $256.7 million income tax benefit from releasing a valuation allowance. Duolingo has announced it will report its third quarter of 2026 on November 3, 2026.