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Side-by-side financial comparison of Stride, Inc. (LRN) and StepStone Group Inc. (STEP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Stride, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($629.9M vs $586.5M, roughly 1.1× StepStone Group Inc.). Stride, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 14.1% vs -21.0%, a 35.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, StepStone Group Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (73.0% vs 2.7%). Over the past eight quarters, StepStone Group Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (28.2% CAGR vs 6.9%).

Stride, Inc. is a for-profit education company that provides online and blended education programs. Stride, Inc. is an education management organization (EMO) that provides online education designed as an alternative to traditional "brick and mortar" education for public school students from kindergarten to 12th grade, as well as career learning programs. As of 2012, publicly traded Stride, Inc. was the largest EMO in terms of enrollment.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is an American education technology software company that develops language, literacy and brain-fitness software. Best known for its language-learning products, in 2013, the company expanded beyond language into education-technology with its acquisitions of Livemocha, Lexia Learning, Fit Brains, and Tell Me More. In 2021, it became a subsidiary of IXL Learning.

LRN vs STEP — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
LRN
LRN
1.1× larger
LRN
$629.9M
$586.5M
STEP
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STEP
STEP
+70.3% gap
STEP
73.0%
2.7%
LRN
Higher net margin
LRN
LRN
35.1% more per $
LRN
14.1%
-21.0%
STEP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEP
STEP
Annualised
STEP
28.2%
6.9%
LRN

Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Revenue
$629.9M
$586.5M
Net Profit
$88.5M
$-123.5M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
20.5%
-33.2%
Net Margin
14.1%
-21.0%
Revenue YoY
2.7%
73.0%
Net Profit YoY
8.5%
35.7%
EPS (diluted)
$1.93
$-1.55

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
$629.9M
Q4 25
$631.3M
$586.5M
Q3 25
$620.9M
$454.2M
Q2 25
$653.6M
$364.3M
Q1 25
$613.4M
$377.7M
Q4 24
$587.2M
$339.0M
Q3 24
$551.1M
$271.7M
Q2 24
$186.4M
Net Profit
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
$88.5M
Q4 25
$99.5M
$-123.5M
Q3 25
$68.8M
$-366.1M
Q2 25
$51.3M
$-38.4M
Q1 25
$99.3M
$-18.5M
Q4 24
$96.4M
$-192.0M
Q3 24
$40.9M
$17.6M
Q2 24
$13.3M
Gross Margin
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
Q4 25
41.1%
Q3 25
39.0%
Q2 25
36.6%
Q1 25
40.6%
Q4 24
40.8%
Q3 24
39.2%
Q2 24
Operating Margin
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
20.5%
Q4 25
23.3%
-33.2%
Q3 25
11.1%
-148.8%
Q2 25
8.7%
-5.6%
Q1 25
21.3%
2.6%
Q4 24
21.3%
-101.7%
Q3 24
8.6%
21.3%
Q2 24
29.4%
Net Margin
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
14.1%
Q4 25
15.8%
-21.0%
Q3 25
11.1%
-80.6%
Q2 25
7.9%
-10.5%
Q1 25
16.2%
-4.9%
Q4 24
16.4%
-56.6%
Q3 24
7.4%
6.5%
Q2 24
7.2%
EPS (diluted)
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
$1.93
Q4 25
$2.12
$-1.55
Q3 25
$1.40
$-4.66
Q2 25
$0.96
$-0.49
Q1 25
$2.02
$-0.37
Q4 24
$2.03
$-2.61
Q3 24
$0.94
$0.26
Q2 24
$0.20

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$614.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$417.6M
$270.2M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.6B
$-378.8M
Total Assets
$2.4B
$5.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.25×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
$614.0M
Q4 25
$625.7M
Q3 25
$715.1M
Q2 25
$985.3M
Q1 25
$723.7M
Q4 24
$717.5M
Q3 24
$522.2M
Q2 24
Total Debt
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
$417.6M
Q4 25
$417.2M
$270.2M
Q3 25
$416.8M
$269.9M
Q2 25
$416.3M
$269.6M
Q1 25
$415.9M
$269.3M
Q4 24
$415.5M
$168.9M
Q3 24
$415.1M
$172.3M
Q2 24
$172.1M
Stockholders' Equity
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
$1.6B
Q4 25
$1.5B
$-378.8M
Q3 25
$1.5B
$-233.5M
Q2 25
$1.5B
$153.9M
Q1 25
$1.4B
$179.4M
Q4 24
$1.3B
$209.8M
Q3 24
$1.2B
$397.5M
Q2 24
$366.9M
Total Assets
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
$2.4B
Q4 25
$2.3B
$5.2B
Q3 25
$2.3B
$5.3B
Q2 25
$2.3B
$4.8B
Q1 25
$2.2B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$2.1B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$2.0B
$4.0B
Q2 24
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
0.25×
Q4 25
0.27×
Q3 25
0.27×
Q2 25
0.28×
1.75×
Q1 25
0.29×
1.50×
Q4 24
0.32×
0.81×
Q3 24
0.34×
0.43×
Q2 24
0.47×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$117.0M
$27.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$26.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
4.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.32×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$18.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
$117.0M
Q4 25
$91.8M
$27.2M
Q3 25
$-195.8M
$16.2M
Q2 25
$298.3M
$46.3M
Q1 25
$53.1M
$-66.5M
Q4 24
$223.4M
$27.6M
Q3 24
$-142.0M
$53.7M
Q2 24
$50.2M
Free Cash Flow
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
Q4 25
$91.6M
$26.7M
Q3 25
$-196.1M
$15.9M
Q2 25
$297.9M
$45.2M
Q1 25
$52.9M
$-69.2M
Q4 24
$222.9M
$27.0M
Q3 24
$-142.7M
$52.4M
Q2 24
$49.6M
FCF Margin
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
Q4 25
14.5%
4.6%
Q3 25
-31.6%
3.5%
Q2 25
45.6%
12.4%
Q1 25
8.6%
-18.3%
Q4 24
38.0%
8.0%
Q3 24
-25.9%
19.3%
Q2 24
26.6%
Capex Intensity
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
Q4 25
0.0%
0.1%
Q3 25
0.0%
0.1%
Q2 25
0.1%
0.3%
Q1 25
0.0%
0.7%
Q4 24
0.1%
0.2%
Q3 24
0.1%
0.5%
Q2 24
0.3%
Cash Conversion
LRN
LRN
STEP
STEP
Q3 26
1.32×
Q4 25
0.92×
Q3 25
-2.85×
Q2 25
5.81×
Q1 25
0.53×
Q4 24
2.32×
Q3 24
-3.47×
3.05×
Q2 24
3.76×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

LRN
LRN

General Education$357.5M57%
Middle - High School$259.5M41%
Adult$12.9M2%

STEP
STEP

Other$210.1M36%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Focused Commingled Funds$143.3M24%
Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$85.1M15%
Carried Interest Allocation Separately Managed Accounts$63.6M11%
Carried Interest Allocation Realized$46.7M8%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Advisory And Other Services$18.3M3%
Legacy Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$10.3M2%
Income Based Incentive Fees$6.0M1%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Fund Reimbursement Revenues$3.1M1%

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