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Side-by-side financial comparison of NOODLES & Co (NDLS) and PLUG POWER INC (PLUG). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

PLUG POWER INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($225.2M vs $122.1M, roughly 1.8× NOODLES & Co). NOODLES & Co runs the higher net margin — -7.5% vs -375.6%, a 368.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, PLUG POWER INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (17.6% vs -4.1%). NOODLES & Co produced more free cash flow last quarter ($-2.8M vs $-153.0M). Over the past eight quarters, PLUG POWER INC's revenue compounded faster (36.8% CAGR vs -1.2%).

Noodles & Company is an American fast-casual restaurant that offers international and American noodle dishes in addition to soups and salads. Noodles & Company was founded in 1995 by Aaron Kennedy and is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado. The company went public in 2013 and recorded a $457 million revenue in 2017. In mid-2022, there were 458 Noodles & Company locations across 31 states.

Plug Power Inc. is an American company engaged in the development of hydrogen fuel cell and electrolyzer systems that replace conventional batteries in equipment and vehicles powered by electricity. The company is headquartered in Slingerlands, New York, and has facilities in Spokane, Washington, and Rochester, New York.

NDLS vs PLUG — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
PLUG
PLUG
1.8× larger
PLUG
$225.2M
$122.1M
NDLS
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
PLUG
PLUG
+21.8% gap
PLUG
17.6%
-4.1%
NDLS
Higher net margin
NDLS
NDLS
368.1% more per $
NDLS
-7.5%
-375.6%
PLUG
More free cash flow
NDLS
NDLS
$150.2M more FCF
NDLS
$-2.8M
$-153.0M
PLUG
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
PLUG
PLUG
Annualised
PLUG
36.8%
-1.2%
NDLS

Income Statement — Q3 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Revenue
$122.1M
$225.2M
Net Profit
$-9.2M
$-846.0M
Gross Margin
2.4%
Operating Margin
-5.2%
-338.9%
Net Margin
-7.5%
-375.6%
Revenue YoY
-4.1%
17.6%
Net Profit YoY
32.8%
36.7%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.20
$-0.70

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
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
$225.2M
Q3 25
$122.1M
$177.1M
Q2 25
$123.8M
$174.0M
Q1 25
$133.7M
Q4 24
$122.8M
$191.5M
Q3 24
$127.4M
$173.7M
Q2 24
$121.4M
$143.3M
Q1 24
$124.3M
$120.3M
Net Profit
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
$-846.0M
Q3 25
$-9.2M
$-361.9M
Q2 25
$-9.1M
$-227.1M
Q1 25
$-196.7M
Q4 24
$-6.8M
$-1.3B
Q3 24
$-13.6M
$-211.2M
Q2 24
$-6.1M
$-262.3M
Q1 24
$-6.1M
$-295.8M
Gross Margin
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
2.4%
Q3 25
-67.9%
Q2 25
-30.7%
Q1 25
-55.3%
Q4 24
-122.5%
Q3 24
-57.6%
Q2 24
-91.6%
Q1 24
-132.3%
Operating Margin
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
-338.9%
Q3 25
-5.2%
-197.0%
Q2 25
-5.2%
-101.7%
Q1 25
-133.5%
Q4 24
-3.9%
-678.7%
Q3 24
-9.0%
-124.4%
Q2 24
-3.4%
-170.7%
Q1 24
-3.7%
-215.7%
Net Margin
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
-375.6%
Q3 25
-7.5%
-204.4%
Q2 25
-7.3%
-130.5%
Q1 25
-147.1%
Q4 24
-5.5%
-697.5%
Q3 24
-10.7%
-121.5%
Q2 24
-5.1%
-183.0%
Q1 24
-4.9%
-245.9%
EPS (diluted)
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
$-0.70
Q3 25
$-0.20
$-0.31
Q2 25
$-0.20
$-0.20
Q1 25
$-0.21
Q4 24
$-0.15
$-1.61
Q3 24
$-0.30
$-0.25
Q2 24
$-0.14
$-0.36
Q1 24
$-1.64
$-0.46

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$4.7M
$368.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$-38.9M
$978.1M
Total Assets
$280.6M
$2.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
$368.5M
Q3 25
$4.7M
$165.9M
Q2 25
$1.4M
$140.7M
Q1 25
$295.8M
Q4 24
$3.3M
$205.7M
Q3 24
$1.8M
$93.9M
Q2 24
$1.3M
$62.4M
Q1 24
$3.0M
$172.9M
Total Debt
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
$3.9M
Q2 24
$3.7M
Q1 24
$3.8M
Stockholders' Equity
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
$978.1M
Q3 25
$-38.9M
$1.4B
Q2 25
$-13.9M
$1.7B
Q1 25
$1.9B
Q4 24
$3.7M
$1.7B
Q3 24
$9.6M
$3.0B
Q2 24
$21.9M
$3.0B
Q1 24
$27.2M
$2.9B
Total Assets
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
$2.6B
Q3 25
$280.6M
$3.1B
Q2 25
$319.4M
$3.4B
Q1 25
$3.6B
Q4 24
$340.5M
$3.6B
Q3 24
$346.3M
$4.7B
Q2 24
$360.4M
$4.8B
Q1 24
$368.1M
$4.8B
Debt / Equity
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
0.00×
Q2 24
0.00×
Q1 24
0.00×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$4.3M
$-148.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-2.8M
$-153.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-2.3%
-67.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
5.8%
1.9%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-7.5M
$-647.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
$-148.6M
Q3 25
$4.3M
$-89.8M
Q2 25
$4.0M
$-191.8M
Q1 25
$-105.6M
Q4 24
$5.8M
$-131.2M
Q3 24
$4.7M
$-174.9M
Q2 24
$7.0M
$-254.7M
Q1 24
$164.0K
$-167.7M
Free Cash Flow
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
$-153.0M
Q3 25
$-2.8M
$-117.5M
Q2 25
$1.1M
$-230.4M
Q1 25
$-146.0M
Q4 24
$-1.3M
$-165.2M
Q3 24
$-4.5M
$-234.2M
Q2 24
$-1.6M
$-356.0M
Q1 24
$-15.2M
$-260.3M
FCF Margin
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
-67.9%
Q3 25
-2.3%
-66.4%
Q2 25
0.9%
-132.5%
Q1 25
-109.2%
Q4 24
-1.1%
-86.3%
Q3 24
-3.5%
-134.8%
Q2 24
-1.4%
-248.4%
Q1 24
-12.2%
-216.5%
Capex Intensity
NDLS
NDLS
PLUG
PLUG
Q4 25
1.9%
Q3 25
5.8%
15.6%
Q2 25
2.4%
22.2%
Q1 25
30.3%
Q4 24
5.8%
17.7%
Q3 24
7.2%
34.1%
Q2 24
7.1%
70.7%
Q1 24
12.3%
77.0%

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

NDLS
NDLS

Food And Beverage$119.6M98%
Franchise$2.5M2%

PLUG
PLUG

Sales Of Equipment And Related Infrastructure$111.6M50%
Services Performed On Fuel Cell Systems And Related Infrastructure$41.5M18%
Power Purchase Agreements$36.1M16%
Sale Of Cryogenic Equipment$20.0M9%
Sales Of Fuel Cell Systems$11.2M5%
Other$4.8M2%

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