Last updated:
LIVE
APP
AppLovin Corporation · Technology
$428.69
-8.73% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
TTD
The Trade Desk, Inc. · Technology
$18.25
-1.40% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
APP
3
TTD
1
Comparison scoreboard
APP LEADS 3/5AI Score
APP ✓57.9
TTD 40.9
1Y Return
APP ✓+17.07%
TTD -77.20%
Fwd P/E
APP 19.78
TTD ✓8.50
Target Up.
APP ✓+52.70%
TTD +33.26%
Op. Margin
APP N/A
TTD N/A
Metrics last refreshed: 7/21/2026
Quick take
APP vs TTD: AppLovin vs The Trade Desk — Which Ad Tech Stock Wins?: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
AppLovin and The Trade Desk are both high-growth ad tech platforms but in different segments: AppLovin's AXON AI engine dominates mobile app advertising, while The Trade Desk is the leading independent programmatic buyer across open web, CTV, and retail media. AppLovin has been the stronger near-term performer; The Trade Desk is the more diversified and independent platform.
Use this APP vs TTD comparison to choose your ad tech investment. AppLovin has the stronger recent growth trajectory driven by AXON AI mobile performance; The Trade Desk offers more channel diversification including CTV and programmatic with the neutrality advantage versus Google.
Live analysis · updated 7/21/2026
APP holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. APP has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+17.07% vs -77.20%), though TTD has the better forward P/E setup (8.50x vs 19.78x for APP). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for APP (+52.70%) than for TTD (+33.26%).
Normalized 1Y performance
APP
TTD
Recent returns
APP
TTD
Analyst price targets & sentiment
APP · 30 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Strong Buy (1.4/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$406.00
analyst high$860.00
analyst mean$654.60
current price$428.69
+52.7% upside to analyst mean
TTD · 30 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Hold (2.5/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$11.00
analyst high$38.00
analyst mean$24.32
current price$18.25
+33.3% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
APP may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to an AI-native mobile advertising platform with demonstrated AXON performance improvements
- →Are comfortable with gaming-heavy revenue concentration while waiting for e-commerce expansion
- →Believe AppLovin's AI targeting lead in mobile will compound revenue and margin growth
- →Value the combination of software platform margins and first-party app data as a durable advantage
TTD may suit investors who:
- →Want the leading independent programmatic advertising platform with CTV and retail media exposure
- →Value Trade Desk's neutrality as a structural advantage in a market where Google dominates
- →Believe the CTV advertising shift will compound revenue as streaming replaces linear TV
- →See post-guidance-miss valuation as a potential entry point into a high-quality ad tech franchise
Performance & AI score
| Metric | APP | TTD |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 57.9 | 40.9 |
| AI rank | #236 | #1069 |
| Latest close | $428.69 | $18.25 |
| 1M return | -8.73% | -1.40% |
| 6M return | -24.63% | -48.56% |
| 1Y return | +17.07% | -77.20% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | APP | TTD |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.71K (+17.1%) started 2025-07-21 | $2.28K (-77.2%) started 2025-07-21 |
| 5Y ago | $71.65K (+616.5%) started 2021-07-21 | $2.46K (-75.4%) started 2021-07-21 |
| 10Y ago | $65.75K (+557.5%) started 2021-04-15 | $60.63K (+506.3%) started 2016-09-21 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | APP | TTD |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $144.01B | $8.58B |
| Trailing P/E | 37.25 | 20.74 |
| Forward P/E | 19.78 | 8.50 |
| Price/Sales | 23.36 | 2.89 |
| EV/Revenue | 23.32 | 2.62 |
| Analyst target | $654.60 | $24.32 |
| Target upside | +52.70% | +33.26% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | APP | TTD |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 59.00% | 11.80% |
| Earnings growth | 113.10% | -20.00% |
| EPS growth | +113.10% | -20.00% |
| FCF margin | +51.59% | +19.17% |
| Operating margin | N/A | N/A |
| Profit margin | 64.29% | 14.57% |
| ROIC proxy | 266.44% | 16.74% |
| Return on equity | 266.44% | 16.74% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Beta | 2.48 | 1.04 |
| Debt/equity | 162.89 | 17.26 |
| Current ratio | 3.24 | 1.68 |
| Quick ratio | 3.16 | 1.64 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
APP max drawdown49.99%
TTD max drawdown80.69%
APP max wkly drop34.08%
TTD max wkly drop42.53%
5Y risk snapshot
APP max drawdown91.90%
TTD max drawdown87.58%
APP max wkly drop34.08%
TTD max wkly drop42.53%
10Y risk snapshot
APP max drawdown91.90%
TTD max drawdown87.58%
APP max wkly drop34.08%
TTD max wkly drop42.53%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | APP | TTD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +17.07% | -77.20% |
| CAGR | +17.09% | -77.22% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.53 | -2.01 | |
| Max drawdown | 49.99% | 80.69% | |
| Max daily drop | 19.68% | 38.61% | |
| Max wkly drop | 34.08% | 42.53% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +616.51% | -75.39% |
| CAGR | +48.28% | -24.45% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.83 | -0.15 | |
| Max drawdown | 91.90% | 87.58% | |
| Max daily drop | 20.12% | 38.61% | |
| Max wkly drop | 34.08% | 42.53% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +557.50% | +506.31% |
| CAGR | +43.00% | +20.12% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.78 | 0.54 | |
| Max drawdown | 91.90% | 87.58% | |
| Max daily drop | 20.12% | 38.61% | |
| Max wkly drop | 34.08% | 42.53% |
Business comparison
| Category | APP | TTD |
|---|---|---|
| Company | AppLovin Corporation | The Trade Desk, Inc. |
| Sector | Technology | Technology |
| Industry | N/A | N/A |
| Core business | Mobile app publishing and AI-powered advertising platform. AXON AI engine optimises ad targeting and monetisation across AppLovin's mobile game portfolio and third-party publishers. | Independent demand-side platform (DSP) allowing advertisers and agencies to buy programmatic digital advertising across display, video, CTV, audio, and retail media. UID2 privacy-first identity solution. |
| Investor focus | AXON 2.0 AI engine performance improvements, software platform revenue growth and margin expansion, e-commerce advertising expansion beyond mobile gaming, and share buybacks. | Connected TV advertising growth, retail media network integrations, UID2 adoption as a cookie replacement, and platform market share versus walled gardens. |
APP strengths
- →AXON AI engine has demonstrated exceptional performance improvements in ad targeting efficiency for mobile
- →Software platform segment generates very high margins and is growing rapidly
- →Own-app portfolio provides first-party data and testing ground for AI ad optimisation
TTD strengths
- →Only major independent DSP at scale — neutrality is a significant competitive advantage versus Google's DSP
- →CTV advertising is growing rapidly and The Trade Desk is the leading independent platform in this channel
- →UID2 identity framework positions Trade Desk as a privacy-first alternative to third-party cookies
Risks to watch — APP
- →Revenue concentration in mobile gaming advertising — expansion to e-commerce is unproven
- →Highly valued on near-term momentum; execution slowdown would significantly impact valuation
- →Competition from Google, Meta, and Unity in mobile advertising targeting
Risks to watch — TTD
- →Growth decelerated in 2024 and the company issued guidance misses — execution credibility was damaged
- →Google's privacy sandbox changes and cookie deprecation created uncertainty for programmatic advertising
- →Walled gardens (Google, Meta, Amazon) controlling the largest inventory pools limits Trade Desk's reach
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