QuinStreet
QuinStreet is a publicly traded online performance marketing company operating decentralized marketplaces that match high-intent consumers with brands in financial services (insurance, personal loans, credit cards, banking) and home services, using AI-driven matching technology and a large proprietary media network.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersFoster City, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What QuinStreet does
QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST) is a publicly traded online performance marketing company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Foster City, California, with approximately 900-1,000 employees across US regional offices (Beaverton, Plantation, Orlando, Austin, Rochester) and international operations in Pune, India and Monterrey, Mexico. The company operates decentralized online marketplaces that match high-intent "research and compare" consumers with brands across two principal verticals: Financial Services (67% of Q3 FY2026 revenue, spanning insurance, personal loans, credit cards, and banking) and Home Services (33% of revenue, including the Modernize platform enhanced by the January 2026 HomeBuddy acquisition).
The company's core technology is a performance marketing platform built around AI-driven matching algorithms, campaign-results-driven decision engines, and optimization systems trained on over 20 years and billions of dollars of online media spend. Its technology stack includes the QuinStreet Media Platform (QMP), a channel management and ad-serving platform for publishers and clients; the QuinStreet Rating Platform (QRP), a specialized insurance rating and quoting platform; and CloudControlMedia, a performance marketing service. These platforms are supported by one of the nation's largest media networks combining owned properties, call centers, email service providers, and an approved third-party publisher network.
QuinStreet's business model is performance-based: clients (including Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Wells Fargo, Barclays, Rocket Mortgage, American Express, and LoanDepot) pay only for verified outcomes delivered via Cost Per Lead (CPL), Cost Per Click (CPC), Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), and CPM/display advertising arrangements, with pricing negotiated through insertion orders. Revenue mix in Q3 FY2026 was 67% Financial Services and 33% Home Services, with the company reporting record quarterly revenue of $346 million (28% YoY growth) and full-year FY2026 guidance of $1.25-1.3 billion, representing the fifth consecutive quarter of accelerating growth.
QuinStreet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- QuinStreet
- Legal name
- QuinStreet, Inc.
- Website
- https://quinstreet.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- QuinStreet is a publicly traded online performance marketing company operating decentralized marketplaces that match high-intent consumers with brands in financial services (insurance, personal loans, credit cards, banking) and home services, using AI-driven matching technology and a large proprietary media network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
QuinStreet industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performance Marketing and Customer Acquisition
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (541830)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Services & Experiences Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Home Services Marketplaces (Cleaning, Repairs, Handyman) (BPAMAHAE)
Keywords
Where QuinStreet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Foster City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
QuinStreet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Performance Marketing - Cost Per Lead (CPL): Primary revenue stream from delivering qualified leads to financial services and home services clients. Clients pay only for verified leads meeting specified criteria.
- Performance Marketing - Cost Per Click (CPC): Revenue from clicks on client listings, where publishers earn commissions on a per-click basis through the CPC Platform.
- Display Advertising and Media: Revenue from display impressions, CPM-based traffic, and branded content placements across the QS Network.
- Warm Transfer and Call Center Leads: Revenue from telephone transfers and call center generated leads routed to client call centers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Cost Per Lead (CPL) campaigns |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Cost Per Click (CPC) campaigns |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Display/CPM campaigns |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
QuinStreet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
QuinStreet operates decentralized online performance marketplaces that match 'research and compare' consumers with brands in financial services and home services verticals, monetizing via cost-per-lead, cost-per-click, CPM display, and call-center lead delivery. Its core assets are the QS Network (owned media sites, call centers, and email assets), the QuinStreet Media Platform (QMP) for channel/ad operations, the QuinStreet Rating Platform (QRP) for insurance comparison, CloudControlMedia services, and the Modernize Home Services marketplace (expanded via the 2026 HomeBuddy acquisition).
Product overview
QuinStreet operates as a performance marketing company that powers decentralized online marketplaces matching consumers with brands. The company offers a unified portfolio consisting of the QuinStreet Media Platform (QMP) for channel management and ad operations, the QuinStreet Rating Platform (QRP) for insurance ratings, and CloudControlMedia services. The Modernize Home Services platform, enhanced by the 2026 acquisition of HomeBuddy, extends capabilities into the home services vertical. Products are delivered through various engagement formats including Clicks, Inquiries, Calls, Applications, and Sales, serving financial services clients (Insurance, Personal Loans, Credit Cards, Banking) and home services providers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- QuinStreet Rating Platform (QRP): Insurance rating platform solution
- QuinStreet Media Platform (QMP)
- CloudControlMedia
- Modernize Home Services
Products and services
- Performance Marketing / Customer Acquisition Decentralized online marketplaces that match searchers and 'research and compare' consumers with brands across financial services and home services verticals, delivered through one of the nation's largest media networks on a CPL, CPC, and call-transfer basis.
- QuinStreet Media Platform (QMP) Channel management platform that enables publishers to manage and track traffic such as Leads and Clicks generated from the QS Network, providing ad serving, management, and reporting services. Also enables clients to bid on, purchase, and track leads and clicks.
- QuinStreet Rating Platform (QRP) Insurance rating platform solution that enables insurance comparison and quoting services for consumers and carriers across auto, home, health, life, and other verticals.
- CloudControlMedia Performance marketing service offering that helps match online consumers to product and service providers through media control and optimization.
- Modernize Home Services Digital marketplace platform that matches homeowners with home services professionals, including contractors, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing providers, in both large and small U.S. markets.
Quantifiable outcome
- 28% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3 2026
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use QuinStreet
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
QuinStreet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
QuinStreet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SIREN GROUP AG (HomeBuddy)coreQuinStreet acquired HomeBuddy, a Swiss-US digital marketplace platform that matches homeowners with home services professionals. The $190 million acquisition ($115M cash + $75M post-closing) enhances QuinStreet's Modernize Home Services platform with new product lines, digital media reach, and professional networks.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
QuinStreet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Porch Group: Porch operates a home services marketplace connecting homeowners with home improvement professionals, plus insurance and moving services — directly competing with QuinStreet's Modernize Home Services. Both monetize via lead generation to home service providers.
- Bankrate: Bankrate, owned by Red Ventures, is a financial services comparison platform covering banking, mortgages, credit cards, and insurance — directly competing with QuinStreet's financial services vertical. Both monetize via lead generation and display advertising, and compete for the same carrier and bank advertiser budgets.
- Angi (formerly HomeAdvisor): Angi operates the leading home services marketplace connecting homeowners with contractors, plumbers, electricians, and HVAC professionals — directly competing with QuinStreet's Modernize Home Services and HomeBuddy platforms. Both monetize via performance-based lead generation to service professionals.
- Houzz: Houzz is a home remodeling platform connecting homeowners with design professionals, contractors, and home services — directly competing with QuinStreet's home services vertical. Both monetize via marketplace lead generation and serve overlapping home services professionals.
- SelectQuote: SelectQuote is a direct-to-consumer insurance distribution platform focused on life, auto, home, and health insurance — competing with QuinStreet's insurance vertical for both consumer traffic and carrier marketing budgets. Both use performance-based lead generation as a core business model.
- NerdWallet: NerdWallet is a consumer finance comparison platform that matches users with credit cards, banking products, loans, and insurance products — directly overlapping with QuinStreet's financial services verticals. Both monetize via performance marketing (CPL, CPC) and target the same 'research and compare' consumer intent.
- LendingTree: LendingTree operates an online lending marketplace that matches consumers with multiple lenders across personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, and insurance — the same financial services comparison model QuinStreet pioneered. Both companies monetize consumer intent through performance-based pricing (CPL) and serve overlapping carriers/banks as clients.
- Thumbtack: Thumbtack operates an on-demand home services marketplace connecting consumers with local professionals for home improvement, repairs, and maintenance — directly competing with Modernize/HomeBuddy. Both use performance-based pricing and target the same homeowner demand.
Broad incumbents
- Red Ventures: Red Ventures owns Bankrate, CreditCards.com, and multiple other financial comparison brands — making it a broad incumbent in the same digital performance marketing space as QuinStreet. Both operate large media networks monetizing consumer financial intent via CPL/CPC.
Emerging players
- Policygenius: Policygenius is an online insurance marketplace focused on life, disability, and home insurance — a niche competitor within QuinStreet's broader insurance vertical. Both serve consumers in research-and-compare mode and generate leads for major insurance carriers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
QuinStreet social profiles
Digital presenceQuinStreet compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
QuinStreet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
QuinStreet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
QuinStreet subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
QuinStreet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
QuinStreet M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A13 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about QuinStreet
What does QuinStreet do?
QuinStreet operates decentralized online performance marketplaces that match 'research and compare' consumers with brands in financial services and home services verticals, monetizing via cost-per-lead, cost-per-click, CPM display, and call-center lead delivery. Its core assets are the QS Network (owned media sites, call centers, and email assets), the QuinStreet Media Platform (QMP) for channel/ad operations, the QuinStreet Rating Platform (QRP) for insurance comparison, CloudControlMedia services, and the Modernize Home Services marketplace (expanded via the 2026 HomeBuddy acquisition).
Is QuinStreet a public or private company?
QuinStreet is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was QuinStreet founded?
QuinStreet was founded in 1999. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is QuinStreet based?
QuinStreet is headquartered in Foster City, United States, in the North America region.
How does QuinStreet make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Performance Marketing - Cost Per Lead (CPL) is the primary driver. The others are performance Marketing - Cost Per Click (CPC), display Advertising and Media and warm Transfer and Call Center Leads.
Who are QuinStreet's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Porch Group, Bankrate, Angi (formerly HomeAdvisor), Houzz, SelectQuote, NerdWallet, LendingTree and Thumbtack. Red Ventures is listed as a broad incumbent. Policygenius is listed as an emerging player.
Does QuinStreet have an API?
No public API is recorded for QuinStreet.
What industry is QuinStreet in?
QuinStreet's product category is Performance Marketing and Customer Acquisition. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAAAD, Local Services & Experiences Generalist Marketplaces, with a secondary code of BPAMAHAE, Home Services Marketplaces (Cleaning, Repairs, Handyman). Its NAICS code is 541830.