QuinStreet

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.

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

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

• Performance marketing
• Customer acquisition
• Lead generation
• Media network
• Insurance lead generation

Headquarters

HQ city

Foster City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Display Advertising and Media: Revenue from display impressions, CPM-based traffic, and branded content placements across the QS Network.
4. Warm Transfer and Call Center Leads: Revenue from telephone transfers and call center generated leads routed to client call centers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SIREN GROUP AG (HomeBuddy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2026QuinStreet 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/QuinStreet-Inc-851385811539800
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quinstreet
• Xx.com/quinstreet

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A13 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QuinStreet