The D2C subscription trust table: earned every month
17 brands. 2 rankings. A language app leads, an Australian broadband provider is second, and AI is reshaping who stays on top.
“A subscription is a promise that has to be kept again every billing cycle.”
WCRC Intelligence Unit
The finding that frames the industry
Across WCRC's 2026 Most Trusted D2C rankings, 17 brands come from tech and subscriptions. They average a D2C Trust Score of 76.78. The eight Australian and New Zealand brands average 76.90, and the nine American brands 76.67. India's Most Trusted D2C ranking has no brands in this industry.
The group covers learning apps, streaming, broadband and mobile, dating apps and consumer advocacy. The oldest brand is CHOICE, founded in 1959, and the youngest is betr, founded in 2022.
Duolingo at the top: what the leader proves
Duolingo's 87.85 is the highest score in the group. Founded in 2011 by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker, it built trust with playful design and a mission to make education accessible. Revenue rose 39% to $1,037.6M in FY2025, passing $1bn.
The lesson is that a mission users believe in can carry a brand past bigger rivals. The weakness showed in 2025, when an "AI-first" memo drew user backlash.
Australia and New Zealand: local service wins
Aussie Broadband (86.90, ANZ #3) runs its customer service centres wholly in Australia and has won Roy Morgan's Internet Service Provider of the Year award three times. Group revenue was A$1,295M in FY2026. 2degrees (81.94) returned to profit in FY2026 on revenue of NZ$1.46bn.
CHOICE (82.68) is a not-for-profit with just over 203,000 members. Stan (82.62), owned by Nine, commissions its own Stan Originals and grew revenue 16% in FY2026. Sky New Zealand (74.92) had 914,368 residential TV subscribers in 2025.
America: streaming, learning and dating
Netflix (85.20) reported more than 325 million paid memberships at the end of 2025 and revenue of $45,183M, the largest in the group. Coursera (80.04) carries the names of well-known universities and employers. Life360 (76.16) keeps about 96 million monthly users connected with crash detection and SOS.
The dating apps show how trust depends on purpose. Hinge (79.10) positions itself for serious relationships. Bumble (74.00) is built around women's safety, but its revenue fell 9.9% in FY2025. Tinder (73.60) is one of the most widely used dating apps in the US, though its revenue fell 4% as younger users drift away.
AI changes the learning market
AI is splitting the learning brands. Duolingo grew quickly, while Chegg (65.46) saw revenue fall 39% in FY2025 as AI chatbots cut demand for homework help. Varsity Tutors (68.64) and Cluey Learning (69.92) both reported falling revenue, and Coursera faces competition from AI-based alternatives.
Where the industry is exposed
Price rises and churn are the main risks. Netflix has raised prices several times and cracked down on password sharing. Aussie Broadband flags heavy promotional activity in its market. Life360's past sale of location data dented trust. Smaller brands carry financial strain: Pentanet's cash fell to A$1.5M, Cluey Learning left the ASX, and betr reported a A$40.1M loss in FY2026.
Five things that will define the industry
- Whether Duolingo can grow with AI without losing the users who trusted its human touch.
- How Aussie Broadband defends its service lead in a price-sensitive market.
- Whether Netflix's price rises start to cost it trust.
- How dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble win back younger users.
- Whether an Indian subscription brand enters the Most Trusted D2C ranking next year.
The combined table: all 17 brands by score
| # | Brand | US | ANZ | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Duolingo | #2 | — | 87.85P |
| 02 | Aussie Broadband | — | #3 | 86.90P |
| 03 | Netflix | #7 | — | 85.20P |
| 04 | CHOICE | — | #18 | 82.68P |
| 05 | Stan | — | #19 | 82.62P |
| 06 | 2degrees | — | #22 | 81.94P |
| 07 | Coursera | #18 | — | 80.04P |
| 08 | Hinge | #29 | — | 79.10P |
| 09 | Life360 | #53 | — | 76.16P |
| 10 | Sky New Zealand | — | #61 | 74.92P |
| 11 | Bumble | #68 | — | 74.00P |
| 12 | Tinder | #73 | — | 73.60P |
| 13 | Pentanet | — | #82 | 70.90P |
| 14 | Cluey Learning | — | #86 | 69.92P |
| 15 | Varsity Tutors | #90 | — | 68.64P |
| 16 | Chegg | #97 | — | 65.46P |
| 17 | betr | — | #96 | 65.34P |
P Provisional score. Unmarked scores are published scores carried over from the World's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026 or validated by WCRC.
The industry in full, ranking by ranking
America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026
9 Tech & Subscriptions brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #002 | Duolingo | Duolingo, Inc. | 2011 | 87.85P | $1,037.6M revenue (FY2025, up 39%) |
| #007 | Netflix | Netflix Inc. | 1997 | 85.20P | $45,183M revenue (FY2025, up 16%) |
| #018 | Coursera | Coursera, Inc. | 2012 | 80.04P | $502.2M Consumer segment revenue (FY2025; total company revenue $757.5M) |
| #029 | Hinge | Match Group | 2011 | 79.10P | $690.9M Hinge direct revenue (FY2025) |
| #053 | Life360 | Life360, Inc. | 2008 | 76.16P | $489.5M total revenue (FY2025, up 32%; subscription revenue $369.3M) |
| #068 | Bumble | Bumble Inc. | 2014 | 74.00P | $965.7M total revenue (FY2025, down 9.9%) |
| #073 | Tinder | Match Group, Inc. | 2012 | 73.60P | $1,862.9M Tinder direct revenue (FY2025, down 4%) |
| #090 | Varsity Tutors | Nerdy Inc. | 2007 | 68.64P | $179.0M revenue (FY2025, down from $190.2M in FY2024) |
| #097 | Chegg | Chegg Inc. | 2005 | 65.46P | $376.9M total net revenues (FY2025, down 39%) |
Australia & New Zealand's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026
8 Tech & Subscriptions brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #003 | Aussie Broadband | Aussie Broadband Ltd | 2008 | 86.90P | A$1,295M group revenue (FY2026, year ended 30 Jun 2026; includes business and wholesale customers) |
| #018 | CHOICE | Not-for-profit, governed by its members | 1959 | 82.68P | A$24.2M total revenue (FY2025, year ended Jun 2025), of which A$19.1M was membership |
| #019 | Stan | Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings Ltd | 2014 | 82.62P | A$569M Stan revenue (FY2026, year ended 30 Jun 2026, a segment of Nine) |
| #022 | 2degrees | Private | 2001 | 81.94P | NZ$1.46B revenue (FY2026, year ended 30 Jun 2026) |
| #061 | Sky New Zealand | Sky Network Television Ltd | 1987 | 74.92P | NZ$826.1M underlying revenue (FY2026, year ended 30 Jun 2026) |
| #082 | Pentanet | Pentanet Ltd | 2017 | 70.90P | A$24.4M revenue (FY2026, year ended 30 Jun 2026) |
| #086 | Cluey Learning | Unlisted public company | 2018 | 69.92P | A$24.25M revenue (FY2026, year ended Jun 2026) |
| #096 | betr | betr Entertainment Ltd | 2022 | 65.34P | A$143.8M revenue (FY2026, year ended Jun 2026) |
Questions people ask
- What is the most trusted D2C tech and subscription brand in 2026?
- Duolingo, with a WCRC D2C Trust Score of 87.85. It ranks #2 in America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026.
- What is the most trusted D2C subscription brand in Australia and New Zealand?
- Aussie Broadband, with a score of 86.90 (#3 in Australia & New Zealand's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026).
- Where does Netflix rank?
- Netflix ranks #7 in America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026, with a score of 85.20.
- How many tech and subscription brands are in WCRC's 2026 Most Trusted D2C rankings?
- 17: nine in America's ranking and eight in Australia & New Zealand's. India's ranking has none in this industry.
- Which dating apps are in the 2026 rankings?
- Hinge (79.10), Bumble (74.00) and Tinder (73.60), all in America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026.
Methodology in brief
This analysis groups every brand from WCRC's Most Trusted D2C Brands rankings of 2026 into newsroom industries and compares them on the scores, ranks and facts published in those rankings. The WCRC D2C Trust Score rates each brand from 0 to 100 across seven pillars led by Consumer Trust and Sentiment, Brand Recall, Brand Positioning and Brand Love. The detailed methodology is available on request.
About WCRC. WCRC (World Centre for Research and Consulting) is an independent research and consulting organisation. It publishes brand rankings including the World's Most Powerful 100 Brands, regional and national Most Powerful 100 Brands rankings, and national Most Trusted D2C Brands rankings, through its sites wcrcint.com, wcrcleaders.com and mostvaluablebrands.com. The WCRC Intelligence Unit publishes research briefings and industry analysis.
© 2026 World Centre for Research and Consulting (WCRC). This article may be quoted with attribution to WCRC and a link to this page.