Planet Fitness vs Anytime Fitness franchise USA 2026: is the $743K investment gap worth it?
Anytime Fitness is 2.4× cheaper to get into — $539K vs $1.3M (about $743K less). Planet Fitness runs the bigger network at 2432 vs 2271 outlets.
01 What actually matters
Numbers that separate them on a 5-year horizon — not the franchise-development pitch.
Planet Fitness (2432 outlets) and Anytime Fitness (2271) operate at comparable scale — neither has a decisive network advantage, so your location-specific due diligence matters more than brand size here.
On pure entry capital, Anytime Fitness is 2.4× cheaper than Planet Fitness — $539K vs $1.3M. That gap compounds over a 5-year horizon because build-out, equipment, opening inventory and the additional funds in FDD Item 7 all scale with format size.
02 The numbers, visualised
Primary format per brand, from FDD Item 7. A brand's smaller express or non-traditional formats can cost materially less.
Initial investment (FDD Item 7)
Total initial investment, low end of each brand's FDD Item 7 range for its primary format. Several US brands also run smaller express, non-traditional or conversion formats at materially lower investment — check the brand page for the full Item 7 table.
Network scale — total outlets
Total US outlets from FDD Item 20. Bigger networks mean more brand recognition and supplier scale; smaller ones mean less intra-brand competition in your trade area.
Customer ratings
Which brand's outlets are rated higher by customers, aggregated across locations. Exact star rating and review volume are in Brand Health.
Direction only — the underlying rating & review count are Pro data.
03 Side-by-side
Straight from each brand’s FDD. Green badge marks the more favourable value for a typical first-time operator.
| Metric | Planet Fitness | Anytime Fitness |
|---|---|---|
| Initial investment (Item 7) | $1.3M | $539K ↓ Lower |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 7% | — |
| Gross margin | — | — |
| Min space (sq ft) | 15000 | 4000 ↓ Smaller |
| Total US outlets (Item 20) | 2432 ↑ Bigger | 2271 |
| Franchise fee (Item 5) | $40K ↓ Lower | $43K |
| Additional funds | — | — |
Not sure if Planet Fitness or Anytime Fitness actually fits *you*?
BrandFit asks 6 visual questions about your operator profile, capital, and location — then ranks all 182 brands by predicted success-fit for your situation. See where these brands really stand for someone like you.
Ready to talk to Planet Fitness or Anytime Fitness?
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04 Explore these brands in depth
Same data plus the full FDD breakdown, fee load, contract fairness and SBA lending picture — free on every brand page.
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05 Frequently asked
Wrapped in FAQPage JSON-LD for SERP rich-result eligibility.
Are these Health & Wellness franchises still awarding territory in my state?
FDD Item 20 lists every outlet by state, plus openings, closures, transfers and terminations for the last three years — the fastest way to see whether a brand is still expanding near you or has gone quiet. Planet Fitness runs the largest network here at 2432 outlets. Note that fourteen states — California, New York, Illinois, Virginia, Washington and others — require franchise registration, so a brand may simply be unregistered in yours.
Is Planet Fitness or Anytime Fitness better for first-time franchisees?
For a first-time franchisee, capital preservation matters more than brand prestige. Anytime Fitness has the lower entry capex here, which caps downside if the location underperforms. That said, first-time operators should also weigh how much hand-holding the brand provides in site selection, training, and SOP enforcement — not just the sticker price.
How long does it take to break even on a Health & Wellness franchise?
Payback on a Health & Wellness franchise in the US typically runs 24–48 months, depending on site traffic, build-out cost, and the royalty plus ad-fund load in FDD Item 6. The brands on this page start at $539K of initial investment (Item 7); pair that with the brand's Item 19 financial performance representation, where one is published, to model your own payback instead of relying on a franchise-development pitch.
What is the cheapest Health & Wellness franchise in the US?
The lowest-investment option here is Anytime Fitness starting from $539K. Remember this is the LOW end of the brand's FDD Item 7 initial-investment range — Item 7's high end is the number to plan against, and it sits before the working capital you burn until the unit turns over.
What is the best Health & Wellness franchise in the US in 2026?
Among the 2 brands FRANticc compares, the top options by network size are Planet Fitness, Anytime Fitness (Planet Fitness: 2432 stores, Anytime Fitness: 2271 stores). The lowest investment entry is Anytime Fitness from $539K. "Best" depends on your capital, your market and how hands-on you plan to be — this page gives you the data for all three dimensions.