Franchise brand comparison
Club Pilates vs Massage Envy
Compared on figures each brand discloses in its own Franchise Disclosure Document — 2025 for Club Pilates, 2025 for Massage Envy. Investment, fees, and Item 19 gross sales, with the sample size behind every average.
Short answer
These carry the two most substantial Item 19 samples in our data: 849 Club Pilates studios and 187 current-format Massage Envy locations. Massage Envy discloses more revenue per location — $1,137,964 against $984,270 — but Club Pilates reaches its figure on roughly two-thirds the capital, a $612,053 midpoint against $900,175, which is 1.61x capital efficiency against 1.26x. Club Pilates is also far more consistent: a 1.90x quartile spread against 2.97x, and a bottom quartile of $686,457 on a much smaller investment than Massage Envy's bottom quartile of $610,237. Massage Envy's advantage is fee load, 6% plus 2% plus 2% against Club Pilates' 8% plus 2% plus a local advertising floor. The staffing models differ in kind rather than degree: instructors paid per class against licensed massage therapists in a market where recruiting is the binding constraint on revenue.
Side by side
| Measure | Club Pilates | Massage Envy |
|---|---|---|
| Concept category | Fitness & movement | Massage & skincare |
| FDD year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $385,048–$839,058midpoint $612,053 | $719,350–$1,081,000midpoint $900,175 |
| Initial franchise fee | $65,000 | $45,000 |
| Royalty | 8% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% + 2% |
| Local advertising | greater of $1,500/mo or 2% | None disclosed separately |
| Average gross sales (Item 19) | $984,270849 units — studios open the full 2024 calendar year | $1,137,964187 units — current-format locations open 12+ months, FY2024 |
| Median gross sales | $969,022 | $1,070,589 |
| Top quartile | $1,305,116 | $1,815,058 |
| Bottom quartile | $686,457 | $610,237 |
| Revenue ÷ investment | 1.61x | 1.26x |
| Quartile spread | 1.9x | 3.0x |
Bolded figures mark the stronger side of a row where both brands disclose a comparable number — lower investment, higher revenue, higher return on capital, narrower quartile spread. A brand that discloses nothing is never marked as losing a row: an undisclosed figure is an unknown, not a poor result.
What the numbers mean
Investment is Item 7, the franchisor's own estimate of everything needed to open. Club Pilates discloses a total initial investment of $385,048 to $839,058 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $612,053, with an initial franchise fee of $65,000. Massage Envy discloses a total initial investment of $719,350 to $1,081,000 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $900,175, with an initial franchise fee of $45,000.
Revenue is Item 19, and the unit count matters as much as the figure. Club Pilates reports average gross sales of $984,270 and a median of $969,022 across 849 units (studios open the full 2024 calendar year). Massage Envy reports average gross sales of $1,137,964 and a median of $1,070,589 across 187 units (current-format locations open 12+ months, FY2024).
Return on capital divides disclosed average sales by the midpoint investment. Club Pilates returns 1.61x and Massage Envy returns 1.26x. This measures capital efficiency, not profit — it says how much annual revenue each dollar of build-out buys, and says nothing about the margin either concept actually runs.
Quartile spread divides top-quartile revenue by bottom-quartile: 1.9x for Club Pilates and 3.0x for Massage Envy. It is the number brand marketing never leads with, because it measures how much of your outcome depends on site selection and operating skill rather than on which brand you sign.
Full review
Club Pilates
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Full review
Massage Envy
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Frequently asked
- Club Pilates vs Massage Envy: which is the better franchise?
- These carry the two most substantial Item 19 samples in our data: 849 Club Pilates studios and 187 current-format Massage Envy locations. Massage Envy discloses more revenue per location — $1,137,964 against $984,270 — but Club Pilates reaches its figure on roughly two-thirds the capital, a $612,053 midpoint against $900,175, which is 1.61x capital efficiency against 1.26x. Club Pilates is also far more consistent: a 1.90x quartile spread against 2.97x, and a bottom quartile of $686,457 on a much smaller investment than Massage Envy's bottom quartile of $610,237. Massage Envy's advantage is fee load, 6% plus 2% plus 2% against Club Pilates' 8% plus 2% plus a local advertising floor. The staffing models differ in kind rather than degree: instructors paid per class against licensed massage therapists in a market where recruiting is the binding constraint on revenue.
- How much does a Club Pilates franchise cost compared to Massage Envy?
- Club Pilates discloses a total initial investment of $385,048 to $839,058 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $612,053, with an initial franchise fee of $65,000. Massage Envy discloses a total initial investment of $719,350 to $1,081,000 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $900,175, with an initial franchise fee of $45,000.
- Does Club Pilates or Massage Envy generate more revenue?
- Club Pilates reports average gross sales of $984,270 and a median of $969,022 across 849 units (studios open the full 2024 calendar year). Massage Envy reports average gross sales of $1,137,964 and a median of $1,070,589 across 187 units (current-format locations open 12+ months, FY2024). These are gross sales, not profit, and the number of units behind each average decides how much it tells you.
- What are the ongoing fees for Club Pilates and Massage Envy?
- Club Pilates charges a royalty of 8% and a brand fund contribution of 2%, plus a local advertising obligation of greater of $1,500/mo or 2%. Massage Envy charges a royalty of 6% and a brand fund contribution of 2% + 2%.
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- Massage Envy vs Hand & Stone
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- Massage Envy vs Elements Massage
- The Joint Chiropractic vs Massage Envy
Before you rely on any of this
FDDs are filed annually and figures move. Request the current document from each franchisor and read Items 5, 6, 7 and 19 yourself — this is a summary to orient you, not a substitute for the disclosure or for your own advisors. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or compensated by either brand; see our disclosure policy.
Compare every brand at once in the sortable cost comparison table, or run these figures against your own assumptions in the ROI & payback calculator.