Franchise brand comparison
Crunch Fitness vs Planet Fitness
Compared on figures each brand discloses in its own Franchise Disclosure Document — 2025 for Crunch Fitness, 2025 for Planet Fitness. Investment, fees, and Item 19 gross sales, with the sample size behind every average.
Short answer
The HVLP heavyweight bout, and the disclosed files are not symmetrical. Crunch reports $2,765,220 average gross sales across 303 clubs — all revenue lines — on a $2,335,500 midpoint build, about 1.18x capital efficiency, with the lowest fee stack we have reviewed at 5% plus 2%. Planet Fitness reports $1,873,895 across 2,197 clubs, but that figure is EFT membership revenue only, so it understates total club revenue and its 0.56x ratio is not directly comparable; its royalty is likewise charged on membership fees rather than all gross sales. Planet's real advantages are the biggest sample and brand in fitness and a stripped, low-labor operating model; Crunch's are a cheaper entry, group fitness and personal training revenue Planet's model excludes, and the friendlier contract. Both are multi-club, institutional-capital plays — territory availability and real estate decide this more than brand preference does.
Side by side
| Measure | Crunch Fitness | Planet Fitness |
|---|---|---|
| Concept category | Fitness & movement | Fitness & movement |
| FDD year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $928,000–$3,743,000midpoint $2,335,500 | $1,525,000–$5,221,500midpoint $3,373,250 |
| Initial franchise fee | $35,000 | $20,000 |
| Royalty | 5% | 7% of membership fees |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% of membership fees (max 3%) |
| Local advertising | None disclosed separately | None disclosed separately |
| Average gross sales (Item 19) | $2,765,220303 units — franchised clubs open the full 2024 fiscal year; Item 19 reports thirds, not quartiles | $1,873,8952,197 units — franchised clubs open all of CY2024; EFT membership revenue only, reported in thirds, not quartiles |
| Median gross sales | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Top quartile | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Bottom quartile | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Revenue ÷ investment | 1.18x | 0.56x |
| Quartile spread | — | — |
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. Crunch Fitness discloses a total initial investment of $928,000 to $3,743,000 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $2,335,500, with an initial franchise fee of $35,000. Planet Fitness discloses a total initial investment of $1,525,000 to $5,221,500 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $3,373,250, with an initial franchise fee of $20,000.
Revenue is Item 19, and the unit count matters as much as the figure. Crunch Fitness reports average gross sales of $2,765,220 across 303 units (franchised clubs open the full 2024 fiscal year; Item 19 reports thirds, not quartiles). Planet Fitness reports average gross sales of $1,873,895 across 2,197 units (franchised clubs open all of CY2024; EFT membership revenue only, reported in thirds, not quartiles).
Return on capital divides disclosed average sales by the midpoint investment. Crunch Fitness returns 1.18x and Planet Fitness returns 0.56x. 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.
Full review
Crunch Fitness
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Full review
Planet Fitness
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Frequently asked
- Crunch Fitness vs Planet Fitness: which is the better franchise?
- The HVLP heavyweight bout, and the disclosed files are not symmetrical. Crunch reports $2,765,220 average gross sales across 303 clubs — all revenue lines — on a $2,335,500 midpoint build, about 1.18x capital efficiency, with the lowest fee stack we have reviewed at 5% plus 2%. Planet Fitness reports $1,873,895 across 2,197 clubs, but that figure is EFT membership revenue only, so it understates total club revenue and its 0.56x ratio is not directly comparable; its royalty is likewise charged on membership fees rather than all gross sales. Planet's real advantages are the biggest sample and brand in fitness and a stripped, low-labor operating model; Crunch's are a cheaper entry, group fitness and personal training revenue Planet's model excludes, and the friendlier contract. Both are multi-club, institutional-capital plays — territory availability and real estate decide this more than brand preference does.
- How much does a Crunch Fitness franchise cost compared to Planet Fitness?
- Crunch Fitness discloses a total initial investment of $928,000 to $3,743,000 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $2,335,500, with an initial franchise fee of $35,000. Planet Fitness discloses a total initial investment of $1,525,000 to $5,221,500 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $3,373,250, with an initial franchise fee of $20,000.
- Does Crunch Fitness or Planet Fitness generate more revenue?
- Crunch Fitness reports average gross sales of $2,765,220 across 303 units (franchised clubs open the full 2024 fiscal year; Item 19 reports thirds, not quartiles). Planet Fitness reports average gross sales of $1,873,895 across 2,197 units (franchised clubs open all of CY2024; EFT membership revenue only, reported in thirds, not quartiles). 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 Crunch Fitness and Planet Fitness?
- Crunch Fitness charges a royalty of 5% and a brand fund contribution of 2%. Planet Fitness charges a royalty of 7% of membership fees and a brand fund contribution of 2% of membership fees (max 3%).
Other comparisons
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.