Franchise brand comparison
CycleBar vs Orangetheory Fitness
Compared on figures each brand discloses in its own Franchise Disclosure Document — 2025 for CycleBar, 2025 for Orangetheory Fitness. Investment, fees, and Item 19 gross sales, with the sample size behind every average.
Short answer
Two class-based cardio concepts, and Orangetheory is the far bigger machine on every axis: a $1,099,391 midpoint against CycleBar's $760,501, average gross sales of $857,377 across 1,256 studios against $424,125 across 183, and 0.78x capital efficiency against 0.56x. Both are below 1.0x — each studio grosses less per year than it cost to build — but Orangetheory converts capital measurably better and does it on the most credible sample in our data. CycleBar's counterweight is fees: 7% plus 2% plus a $1,500-a-month local floor, against Orangetheory's 8% plus 3% plus a $2,500 floor, roughly 13% against 14.5% of average revenue. Consistency also favors Orangetheory, 2.51x quartile spread against 3.69x. CycleBar is the cheaper ticket into boutique cardio; Orangetheory is the more proven one, and the extra ~$339,000 at the midpoint is what that proof costs.
Side by side
| Measure | CycleBar | Orangetheory Fitness |
|---|---|---|
| Concept category | Fitness & movement | Fitness & movement |
| FDD year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $410,809–$1,110,193midpoint $760,501 | $821,622–$1,377,160midpoint $1,099,391 |
| Initial franchise fee | $60,000 | $59,950 |
| Royalty | 7% | 8% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 3% |
| Local advertising | greater of $1,500/mo or 2% | greater of $2,500/mo or 2% |
| Average gross sales (Item 19) | $424,125183 units — studios franchisee-owned and operated the entire 2024 calendar year | $857,3771,256 units — franchised studios operating the entirety of 2024 |
| Median gross sales | $406,514 | $807,976 |
| Top quartile | $709,117 | $1,286,123 |
| Bottom quartile | $192,302 | $512,572 |
| Revenue ÷ investment | 0.56x | 0.78x |
| Quartile spread | 3.7x | 2.5x |
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. CycleBar discloses a total initial investment of $410,809 to $1,110,193 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $760,501, with an initial franchise fee of $60,000. Orangetheory Fitness discloses a total initial investment of $821,622 to $1,377,160 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $1,099,391, with an initial franchise fee of $59,950.
Revenue is Item 19, and the unit count matters as much as the figure. CycleBar reports average gross sales of $424,125 and a median of $406,514 across 183 units (studios franchisee-owned and operated the entire 2024 calendar year). Orangetheory Fitness reports average gross sales of $857,377 and a median of $807,976 across 1,256 units (franchised studios operating the entirety of 2024).
Return on capital divides disclosed average sales by the midpoint investment. CycleBar returns 0.56x and Orangetheory Fitness returns 0.78x. 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: 3.7x for CycleBar and 2.5x for Orangetheory Fitness. 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
CycleBar
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Full review
Orangetheory Fitness
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Frequently asked
- CycleBar vs Orangetheory Fitness: which is the better franchise?
- Two class-based cardio concepts, and Orangetheory is the far bigger machine on every axis: a $1,099,391 midpoint against CycleBar's $760,501, average gross sales of $857,377 across 1,256 studios against $424,125 across 183, and 0.78x capital efficiency against 0.56x. Both are below 1.0x — each studio grosses less per year than it cost to build — but Orangetheory converts capital measurably better and does it on the most credible sample in our data. CycleBar's counterweight is fees: 7% plus 2% plus a $1,500-a-month local floor, against Orangetheory's 8% plus 3% plus a $2,500 floor, roughly 13% against 14.5% of average revenue. Consistency also favors Orangetheory, 2.51x quartile spread against 3.69x. CycleBar is the cheaper ticket into boutique cardio; Orangetheory is the more proven one, and the extra ~$339,000 at the midpoint is what that proof costs.
- How much does a CycleBar franchise cost compared to Orangetheory Fitness?
- CycleBar discloses a total initial investment of $410,809 to $1,110,193 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $760,501, with an initial franchise fee of $60,000. Orangetheory Fitness discloses a total initial investment of $821,622 to $1,377,160 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $1,099,391, with an initial franchise fee of $59,950.
- Does CycleBar or Orangetheory Fitness generate more revenue?
- CycleBar reports average gross sales of $424,125 and a median of $406,514 across 183 units (studios franchisee-owned and operated the entire 2024 calendar year). Orangetheory Fitness reports average gross sales of $857,377 and a median of $807,976 across 1,256 units (franchised studios operating the entirety of 2024). 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 CycleBar and Orangetheory Fitness?
- CycleBar charges a royalty of 7% and a brand fund contribution of 2%, plus a local advertising obligation of greater of $1,500/mo or 2%. Orangetheory Fitness charges a royalty of 8% and a brand fund contribution of 3%, plus a local advertising obligation of greater of $2,500/mo or 2%.
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.