Franchise brand comparison
D1 Training vs F45 Training
Compared on figures each brand discloses in its own Franchise Disclosure Document — 2025 for D1 Training, 2025 for F45 Training. Investment, fees, and Item 19 gross sales, with the sample size behind every average.
Short answer
Both sell coached group training on similar builds; the demand bases differ completely. D1 trains athletes — youth sports first, a schedule-driven, recession-resistant market bought by parents — and discloses $679,601 average across 31 facilities, roughly 0.96x capital efficiency, plus a rare revenue-less-expenses figure ($275,965 average, with an honest six-figure loss at the low end). F45 sells adult HIIT memberships and discloses $454,320 across 699 studios — a sample twenty times larger, describing a lower-revenue, higher-churn business with the heavier fee stack (near 18% of gross at the median, against D1's roughly 14.6% including its $100-a-day local requirement). D1's numbers are better but rest on 31 units and a market that demands local sports-community operating skill; F45's are worse but proven at scale. Pick D1 for the differentiated demand and margins if you can work the youth-sports ecosystem; pick F45 only where top-third urban demand is plausible.
Side by side
| Measure | D1 Training | F45 Training |
|---|---|---|
| Concept category | Fitness & movement | Fitness & movement |
| FDD year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $480,557–$933,432midpoint $706,995 | $349,200–$786,100midpoint $567,650 |
| Initial franchise fee | $59,500 | $60,000 |
| Royalty | 7% (min $1,950–$2,950/mo by year) | 7% (min $2,500/mo) |
| Brand fund | greater of $250/mo or 2% | 2% (min $200/mo) |
| Local advertising | $100/day | $2,500/mo required marketing spend |
| Average gross sales (Item 19) | $679,60131 units — substantially similar franchised facilities open 1+ year through 2024; also discloses revenue less disclosed expenses ($275,965 average) | $454,320699 units — franchised studios open 12+ months as of February 28, 2025; Item 19 reports thirds, not quartiles |
| Median gross sales | $626,384 | $407,220 |
| Top quartile | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Bottom quartile | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Revenue ÷ investment | 0.96x | 0.80x |
| 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. D1 Training discloses a total initial investment of $480,557 to $933,432 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $706,995, with an initial franchise fee of $59,500. F45 Training discloses a total initial investment of $349,200 to $786,100 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $567,650, with an initial franchise fee of $60,000.
Revenue is Item 19, and the unit count matters as much as the figure. D1 Training reports average gross sales of $679,601 and a median of $626,384 across 31 units (substantially similar franchised facilities open 1+ year through 2024; also discloses revenue less disclosed expenses ($275,965 average)). F45 Training reports average gross sales of $454,320 and a median of $407,220 across 699 units (franchised studios open 12+ months as of February 28, 2025; Item 19 reports thirds, not quartiles).
Return on capital divides disclosed average sales by the midpoint investment. D1 Training returns 0.96x and F45 Training returns 0.80x. 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
D1 Training
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Full review
F45 Training
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Frequently asked
- D1 Training vs F45 Training: which is the better franchise?
- Both sell coached group training on similar builds; the demand bases differ completely. D1 trains athletes — youth sports first, a schedule-driven, recession-resistant market bought by parents — and discloses $679,601 average across 31 facilities, roughly 0.96x capital efficiency, plus a rare revenue-less-expenses figure ($275,965 average, with an honest six-figure loss at the low end). F45 sells adult HIIT memberships and discloses $454,320 across 699 studios — a sample twenty times larger, describing a lower-revenue, higher-churn business with the heavier fee stack (near 18% of gross at the median, against D1's roughly 14.6% including its $100-a-day local requirement). D1's numbers are better but rest on 31 units and a market that demands local sports-community operating skill; F45's are worse but proven at scale. Pick D1 for the differentiated demand and margins if you can work the youth-sports ecosystem; pick F45 only where top-third urban demand is plausible.
- How much does a D1 Training franchise cost compared to F45 Training?
- D1 Training discloses a total initial investment of $480,557 to $933,432 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $706,995, with an initial franchise fee of $59,500. F45 Training discloses a total initial investment of $349,200 to $786,100 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $567,650, with an initial franchise fee of $60,000.
- Does D1 Training or F45 Training generate more revenue?
- D1 Training reports average gross sales of $679,601 and a median of $626,384 across 31 units (substantially similar franchised facilities open 1+ year through 2024; also discloses revenue less disclosed expenses ($275,965 average)). F45 Training reports average gross sales of $454,320 and a median of $407,220 across 699 units (franchised studios open 12+ months as of February 28, 2025; Item 19 reports 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 D1 Training and F45 Training?
- D1 Training charges a royalty of 7% (min $1,950–$2,950/mo by year) and a brand fund contribution of greater of $250/mo or 2%, plus a local advertising obligation of $100/day. F45 Training charges a royalty of 7% (min $2,500/mo) and a brand fund contribution of 2% (min $200/mo), plus a local advertising obligation of $2,500/mo required marketing spend.
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.