Franchise brand comparison
StretchLab vs Pure Barre
Compared on figures each brand discloses in its own Franchise Disclosure Document — 2025 for StretchLab, 2025 for Pure Barre. Investment, fees, and Item 19 gross sales, with the sample size behind every average.
Short answer
StretchLab is both cheaper to open — about $32,000 less at the midpoint — and discloses roughly 51% higher average gross sales, $556,263 across 417 studios against Pure Barre's $368,588 across 599. Capital efficiency is 1.27x against 0.78x. Pure Barre's counterweight is its fee structure: 7% royalty with no separate local advertising obligation, against StretchLab's 8% plus a $1,500-a-month local floor, and that difference matters more at Pure Barre's lower revenue base. Pure Barre is also the older, larger system with more units in its sample. Neither discloses a narrow quartile spread — 3.05x for Pure Barre, 2.69x for StretchLab — so in both cases site selection and operating skill drive the outcome more than the brand does.
Side by side
| Measure | StretchLab | Pure Barre |
|---|---|---|
| Concept category | Fitness & movement | Fitness & movement |
| FDD year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $269,019–$610,224midpoint $439,622 | $314,411–$629,345midpoint $471,878 |
| Initial franchise fee | $65,000 | $60,000 |
| Royalty | 8% | 7% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% |
| Local advertising | greater of $1,500/mo or 2% | None disclosed separately |
| Average gross sales (Item 19) | $556,263417 units — qualified studios, FY2024 | $368,588599 units — qualified studios, full-year 2024 |
| Median gross sales | Not disclosed | $344,889 |
| Top quartile | $842,342 | $588,040 |
| Bottom quartile | $312,680 | $192,833 |
| Revenue ÷ investment | 1.27x | 0.78x |
| Quartile spread | 2.7x | 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. StretchLab discloses a total initial investment of $269,019 to $610,224 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $439,622, with an initial franchise fee of $65,000. Pure Barre discloses a total initial investment of $314,411 to $629,345 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $471,878, with an initial franchise fee of $60,000.
Revenue is Item 19, and the unit count matters as much as the figure. StretchLab reports average gross sales of $556,263 across 417 units (qualified studios, FY2024). Pure Barre reports average gross sales of $368,588 and a median of $344,889 across 599 units (qualified studios, full-year 2024).
Return on capital divides disclosed average sales by the midpoint investment. StretchLab returns 1.27x and Pure Barre 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: 2.7x for StretchLab and 3.0x for Pure Barre. 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
StretchLab
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Full review
Pure Barre
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Frequently asked
- StretchLab vs Pure Barre: which is the better franchise?
- StretchLab is both cheaper to open — about $32,000 less at the midpoint — and discloses roughly 51% higher average gross sales, $556,263 across 417 studios against Pure Barre's $368,588 across 599. Capital efficiency is 1.27x against 0.78x. Pure Barre's counterweight is its fee structure: 7% royalty with no separate local advertising obligation, against StretchLab's 8% plus a $1,500-a-month local floor, and that difference matters more at Pure Barre's lower revenue base. Pure Barre is also the older, larger system with more units in its sample. Neither discloses a narrow quartile spread — 3.05x for Pure Barre, 2.69x for StretchLab — so in both cases site selection and operating skill drive the outcome more than the brand does.
- How much does a StretchLab franchise cost compared to Pure Barre?
- StretchLab discloses a total initial investment of $269,019 to $610,224 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $439,622, with an initial franchise fee of $65,000. Pure Barre discloses a total initial investment of $314,411 to $629,345 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $471,878, with an initial franchise fee of $60,000.
- Does StretchLab or Pure Barre generate more revenue?
- StretchLab reports average gross sales of $556,263 across 417 units (qualified studios, FY2024). Pure Barre reports average gross sales of $368,588 and a median of $344,889 across 599 units (qualified studios, full-year 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 StretchLab and Pure Barre?
- StretchLab 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%. Pure Barre charges a royalty of 7% and a brand fund contribution of 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.